Category: Ferry

Atlantic Transport News – February 2023

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Welcome to the (somewhat belated) February Atlantic Transport News.

Here’s a look at what you’ll find in this edition:

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE PROBES VIA’S HOLIDAY FAILURES

TAA president Tim Hayman made a virtual presentation and answered questions before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, as it probed VIA Rail’s abysmal performance over the Christmas travel period. PHOTO – ParlVU

Last month, we reported on the meltdown of VIA Rail services right ahead of Christmas 2022, including issues that left passengers stranded on the Ocean in both directions. TAA President Tim Hayman was one of those affected passengers, and took the opportunity to make a submission on behalf of TAA to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. Tim was then invited to appear before the committee on January 26, and took the opportunity to press the committee to look further into the issues that affected VIA’s performance, and identify ways to ensure that passengers aren’t left stranded in similar circumstances in future storms. This followed VIA’s testimony to the committee in the morning, where committee members grilled the Crown corporation on its performance.

You can watch the relevant section of the committee hearing here:  https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20230126/-1/38414

There was additional coverage of this issue on CBC’s Maritime Noon, and in interviews with Sackville’s CHFM, both of which you can find at the links below.

CBC Maritime Noon Interview: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-38-maritime-noon/clip/15962486-the-president-transport-action-atlantic-gives-testimony-house

CHFM Interview: https://www.chmafm.com/welcome/one-advocates-30-hour-ordeal-on-via-rail-and-his-call-for-a-fundamental-shift-in-passenger-rail/

CHFM web story: https://www.chmafm.com/welcome/30-hour-ordeal-on-vias-the-ocean-shines-a-light-on-need-for-fundamental-shift-in-passenger-rail/

VIA TAKES ANOTHER STEP IN LONG-HAUL RENEWAL PROCESS

With nearly 70 years of faithful service on their aging stainless steel carbodies, 1954-vintage Budd rolling stock like this still comprises the backbone of VIA’s long-haul fleet. Although the corporation has taken another step toward their long overdue replacement, there’s still no evidence of a funding commitment from the federal government, and VIA may have to coax another decade from them – or even more.
PHOTO – Ted Bartlett

In late January, VIA Rail took another incremental step towards procuring a replacement fleet for the ageing HEP1 and Renaissance equipment. The Crown corporation posted a Request for Information to MERX (the federal procurement platform) for renewal of the long distance, regional, and remote fleet (I.e. non-Corridor HEP/Ren fleet), titled “Notice of Market Consultation – Long Distance Regional and Remote”.

A few notable excerpts:

“VIA Rail intends to renew its existing long distance regional and remote fleet by selecting a supplier to design, manufacture, test, supply, deliver and commission cars and motive power and ancillary equipment (on-board and offboard) with a prescribed capacity of car types (seated coaches, sleeper, diners, multi-purpose, baggage) through an open competitive procurement process (the “Long Distance Regional and Remote Fleet Renewal Project”)”

”VIA Rail will proceed with pre-procurement activities regarding its Long Distance Regional and Remote Fleet Renewal Project. As part of these pre-procurement activities, VIA Rail intends to engage in consultations with motive power and rolling stock manufacturers to solicit feedback on VIA Rail’s proposed technical specifications, maintenance’s scope of work as well as commercial & contractual related terms (collectively the “Technical and Commercial Documents”).”

”Through this consultation, VIA Rail’s objective is to reduce the eventual in-market time ensure requirements clarity by continuing to work with motive power and rolling stock manufacturers through this consultative pre-procurement process to consider market input on both technical and commercial &contractual questions prior to the commencement of a formal procurement process.”

The submission deadline was February 17, 2023. To date, there has been no information about how many or which suppliers responded to the invitation, though VIA had previously held a market day for interested suppliers, which saw a number of interested parties take part. Amtrak is at a similar stage in their own long distance fleet procurement plans, taking the first steps towards a replacement for their Superliner equipment. According to Amtrak, as many as 10 suppliers have expressed interest. They plan to launch a formal procurement process later this year.

The timing of the planned Amtrak and VIA orders could prove beneficial, as the larger potential order makes a very appealing case for a manufacturer to bid with a product that would suit the needs of both operators. For Amtrak, funding is already in place to begin this process; in contrast, VIA’s progression to a formal procurement process (RFQ/RFP and contract award) will of course be dependent on government funding. TAA has made a pre-budget submission to the federal government, with funding for a new VIA long distance fleet as our top priority. With the existing equipment continuing to deteriorate and long lead times for new equipment, VIA needs to be given the go ahead before it’s too late.

NO REASON FOR WORRY ABOUT ATLANTIC TRANSIT SECURITY

…but homelessness issues cause concern

Metrobus had recently threatened to remove transit shelters in locations where homeless people had set up camp, but the agency was overruled by St. John’s City Hall. Despite issues involving the homeless population, Atlantic Canada overall has seen very few of the kind of unfortunate incidents that have been widely reported on the TTC and some other big-city transit systems.
PHOTO VOCM News

Atlantic Canadians have no reason to be unduly concerned about their personal safety and security when riding the region’s public transit systems.  That’s the opinion widely shared by both operators and advocates around the region. There’s been a lot of negative publicity lately about ugly and violent incidents on the Toronto Transit Commission’s subways, streetcars and buses, but it would appear to be a trend that’s fortunately confined to the nation’s largest cities.

