A growing number of Canada Day weekend travellers opted to take the train to the capital this year, according to Via Rail.

The federal Crown corporation reported Tuesday that the number of travellers headed to Ottawa over this year’s July 1st weekend rose 17.8 per cent compared to 2018 figures. Year-over-year, both-way ridership between Ottawa and Montreal was up 23 per cent, while Ottawa to Toronto passenger volumes rose 18 per cent.

Overall, the Quebec City-Windsor corridor saw nearly 100,000 passengers travel by train over Canada Day weekend, an increase of 9.9 per cent from last year. Passenger revenue over the same period was up 7.5 per cent.

The railway operator recently received $71 million in federal funding to explore plans for a high-frequency rail line linking Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City, a proposal that got the thumbs-up from members of the National Capital Region’s business community.