kEiThZ
Superstar
I thought ÖBB Nightjet was going to be a gamechanger and could maybe serve as a model for VIA long distance services. But then you see posts like this:
When my girlfriend and I took Nightjet from Utrecht NL to Vienna AT two years ago it cost us €120 each way for the whole room, so €60 per person. That's an 1100 km trip for less than a typical ticket from Toronto to Ottawa on Via.I thought ÖBB Nightjet was going to be a gamechanger and could maybe serve as a model for VIA long distance services. But then you see posts like this:
I'm a bit skeptical of this. It's not that it's false, but rather that it's a bit misleading to compare the single most expensive option. Yeah, it's €525 for the single cabin for one person with WC. But it looks like he could reserve the cabin for 2 for €160 and a sleeping pod for €70.I thought ÖBB Nightjet was going to be a gamechanger and could maybe serve as a model for VIA long distance services. But then you see posts like this:
This comparison isn't as valid anymore since VIA modified its loyalty program. If you're a premier member, you consider points, and you value each point at $0.20. You're getting at least $0.60 back in points. The upcharge to a plus fare is less than what it was before. If you opt for a plus fare, it's $0.90 back in points. I've effectively gotten something better than the $25/ticket Toronto-Ottawa fares I wanted a few months back.Prices are all one-way including tax. It doesn't really help me if there's cheap tickets in January, since I'm travelling in December. Like I said, I always choose Via if the ticket is under $80, and yet I haven't ridden Via since my trip on the 4th of March, which cost $61.02.
Here were the advertised prices for when I was booking the intervening 3 trips I took to Toronto by bus or train:
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We’ve already discussed this proposal at lengths over on Groups.io:Here is an interesting proposal...https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/saskatchewan-mayors-seek-to-shift-route-of-vias-canadian/
What this speaks to is the growing desire to more service outside of the Corridor.Here is an interesting proposal...https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/saskatchewan-mayors-seek-to-shift-route-of-vias-canadian/
You could go north from Saskatoon on the Warman Sub. As more local governments demand more service than what exists, eventually Via/the federal government will need to make a substantial investment There will come a day where even you cannot ignore that anymore.We’ve already discussed this proposal at lengths over on Groups.io:
VIA #1 & 2 to Prairie North
groups.io
Basically (and as with so many rail fantasies discussed on forums like this here), it’s a solution which ignores the actual problems and makes questionable trade-offs (like sacrificing Saskatoon to serve Loydsminster and Warman instead):
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Here is an interesting proposal...https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/saskatchewan-mayors-seek-to-shift-route-of-vias-canadian/
Maybe each province should pay a portion of the passenger rail that runs through their province. However,I doubt ON or QC would be happy with the amount they would have to pay.Let them pony up. Chasing such dreams is massively expensive. Especially, if the service results in loss of high revenue tourism.
There's zero interest nationally in pouring money into services that would serve handfuls of people. It's poor value for money from an economic or policy perspective. And from a straight up political perspective won't move any needles at all.