The biggest issue confronting transit agencies in this part of the country stems from the rising urban problem of homelessness.  The matter came to a head in St. John’s in early February, when Metrobus Transit gave notice that it planned to remove two transit shelters in proximity to The Gathering Place, a long-standing agency offering support to those in need, ostensibly because people had been using them for “sleeping rough”.

Two transit users interviewed on Military Road told the Telegram they’d witnessed a situation in which someone had moved into one of the bus shelters. They said the person had covered the exposed areas of the shelter near the ground to keep out the wind, had taped cardboard around the bottom of the shelter, and had laid cardboard on the ground inside, which acted as a barrier from the cold, damp sidewalk.

Reaction to the Metrobus notice was swift and negative, and City Hall promptly ordered a reversal, while launching an initiative to seek less drastic solutions. But it’s a problem that’s not unique to St. John’s. Both Moncton’s Codiac Transpo and Fredericton Transit have been challenged by homeless people taking over shelters while waiting passengers have to stand outside in the weather. Charlene Sharpe, transit manager for Fredericton, says the city police have been fully supportive in dealing with these issues, including removing individuals occupying the shelters. Halifax Transit is also apparently keeping a close eye on the matter, but executive director Dave Reage didn’t want to upstage a report he will be giving to HRM Council in early March, so he declined comment for the time being.  

David Brake, head of the Essential Transit Association in St. John’s (and also a TAA board member), expressed concern that negative publicity over safety on buses is over-stated, and could in fact be a key barrier to getting more people to consider using transit. “No Atlantic province has a transit system anything like the TTC, whose safety problems are likely a function both of its scale and of being in a large city,” he says.

Codiac Transpo operations manager Alex Grncarovski agrees wholeheartedly. He brought many years of TTC experience with him to Moncton, and he says the operating environments are really worlds apart. Fredericton’s Charlene Sharpe, who also previously worked for the TTC, holds a similar view.

“I can honestly say there’s no comparison to what’s going on in Toronto, versus the Maritimes.” Mr. Grncarovski says. “Assaults toward employees and customers have always been a problem at the TTC. Security cameras were brought in due to the union local requesting greater protection for employees. This is also the reason operator safety barriers were also installed. Once the cameras were started, the TTC was committed to charge people assaulting employees, to the full letter of the law. They hired people to attend court and encourage the Crown in obtaining fullest punishment towards perpetrators. This could be jail time and or lifetime ban from the system. Their pictures were posted at each location advising employees that if the person seen in the picture is observed attempting to board the system they were to immediately call and request police.”

One of seven security cameras in a typical installation on a Codiac Transpo bus. Transit agencies around the region are saying this visual monitoring is not a response to any significant increase in violent incidents, but is primarily a tool to promote safety and security and to aid in accident investigation. The presence of the cameras, however, will clearly also act as a deterrent to any potential misbehaviour.
PHOTO Codiac Transpo

Nevertheless, Codiac Transpo is in the process of installing security cameras on board its vehicles, and Fredericton Transit recently completed a similar installation on its entire fleet. “However it was not due to an escalation in violence,” says Charlene Sharpe. “We installed cameras for accidents and incidents in general, as well as part of the new community camera program for the City. It does provide an added assurance to our operators and customers, and is seen more as a preventative measure as there have been very few incidents over the years.”

“CCTV cameras are an increasingly common tool used by public transit to assure the security of customers and employees and we are pleased to see this project go forward,” says Moncton deputy mayor Bryan Butler, who is also a retired police officer. “We appreciate the support we received through the Small Communities Fund. It would be difficult to implement larger-scale improvements in a transit system of our size without that type of assistance.” Installation on the entire Codiac Transpo fleet is expected to be complete by year-end.

-Ted Bartlett

NEW SAINT JOHN TRANSIT SERVICE HAS ENCOURAGING START

This is one of the 20-foot electric buses leased by Saint John Transit for an on-demand trial on lightly used routes. Nearly 1500 riders gave the new service a try in its first month of operation. PHOTO Emma McPhee/Brunswick News

A new concept aimed at bringing improved and expanded service to lightly-used routes was launched by Saint John Transit on January 9 – and from all appearances it’s off to a great start. FLEX is an on-demand service that goes to stops where it’s requested within a zone, instead of following a fixed route. For example, the new West FLEX zone includes all areas previously covered by fixed routes 13 and 14, covers a wider area than the former full-sized bus service, and operates for longer hours.

Riders can schedule a bus pickup at their nearest transit stop either by using a smartphone app or simply calling Saint John Transit. Nearly 1500 people gave the new concept a try during its first month up to February 9, transit director Ian MacKinnon told the Telegraph Journal. That works out to an average of about 55 people a day. He said 455 customers had already downloaded the app.

Transit planners believe that FLEX will deliver better service for riders by allowing them to travel when they want. This service is currently available all day Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm, as well as from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm on Saturdays. The intent is to provide service within half an hour of a rider’s request.  

Saint John Transit conducted a successful pilot of an electric Karzan Jest bus last summer on various routes. Six of these late model, 20-passenger buses have been leased for the FLEX service, and the city has an option to purchase the vehicles if the initiative proves successful.

