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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Via to "Get Act Together"

After a freight train derailed, the CEO of Via Rail Canada said that upgrades will improve service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor. This is all fine and the rebuilding of rolling stock is welcome, but we still need high speed rail. If it were to come to life, Via Rail would be glad to operate it. High speed rail would make a lot of money for Via Rail and would allow trains to hav their own right of way so that they can have more frequent departures and not have to wait for freight trains. High speed rail must come to Canada. If only this government would bring it to life...
MONTREAL - Marc Laliberte, who took over last January as CEO of Via Rail, had a message yesterday for the public and Canadian National Railway Co. just after a freight train derailed near Cornwall, forcing Toronto-Montreal passenger trains to be rerouted through Ottawa for delays of 90 minutes or more.
Read more at the Montreal Gazette.

3 comments:

  1. That's the first time I've ever heard that VIA would operate the high speed train. God help us if that ever happened. Every single proposal I have ever heard about high speed has said the private sector would operate it. If what you've suggested is a possibility you can subtract my support for high speed!

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  2. VIA has won awards for customer service, and I have rarely had a bad experience riding the train in Canada. I ride VIA about twice a month. With over 30 years experience, VIA is ideally suited to operate any high speed rail service that is developed in Canada. Based on my experiences on both Air Canada and WestJet, I would take VIA over either of those operators in a heartbeat. I was on one of the trains delayed by this derailment and VIA staff handed out a free supper to everyone on board.

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  3. Yes, I like the service of VIA as well. But they lose a lot of money every year, so no wonder. They shouldn't be allowed to run it. Besides, the point made above is that it has NEVER been suggested that they would.

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