Atlantic Transport News – Summer Round-up

Welcome back to Atlantic Transport News! We’ve been quiet through the last several months, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been lots going on, both in terms of regional transportation news developments and ongoing advocacy work from our members throughout the region.

As an all-volunteer organization, keeping these monthly newsletters going has always been a challenge, and through this summer we simply haven’t had the bandwidth to keep them going on a monthly basis. We’re always looking for help with submissions and assistance to keep these newsletters alive and going – please see the last item in this issue for more information, and consider if you or someone you know might be able to assist.

Here’s the run-down of what you’ll find in this “catch-up” issue:

VIA RAIL NEWS RECAP – NEW EQUIPMENT RFI, A NEW PRESIDENT, AND SUMMER SERVICE DISRUPTIONS

VIA 15, with its now standard bidirectional consist, approaches Moncton early in 2023. (Photo – Tim Hayman)

There has been a fair bit of news on the VIA Rail file over the past several months.

In May, the results of the testing of VIA’s HEP fleet finally came out, and the much maligned “buffer car” requirement was dropped. This had never had a significant impact on the Ocean’s current configuration, aside from restricting the ability to carry pets in the baggage car; but the need to use otherwise serviceable equipment as “buffers” had an impact on fleet availability.

At the end of April, VIA formally issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFI) to potential suppliers for its long distance fleet replacement program, marking a more formal step in this procurement. We were disappointed that the federal government did not provide funding for this much needed long distance fleet replacement in the last budget, but the fact that VIA continues to do the ground work on moving this program ahead is encouraging. Given the timeline for new

You can read more about the RFI, as well as funding that was provided for repair work on the existing HEP fleet, from Transport Action Canada here: https://www.transportaction.ca/topics/intercity-rail-and-bus/long-distance-train-fleet-replacement-rfi-issued/

Refurbishments to VIA’s HEP fleet have spruced up these cars and will keep them running a while longer; but work on a replacement fleet for these, and the Renaissance cars, needs to get moving. (Photo – Tim Hayman)

The launch of VIA’s much-anticipated and oft-delayed new reservations system continues to be pushed off. One unfortunate and unanticipated impact of this pending new system, which we discovered to great dismay earlier this year, is that all intermodal ticketing has been dropped by VIA. The new system, apparently, will not (at least initially) be able to accommodate this function, so interline ticketing with partners including Maritime Bus and the REGIM bus shuttles to Gaspé were dropped earlier this year. Even though the reservations system still hasn’t launched as of this fall, the REGIM shuttle was dropped for the entire summer. There was undoubtedly room for improvement in the intermodal partnerships, but this is a huge step backwards, and not the sort of “improvement” we hoped for with the new system.

As of June, VIA has a new president – Mario Péloquin was appointed to a 5-year term: https://www.transportaction.ca/national-news/mario-peloquin-appointed-to-lead-via-rail/

TAA is generally encouraged by Péloquin’s background and what we’ve heard about his work in the VIA c-suite so far. We extended our congratulations to him on his appointment, and have also requested a meeting when the opportunity arises. We will be sure to update if and when we have such an opportunity.

At the end of August, VIA released their second quarter report for 2023. The news was generally positive, and for the Ocean, revenues for the quarter were up 55% over the previous year, with ridership up 46.4%. This is of course in part due to the fact that the train’s frequency for much of that quarter in 2022 was still only at 2 departures each way per week, increasing back to 3/week shortly before the end of the quarter. By contrast, the train has operated at the full 3/week frequency for all of the equivalent quarter in 2023. You can read the full report here: https://media.viarail.ca/sites/default/files/publications/VIA%20Rail_Second%20Quarter%20Report%202023.pdf

One additional bit of relevant news for this region was the announcement of funding for several “heritage” stations on the VIA network, including Halifax. The exact scope of the work to be done at Halifax is not clear, though it is presumed that much of the current ongoing work to the exterior facade and interior at the station are included in this funding: https://www.transportaction.ca/national-news/via-rail-announces-80m-investment-in-heritage-stations/

Locally, the Ocean has continued to operate in its new incarnation as usual this summer. Anecdotally, ridership appears to be consistent, though capacity on the trains continues to be less than what was offered pre-2020. This summer has once again been plagued by chronic delays, as a CN track work program on the Mont-Joli sub, compounded by heat related speed restrictions, has resulted in both trains 14 and 15 experiencing delays in excess of 2 to 3 hours (and on occasion as much as 6 to 8 hours) on the regular throughout this summer. This has resulted in the loss of early connecting trains in Montreal, and frequently late evening arrivals in Halifax. These issues are no doubt made worse by the ongoing long-term slow orders along many parts of the Newcastle Subdivision, for which there is no clear remedy in sight.