MARINE ATLANTIC OFFERS TRAVELLERS OFF-SEASON DEAL

No general rate increase has yet been announced for 2023

There’s still no sign of any general rate increase for Marine Atlantic ferry users this year, but off-season travellers will have the opportunity to save 25% on trips taken up to June 30. IMAGE – Marine Atlantic Twitter

There’s nothing official, but it appears as if users of the Marine Atlantic ferry between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia may not be facing a rate increase in 2023 – and there’s some good news for off-season travellers this spring. The Crown corporation has been under standing orders from Transport Canada to achieve 65% cost recovery, but it appears that the growing pushback against this demand may be having some effect on the political masters in Ottawa. In past years there was typically an announcement about rates in January or February, just prior to the start of the federal government’s new fiscal year. So far in 2023 there’s been nothing.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra made much ado about providing federal funding to eliminate the expected toll increase on the Confederation Bridge this year, but there’s been no similar mention of the ferry crossing to Newfoundland – even though the minister met recently with his provincial counterpart in St. John’s. Both the bridge and the ferry are constitutional obligations of the Government of Canada. This may mean that the cost recovery requirement for Marine Atlantic has been quietly placed in abeyance for another year; it almost certainly does not mean that it has been shelved permanently.

Transport Action Atlantic has been at the forefront of a campaign to have ferry rates reduced to be consistent with what is widely believed to be the intent of the 1949 Terms of Union under which Newfoundland became the 10th Canadian province – namely that the cost of moving people and goods across the Cabot Strait should be equal to that of land transportation over the same distance. While in opposition, Justin Trudeau castigated the Harper Conservatives for imposing the 65% cost recovery demand on the ferry service, but since gaining office in 2015 the Liberals have done nothing to change the policy.

But for now the good news is that passengers travelling between Port aux Basques and North Sydney – along with their vehicles – will be eligible for a 25% fare reduction for travel until June 30. Apart from being applicable to new bookings only, there are relatively few restrictions on this off-peak incentive. It even applies to the first seven sailings on the seasonal service between North Sydney and Argentia. Customers have until midnight on April 5 to make reservations under this promotion.

It would appear that Marine Atlantic is offering the discount deal to maximize revenue during a period when it typically has excess capacity. It’s the second such discount incentive offered in recent months, the last one being the “Black Friday” sale which covered travel during the late fall and early winter, including the Christmas-New Year holiday period. This time, however, it extends over a longer time period, and the booking window is much wider.

PORTER LAUNCHES JET SERVICE FROM HALIFAX TO PEARSON

New Charlottetown-Ottawa service also announced

Porter Airlines is now offering two choices for travel between Halifax and Toronto with the February 23 inauguration of non-stop jet service to Pearson using its new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Porter’s Q-400 turboprop flights from YHZ to the downtown Billy Bishop Airport will continue. SUBMITTED PHOTO

Another domestic travel option is now being offered from Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Porter Airlines introduced a new direct service to and from Toronto Pearson, using its new 132-seat Embraer E195-E2 aircraft on February 23.  The airline officially took delivery of the first two of a planned 50 medium-range jets from the Brazilian manufacturer in December, becoming the first North American carrier to fly this model. Porter has chosen to configure the cabin with 132 seats – 14 fewer than the maximum the plane is designed for. In addition to more personal space, the airline claims this aircraft will offer every passenger an elevated economy experience that includes no middle seats, complimentary beer and wine served in real glassware, a selection of premium snacks, and free, fast wifi.

Meanwhile, Porter has just announced the addition of another Atlantic Canada city to its expanding service map. It will be launching direct service between Ottawa and Charlottetown as of May 17. 

The new daily, non-stop route is to be served by the tried-and-true 78-seat Q-400 turboprop aircraft.

“Porter is continuing to invest in regional flying across Eastern Canada,” said Kevin Jackson, executive vice president and chief commercial officer. “Charlottetown is an entirely new destination for us and the addition of Prince Edward Island means that Porter is serving every Atlantic Canada province for the first time.” Porter is already flies to Moncton, Fredericton, Halifax and St. John’s

“We are thrilled to welcome Porter Airlines to YYG and Prince Edward Island,” said Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newson, “Islanders and visitors alike have been requesting Porter for many years, so it is extremely rewarding for us to be able to announce this today. This new non-stop service to Ottawa will not only provide convenient access to the nation’s capital, but will also allow travellers the opportunity to connect to Porter’s expanding network at Ottawa International Airport.”

Atlantic Transport News – November/December 2022

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Welcome to the November/December edition of Atlantic Transport News! With the holidays quickly approaching, this may well turn out to be our last newsletter for the year. All of us at TAA wish you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Here’s a look at what you’ll find in this edition:

VIA 3RD QUARTER REPORT SHOWS RIDERSHIP RECOVERY, BUT HIGHLIGHTS DIRE EQUIPMENT SITUATION

VIA train 14 pauses at Campbellton NB in mid-October. The HEP equipment that forms part of the Ocean’s consist is rapidly nearing the end of its serviceable life, and a replacement is badly needed. The Renaissance equipment at the other end of the train isn’t in much better shape either! PHOTO – Tim Hayman

VIA Rail Canada recently released its 3rd quarter report for 2022. The overall ridership picture is positive. For the Ocean, ridership this quarter was up to 23,000, a whopping 505.3% increase over 2021, thanks, no doubt, to the increase from 1/week and then 2/week service back up to the full 3/week service in 2022. Revenues also increased by 514.3% over 2021. VIA’s figures put the increase in capacity in terms of seat miles at 429% for the quarter.

