Federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May and New Brunswick provincial leader David Coon are among elected officials who have received copies of Riding the Ocean’s Next Wave.
“VIA Rail’s Ocean is dying.” So begins the report recently completed by transportation consultant and advocate Greg Gormick for the advocacy group Save Our Trains in Northern New Brunswick. The new report is titled “Riding the Ocean’s Next Wave: A proposal for VIA Rail Canada’s Maritime services”, and was released in mid-August with considerable media coverage.
Gormick is no stranger to VIA’s Maritime services. He has completed reports on rail service in the region in the past, and toured Atlantic Canada as part of the “National Dream Renewed” campaign several years ago, aiming to generate support for improvements to VIA’s services across the country at a time when the future was looking particularly bleak.
His assessment of the current situation boils down, in essence, to three points: VIA is struggling to compete with discount airlines for end-to-end travel; their equipment is deteriorating; and the inconvenience of a tri-weekly schedule is simply unable to generate adequate ridership or effectively serve any part of the market. These are concerns that are generally shared by TAA. Continue reading “A New Proposal to Rehabilitate the Ocean”→
CN’s Newcastle Sub just north of Rogersville NB. Parts of this line could soon be in jeopardy once again. (Ted Bartlett Photo)
There’s a chance that the fight to save the Newcastle Subdivision could be back on the table sooner than expected. In 2014, the Province of New Brunswick signed an agreement with CN to provide funding to maintain the north (from Irvco, N.B. to Nepisquit Junction, N.B.) and south (between Catamount, N.B. and Nelson Junction) portions of the Newcastle Sub.. This left only the middle section (roughly from Miramichi to Bathurst) uncovered, an issue that would later be solved by an agreement with the federal government.
The original agreement signed between the provincial government and CN indicated that it would ensure continued freight operations on the line for the next 15 years. Unfortunately, one detail was not specified in the press release from CN or other public information at the time: a clause in the agreement would allow for CN to re-evaluate the situation after 5 years, and if traffic on the line had dropped below 2012 levels for two consecutive years, they would be free to terminate the agreement and re-apply to abandon the line.
That clause will be applicable in 2019, meaning that in as little as two years time we could be facing another fight to preserve the route of the Ocean, which may also soon be the route of additional VIA trains if the proposed daily regional services between Campbellton and Moncton get off the ground. Of course it’s not a sure thing that CN will choose to invoke this clause, nor is it certain whether traffic levels have indeed dropped to the point that would make that possible – but the situation does give cause for concern.
TAA will continue to monitor this situation closely, and will plan to work with our partners throughout the region to advocate for solutions to preserve the line and passenger service, should CN seek once again to walk away from the route.
Here are CBC and Radio-Canada reports on the current situation:
A pair of VIA Rail RDCs, similar to those proposed for regional services in the region. Photo by Tim Hayman
VIA Rail President and CEO Yves Desjardins-Siciliano was in Halifax on January 31, 2017 to deliver a talk to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce. Billed as “VIA Rail’s vision in the Maritimes”, Desjardins-Siciliano addressed a full banquet hall during a luncheon at the Westin Nova Scotian.
Desjardins-Siciliano’s talk was accompanied by a slide presentation, which can be found on our website HERE.
The talk addressed VIA’s plans for the Maritimes, which are essentially two-fold: the anticipated launch of daily regional train services between Campbellton and Moncton and Moncton and Halifax, and the exploration of commuter rail possibilities in the city of Halifax.
It also delved into VIA’s broader goals at the moment, which include seeking funding for a new fleet and dedicated tracks in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Though this doesn’t directly affect the Maritimes, Desjardins-Siciliano reiterated the mantra that what’s good for the Corridor is good for the rest of the system. If VIA can generate additional revenue from that operation, they can use it to add new services and expand their offerings throughout the country. The president has stated on several occasions that the ability to look at launching new regional services in the Maritimes is the result of positive returns in the Corridor in recent years, which have freed up additional funds.
The plans for new regional rail services were originally announced close to two years ago. Despite the delay in launching them, Desjardins-Siciliano was clear that they are a priority for VIA (the top priority outside of the Corridor, in fact), and staff in the region have been hard at work trying to make the necessary arrangements to get the services off the ground. As previously reported, the plan is to run daily weekday trains between Campbellton and Moncton, and between Moncton and Halifax. Trains would depart Campbellton and Moncton heading eastbound early in the morning, and return westbound in the evening. This would allow for travellers to come into Moncton or Halifax for the day to shop, attend medical appointments or other obligations, and return later on the same day. Continue reading “VIA President in Halifax, discusses plans for the Maritimes”→
