VIA Rail

[micheal_can]

My understanding is that staffing the new trains (i.e. with LE/OTS/maintenance crews which have been explicitly trained on and for the Siemens trainsets) is a major constraint in increasing their deployment, especially before the new Siemens-run maintenance facilities have opened…

I get that it can take time to train people, however, if that is all it is, there should be a tipping point where all trains have trainees such that once a new train comes to Canada, it can go directly into service once an inspection is done. So, if we have 5 trains in service, we should have all 5 trains running with qualified and under training people.

 

[crs1026]

How long does it take to get a trainset into service? I thought they've taken delivery of 11 sets?

The delivery rate is a bit frustrating here. Personally, I know lots of regular folks who would really notice the difference with a new trainset and might prompt them to travel by train more. I would hope that at least all trains on Corridor East would be Ventures by end of 2024. But that doesn't look likely.

The pace was indeed cautious, but some of that may have been by design.

The first few sets retained their "SIXX" reporting marks for quite a while..... while delivered to Canada they were still owned by Siemens, ie VIA had not yet accepted them. I don't know if there were any significant showstoppers, but possibly some little things to work out, and/or the vendor retained the equipment for use during the initial training cycle.

Utilisation will by necessity be a bit constrained until the modifications at the Toronto MC are complete.

I can't fault ViA for taking a lowest-risk approach to the rollout.... in Canada, new trains having teething troubles is almost folklore....thank the LRC and the Turbo for that legacy. There hasn't been a peep of negative press about the new trains. Hopefully the pace will pick up.

- Paul

 

[crs1026]

The line is at least partly „dark territory“, which makes this entire discussion a non-starter for Transport Canada, because safer alternatives evidently exist…

Also, it is a line where siding capacity is limited to what is needed for current freight operations. If you think interference from freight traffic is a problem on the main line, don't look to this line to solve that.

- Paul

 

[micheal_can]

The line is at least partly „dark territory“, which makes this entire discussion a non-starter for Transport Canada, because safer alternatives evidently exist…

I am confused by that statement. The way you have said it, it makes it as though that line is not under Transport Canada's regulations.

 

[Bordercollie]

I am confused by that statement. The way you have said it, it makes it as though that line is not under Transport Canada's regulations.

I think he means that running a passenger train in dark territory is a pain

 

[crs1026]

I think he means that running a passenger train in dark territory is a pain

More than a pain - it is something that Transport Canada would likely oppose.

- Paul

 

[micheal_can]

I think he means that running a passenger train in dark territory is a pain

Dark territory, as in a place where they don't run currently?

 

[crs1026]

Dark territory, as in a place where they don't run currently?

"Dark territory" is the railroader slang term for a line which has no signalling system. Dispatching is by track clearances issued by voice radio and copied down by the train crews.

Signalling is important because
a) it assures track continuity - ie if there is a rail break or other defect, the signals will revert to stop,
b) it assures separation of trains and track authorities and
c) it's less error-permissive than verbal track clearances.

The practice of dispatching passenger trains by written order on unsignalled track no longer meets safety standards. It is still practiced on remote lines where speeds are lower and passenger counts are low. I can't imagine it being allowed for the Canadian.

- Paul

 

[micheal_can]

"Dark territory" is the railroader slang term for a line which has no signalling system. Dispatching is by track clearances issued by voice radio and copied down by the train crews.

Signalling is important because
a) it assures track continuity - ie if there is a rail break or other defect, the signals will revert to stop,
b) it assures separation of trains and track authorities and
c) it's less error-permissive than verbal track clearances.

The practice of dispatching passenger trains by written order on unsignalled track no longer meets safety standards. It is still practiced on remote lines where speeds are lower and passenger counts are low. I can't imagine it being allowed for the Canadian.

- Paul

Ahh, thank you. That makes much more sense, and it does make it more complicated to get the Canadian on to those tracks. Nothing is impossible, but the more things that need to be added, the less likely it would be worth doing with a constrained budget.

 

[Urban Sky]

Also, it is a line where siding capacity is limited to what is needed for current freight operations. If you think interference from freight traffic is a problem on the main line, don't look to this line to solve that.

- Paul

The only problem this stupid proposal seems to address is „I‘m a foamer and I want to see passenger rail service on the Prairie North Line“. For everything else, there would be a pretty decent bus service which could be funded with a tiny fraction of the pricetag for this railfan fantasy. But that would be worth nothing because: „It HaS tO bE a TrAiN!1!!“

 

[crs1026]

The only problem this stupid proposal seems to address is „I‘m a foamer and I want to see passenger rail service on the Prairie North Line“. For everything else, there would be a pretty decent bus service which could be funded with a tiny fraction of the pricetag for this railfan fantasy. But that would be worth nothing because: „It HaS tO bE a TrAiN!1!!“

I will give the mayors the benefit of the doubt and assume they are simply doing what they are paid to do, ie advocating for their communities.

Given the limited transportation service offered by the Canadian, I am not sure it would do their communities much good... and the odds of many tourists stopping over in their towns is pretty remote. So hardly a compelling case. B

It may put communities on the map in some small way (the big sign in Biggar is worth seeing, even if the town isn't much to visit) but that is not how to design or operate a transportation network.

I agree, getting a much better bus service is the cheaper, more effective solution for these communities, and would deliver much more benefit to their citizens..

- Paul

 

[kEiThZ]

I will give the mayors the benefit of the doubt and assume they are simply doing what they are paid to do, ie advocating for their communities.

Honestly, it's hard to take them seriously when they treat VIA and the federal government like their magical fairy godmother. No study. No offer of funding. Just a demand that VIA bend over for them. It's actually not that far from the silly fantasy ideas discussed here. Actually, there's probably more facts here than those councillors ever considered.

 

[micheal_can]

Honestly, it's hard to take them seriously when they treat VIA and the federal government like their magical fairy godmother. No study. No offer of funding. Just a demand that VIA bend over for them. It's actually not that far from the silly fantasy ideas discussed here. Actually, there's probably more facts here than those councillors ever considered.

If the province or municipalities were to say that they would help pay, then it would be worth a serious look.

 

[Bordercollie]

Honestly, it's hard to take them seriously when they treat VIA and the federal government like their magical fairy godmother. No study. No offer of funding. Just a demand that VIA bend over for them. It's actually not that far from the silly fantasy ideas discussed here. Actually, there's probably more facts here than those councillors ever considered.

Let the province and the municipality pay for the installation of CTC and upgrade the track to standard.

On another note.

Bill introduced in Parliament to give VIA trains right of preference - Trains

OTTAWA, Ontario — A member of Canada’s Parliament from British Columbia has introduced a bill to create a right of preference for passenger trains on the nation’s railroads — the lack of which has long hampered VIA Rail Canada operations. Taylor Bachrach, a House of Commons member of the New...

www.trains.com

 

[micheal_can]

Let the province and the municipality pay for the installation of CTC and upgrade the track to standard.

On another note.

Bill introduced in Parliament to give VIA trains right of preference - Trains

OTTAWA, Ontario — A member of Canada’s Parliament from British Columbia has introduced a bill to create a right of preference for passenger trains on the nation’s railroads — the lack of which has long hampered VIA Rail Canada operations. Taylor Bachrach, a House of Commons member of the New...

www.trains.com

The bill, if passed, could be one of the best things to make Via more relevant. This could allow them to stay on schedule That would bring their reliability up.