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More VIA Rail service cuts identified
In the 1960’s and early 1970’s Canadian passenger trains, especially on Canadian National, were the envy of the U.S. Now, Canada is uncommitted to reviving passenger train service. Rail advocacy groups in Canada appear to be of little if any help.
The Toronto- Niagara Falls service will be replaced by GO Trainsit Busses, running to the heart of Niagara Falls, ON, rather than to the VIA (former CN/GT depot). Unclear is whether Amtrak 63-64 will operate through to Toronto at all after CN and the public bridge authorities involved decide which bridge CN will replace and which bridge will be closed. To me, I would plan to ride 63-64 soon, as it’s days running beyond Suspension Bridge are very much numbered.
The headline is misleading. These are not additional cuts. They were announced in the June 27 at the same time as the off-season reduction in the schedule of the Canadian and the year-round reduction in the frequency of the Ocean. The schedule changes have been loaded into Via`s on line booking system.
The rationale is to eliminate duplication of commuter service offered by GO Transit and some low usage trains. The latter include the early Saturday morning departures between Montreal and Ottawa, the Friday evening only train from London to Toronto, one London-Sarnia run, one service between London and Windsor on weekends, and westbound train 89, a late evening run from Toronto to London via Kitchener.
The reverse direction train 86 duplicates the new morning Go Transit service between Kitchener and Toronto, but leave Stratford and St. Mary’s without an early morning train to the city. Aldershot to Toronto duplicates GO Transit`s Lakeshore West Service, as does Niagara Falls to Toronto, where GO offers 12 connecting busses per weekday between Niagara Falls and Aldershot. In fact there are two GO Transit evening express trains to Aldershot that leave Union Station within the hour of train 95, although the train-bus connection to the Falls takes longer than the current all rail Via service. It remains to be seen whether Go Transit will extend all-rail service from Aldershot to Niagara Falls.
The key point, however, is that Via does not have a mandate to provide commuter service, and its media release is clear that it cannot do so as efficiently and economically as can commuter operators. The passenger rail fan community is not happy, but the Via position no doubt reflects economic reality, and is defensible public policy. In any case, Niagara Falls to Toronto is well served by public transportation. In addition to Go Transit, there are some 25 motor coach departures per day on Greyhound and Coach Canada.
Incidentally, Via has a through ticketing arrangement with Go Tr
The headline is misleading. These are not additional cuts. They were announced in the June 27 at the same time as the off-season reduction in the schedule of the Canadian and the year-round reduction in the frequency of the Ocean. The schedule changes have been loaded into Via`s on line booking system.
The rationale is to eliminate duplication of commuter service offered by GO Transit and some low usage trains. The latter include the early Saturday morning departures between Montreal and Ottawa, the Friday evening only train from London to Toronto, one London-Sarnia run, one service between London and Windsor on weekends, and westbound train 89, a late evening run from Toronto to London via Kitchener.
The reverse direction train 86 duplicates the new morning Go Transit service between Kitchener and Toronto, but leave Stratford and St. Mary’s without an early morning train to the city. Aldershot to Toronto duplicates GO Transit`s Lakeshore West Service, as does Niagara Falls to Toronto, where GO offers 12 connecting busses per weekday between Niagara Falls and Aldershot. In fact there are two GO Transit evening express trains to Aldershot that leave Union Station within the hour of train 95, although the train-bus connection to the Falls takes longer than the current all rail Via service. It remains to be seen whether Go Transit will extend all-rail service from Aldershot to Niagara Falls.
The key point, however, is that Via does not have a mandate to provide commuter service, and its media release is clear that it cannot do so as efficiently and economically as can commuter operators. The passenger rail fan community is not happy, but the Via position no doubt reflects economic reality, and is defensible public policy. In any case, Niagara Falls to Toronto is well served by public transportation. In addition to Go Transit, there are some 25 motor coach departures per day on Greyhound and Coach Canada.