Comparing figures to pre-pandemic ridership, the Ocean carried 29,500 passengers in Q3 2019, and 29,000 in Q3 2018. By this comparison, Q3 2022’s figure of 23,000 is lower than pre-pandemic totals. It’s difficult to determine exactly what is behind this relative figure; a slow return to pre-pandemic travel patterns may be one factor, but limited capacity may be another. The new bidirectional Ocean consists offer less passenger capacity than the previous configurations, in part due to equipment constraints, but also due to staffing shortages that prevented running longer trains. Many trains through the summer months were sold out, and it’s hard to say how many more passengers VIA could have carried had they been able to run longer trains and offer more space for sale.

The Q3 report is otherwise light on details, but the Risk Analysis section is notable. “Asset Management” is highlighted as an increasing risk, and the report states “The Corporation’s HEP rolling stock equipment has essentially reached the end of its operating life. Its reliability has deteriorated in the past few years, resulting in delays and additional operating costs to maintain a state of good repair. Maintenance costs are projected to increase significantly in upcoming years until a replacement fleet of equipment is introduced, both in the Corridor where the Corporation counts on 31 HEP2 coaches representing more than 25 per cent of current Corridor capacity and non-Corridor services, as reliability of the aging fleet will continue to deteriorate, as well as all of the non-Corridor services who depend on HEP equipment to provide services to communities.” This follows on comments made in recent VIA annual reports and corporate plans, and comes on the heels of recent developments that have shone an even greater spotlight on the dire situation facing the bulk of VIA Rail’s equipment fleet.

Thanks to an Access to Information request, railway blogger Eric Gagnon was able to acquire and publish a copy of the summary report provided by Hatch Engineering, which prompted the most recent inspections and tests of HEP equipment, as well as the “buffer car” policy. Eric posted the report in full on his Trackside Treasure blog.

Here are a couple of notable excerpts:

“As fleetwide inspections continued during the Heritage Program, the findings suggested that all HEP cars likely have some degree of structural degradation of the strength of the car body.“

“The conditions identified on the HEP fleet do not affect the structural performance of the HEP cars under normal operating loads, meaning that they will not fail in regular service….Unfortunately, in most cases, the remaining car body strength of the HEP fleet cars is likely less than original design standards.“

“Considering the age of the current fleet and the planned operation until 2035, Hatch has provided VIA Rail with key recommendations around fleet replacement, a structural reinforcement program for the current fleet, temporary operational mitigations and updates to VIA’s risk assessment to support decisions around proposed mitigation measures.“

Perhaps most notable is this first of the key recommendations:

“Initiate a replacement program for the HEP fleet. By 2035, most of VIA’s HEP fleet will be greater than 80 years old. Considering the age of the fleet, continued deterioration due to corrosion is expected despite any further mitigations taken in the interim. The only long-term solution is the replacement of the fleet.”

In the interim, Hatch also provided recommendations for inspection and repair work to ensure that the HEP fleet remains in safe operating condition. “Buffer cars” will remain in place while this work is being done, and can hopefully be removed once suitable repairs are complete. In any case, it is becoming increasingly clear that VIA is in urgent need of a replacement for its long distance fleet. The HEP fleet can simply no longer be rebuilt indefinitely, and the Renaissance fleet that makes up the balance of the Ocean’s equipment pool is also past its initial planned withdrawal date. Train services from coast to coast are in severe jeopardy if no replacement is sought in as timely a fashion as possible. VIA has reportedly already submitted a business case for the fleet replacement to Transport Canada. It’s well past time for the federal government to take note, and provide VIA with the go ahead to launch this desperately needed procurement.

Meanwhile, day to day on time performance of the Ocean has finally improved from the routine delays during the late summer and fall, as track work programs in Quebec are complete. With train 15 routinely back on schedule, VIA has restored the earlier connection to Ottawa on train 35. For Toronto or southwestern Ontario bound passengers, VIA is still only guaranteeing a connection with the later train 67, which requires a 3 hour layover in Montreal. The connection to the earlier train 65, which would require only a 57 minute connection and arrive in Toronto over 2 hours earlier, is shown as returning as of January 12, 2023. It’s not clear why the return of this connection has been delayed.

The Christmas holidays promise to be a busy travel time in the Maritimes, as usual. There are no extra trains for the holidays this year, and no schedule adjustments either, as even the trains scheduled for Dec. 25th will still run on their usual day and schedules. However, after having only 2 trains a week running by this time last year, the return of the full 3/week service still marks an increase over the past season. There is evidence that VIA has added additional passenger capacity to these trains, based on increased inventory in the reservations system, but even with added equipment several trains are fully sold out for end-to-end travel several weeks in advance. This was no doubt aided by a recent “Black Friday” sale, which included holiday-time travel (with no blackout dates) for the first time in several years. Bus shuttle service continues to be provided to connect passengers in the Gaspe via Campbellton. In any case, it is encouraging to see that passengers are coming back to the train, even after the hiatus of service – hopefully, VIA will take note!

-Tim Hayman

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! MARITIME BUS MARKS 10 YEARS IN OPERATION

December 1, 2022 marks 10 years since Maritime Bus picked up the remnants of Acadian Lines, and embarked on the path to building today’s intercity bus network in the Maritimes. PHOTO – Courtesy of Maritime Bus

In the summer of 2012, travellers in the Maritimes were shocked by the news that Acadian Lines, the sole intercity bus service in the region, would be shutting down operations entirely after November 30th. Coupled with news that VIA’s Ocean service would be cut in half (from 6 to 3 days a week operation) at nearly the same time, this marked a staggering blow to the intercity public transportation network in the region. Mike Cassidy, owner of Coach Atlantic, was similarly shocked by the news – but also saw an opportunity to step in to fill the void. Thus, Maritime Bus was born, and officially started operations on December 1, 2012.

