is entirely due to CNR freight traffic being prioritized over passenger traffic along the route. Current operations When operating on the normal schedule, the Canadian operates twice per week, departing Toronto on Wednesdays and Sundays and Vancouver on Mondays and Fridays. The total journey takes about four days. An additional train operates once-weekly between Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto in the summer months. The great majority of stations operate as flag stops; passengers boarding or detraining at these stops must give advance notice. On March 21, 2020, the Canadian and most other Via Rail services were suspended due to the pandemic. This suspension continued until December 11, to accommodate inspection and repair work as part of its Heritage Modernization Program. Beginning December 11, the Canadian was reinstated between Winnipeg and Vancouver only and ran once a week. Service to Toronto resumed on May 17, 2021, still operating once a week. Service disruptions In January 2020, service on the Canadian (along with nearly all of Via's other services) was suspended due to the 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests and blockades at several points along CNR and Metrolinx lines. Partial service was restored in early March. However, less than a month after the blockades were lifted, the COVID-19 pandemic and the closing of the Canada-US border temporarily impacted nearly all Via Rail services. While reduced service continued on the Corridor, all overnight trains except the Winnipeg-Churchill run were initially cancelled. Around 1000 employees across the system were temporarily laid off. Service was gradually restored in stages, with the Toronto-Winnipeg portion of the route being restored first. Service along the full Toronto-Vancouver route was finally restored in December 2020, with a single train running once a week in each direction. In response to these two major disruptions, Via amended its cancellation policies to allow changes without penalty and full refunds. In November 2021, service west of Winnipeg was impacted by the November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods. The November 13 westbound train out of Toronto, which was already underway when the floods hit, was halted at Winnipeg. Passengers with final destinations west of Winnipeg were bussed or flown to their final destinations. Service was not restored until December 12. Subsequent trains were significantly delayed between Edmonton and Vancouver by the supply chain backlog of previously stalled freight trains. Classes of service The Canadian offers three main classes of service: Economy, Sleeper Plus, and, since