New Brunswick releases report and recommendations on inclusive and sustainable transportation
– by Yves Bourgeois
“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It’s where the rich use public transport.”
– Enrique Penalosa, former Mayor of Bogota
Yves Bourgeois stands in front of the iconic former Canadian Pacific station at McAdam, where New Brunswick’s report on sustainable and inclusive transportation was released on 11 December 2017.
New Brunswick citizens and policymakers need to pivot their thinking significantly from surfaces to services, putting “access” first and ratcheting up shared transportation services investments in balance with physical transportation infrastructure. This fundamental shift from roads and highways is crucial if the province hopes not only to reduce poverty, but also to improve population growth, physical health, job creation and the environment. This is the overarching theme of the report and recommendations on inclusive and sustainable mobility released on 11 December 2017 by the New Brunswick advisory committee on Rural and urban transportation (RUTAC) struck by New Brunswick Government’s Economic and social inclusion corporation (ESIC). http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/esic/news/news_release.2017.12.1583.html
Although they are among the newest rolling stock in VIA Rail Canada’s fleet, the British-built Renaissance cars are arguably the most problematic. Their early replacement should be a high priority says Transport Action Atlantic.
Transport Action Atlantic is viewing recent statements from both Prime Minister Trudeau and Transport Minister Marc Garneau on the future of VIA Rail service with a mixture of optimism and concern. Both have been quoted in media interviews as being supportive of the Crown corporation’s proposals for enhanced rail passenger service in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, as well as the urgent need to replace severely aging equipment.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Minister Garneau indicated the Government of Canada is treating VIA’s initiatives as two separate funding decisions, and expressed clear support for VIA’s fleet renewal request.
“There’s no question that VIA train service must continue and that some of the train cars are getting old,” he told the newspaper. “We need to address the issue so that we continue to have a reliable and predictable service. We need to replace the hardware once in a while.”
That’s really quite an understatement. The last federal investment in new intercity rail passenger cars was nearly 40 years ago, and some coaches in VIA’s active fleet date back to 1947. But the most troublesome component is the so-called Renaissance equipment – acquired second-hand from the UK in 2001 after the overnight Channel Tunnel service they were intended for failed to get off the ground. Many of the partially-completed cars in the 139-unit purchase never turned a wheel in revenue service, and were eventually scrapped, with some components salvaged to keep others operational. Most of the survivors are now running on VIA’s last remnant of service to Atlantic Canada – the tri-weekly Ocean.
Attempts to force-fit the British-built cars to the Canadian operating environment were far from a resounding success, and nearly two decades of exposure to winter weather and other conditions for which they were never designed have taken a severe toll. At this writing, one Ocean Renaissance train set is out of service for an indefinite period, following a massive electrical failure at Halifax in early January. The departure was cancelled, the passengers transferred to buses, and the empty train limped back to Montreal for repairs.
At one time, VIA fielded three sets of Renaissance cars, but only two were required after the ill-advised reduction in Ocean service frequency in 2012. Now, maintaining even a smaller number of cars in serviceable condition has evidently become a challenge for the corporation.
Arguably, a high priority for government and VIA should be replacement of the troublesome Renaissance cars with modern equipment of proven design that’s suitable for North American operation. Given the lead time required for order and delivery of passenger rolling stock, and the unfortunate reality that the British-built cars are already past their best-before date, it will be increasingly difficult to keep the Ocean running reliably even if the funding comes in the next federal budget. But Transport Action Atlantic is concerned that only the corridor service appears to be under consideration for new equipment at this time, leaving the run to the Maritimes in a precarious position indeed.
“Canada does not end at Quebec City,” says TAA president Ted Bartlett. “Passenger rail investment all across the country has been neglected for years by successive governments. The entire VIA network must be re-equipped, and the area where the need is most urgent cannot be overlooked. We acknowledge that the corridor is the vital heart of passenger rail in Canada, but the link to the Atlantic provinces is very important for connecting Canadians. Furthermore, many Maritime communities that are underserved by public transportation are heavily dependent on the service the Ocean provides.”
Bartlett added that the track infrastructure in the Maritimes – particularly in northern New Brunswick – is also in urgent need of attention. While the required investment is extremely modest when compared with VIA’s proposal for a dedicated passenger line in the corridor, it is necessary if trains are to once again operate safely at the same speeds that were in effect 20 years ago. As recently as 2005, VIA trains traveled from Moncton to Campbellton in four hours. The same trip today requires nearly six hours, because of deteriorated track.
Marine Atlantic’s customer satisfaction levels and on-time performance continue to improve – but the cost recovery targets demanded by Transport Canada continue to soar.
Marine Atlantic’s customer satisfaction rates increased to 77 per cent during the 12-month period ending March 31, 2017, and on-time performance rates improved to 91 per cent. The vessel reliability rate stood at 99 per cent, and the Newfoundland ferry service recorded its second consecutive year of growth, the first back-to-back passenger increases in almost two decades.
There was quite a bit of good news to report as the Crown corporation held its annual public meeting in St. John’s on November 6. However, there was one very sobering statistic presented by board chair Kris Parsons and CEO Paul Griffin. During the last fiscal year, Marine Atlantic achieved a record 70 per cent cost recovery, “falling within the targeted range as directed by the Government of Canada.” It generated $111.7 million in revenue, while the service cost $209.4 million to operate. The federal subsidy for the year was $94 million.
The cost recovery ratio has risen steadily over the past two decades, climbing from approximately 45 per cent in the late 1990s. During that period, user rates have soared at triple the national inflation rate – in sharp contrast to tolls on PEI’s Confederation Bridge, which are tied to the cost-of-living index.
During the last federal election campaign, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau publicly lambasted the Harper Tories for their fixation on cost recovery for the ferry service, and promised that a Liberal government would address the issue. They haven’t: Since the election there have been two rate increases at Marine Atlantic – both well in excess of the cost-of-living index. A third is anticipated for 2018, although it had not been announced as of this writing.
