smallspy
Senior Member
He left because his contract and term was up. It was up to VIA if they wanted to renew his term and bring him back. And to be honest, I can't recall any president in VIA's history that has stayed for more than one term.
Dan
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VIA Rail
- Thread starter ehlow
- Start date
He left because his contract and term was up. It was up to VIA if they wanted to renew his term and bring him back. And to be honest, I can't recall any president in VIA's history that has stayed for more than one term.
Dan
kEiThZ
Superstar
Rick Mercer's joke is still valid.
kEiThZ
Superstar
Garuda
Active Member
The silver lining in all of the is the urban rail renaissance we're seeing in Quebec-Windsor corridor (ION, O-Train, REM, Hamilton LRT, Quebec Tram, Toronto LRT/Subway lines, GO RER). Younger generations are growing up (and depending on) with these new lines and travelling to places with good infrastructure. Soon they will be the leargest voting bloc. So hopefully better intercity service will be a matter of when, not if.
I personally want HSR at over 300km/h but this is a good step forward.
MisterF
Senior Member
For those criticizing the HFR project as spending billions for xx time savings, you're missing the point. The project is just as much about frequency and reliability as it is about speed.
The distance from Smiths Falls to Glen Tay is very short at barely 25 km. So even if, for the sake of the argument, Via has no special priority on that section of new track, the potential for delays there is very small compared to using CN track for the entire 500 km to Montreal.
That's already been tried. The Harper government spent something along the lines of $400 million (IIRC) building third or fourth tracks in several locations specifically so that Via trains wouldn't be delayed by freight trains so much. The problem is that the new tracks are on CN property and belong to CN, which uses them for their own purposes. And Via trains end up getting delayed just as much as before. As long as the government shows zero appetite for giving Via trains priority on CN tracks, the only solution is to build Via its own corridor. Besides, going by the cost to build those sidings, it would cost several billion dollars to build an extra track for the entire corridor, with no guarantee that anything would improve.
The distance from Smiths Falls to Glen Tay is very short at barely 25 km. So even if, for the sake of the argument, Via has no special priority on that section of new track, the potential for delays there is very small compared to using CN track for the entire 500 km to Montreal.
Allandale25
Senior Member
I do get some of the frustration that this is just another study, but if a HFR EA actually happens would this not be the most detailed look at new service and track compared to any other HSR study? In other words, just like LRT or subway EAs, we will get far more detailed information compared to just a high level study. Given the complexity of the project particularly how it will interact with CP in Toronto and Union Station, and restoring track, an EA certainly sounds reasonable. I do get the concern that the government could have initiated this process earlier.
Also, just like transit EAs, if a new government doesn't want to proceed I can see them stopping the EA.
How long will it take to hire the consultants and start the EA? Can they sign contracts for consultants before the election to lock them in? I wonder what financial penalties will exist if a new government tries to cancel the EA.
Also, just like transit EAs, if a new government doesn't want to proceed I can see them stopping the EA.
How long will it take to hire the consultants and start the EA? Can they sign contracts for consultants before the election to lock them in? I wonder what financial penalties will exist if a new government tries to cancel the EA.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
kEiThZ
Superstar
Thank you. People really don't seem to get this. Having a regular schedule is almost as important as speed. Being able to show up at the station and use your Presto card to buy a reasonably priced ticket on the spot. This is a luxury we don't have. But could, with HFR. And know that we'll actually reach at the time planned. Not the +/- 1 hr that happens today.
Lest we forget how disastrously bad that turned out.
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Budgeted $250 million. Spent way more than that. Got half the tripled track they initially planned for. 17% drop in on-time performance.
There's no bargaining with CN and CP. And never will be. VIA is additional revenue for them. And if VIA gets too bothersome, they'd gladly forego that additional revenue. VIA does not survive without its own corridor. Simple as that. As the Corridor gains population and cargo traffic increases, VIA's problems will only get worse.
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kEiThZ
Superstar
Not going to happen. Our rail companies are as much national champions as Bombardier, Potash Corp and our telcos.
Bypassing them is the only way.
Spending effort to reign in CN would result in years of futile effort to get us right back here.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Of course not - that is the state of our Confederation. Maybe the pendulum need to swing back towards a more aggressive, nation building role for the Federal government that is willing to knock some heads around.
