crs1026
Superstar
The impression I get that is that whatever service is implemented on these new lines will be in addition to what currently exists, not replacing it. I'm sure existing lines might see the odd change but nothing in any of the articles or discussions about HFR has lead me to believe that places like Drummondville could see service cutbacks (time will tell though).
That's the same impression I am left with, and frankly I don't believe it. If you deduct the revenue from through passengers (who will henceforth travel on the new HFR), what happens to the economics of the stopping service? What happens to the freight railways' leverage when they declare that the local service is getting in their way and now that VIA has its own tracks, why should they have to accommodate passenger trains on their rails?
When D-S first became CEO of VIA, he made a number of speeches in which he painted VIA's future as being in this local business. I don't believe he ever backed these claims up with numbers (not that we've seen hard numbers on HFR either).
One scenario might be that VIA taps the provinces for subsidies for these services. An interesting bit of downloading, if that happens. Another might be that Ottawa's share of profit from HFR is used to offset loss on local service.
At any event, our assumptions need to be verified before we rely on them too far. I can't believe that Ottawa would continue the existing subsidy on top of whatever stake they assume in HFR.
- Paul