Via Rail says its passenger rail service should be back to normal on Monday after a two-day Canada-wide strike, offering discounts of 60 per cent on tickets to all destinations to woo back customers.

To take advantage of the discount, travellers must buy their tickets by midnight Pacific time on Wednesday, and must take their trips by Dec. 14.

Federal Labour Minister Rona Ambrose said she has personally thanked both Via Rail and the engineers union for getting the trains moving again.

The strike by locomotive engineers, which started Friday, paralyzed train passenger traffic across the country and forced Via to issue ticket refunds to thousands of customers. Via normally shuttles about 11,000 passengers around the country every day — and as many as 12,500 daily during the summer tourism season.

After meeting with a federally appointed mediator, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and Via Rail agreed early Sunday morning to settle their differences through binding arbitration.

"I think it's great that it is over. Now people can get where they are going and have a great holiday," said Elizabeth Cochu, who was back at CN's downtown Montreal station Monday morning to reschedule a trip to Toronto on Aug. 1.

"Hopefully I can get my tickets and everything is good. I don't have to take a bus," she said.

What had been a deserted train station on the weekend was packed with people Monday morning.

This was in sharp contrast to the train station in Ottawa, which was almost empty. The few people who were there were a bit sour.

"We were pretty grumpy," said Michele Hutton who was travelling to Sarnia with her four-year-old daughter,

She had scrambled to rent a car when the strike started and then cancelled it at the last minute.

"Hopefully, there's no financial penalty. I don't know for sure yet," she said.

Improved work schedules, benefits and training are among the demands of the 340 engineers, who have been without a contract for 2½ years.

Via announced on Saturday that it had issued layoff notices to hundreds of employees who work on trains and in stations and maintenance centres. Those employees have been recalled, said Via spokesman Malcolm Andrews.

Via said it could take several weeks to reach a deal through arbitration.