steveintoronto
Superstar
Globe reported the story with a different slant: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...how-ottawa-oversees-via-rail/article29832840/ Not surprisingly, even though this story is also factually challenged, it's a lot more neutral than the PostMedia one.
Without directly quoting your points or that of another poster, Transport Canada discussed many of the points now 'taking people by surprise' in a lengthy report published last year, and it boggles me how so many think Desjardins-Siciliano is 'out there' when he's just projecting a policy being enunciated by TC:
The claim was so bizarre I had to wonder if it wasn't sarcasm. The author has made rational points in the past.I had to laugh when someone brought up emergency services in remote areas. In Europe they have frequent service mainlines through the Alps, northern Scandinavia, and Scotland. I'm sure we could find a way.
Without directly quoting your points or that of another poster, Transport Canada discussed many of the points now 'taking people by surprise' in a lengthy report published last year, and it boggles me how so many think Desjardins-Siciliano is 'out there' when he's just projecting a policy being enunciated by TC:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/ctareview2014/CTAR_Vol1_EN.pdf Chapter 8.3 Passenger Rail[...]ntercity passenger rail
services connect cities and cover longer distances than commuter
rail. Intercity passenger rail service plays a modest role in transportation across Canada,
although in the Windsor–Quebec City Corridor it captures about eight percent of the
travel market (by trips).
5
The majority of VIA Rail trips are in the Toronto–Ottawa–Montréal
Corridor, and they represent VIA’s core business, although VIA advised the CTA Review that
operations are hampered by slow speeds and limited access to track (VIA uses CN’s track
for much of this service). VIA Rail makes the case that the construction and use of a dedi
cated passenger rail track in this Corridor would significantly diminish the need for subsi
dies, at least for Corridor operations. In addition to the subsidies, which are significant, VIA
also pays CN and CP for track access. This contrasts with the use of roadways and highways,
where the principle of direct user-pay is generally not in effect, except in limited portions
(i.e. Highway 407 in Ontario – although it may be argued that drivers on roads pay indirectly
for use through fuel taxes.) If it were, particularly in respect of highway transportation in
the Windsor–Quebec City Corridor (the Corridor), perhaps travellers would see passenger
rail as a more attractive option and ridership might increase.
There is known to be significant friction between VIA Rail and CN in the Corridor. VIA Rail
has requested but not yet received additional frequencies and has experienced poor on-
time performance. VIA indicates that this had a negative effect on ridership between 2010
and 2014. VIA attributes the poor on-time performance to the priority accorded to freight
trains over passenger trains. While research indicates that lower on-time performance may
not be a reliable driver of ridership levels in the Corridor,
6
there is inherent incompatibility
between freight and passenger trains. Conventional passenger rail trains are short, light,
and capable of travelling at higher speeds than freight trains. Highway congestion within
the Corridor has been increasing and the time may be ripe to seek private sector invest
ment in the infrastructure required to significantly improve this service.[...continues at length...]