Bereavement Fares

At VIA Rail Canada, we understand that you may be required to travel for purposes other than business or pleasure. From time to time, you may indeed have to travel owing to a death in the family. In these difficult and unexpected circumstances, we offer, along with our sincerest condolences, a special bereavement discount on your rail tickets.

The VIA bereavement discount is valid on all trains system-wide.

Conditions are as follow:

Comfort class (economy)

• Adults - 25% off the full adult fare
• Seniors - 25% off the senior fare
• Children - 25% off the children fare
• Students - No additional discount for students 12-17 years of age or ISIC (International Student Identification Card) cardholders 18 years of age and over as they are always eligible for a 35% discount off the full adult fare.

VIA 1 / Sleeper Class

• Adults - 25% off the full adult fare
• Seniors - 25% off the senior fare
• Children - 25% off the children fare
• Students 12-17 years or ISIC (International Student Identification Card) cardholders 18 years of age and over - 25% off the student fare.

Tickets booked at this fare level will be honoured any day of the week, and no blackout periods apply. These fares are valid for travel in Comfort, Sleeper and VIA 1 classes.

Bereavement fares are intended for immediate family members travelling to/from a funeral. Immediate family members include: the deceased individual's spouse or common-law partner, parents, grandparents, great grandparents, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law, or spouse of one of the foregoing. (Aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins do not qualify.)

Individuals requesting a bereavement fare must provide:

• Death certificate or funeral notice (newspaper clipping);
• Name, telephone number, address of the funeral home, as well as the burial date;
• Name of the deceased and relationship to passenger(s).

If the aforementioned information is not available prior to departure, the passenger(s) must purchase a full fare one-way ticket. For the return trip, passengers must present a copy of the death certificate or funeral notice, as well as proof of purchase of their full fare one-way ticket. VIA will then apply the applicable bereavement discount(s) (to both legs of the trip) and issue a fully discounted return ticket.

Alternatively, upon completion of travel, passengers may request a refund at any VIA Rail station by presenting a copy of the death certificate or funeral notice, as well as proof of purchase of their full fare ticket(s).