VIA Rail pays on-train service attendants $28.91 an hour on its current postings, and part-time station agents in Toronto earn $27.48 to $31.80. The passenger railway carried 4.4 million travellers in its latest annual report and hires for trains, stations and maintenance centres.
VIA Rail jobs on board and on the ground
Five roles from train attendant to railcar technician, listed with pay, travel and language needs.
See Job Openings at VIA Rail →🚆 Next stops on this page
- The four places VIA Rail staff work
- What real VIA postings pay
- What the union contract adds
- Language, security and fitness checks
Where VIA Rail employees spend their day
VIA Rail is a federal Crown corporation based in Montréal. Most of its trains run between Québec City and Windsor, and long-distance routes such as The Canadian and The Ocean cross the country and reach Halifax.
On the train
Attendants serve meals and drinks, help with bags and look after sleeping cars.
In the station
Agents sell tickets, check in luggage and direct travellers to the right platform.
Maintenance centres
Technicians, electricians and general workers keep locomotives and cars running.
Customer care
Phone and chat agents change bookings and answer travel questions.
Pay printed on VIA Rail job postings
Customer-facing VIA jobs pay well above most provincial minimums from the first day. The top two rates below were printed in VIA’s own postings; the third is an employee average.
💡 French opens the door: station and on-board jobs ask for English and French, so bilingual applicants clear the first filter that stops many others.
Raises, pension and sick days in VIA Rail’s union deal
Unifor represents station, on-board, office and maintenance staff under two three-year agreements. They were ratified with raises and a stronger pension at their core.
Hiring checks for a VIA Rail job
Online form
Apply on the VIA careers site and watch for the email that confirms receipt.
Language and interview
Expect questions in both official languages for public-facing jobs.
Federal security check
A clean criminal record and proof you may work here are needed.
Fitness for duty
Safety-sensitive roles include a medical check and a drug test.
Customer-facing postings list high school graduation and at least a year in customer service as the basics, plus the strength to lift 50 pounds again and again. Train crew and station staff have to be 18 or older.
⚠️ On-board staff sleep away from home: long-distance trips keep attendants on the train for five to six days at a time, and schedules cover nights, weekends and statutory holidays. Station work lets you go home after each shift.
VIA Rail routes and the crews behind them
🏙️ Québec City to Windsor
The busiest line, now run with the new trainsets and home to most station jobs.
🏔️ The Canadian
Toronto to Vancouver over several days, with sleeper cars and dining staff.
🌊 The Ocean
Montréal to Halifax overnight, through New Brunswick.
Lining up your VIA Rail application
All openings appear on VIA’s careers portal with the station or centre they belong to. Look at five VIA Rail jobs in one place, including which ones keep you on the road, before you apply.
Trains, stations or the repair shop? Compare VIA Rail roles first.
Rates, travel and language rules, role by role.
See Job Openings at VIA RailRead more about VIA Rail
Compiled from VIA Rail’s annual report and careers site, VIA and Unifor announcements on the latest contracts, published VIA postings and what staff report on Indeed. Rates are in Canadian dollars.