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VIA Rail

crs1026 said:
Wonder how that would line up with NAFTA negotiations, given potential US suppliers of interest.
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NAFTA is still in effect. So any procurement has to be in line with existing rules.

Also, to be honest, I'm not sure a $1.3 billion procurement is going to move the needle on any US intransigence on "Buy America" provisions. It's just not a huge amount for the Americans.
 
kEiThZ said:
NAFTA is still in effect. So any procurement has to be in line with existing rules.

Also, to be honest, I'm not sure a $1.3 billion procurement is going to move the needle on any US intransigence on "Buy America" provisions. It's just not a huge amount for the Americans.
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Well, it's optics. If we 'walk the talk' a little too freely, we look like we are giving it away. I would have thought the government would drag its feet on any large and less than emergency procurement to the US while NAFTA was up in the air.

I do think $1B would be noticed, perhaps not enough to leverage much in Washington, but enough to have the workers in whatever local constituency might be in the running pressuring their representatives to not let the order slip through their fingers.

- Paul
 
Announcement today. Article here in the Hill Times.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau is announcing today in Etobicoke that the government will be replacing the current fleet of Via Rail trains operating in the populous Windsor to Quebec City corridor, as detailed in the 2018 budget. The new trains are expected by 2022.

Mr. Garneau will make the announcement at Via Rail’s Toronto maintenance centre at 10 a.m., alongside the Crown corporation’s president and CEO, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano.
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Allandale25 said:
Announcement today. Article here in the Hill Times.
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with all the hype surrounding the replacement of the corridor fleet, im wondering on if there is a plan to replace the rest of the ancient equipment for the rest of the fleet in Via. Surely
the Canadian and the Ocean could use new trains. They are over 60 years old!
 
cplchanb said:
with all the hype surrounding the replacement of the corridor fleet, im wondering on if there is a plan to replace the rest of the ancient equipment for the rest of the fleet in Via. Surely
the Canadian and the Ocean could use new trains. They are over 60 years old!
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The Ocean consist is mostly 1990s-vintage Renaissance stock, purchased second-hand from Europe. Those cars were going to be used for night services in the Channel Tunnel. But the Renaissance cars are deteriorating to the point where they're as in bad shape as the early 1980s-vintage LRCs.

Despite being 60-70 years old, the HEP car bodies (some are used for Corridor services, the rest used for the Canadian and northern Quebec and Manitoba services) are in very good shape, but the interiors and mechanics also require complete rebuilds.

The situation on the Corridor is more acute, but you're right. Eventually, the remote and long-distance trains will need new fleets. The way the Canadian is run (CN frequently letting it go 12-18 hours late these days, despite a very padded schedule) I could see it fading from existence.
 
ShonTron said:
The Ocean consist is mostly 1990s-vintage Renaissance stock, purchased second-hand from Europe. Those cars were going to be used for night services in the Channel Tunnel. But the Renaissance cars are deteriorating to the point where they're as in bad shape as the early 1980s-vintage LRCs.

Despite being 60-70 years old, the HEP car bodies (some are used for Corridor services, the rest used for the Canadian and northern Quebec and Manitoba services) are in very good shape, but the interiors and mechanics also require complete rebuilds.

The situation on the Corridor is more acute, but you're right. Eventually, the remote and long-distance trains will need new fleets. The way the Canadian is run (CN frequently letting it go 12-18 hours late these days, despite a very padded schedule) I could see it fading from existence.
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Is there anyone here apart from me that thinks the Canadian should be split into separate trains? Right now the train as you said can run almost a day late at times. if the service is split at lets say winnipeg, I would imagine that they can run more reliably and more frequently.

Then again, maybe Via can split into different geographical entities so that each region can manage their resources independently and wont be tied up by problems from the other side of the country such as JR East, West, Central etc....
 
Here's the news release. Copied below in full.

VIA Rail’s fleet to be replaced in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
News release
From Transport Canada

March 19, 2018 Etobicoke, Ontario Transport Canada

The Government of Canada is building on its successful long-term plan that focuses on people and on the things that matter most to Canadians, including a good transportation system. Canadians in all region benefit from travelling in a passenger rail fleet that is efficient, safe, accessible and affordable. To keep Canada’s travel system competitive and efficient, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport today announced that the Government of Canada will provide funding for VIA Rail to replace its fleet in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.

