VIA Rail

[Urban Sky]

The Renaissance fleet was never set up well for solo travellers who wanted a bed, and VIA did not put a proper kitchen in the diner cars. I took the Ocean in 2004 on a solo trip when it had the HEP-I fleet and I got a roomette and enjoyed the cooked-to-order dinner and breakfast.

My partner and I took the Ocean last year, and we got the big bedroom in the Park Car, but the microwaved meals were lousy - which seems a bit odd, because VIA does a decent job of serving reheated meals in business class on Corridor trains. I've been in the Ren bedrooms as well, and I still prefer the HEPs.

It will be really nice to see the HEPs back on the Ocean.

Kitchens for cook-to-order meals have disappeared from European trains many decades ago and I'm not sure whether it would have even been possible to retrofit the Renaissance Service Cars with a fully functional kitchen. I'm of course far from a neutral passenger, but I've enjoyed the Ocean with its meal service in both, HEP and Renaissance, with HEP last April (when one of the two Renaissance sets was unavailable) and Renaissance just last weekend and the food was deemed as excellent not just by myself, but also by every single passenger I happened to talked to. Just out of interest: were you travelling eastbound (train 15) or westbound (train 14)?

Edit:
Just one more thing, to the best of my knowledge meals on-board the Ocean's Renaissance equipment are steamed, not microwaved...

 

[Allandale25]

Latest on rail service to Churchill here:

Hudson Bay Railway repairs could start by September as long as some else pays for them, owner says
Ian Graham / Thompson Citizen

AUGUST 9, 2018 03:28 PM

Hudson Bay Railway (HBR) president Sergio Sabatini told the Canadian Transportation Agency Aug. 1 that his company has begun soliciting bids to repair the section of the line between Gillam and Churchill but doesn’t have the money to pay for the repairs itself.

The report to the Canadian Transportation agency (CTA), which ordered HBR to begin repairs by July 3, said that the process began with an inspection of the track June 11 and June 12 by AECOM, which was retained by HBR to prepare a request for proposals (RFP). The RFP was issued June 28 to six pre-screened contractors with the necessary experience to perform the repairs and four of those contractors sent representatives to a mandatory site visit July 12 and 13. Over the course of July, AECOM responded to technical questions form the contractors, with final answers provided July 31. Bids were due Aug. 3 and AECOM said it was “confident there will be multiple bids and methodologies to consider."

HBR says it believes a substantial amount of the work to repair the line can be done this year and the rest by mid-2019. Its goal is to restore limited service sometime this winter and full services after the repairs are complete.

However, the report took pains to spell out HBR’s position that it doesn’t have money to fund the work, which AECOM estimates could start by the first day of September.

“As the agency is aware HBR does not have the financial capability to undertake the full repairs of the damage to the railway caused by the spring 2017 flood,” Sabatini wrote. “HBR and its shareholders have been in discussion with the federal government and a potential buyer with the objective of ensuring that the necessary funds are in place to fully repair the Gillam to Churchill line and resume operations as expeditiously as possible."

 

[raptor]

what a joke, I bet they have 'financial capability' to pay his salary..

 

[cplchanb]

Latest on rail service to Churchill here:

So long story short
It wont start in September because reality is, noone wants to pay for it and the joint effort to buy has failed

 

[Urban Sky]

what a joke, I bet they have 'financial capability' to pay his salary..

I'm not sure if you are more grossly underestimating the costs of fixing several hundred of kilometers of railroad in inaccessible terrain and far away from where rail construction workers could be sourced from or overestimating the salary of an executive of a minor subsidiary of a mid-sized railroad, but I don't see what point you are trying to make. Considering how their investment in Northern Manitoba has so far worked out for Omnitrax and especially the impact the abolishment of the Wheat Board had on its prospects, I would like to ask you how you would justify bailing out HBR to your investors if you were the CEO of the Omnitrax parent in Denver (i.e. not just of HBR or Omnitrax Canada).

 

[SaugeenJunction]

VIA has updated its Dedicated Tracks project infographic yet again. Key change is that it says the project cost is $4 billion, and includes electrification in that price tag (at least implies it).

 

[steveintoronto]

^Very interesting...

 

[Toronto1834]

I haven't read through all 277 pages in the forum, but just so I'm clear- the feds have committed $ to the new Corridor fleet but NOT the dedicated tracks at this point?

VIA has updated its Dedicated Tracks project infographic yet again. Key change is that it says the project cost is $4 billion, and includes electrification in that price tag (at least implies it).

 

[steveintoronto]

I haven't read through all 277 pages in the forum, but just so I'm clear- the feds have committed $ to the new Corridor fleet but NOT the dedicated tracks at this point?

There's a lot of confusion on this point, but a quick answer is that the *ownership* of the track is separate from the $4B VIA assigns to the cost of their rolling stock and perhaps a few ancillaries with it.