Incidentally, Via has a through ticketing arrangement with Go Tr
The headline is misleading. These are not additional cuts. They were announced in the June 27 at the same time as the off-season reduction in the schedule of the Canadian and the year-round reduction in the frequency of the Ocean. The schedule changes have been loaded into Via`s on line booking system.
The rationale is to eliminate duplication of commuter service offered by GO Transit and some low usage trains. The latter include the early Saturday morning departures between Montreal and Ottawa, the Friday evening only train from London to Toronto, one London-Sarnia run, one service between London and Windsor on weekends, and westbound train 89, a late evening run from Toronto to London via Kitchener.
The reverse direction train 86 duplicates the new morning Go Transit service between Kitchener and Toronto, but leave Stratford and St. Mary’s without an early morning train to the city. Aldershot to Toronto duplicates GO Transit`s Lakeshore West Service, as does Niagara Falls to Toronto, where GO offers 12 connecting busses per weekday between Niagara Falls and Aldershot. In fact there are two GO Transit evening express trains to Aldershot that leave Union Station within the hour of train 95, although the train-bus connection to the Falls takes longer than the current all rail Via service. It remains to be seen whether Go Transit will extend all-rail service from Aldershot to Niagara Falls.
The key point, however, is that Via does not have a mandate to provide commuter service, and its media release is clear that it cannot do so as efficiently and economically as can commuter operators. The passenger rail fan community is not happy, but the Via position no doubt reflects economic reality, and is defensible public policy. In any case, Niagara Falls to Toronto is well served by public transportation. In addition to Go Transit, there are some 25 motor coach departures per day on Greyhound and Coach Canada.
Incidentally, Via has a through ticketing arrangement with Go Tr
Appears that Canada has identified the porkbarrel spending and has the guts to do something about it. Unlike in Washington, District of Corruption where pork reigns supreme along side the sacred cows. Let’s face reality. Both VIA and Amtrak are heavily subsidized by everybody but the end users. Who are the end users for these trains? Almost exclusively those traveling for leisure. Cut the losers by shutting them down. Take what remains and privatize it or turn those trains over to the local commuter agencies run by the various local governments. I can’t speak for Canada’s equivalent to the American Constitution and if VIA is illegal, but in America, Amtrak is 100% illegal. There is no power in the Constitution which grants the Federal Government power to move people from Point A to Point B. If the argument is made that the Constitution no longer applies because it is outmoded, then I might as well ride Amtrak for free because any laws that govern its ability to collect fares are outmoded as far as I am concerned. If one law is deemed out of date, then all that came after that law are out of date.
Apart from the newly introduced GO Transit service. Or successive federal governments that lack the political will to consistently support passenger rail service one big factor is omitted here. The expensive service agreements Via Rail pays out to the railways CN in particular.
Neither corporation ever indicates the monetary figures in their annual reports. Too embarrassing to explain eh ?
Just think, if the U.S. had had a little better military skills in the War of 1812, Canada would have Amtrak and D.C. probably would not have been made toast!
I’m starting to think we should be greatful for how much service Amtrak is to us in the United States. All but two long distance trains are daily operations!
I need to go between Sudbury to Saint John (NB, not NF) a LOT. I’m tired of Air Canada and would right readily take the train…if I didn’t have to be in Sudbury, at a place where I can’t safely leave a vehicle, at some unholy hour of the morning.
The only transit in this part of Northern Ontario is Greyhound and believe me when I tell you that is not a viable option.
If Ontario Northern (the train, not the bus) came through Sudbury you better believe I’d be on it in a New York minute. Same if Via Rail had decent service between Sudbury and Toronto.
Rather than trying to kill off the service with the death of a thousand cuts, how about trying to offer decent service? With gas a buck thirty a litre I guarantee you’ll get ridership.