This December 1st marked 10 years of operation for Maritime Bus. The road hasn’t always been smooth, especially through the recent years of the pandemic, but the carrier has continued to provide bus service through New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI, and has worked to continue expanding their network as opportunities arise. Key to that success has been Cassidy’s commitment to providing scheduled bus service through the region. Speaking with CBC News, Cassidy said of his decision to launch Maritime Bus: “We just said … busing is needed in the region and we are the ones to do it, and that’s how Maritime Bus started.”

Here’s to the next 10 years!

MARINE ATLANTIC REPORTS SUCCESSFUL SUMMER

Marine Atlantic CEO Murray Hupman says the Crown corporation carried far more passengers this past July and August than it did in the pre-pandemic summer of 2019. PHOTO – Terry Roberts/CBC

Was it the relaxation of public health restrictions, the Come Home Year promotion launched by the provincial tourism department, or simply an explosion of pent-up demand by ex-pat Newfoundlanders? Whatever the reason, passenger traffic on Marine Atlantic ferry service showed a dramatic recovery in July and August. The Crown corporation accommodated nearly 160,000 customers during that two-month period this past summer. That’s almost 20,000 more riders than the service carried in the same period in 2019 – the last pre-pandemic tourist season.

The figures were given at the company’s annual public meeting on October 20, at which the Annual Report for the fiscal year ending March 31 was released. CEO Murray Hupman was clearly pleased at the resurgence in traffic, but wasn’t entirely sure why the summer was so successful.

“Is it the new normal? We’re not certain. But it definitely was a rebound from the previous two years,” he told CBC News. Whether this summer’s impressive ridership will enable the corporation to meet the controversial 65% cost recovery target set by Transport Canada remains to be seen. They failed to meet the target in 2021-22, as expenses increased and traffic continued to be affected by the pandemic. The federal subsidy requirement for the year was $131 million.

Interestingly, ferry traffic to Newfoundland is rebounding at a much higher rate than air travel, according to Colin Tibbo, Marine Atlantic’s chief information officer, who also holds responsibility for the customer experience portfolio. The often-chaotic conditions experienced at some of the country’s busier airports this summer may help explain why. But there are other factors at play, including the severe shortage of rental vehicles this year – a factor that’s especially critical at a destination where having a car is considered a necessity to enjoy the full visitor experience.

Marine Atlantic’s customer satisfaction ratings are showing a slight decline this year compared with 2021 scores, but that was not unexpected, Mr. Tibbo said. The levels recorded during the pandemic were “unrealistically high” he noted, and maintaining ratings received under such unusual circumstances wasn’t a reasonable expectation. Nevertheless, the most recent scorecard from Narrative Research shows that 78.7% of customers are “highly satisfied” with their crossing, and 95.2% say they would recommend Marine Atlantic. Not surprisingly, the lowest rating went to “value for money” with only 64.1 % of respondents viewing it positively.

You can view Marine Atlantic’s 2021-22 Annual Report here:
https://www.marineatlantic.ca/sites/default/files/2022-10/Annual-Report-2021-2022.pdf

In a late development, Marine Atlantic announced a ground-breaking five-day Black Friday sale on passenger and passenger vehicle fares, with a 50% discount offered on every sailing between Port aux Basques and North Sydney from November 24 through January 8. This includes the entire Christmas-New Year travel period, with no blackout dates. Onboard accommodations, meals, fuel surcharges and security charges are excluded from the discount, but the sale is strong incentive to travel in what is largely a slow period for passenger travel on the ferries.

CHARLOTTETOWN’S T3 TRANSIT CONTINUES TO SET RECORDS

T3 Transit is reporting record-breaking performance in 2022, with ridership growth in Charlottetown running far in excess of national and regional averages. SUBMITTED PHOTO

While urban public transportation across Canada is at long last winning back significant slices of traffic lost because of COVID-19, Charlottetown’s T3 Transit is showing phenomenal growth in 2022. The city-funded but privately operated service just set another new monthly record for ridership with over 106,000 trips recorded in October. That’s an increase of nearly 38 percent from July – just three months previous. Canada’s smallest capital city is riding the crest of a nationwide trend, but appears to be leading the pack both nationally and regionally.

According to data released by Statistics Canada on November 21, transit services countrywide in September had recovered ridership to about 73.5 per cent of what it was in the corresponding month of 2019. The agency reported that the number of urban transit passenger trips in Canada hit a pandemic-era high, reaching 120.6 million for the first time since the COVID alarm sounded in March of 2020.
More employees returning to the workplace, along with schools reopening, were suggested as the reason behind the positive results.

The StatsCan data showed a total of 120.6 million riders on urban transit coast-to-coast in September 2022, an increase of 25.4% from May. Atlantic Canada overall showed a significantly stronger resurgence than the national average, with the region reporting 2.5 million passengers carried for the month, up 31.6% from May.

Meanwhile, the PEI Government will continue to subsidize both urban and rural transit on the Island until at least the end of the current fiscal year. Transportation Minister Cory Deagle announced the extension of the $20 monthly pass on October 27. The incentive to wean Islanders away from private automobile use has been in effect since June. The cost of a monthly pass for seniors and post-secondary students is just $10, while children and students from K-12 ride for free.

