Author: admintaa

Maritime Bus introduces new routes

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For the first time ever, there’s now daytime bus service along the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick – from Moncton to Fredericton, up the St. John River valley to Edmundston, and onward into Quebec.  Maritime Bus introduced the new run on January 18, and has high hopes for success.

Wenda Pitre, director of business services with the Coach Atlantic Group, says the most enthusiastic response so far has come from the Edmundston area, where passengers going to Montreal or Quebec City can make an afternoon transfer to Orléans Express at Rivière-du-Loup and arrive at their destination in the early evening.  Previously thay had to make the connection in the middle of the night.

The additional run also means that there are now three daily frequencies between Moncton and Fredericton, with a convenient same-day return now possible.  There have also been improvements made in the schedule between Moncton and Halifax.  All three daily runs call at Halifax airport en route

Ms. Pitre says the Maritime Bus website is being upgraded, and in response to many requests from customers will include complete schedules that can be readily downloaded and printed.

Maritime Bus coach bearing the promise "SAME DAY parcel delivery / SAVE TIME express routes"

Coach Atlantic owner Mike Cassidy, meanwhile, is highly optimistic that Maritime Bus will continue to grow its traffic base in 2015.  In a year-end interview with the Moncton Times & Transcript he reported that ridership rose by approximately eight percent last year over 2013, and he fully expects the trend to continue.  He’s confident that his company will succeed where the previous operator did not – but to do so the business model must be “lean and mean”, with constant revenue management and cost controls.

And while ridership of the New Brunswick North Shore route isn’t yet where he’d like it to be, he’s committed to maintaining the operation between Campbellton and Moncton for 2015.  Revenue from the parcels business has helped the bottom line significantly, Mr. Cassidy indicated, and has encouraged him to continue service on the route.

Marine Atlantic reduces fuel surcharge – for now

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It will cost slightly less to travel to and from Newfoundland by Marine Atlantic this summer – the result of the unexpected drop in the price of oil.  The company announced on January 14 that it would pass the savings on to its customers by reducing its fuel surcharge by six percent– effective immediately.  However, the reduction will be somewhat offset by a 2.6% increase in base vehicle and passenger rates as of April 1, reflecting the Crown corporation’s increased costs of doing business.  Schedules up to March 3, 2015, were also announced, and bookings are now being accepted online and by telephone.

The fuel story is somewhat of a good news-bad news scenario.  While the company and its customers are benefitting in the short term from the current lower prices, new environmental regulations will require a transition from cheaper blended fuel to 100% cleaner-burning marine diesel over the next three years.  This is anticipated to result in higher fuel surcharges over time.

Don Barnes, vice-president of customer experience, says Marine Atlantic’s 2015-16 schedules recognize the popularity of the late evening departures from both North Sydney and Port aux Basques, as well as the overnight schedule on the seasonal Argentia run.  The 2345 departures are scheduled every night of the year, with late morning departures also offered throughout the peak and shoulder seasons.  Mr. Barnes notes that should the need arise at other times the second departure can be added on short notice to ensure traffic demands are met.

The Argentia service has continued to grow in popularity each year since the tri-weekly overnight schedule was introduced in 2011, and the charter of MV Atlantic Vision has now been extended until November 2017.  Mr. Barnes said the 2014 season saw an average increase of 5.5% in ridership on each crossing.  The Port aux Basques run, meanwhile, experienced a slight decline. He was optimistic about prospects for 2015, noting that the lower gasoline prices combined with the devalued Canadian dollar will make driving vacations in Canada a more attractive proposition this year.  This should auger well for “rubber tire” traffic to Newfoundland.

Discontinuance approved for Cape Breton rail line …but is it really the end?

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Freight train led by two orange and yellow locomotives in centre of image, surrounded by fall foliage under an overcast sky.
Amid fall foliage near Shunacadie NS on 5 November 2014, a 16-car CB&CNS train rolls toward Sydney with two units resplendent in Genesee and Wyoming’s colourful orange livery on the point. Pretty as this picture may be, the reality for this endangered line is grim indeed. Yet there may be a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

A ruling has been issued by Nova Scotia’s Utilities and Review Board (UARB) on the application by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway (CBCNS) to discontinue service between St. Peter’s Junction near Point Tupper and Sydney.  But there’s a great deal of uncertainty as to what it means.  Meanwhile, a group of users, several business organizations, the provincial government, and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality are not prepared to pronounce the rail line dead at this point.

The railway’s owners – US-based Genesee and Wyoming Inc. – have made it clear that they are finished.  Company representatives bluntly told the UARB hearing on December 8 and 9 that no trains would operate after December 31, 1014, under any circumstances, and the line has now effectively been shut down. But the board’s ruling on January 15 set a different date for the end of service – October 1, 2015.  Until then, the UARB says, “CBCNS must deliver goods by rail if that service is required by a shipper and the shipper is prepared to pay a reasonable rate for that service…”

Under the legislation governing provincial shortlines, the UARB cannot order a company to continue an uneconomic operation, but does have the authority to set the timeframe for discontinuance of service.  Furthermore, under amendments to the Railways Act that received speedy passage with all-party support in the Legislative Assembly last fall, the actual physical abandonment of a line now falls under the jurisdiction of the transportation minister – not the UARB.   In order to remove the tracks, CBCNS will have to negotiate with the Honourable Geoff MacLellan – a Cape Bretoner who is on record as supporting the retention of rail service.  And, the minister would appear to have a lot of public support on the island. Continue reading “Discontinuance approved for Cape Breton rail line …but is it really the end?” →