Pretty reports!
But I ponder, even worry, will this be giftwrap on a nice box or an empty box: I hope Feds are finally actually going to give HFR a good healthy push -- an Infrastructure Bank funding announcement of some kind. And full quality HxR type system -- 2½ hour Ottawa-Toronto -- and not a watered-down "3½ hour" mini-improvement.
Yeah, that report, while it presents a lot of interesting selling points, and stresses VIA's efforts to manage effectively, is too Metrolinx for me.
First of all, it presents some tenuous claims, such as a 42% reduction in safety incidents. That statistic may be accurate, but what is VIA's actual contribution to that, compared to freight railways' efforts on education and enforcement ? 73% on-time performance is a good thing? Nothing about operating productivity, maintenance effectiveness, miles between breakdowns.
Second, it's written in very rich corporatespeak. "Sustainable Mobility"? "Forecastable Outcomes"? Gimme a break. How about "Better faster more frequent affordable trains"?
Lastly, it steps carefully around the question of money. This document may not be the place to outline any upcoming business case analyses, but one would think it would plant some seeds or cite some key parameters that may become important when that discussion takes place. Nothing about cost recovery, even. Life cycle for equipment?
The takeaway for me is that VIA has some legitimate reasons to be proud of its progress as a managed organization, as an employer, and in its passenger experience strategy. That disarms critics in three key areas and reinforces its organizational credibility when it puts forward a business proposal. And, it is walking the Trudeau government line of unbridled optimism, by not dwelling on how unsustainable the current fleet and operating environment (ie tenancy on freight tracks) are.
But.... the debate begins and ends with the dollar. And with the current constraints, which is not a sustainable business environment.
- Paul
