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VIA Rail

lenaitch said:
In some ways I'm not so sure there is much difference for any leader in a board governance setting, you're at at-will appointee, generally with really good terms. At the end of the day, I doubt any end up in line at a soup kitchen.

The big problem with VIA is it has no enabling legislation. The CEO or Board can't sit in front of Cabinet or a committee with the position that 'this is what you mandate us to do, so you need to fund it' or 'here's our strategic plan to implement the mandate you have assigned us'. VIA has no bargaining chips to play.
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But you do get to decide where to put the different chess pieces and how they should move. With the resources you are given. You can also lobby for more resources and state your case as to why you should get it.

If you can show that you made an improvement with the resources given maybe there is a case to get more?
 
Bordercollie said:
But you do get to decide where to put the different chess pieces and how they should move. With the resources you are given. You can also lobby for more resources and state your case as to why you should get it.

If you can show that you made an improvement with the resources given maybe there is a case to get more?
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If only that were true. Suppose VIA decided that they could make more money if they added another Montreal-Ottawa run and delete a Montreal-Quebec run. VIA needs a signoff from the Minister or designate. And to get that signoff, they have to provide supporting documentation. Many "helpful" analysts would review the proposal. The capacity of various pins to house angels would have to be verified.

If the change worked, the added income would be deemed a reduction in subsidy and would be clawed back.

Air Canada might need internal approvals to sell the change but ultimately would just adjust its schedule and aircraft cycle and make the change. The added revenue would be retained income, available for reinvestment, debt reduction, or disbursement to shareholders,

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
If only that were true. Suppose VIA decided that they could make more money if they added another Montreal-Ottawa run and delete a Montreal-Quebec run. VIA needs a signoff from the Minister or designate. And to get that signoff, they have to provide supporting documentation. Many "helpful" analysts would review the proposal. The capacity of various pins to house angels would have to be verified.

If the change worked, the added income would be deemed a reduction in subsidy and would be clawed back.

Air Canada might need internal approvals to sell the change but ultimately would just adjust its schedule and aircraft cycle and make the change. The added revenue would be retained income, available for reinvestment, debt reduction, or disbursement to shareholders,

- Paul
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Those savings or increase in revenue could be used to improve services elsewhere. And you could make a case as such.
 
Bordercollie said:
But you do get to decide where to put the different chess pieces and how they should move. With the resources you are given. You can also lobby for more resources and state your case as to why you should get it.

If you can show that you made an improvement with the resources given maybe there is a case to get more?
Click to expand...

The problem is they do not have any resources to spare. They don't have an excess of rolling stock to better utilize. They don't slots on their busiest sections. All they can hope to do is to ensure they run to the best of the ability that it is given.
 
Bordercollie said:
But you do get to decide where to put the different chess pieces and how they should move. With the resources you are given. You can also lobby for more resources and state your case as to why you should get it.

If you can show that you made an improvement with the resources given maybe there is a case to get more?
Click to expand...

VIA kind of did this over a bit over a decade ago when they took advantage of the upgrades to the Kingston Sub and their ownership of the Brockville and Smith's Falls Subs to approximately double the frequency between Ottawa and Toronto. The result was more than doubling of ridership on the route, proving that increasing frequency drives increases in ridership. Armed with this data, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano presented an argument for HFR, claiming the frequency and reliability were more important than speed. We all know how successful that was.
 
crs1026 said:
If only that were true. Suppose VIA decided that they could make more money if they added another Montreal-Ottawa run and delete a Montreal-Quebec run. VIA needs a signoff from the Minister or designate. And to get that signoff, they have to provide supporting documentation. Many "helpful" analysts would review the proposal. The capacity of various pins to house angels would have to be verified.

- Paul
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Do they, though?

My understanding is that VIA is given a pretty free reign to use the resources that it has been given, and figure out the best way to maximize their use. This includes the ability to reallocate them if they deem necessary.

Along those same lines what it can't do without permission is expend to new areas, or to greatly increase frequencies - things that would require additional resources above and beyond what they already have.

Dan
 
smallspy said:
Do they, though?