Train service was disrupted a few times by extreme weather events. In July, parts of Nova Scotia received unprecedented rainfall, with a number of washouts of the rail line including a major washout between Truro and Halifax. All service on the Bedford Subdivision was curtailed for nearly a week, while CN crews worked to repair the washout. VIA service was truncated at Moncton for several trips. Though VIA provided buses for the first trains affected by this washout, passengers going beyond Moncton were left to fend for themselves on the following trips. Fortunately, Maritime Bus stepped in to offer additional buses from Moncton to help accommodate passengers, a good move on their part and something we would have hoped to see coordinated by VIA.

VIA’s pending new reservations system has severed the intermodal ticketing arrangements with Maritime Bus; but the carrier still stepped in to cover a gap for passengers when train service was disrupted. (Photo – Tim Hayman)

Further train cancellations took place in September, with the arrival of post-tropical storm Lee. CN suspended all train operations in the region on Saturday, September 16th. VIA initially indicated that trains 14 and 15 would be delayed by 24 hours to avoid the storm, but they then cancelled both trains instead. Passengers were refunded, but offered no alternate transportation.

Both of these service interruptions highlight a change in VIA policy that TAA finds particularly troubling: a shift to cancelling trains with no accommodation for passengers, aside from offering refunds and in some cases additional travel credits. VIA once had a reputation for going to great lengths to accommodate disrupted passengers, but their current attitude seems to have shifted to a “sorry, you’re on your own” approach. While it’s entirely understandable that trains sometimes have to be cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances, the new approach to customer service seems more likely than ever to leave affected passengers thinking twice about returning to the rails.

NEW TRANSPORT MINISTER

There was a major cabinet shuffle this summer, and the transport portfolio was among those in the mix. Pablo Rodriguez, former Minister of Canadian Heritage, has now assumed that role: https://www.transportaction.ca/national-news/pablo-rodriguez-takes-over-as-minister-of-transport/

PEI – FEDS TO PURCHASE NORWEGIAN FERRY REPLACE MV HOLIDAY ISLAND

The MV Fanafjord will be making its way to PEI next sprint, to replace the MV Holiday Island (Photo: LMG Marin)

After the MV Holiday Island burned last year, PEI has been borrowing a ferry from Quebec to provide a second vessel on the Caribou – Wood Islands service. In August, the federal government announced that they will be purchasing the Norwegian ferry MV Fanafjord as a replacement for the MV Holiday Island. This will allow the service to continue with two dedicated vessels starting in 2024 and until the Holiday Island replacement vessel is built and delivered, which won’t be earlier than 2028.

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/minister-of-transport-announces-advance-contract-award-notice-to-acquire-an-interim-replacement-for-the-mv-holiday-island-ferry-859925599.html

CHIGNECTO ISTHMUS – SQUABBLING OVER FUNDING CONTINUES

Extreme weather events in the region this summer once again highlighted concerns about the future of the Chignecto Isthmus, and in particular, the critical road and rail corridors that cross between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia at this point. The federal government has indicated they’ll support the project, but are pointing to the need for the provinces to step in: https://www.transportaction.ca/regions/atlantic/canada-ready-to-fund-chignecto-isthmus-protection-if-provinces-match/

The provinces haven’t been on board. The latest iteration of this story has New Brunswick’s senate pushing for the federal government to shoulder the entire cost: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/chignecto-isthmus-senate-bill-1.6971212

Meanwhile, as the respective parties bicker, the isthmus remains vulnerable and major work to protect it for the future continues to be put off.

