ssiguy2
Senior Member
The Kitchener route from London to Union is a very indirect route as well as being a rather meandering one between London & Kitchener. I don't see the advantage of going to Kitchener as opposed to Hamilton. Yes, the northern route would serve Pearson but the route would be maintained for that as the vast majority of Londoners/Windsorites are going to downtown Toronto. Nobody flies out of Pearson in Windsor.
As for the freight companies taking Ottawa to court, that is rubbish. Yes, they could make a valid point of having some years to make the transition but they cannot appeal a safety regulation. They could take them to court if it was only applied to one rail company but not if the new standards are invoked nationwide for all freight carriers. Freight companies cannot appeal a safety regulation just as GM could not appeal putting in air bags which are now legally required. They could bitch up a storm but that's all they could do, they have to comply. They could not get an injunction because they are only used for immediate and emergency situation not for policy changes that give companies years to implement.
Should Ottawa do this? No but it's called blackmail which is something CN & CP having been using for decades over VIA so it's certainly not a concept they are unfamiliar with. This, ideally, should be a threat of last resort but it is important for the freight companies know that Ottawa will use it unless they get to the bargaining table in a real way to start sharing tracks in key Corridor locations.
As for the freight companies taking Ottawa to court, that is rubbish. Yes, they could make a valid point of having some years to make the transition but they cannot appeal a safety regulation. They could take them to court if it was only applied to one rail company but not if the new standards are invoked nationwide for all freight carriers. Freight companies cannot appeal a safety regulation just as GM could not appeal putting in air bags which are now legally required. They could bitch up a storm but that's all they could do, they have to comply. They could not get an injunction because they are only used for immediate and emergency situation not for policy changes that give companies years to implement.
Should Ottawa do this? No but it's called blackmail which is something CN & CP having been using for decades over VIA so it's certainly not a concept they are unfamiliar with. This, ideally, should be a threat of last resort but it is important for the freight companies know that Ottawa will use it unless they get to the bargaining table in a real way to start sharing tracks in key Corridor locations.
