Lack of meaningful Passenger Rail service outside the Quebec-Windsor Corridor

[Urban Sky]

But what if some or all the track would be abandoned otherwise?

Tracks can only be abandoned after successfully filing an abandonment request, at which point VIA could buy the line for scrap value…

 

[crs1026]

How much did buying the Chatham, Alexandria and Brockville subdivisions cost, and which government came up with the $ for that? (I looked but couldn’t discern it from the search results)

Google is your friend

- Paul

Rail News - VIA Rail to upgrade Chatham Subdivision line, build station. For Railroad Career Professionals

www.progressiverailroading.com

 

[crs1026]

Also

VIA RAIL EXPANDS ITS RAIL NETWORK BY ACQUIRING THE BROCKVILLE SUBDIVISION | VIA Rail

Montreal, November 23, 2015 – VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) is pleased to announce it acquired the Brockville Subdivision, consisting of 45 kilometers (28 miles) of single track between Smiths Falls and Brockville, in Ontario.

media.viarail.ca

 

[crs1026]

And

https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/About_VIA/our-company/capital-investment-plan/BK090130E%20-%20Alexandria%20Subdivision%20JT.pdf

 

[roger1818]

To be honest, I feel no paranoia and would welcome VIA's demise since it would likely be a catalyst for the provincialisation of intercity rail.

Just like the demise of Grehound in Ontario and Quebec was the catalyst for the provincialisation of intercity bus? Tell that to all the communities that lost intercity bus service as a result. Yes private companies started up providing express service to the major cities but a lot of towns in eastern (and probably southern) Ontario that lost intercity bus service. I was hoping that Ontario Northland would fill in the gap, but Doug Ford did nothing.

So go ahead and dream about the demise of VIA, but the probable outcome would be the loss of all intercity rail in Canada (other than the Northlander and a few trains operated by the FN).