It's been made very clear a number of times that the RoW would have to be provided by a private 'partner' (the term is just a working one, it could be completely privately owned, and most likely would/will be, albeit that could be a consortium).
VIA Rail looks to private investment for $3-billion dedicated track plan ...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/via-rail-quebec-ontario-1.3537019

 

[Toronto1834]

Does the $4 Billion assume a portion of that sum would be allocated to upgrading existing CN ROW?

 

[steveintoronto]

Does the $4 Billion assume a portion of that sum would be allocated to upgrading existing CN ROW?

There's no assumption of any sort since there's nothing more than concept at this point. Let's flip your question over: "Is there an attempt to not directly involve CN in this plan?". And the answer would be: "In lieu of all representations and opportunities that CN has declined, the need is to avoid being reliant on Class 1 railways."

Consider that CN especially and CP have vowed to not (gist) 'Allow any catenary on our rail lines'. Is that premised on this being an electrified line? That is a safe assumption, as not only has this been promoted by the Feds right up to PM, and included in VIA Existing Fleet renewal specs, but it just makes plain common sense for any private investor, let alone VIA to proceed in a way that utilizes what many others have already done, proven mechanically, and proven financially.

The cost of electrifying such a route is relatively small compared to the many benefits.

And as a personal opinion, this scheme is more than valid for private investors. I see more chance of this proceeding with VIA in the back seat than VIA being in the lead.

Added Proviso on last sentence above: *Through no fault of Desjardins-Siciliano*. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he is 'poached' by a private operator to do this for them, or a consortium. It's the Feds that have shown an almost total lack of leadership on what is otherwise an excellent idea.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

I haven't read through all 277 pages in the forum, but just so I'm clear- the feds have committed $ to the new Corridor fleet but NOT the dedicated tracks at this point?

- VIA's High Frequency Rail (HFR) program is best summed up as "fleet renewal + dedicated tracks"
- VIA's new corridor fleet was funded in the 2018 budget, estimated value of $1-$1.5 billion, and a winner of the RFP is expected to be chosen by December
- VIA's Dedicated Tracks program (roughly $4 billion) is currently being studied, and Transport Minister Marc Garneau has said he wants a decision on it by end-of-year. It looks like it may be electrified, but that hasn't been confirmed. VIA is looking at using the CP Havelock Sub, and re-laying tracks between Havelock and Smiths Falls rather than the CN Lakeshore route, as well as the north-shore in Quebec rather than the south shore. Current services on corridor/CN lines will be tweaked, but maintained. In Toronto, it looks like VIA will use the Don Branch (former CP, now owned by Metrolinx) in the Don Valley (hint the big bridge by the Brickworks) to connect to Union Station. Below is a map of what is being proposed (in yellow).

 

[cplchanb]

- VIA's High Frequency Rail (HFR) program is best summed up as "fleet renewal + dedicated tracks"
- VIA's new corridor fleet was funded in the 2018 budget, estimated value of $1-$1.5 billion, and a winner of the RFP is expected to be chosen by December
- VIA's Dedicated Tracks program (roughly $4 billion) is currently being studied, and Transport Minister Marc Garneau has said he wants a decision on it by end-of-year. It looks like it may be electrified, but that hasn't been confirmed. VIA is looking at using the CP Havelock Sub, and re-laying tracks between Havelock and Smiths Falls rather than the CN Lakeshore route, as well as the north-shore in Quebec rather than the south shore. Current services on corridor/CN lines will be tweaked, but maintained. In Toronto, it looks like VIA will use the Don Branch (former CP, now owned by Metrolinx) in the Don Valley (hint the big bridge by the Brickworks) to connect to Union Station. Below is a map of what is being proposed (in yellow).

I wonder how they will electrify the bridge over the Don Valley if indeed they are going to electrify the line. Will they have to extensively modify it or possibly build a new bridge for 2 way traffic?

 

[innsertnamehere]

Given the proposed frequency of the line they can likely get away with small single track sections where the capital expense of providing a second track would be prohibitive - i.e. the Don Bridge.

That said - the bridge has been sitting and rotting for decades now. It hasn't seen a train on it, even on slow order, for what, 10 years? I wouldn't be surprised if Via has to do a full replacement of it in it's entirety.

the biggest expenses in the plan likely relate to the Don Valley and a fly-over to get over to the north side of the CP tracks to go around the Agincourt yard.

 

[cplchanb]

Given the proposed frequency of the line they can likely get away with small single track sections where the capital expense of providing a second track would be prohibitive - i.e. the Don Bridge.

That said - the bridge has been sitting and rotting for decades now. It hasn't seen a train on it, even on slow order, for what, 10 years? I wouldn't be surprised if Via has to do a full replacement of it in it's entirety.

the biggest expenses in the plan likely relate to the Don Valley and a fly-over to get over to the north side of the CP tracks to go around the Agincourt yard.

It would be an interesting sight to see a modern concrete viaduct for rail spanning across the valley.