PAL AIRLINES ENCOURAGED WITH NB-NL SERVICE

PAL Airlines is flying from Moncton to St. John’s with a stop in Deer Lake six days a week on its fall schedule. The regional carrier is encouraged by traffic growth between NB and NL. SUBMITTED PHOTO

PAL Airlines sees plenty of traffic potential on its routes between Newfoundland and New Brunswick – even though it has temporarily discontinued service to Fredericton. The regional airline’s fall schedule shows service six days a week between Moncton and St. John’s, with a stop at Deer Lake. This frequency remains in effect up to and including the Christmas travel period. The same aircraft provides service between Moncton and Ottawa three days a week, and runs to Mont-Joli and Wabush on alternate days.

Janine Browne, director of business development and sales, says there’s a strong demand for service between the two provinces with both YYT and YDF generating significant traffic. Not sufficient, evidently, to justify at this time of year the non-stop routing between YQM and YYT that was part of the summer schedule. But although the exact schedule for the new year hasn’t yet been announced, indications are that PAL will continue to offer service consistent with anticipated demand through the winter.

BARK AND FLY AT HALIFAX STANFIELD

While there may be a dark cloud of uncertainty hanging over Halifax Stanfield International Airport about the future of WestJet’s seasonal overseas services that may or may not be back in 2023, there’s a new business at YHZ that has tails wagging.

Air Buddies Pet Services is an overnight pet boarding facility located conveniently in the terminal building. It’s billed as a unique service for both travellers and those employed at the airport. Additional services are coming soon, including dog daycare, grooming, and retail.

NOVA SCOTIA TRANSIT OPERATORS RECEIVE COVID RELIEF FUNDING

Transit systems reeling from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are seeing some financial relief, as a joint federal-provincial funding program will provide one-time payments to transit operators to help compensate them for lost revenues. The $10.9 million grant will be distributed to a total of 28 transit operators across the province, with $8.6 million going to Halifax Transit, $359,809 to Cape Breton Transit, $332,392 to Kings Transit, and the remainder going to a variety of fixed route and community operators.


 

Atlantic Transport News – October 2022

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Welcome to the October edition of Atlantic Transport News.

Here’s a look at what you’ll find in this edition:

RECORD-BREAKING STORM HITS TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

Fallen trees and other widespread storm damage in the wake of hurricane Fiona shut down both urban and rural transit on PEI for a full four days. The cleanup and recovery effort was hampered by numerous downed power lines, with many households still without electricity two weeks after the storm. PHOTO – Sheehan Desjardins/CBC

“Conditions are like nothing we’ve ever seen,” Charlottetown Police Services tweeted on the night of September 23-24, as hurricane Fiona smashed into Atlantic Canada, leaving a widespread swath of devastation stretching from southeast New Brunswick to the southwest corner of Newfoundland. That was probably an understatement. Fiona was indeed the storm of a lifetime, and its aftereffects will surely be felt for many months to come. In fact, many structures demolished by the high winds and heavy seas will likely never be rebuilt.

Transportation services throughout the region ground to a halt. On PEI, one of the hardest hit areas, both T3 Transit in Charlottetown and the Island Transit rural network remained shut down for a full four days. Mike Cassidy, owner of Coach Atlantic which operates both services under contract, said they realized early Saturday morning as the storm subsided that they “weren’t going anywhere”. Not only were streets and highways blocked by fallen trees and downed power lines, but there was a potential serious issue with refuelling their vehicles. With the power knocked out virtually everywhere, there would be no way to replenish when the gasoline or diesel on board was exhausted. On Monday, the third day after Fiona hit, he said there were lineups stretching two kilometres at the few fuel pump locations with power. It was Tuesday before scheduled transit service was resumed.

The intercity routes operated by Maritime Bus in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were only out of action for one day, but the effects on the company’s charter business presented a much larger financial challenge. Numerous cruise ship visits and multi-day tours were thrown into chaos, resulting in a substantial hit to the company’s bottom line, Mr. Cassidy said, adding that the impact was severe throughout the tourism and hospitality industry – something it did not need as it struggles to recover from more than two years of COVID-induced losses.

Stevedores secured MV Leif Ericson to the dock in Port aux Basques as Fiona headed their way. Although the seaport town was devastated with numerous buildings destroyed and one fatality reported, Marine Atlantic’s vessels and terminals sustained no significant damage.
SUBMITTED PHOTO – Marine Atlantic

Another location lashed by the full fury of Fiona’s wrath was the ferry terminal town of Port aux Basques on Newfoundland’s southwest coast. Homes that had stood on the edge of the Cabot Strait for generations were washed away by the record storm surge. Two residents were carried away by gigantic waves, but one was miraculously rescued. Tragically the other was not. While iconic images of the devastation were seen around the world, the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal and the two vessels tied up there reported no significant damage. Company spokesperson Darrell Mercer said planning for the oncoming storm involved docking two vessels in both North Sydney and Port aux Basques, with extra mooring lines securing all four.

“We’re going to be losing a number of sailings this weekend,” he told Saltwire News. “We expect there’s going to be significant demand next week to travel, especially from a commercial perspective. So, having two vessels in each port will allow us to resume operations fairly quickly and move as much traffic as we can fairly quickly,” It was not until Sunday evening that normal schedules resumed. The storm forced cancellation of the final round trip of the season between North Sydney and Argentia.