HALIFAX TRANSIT – NEXT ROUND OF SERVICE CHANGES IS MORE POSITIVE, BUT ELECTRONIC FARE PAYMENT DELAYED AGAIN

Halifax Transit has announced their next round of service changes, coming November 20, and after a series of scale backs to routes due to shortages of drivers, it seems recruitment and retention efforts are finally starting to bear some positive fruit. The new changes include several added and adjusted routes, as well as the return of many departures that were previously cancelled due to low driver availability.

https://www.halifax.ca/transportation/halifax-transit/service-adjustments

In less positive news, the long awaited roll out of some form of electronic fare payment for Halifax Transit has been delayed once again, with no clear timeline in sight: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-transit-s-electronic-ticket-system-delayed-again-1.6946752

TRANSIT SYSTEMS AROUND THE REGION SEE CONTINUED PASSENGER GROWTH, PILOT NEW INITIATIVES

Municipal transit systems throughout the Maritimes have been continuing to see growth in passenger numbers, due to a combination of returns to pre-pandemic commuting patterns, population growth, and perhaps some shift to transit with increasing fuel prices.

St. John’s Metrobus has been struggling to keep up: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.6971117

Cape Breton Transit is adding new routes, as a boom in international students in Sydney drives high demand: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/expanded-transit-services-coming-to-cape-breton-1.6948086

Codiac Transpo ridership is up considerably over pre-pandemic levels: https://globalnews.ca/news/9726264/moncton-codiac-transpo-public-transit-increase/

Saint John continues to experiment with electric on-demand buses: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/electric-bus-on-demand-service-1.6946154

Fredericton could be closer to seeing Sunday service, with a new collective agreement with transit employees: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/fredericton-transit-sunday-bus-transit-1.6898574

In PEI, the provincial and federal governments announced investments to electrify Charlottetown’s bus fleet: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/the-governments-of-canada-and-prince-edward-island-invest-in-the-expansion-and-electrification

WE NEED YOUR HELP! CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We at TAA feel that these news updates are a useful way to keep our members and supporters updated on important transportation news in the region, and we’ve heard from folks who enjoy reading and following along. Unfortunately, this work is time consuming, and as an all-volunteer organization we are often stretched for bandwidth to keep these going, while also trying to focus on our core advocacy work.

We can always use help with this work. Do you have a particular story you’re interested in and following closely? Can you write up a short description of the issue, an update on developments, or some local perspective on what’s happening? As you can see from past issues, this doesn’t have to be lengthy or in-depth, but it always helps to have a bit of perspective from someone who has been following the issue. This doesn’t have to be a regular recurring contribution either – anything you can contribute in a given month is welcome!

We also have a publication for our membership, The Bulletin, which is focused more on longer-form content, analysis, and opinion pieces. We’re also always interested in submissions for this publications. If you’re interested, have a look at some recent past publications for ideas about what that content looks like, and please reach out if you have something you’d like to contribute.

If you have ideas for stories for either this newsletter or The Bulletin, feel free to reach out any time. You can email your stories, ideas, and any other feedback to atlantic@transportaction.ca

We are also always looking for volunteers to support our advocacy work, and to potentially join our board of directors. If that’s something you’d be interested in and feel you could contribute to, please let us know.

Atlantic Transport News – April 2023

Welcome to the April Atlantic Transport News. Here’s a look at what you’ll find in this edition:

NEW FERRY FOR MARINE ATLANTIC HAS BEEN LAUNCHED

Already wearing Marine Atlantic’s colours and logo, this as yet unnamed ferry has recently been launched at a shipyard in China. The vessel is being built for international ferry operator Stena Line, which will lease it on completion to the Canadian Crown corporation for five years. PHOTO – Marine Atlantic

A new addition to Marine Atlantic’s fleet is just a little more than a year away from entering service. The E-Flexer-class ferry is being built for international ferry operator Stena Line at the Chinese state-owned Jinling Shipyard. She was floated out of drydock on March 28, and is now in an adjacent water berth where the bulk of the mechanical, electrical, and interior outfitting will occur over the next several months.

On completion, the new ship – as yet unnamed – will be leased to the federal Crown corporation for a five-year term. Marine Atlantic will have an option to purchase at the end of that period if the vessel proves to be satisfactory to its needs. The company expects the new ferry will arrive in Canada in the spring of 2024, and plans to introduce her on the seasonal Argentia service next June. It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but it would appear that the lease on MV Atlantic Vision – an essential part of the fleet for some 15 years – will be terminated on delivery of the new ship. Although not designed as a “cruise ferry” like the Vision, the new build will offer a similar number of passenger cabins, with the added feature of “sleeping pods” to accommodate single travellers.

“The [new]vessel is designed to meet the changing needs of our customers, and combines key priorities such as improved maneuverability, safety and accessibility while minimizing environmental impacts, to provide a modern, efficient, and reliable ferry service,” said Marine Atlantic spokesperson Darrell Mercer.