My understanding is that VIA is given a pretty free reign to use the resources that it has been given, and figure out the best way to maximize their use. This includes the ability to reallocate them if they deem necessary.

Along those same lines what it can't do without permission is expend to new areas, or to greatly increase frequencies - things that would require additional resources above and beyond what they already have.
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I was led to understand that VIA's business planning process requires justifying things including money on a route by route basis to various bureaucrats. That's a far cry from a business justifying plans to its Board but having internal authority. Also, VIA is a class of Crown Corporation whose ability to borrow money is limited.

Maybe that has changed somewhat over the years, but it's a pretty restrictive regime. With politics always being the trump suit.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
If only that were true. Suppose VIA decided that they could make more money if they added another Montreal-Ottawa run and delete a Montreal-Quebec run. VIA needs a signoff from the Minister or designate. And to get that signoff, they have to provide supporting documentation. Many "helpful" analysts would review the proposal.
Click to expand...
Already cancelled from Feb 9, 2025 and likely extending into the spring of 2026: several trains just evaporated, due to 'operational constraints' which seem to be late arriving previous-leg trains and less-in-demand trains ,including daily 42/55, 644 on Fridays/Sundays and 645 on Mondays.
 
Trackside_Treasure said:
Already cancelled from Feb 9, 2025 and likely extending into the spring of 2026: several trains just evaporated, due to 'operational constraints' which seem to be late arriving previous-leg trains and less-in-demand trains ,including daily 42/55, 644 on Fridays/Sundays and 645 on Mondays.
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Likely not enough available equipment.
 
Trackside_Treasure said:
Not necessarily. The Corridor rotation now includes guard sets: 2 Venture, 2 LRC and 1 HEP. Plus, up to four LRC sets have been lengthened, at times up to eight cars in length.
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They have slots for these trains?
But thes nare available to be swapped in case of an issue correct?
Also given that the Ottawa station siding is too short for a venture set, is it possible to stage trains elsewhere without using the platform? Walkley yard?
 
Bordercollie said:
They have slots for these trains?
But thes nare available to be swapped in case of an issue correct?
Also given that the Ottawa station siding is too short for a venture set, is it possible to stage trains elsewhere without using the platform? Walkley yard?
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Yes, they nare available if needed - on standby. These guard sets would be the first thing to go if there was insufficient equipment. The only thing is, they are regularly called on this winter!
I have seen photos taken at Ottawa station showing two tracks with two Venture sets each. Too short? The shore power seems to be located in the centre, allowing all four to be connected.
 
A friend is heading to Montreal by car in late January for a weekend event, and we've talked about my taking the train there to join him afterwards so we can head to Tremblant for snowboarding, then drive back to Kitchener together. What I'm not clear on is the corridor baggage policies. On a plane I can pay two baggage fees to take a suitcase, a snowboard bag, and a boot bag (which is included for free with the snowboard bag). It doesn't look like I can do that at all on a VIA Economy fare (1 medium item is included, with limited availability to pay for 1 extra large item), and while a Business Class fare says that I can take 1 large carry on with limited availability for 1 extra large item, I'd still be stuck on transporting the boot/helmet bag. For those with more VIA experience, is that a correct interpretation, or is there actually a way to use VIA on a sports trip?
 
KevinT said:
A friend is heading to Montreal by car in late January for a weekend event, and we've talked about my taking the train there to join him afterwards so we can head to Tremblant for snowboarding, then drive back to Kitchener together. What I'm not clear on is the corridor baggage policies. On a plane I can pay two baggage fees to take a suitcase, a snowboard bag, and a boot bag (which is included for free with the snowboard bag). It doesn't look like I can do that at all on a VIA Economy fare (1 medium item is included, with limited availability to pay for 1 extra large item), and while a Business Class fare says that I can take 1 large carry on with limited availability for 1 extra large item, I'd still be stuck on transporting the boot/helmet bag. For those with more VIA experience, is that a correct interpretation, or is there actually a way to use VIA on a sports trip?
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I would simply call them and ask, but get the dimensions written down first so you can tell them exactly how big it is.
Also ask if you need to show up early for any measuring of the size of the item before boarding, or any help getting them into the baggage area, as you may have to do that.
 
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