Alto - High Speed Rail (Toronto-Quebec City)

[urbanclient]

It speaks to poor management regarding how they managed to turn a profitable parcel delivery situation to an unprofitable one. I don't buy the narrative that a flood of cheap labour is the only reason Canada Post failed to compete against Amazon-adjacent couriers.

Canada Post is a great example. We see how we need low wage workers, driving questionable vehicles, driving poorly, and running when they get out to drop of something to be successful. So, that is not an improvement.
The real problem with the free market is when a big guy buys up all the little guys instead of actually competing with them.

I do not think there is a way HSR could be successful if it also had to be profitable.

Forgot to reply to this earlier.

Not sure this was the point I was making. Competent management is key for an SOE to compete against private companies. Canada Post cannot and should not be a black hole for taxpayer dollars. It turned a profit from riding the e-commerce wave before, it can turn a profit again.

HSR will probably never pay off its capital costs, but operating profit is possible. Financial profit/loss aside, the net economic return to society should be positive.

 

[micheal_can]

Forgot to reply to this earlier.

Not sure this was the point I was making. Competent management is key for an SOE to compete against private companies. Canada Post cannot and should not be a black hole for taxpayer dollars. It turned a profit from riding the e-commerce wave before, it can turn a profit again.

HSR will probably never pay off its capital costs, but operating profit is possible. Financial profit/loss aside, the net economic return to society should be positive.

Should the goal even be profitability? Or should the goal be a real option for citizens to get to where they are going as fast as reasonable? Remember, the 401 does not make a profit.

 

[picard102]

Should the goal even be profitability? Or should the goal be a real option for citizens to get to where they are going as fast as reasonable? Remember, the 401 does not make a profit.

Make it free.

 

[urbanclient]

Should the goal even be profitability? Or should the goal be a real option for citizens to get to where they are going as fast as reasonable? Remember, the 401 does not make a profit.

I didn't say HSR profitability should be an overriding goal, just that it's possible. Obviously something like our healthcare system should not be aiming for financial profitability from the perspective of the government.

In fact, emphasizing profitability could make tickets more expensive. I've made posts expressing my distaste for the current revenue management (pricing system) for Via. Japanese and Chinese HSR tickets are distance based, they don't go up in price in response to demand or closer to the departure date. And yet they can achieve operating profits on some lines.

 

[micheal_can]

Make it free.

I wouldn't go that far... however, if the goal was to break Canada from the car being king, removing all fares on all public transit would do that.

Pricing for ALTO should be slightly higher than Via and slightly lower than a flight.

 

[micheal_can]

I didn't say HSR profitability should be an overriding goal, just that it's possible. Obviously something like our healthcare system should not be aiming for financial profitability from the perspective of the government.

In fact, emphasizing profitability could make tickets more expensive. I've made posts expressing my distaste for the current revenue management (pricing system) for Via. Japanese and Chinese HSR tickets are distance based, they don't go up in price in response to demand or closer to the departure date. And yet they can achieve operating profits on some lines.

Pricing will always be a challenge especially from those that are upset that they are "paying for it" in taxes and such.