A statement from Stena Line said the new ship is 202.9 metres long, 27.8 metres wide, and has a draft of 6.45 metres. It can accommodate 1,100 people and has a lane length of 2,571 metres, including a 476-metre lane for private cars.

Per Westling, managing director of Stena RoRo, said Marine Atlantic is an “old customer” of Stena, which delivered one ferry to the Crown corporation in 2000 and two more in 2010, all of which are still in operation. But the relationship actually dates back to the 1960s, when the first Stena vessel appeared on the North Sydney-Port aux Basques service.

“We focus on making the ship design meet the specific expectations of our customers,” Mr. Westling said. “Our E-Flexer vessels meet customer requirements, combining efficient dual-fuel engines and battery-hybrid solutions to minimize emissions.”

NORTHUMBERLAND STILL SEEKING REPLACEMENT SHIP FOR PEI

MV Confederation is scheduled to return to the Northumberland Ferries service between Wood Islands and Caribou next month, but details are still being finalized on a long-term replacement ferry for the ill-fated Holiday Island which was written off following an engineroom fire last summer. PHOTO – Northumberland Ferries

The seasonal ferry service between Wood Islands PEI and Caribou NS is set to return on May 1, but a second vessel for the summer peak period was still not confirmed as of this writing. While MV Confederation was undergoing refit at the Newfoundland Dockyard, officials of Northumberland Ferries Limited were working to finalize short-term arrangements for a second vessel to serve the run during the 2023 summer peak.

Company vice-president Mark Wilson was not in a position to reveal the target ship, but he told the Eastern Graphic that he was very confident of a successful outcome in the negotiations. Last year’s temporary replacement was leased from the Quebec provincial ferry corporation STQ, following an engineroom fire that put the 52-year-old MV Holiday Island permanently out of commission. The ancient veteran is currently being scrapped at Sheet Harbour NS, after it was determined that repairs could not be economically justified.

Mr. Wilson acknowledged that this season’s temporary replacement will likely come with strings attached, as did last year’s. He said a more consistent interim vessel will be needed over the next few years, and that’s what NFL is looking for.

“We don’t want to be repeating this process every summer,” he told the newspaper, noting that the 2022 emergency replacement was subject to being recalled at short notice, as it was the designated relief vessel for one of STQ’s regular routes. He added that his company recognizes how important the service is, agreeing with a comment from Blair Aiken, president of the Eastern PEI Chamber of Commerce.

“Every consideration must be given to the continuity of service that’s required for the eastern region of the Island,” Mr. Aiken said. “A temporary replacement, as much as it might be appreciated, isn’t really addressing the issue.”

Other observers – Transport Action Atlantic included – believe the federal government waited far too long to begin planning replacement of the aging Holiday Island, and that the process should have begun years before the shipboard fire that ended her long and faithful career. As it now stands, it will be at least four more years before a new ferry can be designed, tendered and constructed. And by then it will be time to plan for replacing the Confederation, which entered service in 1993.

NB GOVERNMENT HOSTS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYMPOSIUM

A large turnout from across New Brunswick and elsewhere attended a two-day symposium on Public and Community Transportation in Fredericton on March 22-23. PHOTO – Ted Bartlett

There’s some renewed optimism that the Government of New Brunswick may be adopting a more positive view on public transportation, in the wake of a well-attended symposium sponsored recently by the provincial Economic and Social Transit Corporation (ESIC). The two-day event at the Delta Fredericton attracted some 200 attendees from within the province and from other jurisdictions eager to share their advice and success stories. And, significantly, three members of Premier Blaine Higgs’ cabinet made an appearance with all three expressing their support for better transportation options in New Brunswick.

It just may mark a turning point in the governing PC Party’s attitude toward transportation in general and public transit in particular. The Higgs government has left millions in federal transit funding on the table in recent years, after declining to match the offer with matching provincial dollars. The premier once famously and flippantly remarked that “Fredericton doesn’t need a subway” – while ignoring the reality that the capital city certainly could benefit from more efficient bus transit with service seven days a week.

The minister responsible for ESIC, Dorothy Shephard, was brimming with enthusiasm in a statement released after the symposium concluded.

“The issue of transportation is important to everyone in our province,” she said, “allowing our residents to move for reasons such as employment, health, training and leisure. It was a pleasure to discuss various opportunities for our province with such a dedicated group of passionate and experienced participants and guest speakers.”