As it is reaching the end of its useful life, the fleet in this corridor must be replaced to help maintain passenger safety for the next 30 years. The new fleet will also:

  • reduce environmental impacts as engines with the latest technology will be more fuel-efficient resulting in air quality improvements;
  • improve travellers’ experience and accessibility by including visual communication media for hearing-impaired passengers; purpose-built accessible washrooms; on-board wheelchair lift, and a minimum of three wheelchair tie-downs per train, with two in the same car, an increase from the current one tie-down per train; and
  • increase VIA Rail’s operational flexibility and reliability by reducing the mechanical breakdowns that effect on-time-performance.
VIA Rail will soon launch a request for qualifications followed by a request for proposals. Interested bidders are encouraged to visit VIA Rail’s website regularly for updates.

Budget 2018 also proposes $8 million for Transport Canada to undertake foundational work to advance VIA Rail’s proposal for high frequency rail in the Quebec City-Toronto Corridor. This phase of the project would support further economic analysis of key issues associated with a project of this size, such as revenue and ridership projections, as well as estimates for capital and operating costs. This funding will also go towards: exploring opportunities to leverage private investment or a potential role for the Canada Infrastructure Bank, and open and transparent engagement with potentially affected communities, including Indigenous peoples.

These activities would inform future decisions, allowing the Government of Canada to move forward with the path most likely to deliver good value for taxpayers and the best possible outcomes for travellers.


Quotes
“VIA Rail has been connecting Canadians together for decades and plays an important role in the lives of Canadians who rely on the train for their transportation needs. We are proud of investing in this new fleet to make travel more accessible and efficient for all Canadians, support economic growth and job creation and promote a sustainable environment for generations to come.”

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

“We thank the Government of Canada for their trust in VIA Rail and for this historic investment. It will allow us to significantly improve our intercity rail service. It will also ensure Canadians continue to have uninterrupted access to the Quebec City-Windsor corridor on a sustained long-term basis. A new modern fleet will provide our travellers with safer, faster, more frequent, more accessible and environmentally friendlier service. This important milestone moves us forward with VIA Rail’s transformation plan. It will make VIA Rail the smarter way for Canadians to travel in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.”

Yves Desjardins-Siciliano
President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada

Quick facts
  • The Quebec City-Windsor Corridor accounts for 94% of VIA Rail’s ridership.

  • Replacing VIA Rail’s locomotives with modern equipment will reduce nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter emissions by up to 85%.

  • Budget 2018 proposed funding to replace VIA Rail's cars and locomotives with 32 new, bi-directional trains, maintaining current seating capacity for use in the Windsor-Quebec City Corridor. This will ensure that VIA Rail's rolling stock in the Corridor will remain safe and comfortable, and generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Associated links
Contacts
Delphine Denis
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
613-991-0700
delphine.denis@tc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
media@tc.gc.ca

Mariam Diaby
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
VIA Rail Canada
514 871-6010
mariam_diaby@viarail.ca
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cplchanb said:
so all in all nothing new that we dont already know and just another chance for a photo op..... typical govt bs....
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I don't think we had the "Spring 2022" timeframe until today. It wasn't mentioned as part of the budget. The Minister's speech also had a few more details that may not have been published since the budget (number of train sets, seats, etc). Of course they may have so happy to be corrected. If I see the text of the Minister's speech I'll post it.
 
They had a date in the original budget.

This doesn't bother me - it's more of a proper announcement of something that was just a line item in the budget. The funding hadn't recieved a lot of press - this will give it that press coverage.
 
^This announcement may seem like no news but it is actually a big step forward in the sense that it confirms that all the Cabinet and Treasury Board hurdles have been met. It’s now a promise.

VIA can now talk openly about this as a “we are” instead of a “we hope to”. And, there are plenty of anti-VIA critics out there (especially in caucus and in government) who have just been told to go away...government is confirming VIA’s public franchise in the Corridor for another thirty years. That’s a big vote of confidence and a clear statement of government policy. And a mandate for VIA to develop plans to grow its business.

I have my usual what-might-go-wrong reservations, both about the procurement, the lack of a legislative framework for VIA, and about the continuing study of HFR (although $10M of study is a lot more intensive an effort than a simple kick down the road).... but all the same, this is material progress and all in all one to celebrate.

A lot of time has passed since the original LRC order, but VIA is in a whole lot better shape than back then. It’s good to look forwards and not back.

- Paul
 
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