Via Rail’s engineers and yardmasters are on strike, creating a near-complete shutdown of national passenger rail service in Canada. Talks between the union and Via broke down early Friday morning, quashing any hopes of an agreement being reached before the noon deadline. The strike is expected to have a ripple affect across business, tourism and travel industries, as the 11,000 passengers Via would normally carry everyday seek alternate arrangements. The company is not offering any form of replacement transportation, but will give a refund for unused tickets.