It would seem Minister Shephard supports the philosophy expressed by a number of symposium participants: that public transportation is for everybody – not just the socially disadvantaged. The event provided an opportunity to learn more about the current context in New Brunswick, leading models in the Maritimes and Canada, regulations and policy considerations, available funding, and networking. Municipal public transit as well as accessible and active transportation were also addressed.

New Brunswick Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jeff Carr, Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard, and Local Government Minister Daniel Allain ham it up for the camera during an evening reception at the Public and Community Transportation Symposium in Fredericton on March 22. PHOTO – ESIC

The stated objective of the symposium was to lay the foundation for integrated regional transport strategies in connection with the reform of local governance and the provincial plan to overcome poverty. A key component is the development and implementation of regional plans to increase the accessibility, affordability and availability of transportation services.

“The Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation is pleased to have brought together stakeholders, funders and transportation providers during the symposium,” said Jean Allain, chair of the corporation’s board. “We need the collaboration of all stakeholders to ensure that residents of the province will benefit from partnership arrangements for transportation. I believe we are on track.”

DETAILS TRICKLE OUT ABOUT VIA HEP TESTING, WHILE FEDS GIVE LITTLE FUNDING SUPPORT

An unoccupied LRC car brings up the tail end of this Corridor HEP consist, shortly after the buffer car requirement was added in October 2022. With HEP testing results looking positive, the buffers may soon be a thing of the past. PHOTO – Tim Hayman

The testing of VIA Rail’s stainless steel “HEP” equipment has been underway since the beginning of the year, with several cars sent to CAD rail services in Montreal for tear-down inspections, and a smaller group sent to the National Research Council’s facility in Ottawa for destructive compression testing. The testing will confirm whether the cars are safe for continued operation, and what interventions may be needed to keep them operating for the remainder of their service lives. In the interim, all trains operating with HEP equipment have required unoccupied “buffer” cars at the front and rear of consists.

Formal details haven’t yet been released, but rail enthusiast and blogger Eric Gagnon received the most detailed breakdown of results to date via an Access to Information request, which he published on his Trackside Treasure blog. Overall, the results so far have been positive, and while some defects have been identified there does not appear to be anything of critical concern that would require the fleet to be withdrawn immediately. Based on both these reports and other unofficial sources, it sounds like the buffer car requirement may also be removed in the near future, a move that would help free up more equipment to be put back into revenue service.

Whether this testing goes well or not, it’s still clear that the extended service life of this equipment is limited and fleet replacement plans will need to continue moving ahead. VIA has begun this process and issued a request for information to interested suppliers earlier this year, but a formal procurement can’t get underway without government funding commitments. The 2023 federal budget didn’t offer anything for fleet replacement, though the budget does allocate $210 million over five years to “conduct maintenance on its trains on routes outside the Québec City–Windsor Corridor and to maintain levels of service across its network.” It’s not yet clear what this funding will actually cover, how much will be focused on the required repairs from the testing outcomes, or how much might be allocated to further refurbishment work. Regardless, the end of the line is still within sight, and fleet replacement plans need to continue to stay on the radar is there is to be any long-term future or true modernization of VIA’s long distance services.

NO GOOD NEWS FOR RAIL IN SYDNEY PORT ANNOUNCEMENT

Novaporte CEO Albert Barbusci announced plans for an offshore wind turbine storage facility on part of the land where the Cape Breton Regional Municipality still hopes a container terminal will be built. PHOTO – Tom Ayers/CBC News

There was a significant announcement on March 23 concerning the proposed Novaporte development on Sydney harbour – but it didn’t do anything to assure a more secure future for Cape Breton’s dormant and derelict rail line.

Construction is expected to start this year on land that had been set aside in the Sydney harbour for a proposed container terminal, but it won’t be what the developer initially sought. Instead, Novaporte plans to build a facility on Cape Breton Regional Municipality land that will import parts for large offshore wind turbines.

Company CEO Albert Barbusci said that he’s still working on the container terminal project, but an opportunity came up in what many expect will be a burgeoning offshore wind industry, and it would fit in with a container terminal.

“Really what we’ve done is we’ve doubled down. We’ve doubled the opportunity,” Mr. Barbusci told CBC News. The wind turbine facility will be operated by Blue Water Shipping of Denmark, a company with 25 years experience in European offshore wind logistics.

Both the municipality and the Membertou First Nation, which purchased a one-eighth stake in Novaporte several years ago, were delighted at the announcement.