Air service started returning to normal on Saturday, with no significant damage reported to airport infrastructure. VIA Rail cancelled its departures of the Ocean from both Halifax and Montreal on Friday, and when service resumed on Sunday there were substantial delays as power outages had knocked out numerous grade crossing warning signals, requiring manual protection of train movements.

-Ted Bartlett

VIA “BUFFER CARS” ORDER HIGHLIGHTS DESPERATE NEED FOR NEW FLEET

Early evidence of the new “buffer” policy, as VIA 73 arrives at Brantford ON on Oct. 17th. Normally a fully HEP2 consist, the tail end is followed up with an LRC car as added protection. An additional LRC car is included at the head end between the locomotive and the first HEP2 car. PHOTO – Tim Hayman

In what seemed to be a rather abrupt development, news broke last week of a new policy at VIA Rail – all trains operating with either HEP1 or HEP2 stainless steel equipment, cars built in the 1940s and 1950s by the Budd company and refurbished by VIA Rail, would be required to operate with “buffer” cars at either ends of the consist. Depending on the train, these may either be unoccupied HEP (“Head End Power”) cars, an unoccupied locomotive, or other equipment. It was not immediately clear what prompted this decision, but more news has been forthcoming in the days since, culminating with a ministerial order directing VIA Rail to operate with this practice until several tests are complete.

The origins of this operating change began in 2020, when structural deficiencies were discovered in several HEP cars during a rebuilding program. This resulted in the cancellation of a more comprehensive rebuild of 17 HEP1 coaches by Bombardier, and also prompted an immediate inspection of the entire HEP fleet. By chance, these inspections took place when nearly the entire fleet was sidelined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing VIA to complete the work with minimal service disruptions. Following these inspections, VIA hired engineering consulting firm Hatch to prepare a more thorough inspection and report on the state of the equipment.

It was the completion of this report that prompted the sudden change in operating practices. While Hatch and VIA have deemed the cars safe to continue operating, the inspections raised serious concerns about the crashworthiness of the nearly 70-year old cars, and the buffer car solution has been implemented as a temporary measure while additional simulations, tear-down inspections, compression-testing, and repairs can be completed.

On October 19, Transport Canada published a ministerial order requiring that VIA implement this buffer practice (though it had already done so a week earlier), and further requiring an engineering simulation by the end of October; a tear-down inspection of four defective cars by January 31, 2023; compression tests on at least two unrepaired cars by January 31, 2023, with a report on how this will inform future repairs; a full report on these tests by March 31, 2023; and finally, a compression test on a fully repaired car to inform and validate the repair methodology, due by December 31, 2023. Presumably, successful tests should allow VIA to end the use of buffer cars, but it is not at all clear at which point in the process this might be allowed.

The immediate implications of this new policy will stretch fleet availability, as all HEP consists must be lengthened with the addition of buffers. In the case of the Canadian, a buffer car behind the Park car will be at least a minor inconvenience to passengers hoping to enjoy the view from the rear of the train. On the Skeena, the Jasper-Prince Rupert train, it seems that the Park car will simply be off limits to passengers instead of operating with a buffer. Baggage cars serving as head-end buffers will not be able to be occupied by crew during the trip, which has also resulted in VIA not allowing pets in baggage cars for the time being.

In the east, the current Ocean consist, despite all of its shortcomings, will be relatively immune to this change. The HEP end of the train is already bracketed by a baggage car at one end and Renaissance equipment at the other end, so the only operational change is the end of pets being allowed in the baggage car. Presumably, they could be accommodated in the Renaissance baggage car instead, but it is not at all clear if VIA is considering this. There may also be some limit on available equipment, particularly as consists need to expand around the holidays and into next summer, presuming this requirement remains in place for an extended period of time.

The current Ocean consist already features an unoccupied baggage car on the HEP-end of the train, as seen here at Moncton last December, so there’s no need for a change to the operation; but the baggage car is now off-limits even to pets, and HEP fleet capacity may be strained as cars are needed as buffers elsewhere. PHOTO – Tim Hayman

Beyond any of these temporary issues, the much more significant concern that this highlights is the ongoing deterioration of the HEP fleet, which remains the backbone of all VIA services outside the Corridor. New equipment from Siemens will replace the HEP2s and few HEP1s in the Corridor within a few years, but there is still no committed funding or order in place to replace the long distance fleet. To date, the only serious plan was to continue funding incremental refurbishments to try to keep the 70 year old cars hobbling along indefinitely. Now more than ever, it is readily apparent that their time is running out, and in the absence of a replacement order in the immediate near future, VIA may soon find itself with no choice but to shut down service to the majority of the country.

An order for new equipment should have been placed years ago, but absent the ability to step back in time, VIA needs to be authorized to proceed with a procurement process as soon as possible. A business case for a new long distance fleet has reportedly been prepared by VIA and submitted to Transport Canada for consideration; hopefully, this very public display of the dire state of the HEP fleet will help convince the government to let VIA move Canadians from coast to coast into the 21st century, not merely those between Windsor and Quebec City. Time is quickly running out.