McGuinty? Harper? Are you listening? (sotto voce…thought not…)
AH
Constitutional trolls not withstanding, if the tax paying public on either side of the border wants THEIR money spent on public transportation rather than wars or ‘peace keeping’ then the government should do so.
It seems that rail passenger advocates in Canada are unable to get anywhere with politicians. they seem to be up against a brick wall.
Jeffery Guise:
You jeopardize your credibility with your “off the rails” emotionally charged right wing-extremist language. I do not listen to people such as yourself.
Jeffery Guise:
You jeopardize your credibility with your “off the rails” emotionally charged right wing-extremist language. I do not listen to people such as yourself.
Mr. Guse,
Your Libertarian slant on transportation issues seems to be a bit (shall we say) “over-the-top”.
Still, I presume you’re being serious; therefore, I’ll run my proposed solution by you (as I have with so many others in the past):
We can do away with Amtrak - and discontinue any other attempts at establishing a level playing field for alternative modes of transport - on the same day we eliminate ALL support for ALL other modes.
No money for passenger trains? That’s fine. Let’s just be sure the same rules apply universally. I don’t want ONE DIME dedicated to anything else, either - including roadways. [And PLEASE don’t give us the ol’ “Post Road” claptrap. The U.S. Supreme Court may have ruled at a later time that the creation of post roads, by definition, also allowed for construction of larger and finer roadways to be used for “concurrent purposes” (isn’t THAT convenient?!)…BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THE CONSTITUTION SAYS!]
NO money for the air traffic control system. NO money for locks and dams and canals. NO money for highways or freeways (which, I’m sure, should be planned, designed, constructed and maintained by the individual states anyway - right? [THAT’ll make for an efficient network, huh?!]
If you want to drive somewhere, especially on one of those bad ol’ leisure trips (what a complete waste of time!), you’ll need to make sure you have access (via a private road, naturally) to the nearest tollway or turnpike. I don’t know about anyone else, but I certainly don’t want any of MY money supporting autocentrism’s “end users.”
We also need to get rid of all those “illegal” Interstate Freeways! Privatise the lot - or DESTROY them.
I’m not really being that facetious, either. After all, if these things were accomplished, I have no doubt which mode would eventually end up on top. That prospect should pleas
Typical move by the Harper majority Gov!t cut all the lines that elected non conservative MPs, The next move will be to make joining Unions against the law
One of the things that anti rail people like to accuse rail service of is subsidy. However, this is a serious mistake.
First, are some facts. For every one dollar that the federal government spends in subsidy to passenger rail service; the federal government spends 6 dollars to subsidize air transportation, and spends 14 dollars on highway transportation.
Second, the automobile is the MOST heavily subsidized mode of transportation on the planet
The automobile is subsidized in multiple ways.
First, when you and millions like you pay gasoline taxes; you are paying subsidies to my ability to drive a car on the highway, and vice versa.
Second, the federal and state governments pay out of their general funds to finance construction of highways and streets by selling bond issues to the public.
Third, state, county, and city governments pay for the construction of highways and streets for the privilege of your being able to dive your car.
Fourth, at the private level, your cars are subsidized by multiple private institutions and businesses. EVERY time a retail store, shopping mall, church, school, or office building pay for parking lots; they are privately subsidizing your right to drive a car.
Fifth, EVERY time some one builds a home that incorporates a driveway, they are subsidizing your car. When you are parking your car in their driveway, your car is being subsidized.
Before you start accusing rail transportation of being horribly subsidized, look at what your diving a car is being subsidized by, and how much it is really costing!
and because GO Transit is a “transit agency”, it is not obligated to charge tax on its fare structure. Also it is quite generous in regard to fares for seniors. The bi-level coaches are quite comfortable, and serving any two-hour-or-less points, things are not all doom… VIA is speeding up and improving frequencies on more lucrative routes.
If the US government is not obligated to provide travel between points A and B, then they should get out of the highway and airport business…
This stinks,their always talking up about take the TRAIN, and they do this.???