Mathieu Paquette Appointed President and CEO of VIA Rail

VIA Rail Canada appointed Mathieu Paquette as its president and chief executive officer for a five-year term. Paquette has been leading the organization on an interim basis. He joined VIA Rail in 2023 as chief human resources officer, with responsibilities subsequently expanding to include communications, government relations, and health and safety.

VIA Rail ChairpersonJonathan Goldbloom said, “Mathieu has demonstrated the leadership, strategic judgement, and knowledge of our operations needed to guide VIA Rail through this next chapter. His five-year mandate provides the stability to build on our progress and make the most of the opportunities ahead.”

Paquette’s priorities include strengthening operational performance, delivering more reliable and predictable service, growing ridership, and improving financial performance. His appointment comes as VIA Rail advances the renewal of its pan-Canadian fleet, the development of new maintenance facilities and its Dorval multimodal station project.

“Our ambition is to be the best passenger rail operator we can be and give more Canadians a reason to choose the train,” said Paquette. “Together with our teams, we will focus on maintaining our passengers’ trust, one trip at a time, while building the VIA Rail of tomorrow.”