-Tim Hayman

WESTJET OVERSEAS PLANS FOR 2023 REMAIN UNCLEAR

The Halifax International Airport Authority is still in discussion with WestJet about the possibility of overseas flights from Stanfield Airport in 2023, but there’s no indication yet if any of the Calgary-based airline’s non-stop trans-Atlantic routes from YYT will be returning next year. PHOTO John McArthur/Unsplash

If you’ve been visiting WestJet’s website with an eye to booking a direct overseas flight from Halifax Stanfield International Airport next year and keep coming up empty-handed, apparently you shouldn’t give up just yet. The airport authority says it is still in discussions with WestJet about their 2023 summer season routes from YHZ.

“To our knowledge, no decisions have been made,” says spokesperson Tiffany Chase, “which is why you wouldn’t be able to see what will be available in the system yet. We hope there will be news on this in the next couple of weeks as they finalize their plans for next year.”

In previous years the Calgary-based airline has been offering direct flights from Halifax to London Gatwick, Paris, Dublin and Glasgow from May to October. Some of the schedules terminated earlier than planned in 2022, ostensibly due to operational issues such as crew shortages. But in June the company’s new CEO announced a major refocusing of their service offerings, which involve going back to their western Canada roots where they enjoy a substantial market share. Some industry analysts have expressed the view that WestJet has been less successful in competing with Air Canada in eastern and overseas markets, suggesting that they are essentially giving up fighting a war they cannot possibly win.

More recently, WestJet announced it would be suspending flights between Halifax and St. John’s for almost four months this coming winter and early spring. It’s believed to be the first time the airline has not offered service on that route since they first started flying in Atlantic Canada some 25 years ago. However, they evidently plan to reinstate the service beginning April 30, as online bookings are now being accepted for two return WestJet Encore Q400 flights daily between YHZ and YYT.

Also returning on the same date is service between Charlottetown and Toronto Pearson, initially four times per week but ramping up to daily in July. Interestingly, this restored service will feature Boeing 737 jets, as will a returning daily service between Sydney and YYZ beginning in August. There is no indication yet as to if or when the airline will restore service between Fredericton and Toronto. Service will continue through the winter on a reduced basis between Moncton and Pearson.

MV HOLIDAY ISLAND TO BE SCRAPPED

The MV Holiday Island, a veteran of the Caribou NS – Wood Islands PEI ferry crossing, has sailed for the last time. Three months following the dramatic fire and evacuation of the ferry on its July 22, 2022 crossing, Transport Canada has issued a tender for the disposal of the vessel. According to the posted tender, the successful bidder will have until November 30 to remove the vessel from its berth at Wood Islands, and until February 28, 2024 to complete the ship breaking (disposal) work.

The replacement for the 52-year old Holiday Island is already on order, but is not expected to be delivered until 2027. In the interim, Northumberland Ferries intends to continue with a 2-vessel service through some form of vessel lease, similar to the arrangement with Quebec’s Saaremaa I over the last few months of the 2022 season. It is not yet clear, however, whether there will be opportunity to continue a lease of the Saaremaa I, or if a different vessel will be brought in for the 2023 sailing season.

TRANSIT CAPE BRETON STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH RIDSERSHIP GROWTH

Ridership increases are good news for any transit agency, but rapid ridership growth can result in capacity being unable to keep pace with demand. Such is the case with Cape Breton’s transit agency, which has seen ridership increase four-fold in the last 5 years. Much of the ridership growth has been tied to increased enrollment at Cape Breton University, thanks in large part to more international students coming to Cape Breton to study.

As CBC reports, riders are now frequently finding themselves left on the side of the road as full buses pass, unable to pick up more passengers. With buses running on a half-hour (or less frequent) schedule, full buses make the system increasingly difficult to use, and may leave some students seeking out cars or other options to get around.

The municipality is evidently aware of the issue and would like to add capacity to the bus fleet, but few buses are available to bring in on such a rapid timeframe. Further, funding for that sort of capital investment may be limited, particularly for conventional diesel buses. Cape Breton is investigating the viability of adding electric buses to the fleet, but that isn’t likely to proceed quickly enough to be able to address the current crunch.

MARINE ATLANTIC MARKS SOMBRE ANNIVERSARY

Eighty years ago this month, the Newfoundland Railway’s flagship SS Caribou became a casualty of war while en route from North Sydney to Port aux Basques. IMAGE FROM TWITTER @MAferries

The harsh reality of the Battle of the Atlantic came home with a vengeance across Newfoundland on October 14, 1942. The Newfoundland Railway ferry SS Caribou had sailed from North Sydney at 2145 the previous evening. In the pre-dawn darkness, about 25 nautical miles from Port aux Basques, a torpedo fired from a German U-boat struck her amidships on the starboard side. The mortally wounded vessel sank in just five minutes, with only 101 survivors among the 237 passengers and crew on board. The dead included 31 of the ships officers and crew, 56 military personnel, and 48 civilain passengers.

Among those lost were veteran Captain Benjamin Taverner, and his two sons Stanley and Harold, both of whom were deck officers. Some 20 years after the tragedy, Canadian National, which had inherited the ferry operation upon Confederation in 1949, named a new coastal vessel Taverner in their honour. And when a new superferry, custom-designed for service between North Sydney and Port aux Basques, was being built in 1985, it was decided that she should bear the Caribou name. When the new flagship of the fleet made her maiden voyage in May 1986, all known survivors of the 1942 tragedy were invited along for the voyage. At daybreak, 25 miles from Port aux Basques, the superferry stopped, and one of the invited guests threw a wreath overboard at her namesake’s final resting place.

Lest we forget.

-Ted Bartlett