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VIA Rail

Urban Sky said:
Not sure what doubts there about VIA being a national carrier, but two of its three mandates serving all 8 provinces which haven't voluntarily disconnected themselves from the transcontinental rail network. Could there be more service than the 6 services a week which serve New Brunswick or Nova? For sure, but apart from maybe Quebec, I struggle to see much action from provincial governments to bring more services in the schedules or more routes onto the map...
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State-supported services are one of the key factors in Amtrak experiencing an increasing ridership in the latest years. I can't see why that wouldn't happen in Canada as well. You know, if only some of the provinces involved avoided spending hundreds of millions of dollars in highways and high-speed-fantasy-rail studies and funded some trains... just like everywhere else on the planet! 😅
 
Urban Sky said:
Not sure what doubts there about VIA being a national carrier, but two of its three mandates serve all 8 provinces which haven't voluntarily disconnected themselves from the transcontinental rail network. Could there be more service than the 6 services a week which serve New Brunswick or Nova? For sure, but apart from maybe Quebec, I struggle to see much action from provincial governments to bring more services in the schedules or more routes onto the map...
Click to expand...
VIA isn't really useful in 6 provinces. I think provincial-supported routes are optimal, but I don't want to debate this (I've watched the SSP debates).
 
DirectionNorth said:
VIA isn't really useful in 6 provinces. I think provincial-supported routes are optimal, but I don't want to debate this (I've watched the SSP debates).
Click to expand...
That was exactly my point: a national network can only provide a useful service to all regions if their respective provincial governments support improved services. And apart from Quebec, which finally invests into restoring the rail line to Gaspé and vocally supports HFR, I've heard preciously little support coming out of the provincial capitals across the country. "Contrary to popular belief", it's not politicians in Ontario and Quebec which prevent increased VIA services outside their own population centers...
 
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DirectionNorth said:
VIA isn't really useful in 6 provinces. I think provincial-supported routes are optimal, but I don't want to debate this (I've watched the SSP debates).
Click to expand...
I think it would be helpful to have provincial support, but Canada's population and major population centres are so spread out that some potential routes will need to be interprovincial. For example, expanded service in the Maritimes would likely cross a provincial boundary. Any potential service improvements out of Winnipeg will likely cross a provincial boundary. There will need to be federal support in these cases and getting multiple provinces supporting such projects will be difficult and the provinces will likely not take the initiative.
 
Hell, I have my doubts we would have meaningful corridor service in a provincially led model. Quebec and Ontario are far to prone to trying to portray it as entirely beneficial to one or the other for funding to be actually stable.
 
Bureaucromancer said:
Hell, I have my doubts we would have meaningful corridor service in a provincially led model. Quebec and Ontario are far to prone to trying to portray it as entirely beneficial to one or the other for funding to be actually stable.
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Here in Ottawa, the interprovincial rivalries have made it impossible to build a new interprovincial bridge. So, yes. Trying to get the Ontario and Quebec governments working together on HFR would make it much less likely to ever get built. Just the thought of which province that is perceived to benefit the most, would kill the idea. Just look at the need to build to Quebec City in Phase 1 with federal involvement. At the provincial level, we would have stalemate.
 
lrt's friend said:
I think it would be helpful to have provincial support, but Canada's population and major population centres are so spread out that some potential routes will need to be interprovincial. For example, expanded service in the Maritimes would likely cross a provincial boundary. Any potential service improvements out of Winnipeg will likely cross a provincial boundary. There will need to be federal support in these cases and getting multiple provinces supporting such projects will be difficult and the provinces will likely not take the initiative.
Click to expand...
Correct, but many State-subsidized Amtrak services provide a useful service (i.e. multiple departures per day) across State (or even international) borders: Downeaster, Chicago-Detroit/Pontiac, Chicago-St.Louis or Cascades - to just name a few...

Bureaucromancer said:
Hell, I have my doubts we would have meaningful corridor service in a provincially led model. Quebec and Ontario are far to prone to trying to portray it as entirely beneficial to one or the other for funding to be actually stable.
Click to expand...
lrt's friend said:
Here in Ottawa, the interprovincial rivalries have made it impossible to build a new interprovincial bridge. So, yes. Trying to get the Ontario and Quebec governments working together on HFR would make it much less likely to ever get built. Just the thought of which province that is perceived to benefit the most, would kill the idea. Just look at the need to build to Quebec City in Phase 1 with federal involvement. At the provincial level, we would have stalemate.
Click to expand...
First, except for TRTO-MTRL and (QBEC-)MTRL-OTTW, all VIA Corridor services stay on one side of the QC-ON border: QBEC-MTRL in the case of QC, TRTO-OTTW/KGON/NIAG/LNDN/SARN/WDON in the case of ON.
Second, with Corridor services recovering 130% of their variable operating costs (except during the odd global pandemic), there is hardly a financial burden to share...

Garuda said:
Are there two locos at the far end of the train?
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Bordercollie said:
Will they start testing between Montreal and Ottawa?
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Given that one of the goals of the test runs is to have TC certify the trainset for operation in Canada, I would assume that the train can only operate self-propelled on tracks for which it has received a waiver from TC and the respective host railroads. I guess that's why a legacy locomotive (looks like a P42 from the little which can be seen) needs to be added everytime it transits over the Kingston Sub and why the tests will only take place (for now) West of Coteau...
 
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Does anyone know how VIA trains are heading east due to the closure of the rouge bridge? Are they going up the Bala sub to the York sub to Pickering?

I don't see any other way they could make that work.
 
Canadian Chocho said:
It's a cab car.
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It’s apparently the same consist as I’ve described below, starting with loco #2200, but with a third loco at the end (I.e. after #2201):
Urban Sky said:
In reference to the consist posted elsewhere and the configurations we already know (esp. NEGC 2021, slide 11), I would assume the following:
  • 2200 (Locomotive of 1st trainset)
  • 2600 (Business 3A)
  • 2700 (Business 3B)
  • 2900 (Economy 1B)
  • 2800 (Economy 1A)
  • 2300 (Economy 4A - cab car)
  • 2201 (Locomotive of 2nd trainset)
Click to expand...
***
Bordercollie said:
Does anyone know how VIA trains are heading east due to the closure of the rouge bridge? Are they going up the Bala sub to the York sub to Pickering?
I don't see any other way they could make that work.
Click to expand...
They did indeed take the Bala and York Subs:
groups.io

VIA detour(?) Nov 27-28

groups.io groups.io
 
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