AoD
robmausser
Senior Member
Considering the cons are poised to win the next election I wouldnt count on it anytime soon.
kEiThZ
Superstar
It's a nice thought. But a lot of that regulatory capture has happened at the federal level. It's the feds who protected SNC-Lavalin from prosecution. It's the feds who bought a pipeline to faciliate the oil sales of a private company. It's the feds who insisted that a fighter procurement be tied to the protection of Bombardier. It's not just one party. There's a consensus among federal political elites that the corporate interests of this nation's largest corporations is the same as our national interest.
crs1026
Senior Member
^ In all the debate about this, I don't recall anyone laying out a clear proposition that there is any sort of win-win possible between freight and passenger. As freight railways have evolved on this continent, it has become more and more true that passenger rail, while desirable in its own right, just gets in the way of the freight operations. And as we've seen out west, constraint in the freight system goes quickly to the nation's breadbasket.... inability to ship grain, potash, and oil is a far more potent political concern than not having enough passenger trains.
There are places where passenger survives because it is quietly underwriting freight operations - but even there, passenger takes a second seat whenever there is a conflict in priorities or interests.
Untangling all that would be a huge pile of work, and even a compromise would satisfy few. So much easier to just build dedicated passenger lines, and be done with it.
- Paul
There are places where passenger survives because it is quietly underwriting freight operations - but even there, passenger takes a second seat whenever there is a conflict in priorities or interests.
Untangling all that would be a huge pile of work, and even a compromise would satisfy few. So much easier to just build dedicated passenger lines, and be done with it.
- Paul
lrt's friend
Active Member
The federal government is in a tight spot and we see provinces infringing on federal responsibility, which is not in the public interest. There can only be one government setting national policy and we are seeing governments in BC, AB, SK and ON fighting battles that they cannot win, which is not helping you and I. I am not happy to see this excessive provincial interference that we have seen in the last year or two, when they present ideas that cannot produce coherent national policy. It is also clear that some of these provincial governments are simply in it to influence federal politics by trying to garner support for a more friendly government in Ottawa.
Regardless of the party, the feds need to make sure that the country is competitive by making sure that the country is open for business and can sell its products while at the same time move forward on international agreements that promote trade and protect the environment. Also, we need to support our largest industries so that they can compete.. The SNC-Lavalin so called scandal is based on a self-created policy that relates to business that took place in third world countries, which do not follow our ethical standards. I question, whether it is wise to put one of our biggest companies out of business based on this scenario. It is great that certain politicians took ethical stands but the country must come first..
Regardless of the party, the feds need to make sure that the country is competitive by making sure that the country is open for business and can sell its products while at the same time move forward on international agreements that promote trade and protect the environment. Also, we need to support our largest industries so that they can compete.. The SNC-Lavalin so called scandal is based on a self-created policy that relates to business that took place in third world countries, which do not follow our ethical standards. I question, whether it is wise to put one of our biggest companies out of business based on this scenario. It is great that certain politicians took ethical stands but the country must come first..
kEiThZ
Superstar
Worse. The current mess creates public antipathy towards VIA. Most of the public does not understand VIA's situation. So they don't sympathize. I see complaints all the time about how expensive VIA is, how unreliable the services are, etc. I've seen comments complaining about the cost of the Canadian, by people comparing similar services to Amtrak.
Given this operating context, how long can VIA survive? The GTA alone will add an extra million residents over the next decade. Ottawa and Montreal add several hundred thousand. All those folks will drive further demand for goods. VIA's services will get worse. And public support will plummet with that, at the exact same time as subsidy demands keep growing. If HFR doesn't come through, I can honestly see VIA getting broken up and sold off with many of the services going to private tour operators. The services that are really unviable after substantial fare increases from those private operators would probably shut down.
This is make or break. And the Liberals are already 2-3 years behind on where they should be. Imagine what more dithering will do in 2021 when the report comes back and says VIA's $4B was unrealistic and the real price tag is twice that. I can see a repeat of the Wynne Hydrail distraction when they got sticker shock on GO RER. "We need to send it back for more study." - the line to be used for the 2023 election. This is why I am so upset and disappointed at this state of affairs. I can see what's coming down the pipe.