Good News for VIA Rail

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

About time too [8D]

Via gets hundreds of millions in federal funding#### Last Updated: Thursday, October 11, 2007 | 3:32 PM ET

CBC News

The federal government is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Via Rail to fix up aging trains and move more passengers.

Via Rail train making its way through forests overlooked by the Rocky Mountains between Jasper and Vancouver.Via Rail train making its way through forests overlooked by the Rocky Mountains between Jasper and Vancouver.
(Via Rail/Canadian Press)

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the government is giving $691.9 million to Via Rail over five years to provide faster, cleaner and more reliable service across Canada.

Flaherty made the announcement at Union Station in downtown Toronto along with federal Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon. Via chairman Donald Wright was also there.

The announcement marks the first significant injection of new money to the cash-strapped Crown passenger rail corporation in years.

The money is expected to be earmarked for capital acquisitions, refurbishing locomotives and passenger cars, increased rail capacity and day-to-day operations. /

Via Rail receives about $170 million in annual operating subsidies from the government.

The company has been struggling with aging stock and capacity problems since the government of former prime minister Paul Martin reversed a $700 million commitment announced by Jean Chrétien’s government in 2003.

But Via has managed to increase ridership to about 4.1 million passengers in 2006 from about 3.8 million.

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2

That’s very good!

Hopefullya simialar scenario will occurr with Amtrak. Inspite of delay problems, ridership is still increasing.

3

Once again, sorry for stepping on your toes earlier, Pathfnder.

So, is this really good news, or even partly so? Will we likely see more ridership? Apart from the GO trains, what else besides subway systems in the larger centres do we call on to pick up the coming slack in commuter service? Does anyone see a problem greater than mere cash?

4

No problem, sometimes stuff like just slides off the end of the page.

From the other topic on this:

And if the money is spent wisley, it will be good. Not sure how it will impact commuter rail though.

5

Wow, now if we could just get Canada’s 2 major railways interested in passenger travel that might be a start, they must be sitting there giggling with glee, oh well, there go my taxes up again

6

Agreed. However, just as in the U.S, passenger trains are viewed as enormous liability bills to freight railroad executives.