“This is the first time since I’ve been on council that we’ve seen such a significant move forward and the asset is actually going to be used now to create that value, to create that economic driver for our community,” said Mayor Amanda McDougall. “It’s not a container terminal, but it’s a start. Passing up an opportunity to get into the offshore wind industry to me would be such a shame. and we would be in the same place as Cape Breton was decades ago when we lost coal and steel.”

Mr. Barbusci said he expects construction to begin later this year, with the turbine marshalling area ready to begin operating in 2026. The container terminal proposal is ready to go, he said, but it needs a working railway. The wind turbine marshalling project does not need rail. Ships would deliver the large parts for storage, and companies building offshore wind farms would pick up the components and assemble them at sea. But he clearly hasn’t given up on the container terminal plan.

“We want jobs. We want revitalization, but we can’t ignore this green opportunity. It’s too good. It’s too big, and it really will get done.”

UNION DISSATISFIED AT HALIFAX TRANSIT DRIVER SAFEGUARDS

According to their union president, transit drivers in Halifax aren’t satisfied with the steps the municipality is taking to enhance their safety. Although transit violence isn’t generally widespread in Atlantic Canada, the union maintains that attacks on drivers are on the rise, and that HRM’s latest initiatives don’t go far enough. PHOTO – Halifax Transit

The Halifax Regional Municipality has invited quotes to supply a driver protection system aboard Halifax Transit’s buses, but the Amalgamated Transit Union says the plan doesn’t go far enough. Local 508 president Shane O’Leary told CBC News that the protection systems are a starting point for ensuring driver safety, but more needs to be done.

The municipality’s request for quotation issued on April 1 invites pricing on up to 370 units of “slide and stow” protection systems that have “a sliding partition that only the operator can adjust,” and “prevent sudden intrusion into the bus operator’s area,” among other requirements.

“The shields will help if they’re installed properly and done right and it’s a good quality shield. But that’s not enough,” Mr. O’Leary said in an interview, adding that attacks on transit drivers have been on the rise in recent years, and many have involved groups of youths. Creating a transit police force with the power to issue fines and remove passengers from buses would be a further step toward protecting transit operators, he said.

HRM spokesperson Maggie-Jane Spray said in an e-mailed statement to CBC that recently approved funding from the regional council in the upcoming budget year will mean that “all electric buses will be equipped with operator safety barriers when they arrive, beginning in late 2023.”

When asked if the city has kept a record of incidents of violence against drivers, she said the number of incidents “is difficult to quantify, as not all incidents of aggression or violence would meet the threshold for an incident report, as opposed to a situation involving an assault for which a Halifax Transit supervisor and/or police would be called.

CODIAC TRANSPO PROPOSES FREE RIDES FOR KIDS

Codiac Transpo is proposing to allow children under 13 to ride for free. But lest you feel they are trend-setting – think again. They are only following the lead of what Halifax and St. John’s already have in place. PHOTO – Ted Bartlett

Kids under 13 in the Greater Moncton area will likely be riding transit for free by the end of the summer. Codiac Transpo is proposing to eliminate fares for children when accompanied by an adult. Riverview and Dieppe councils have already approved the concept, and a presentation is planned at Moncton City Hall in the near future.

Angela Allain, head of Codiac Transpo told Riverview Council that offering free service to that cohort will get them accustomed to transit use, and help build ridership over the long term. She anticipates that increased transit usage will eventually offset the initial loss of farebox revenue.

It’s not exactly a unique idea, but rather part of a nationwide trend. Ms. Allain said 27 other transit systems in Canada already offer a similar youth fare concession. (Some systems are even more generous.) These include the TTC and Go Transit in Ontario, as well as Halifax Transit, St. John’s Metrobus, Island Transit and Charlottetown’s T3 here in the Atlantic region.

Currently children under six ride free on Codiac Transpo. The same applies on the Fredericton and Saint John systems. There’s no indication yet that the other two New Brunswick cities are proposing a similar initiative.

FIRE SHUTS DOWN ST. JOHN’S AIRPORT FOR TWO DAYS

The St. John’s Regional Fire Department descended on St. John’s Airport in full force on March 24 when a late-night fire broke out in the nearly-empty terminal building. There were no injuries, but there was sufficient smoke and water damage to force cancellation of all passenger operations in the building for nearly 48 hours. PHOTO – Keith Gosse/The Telegram

A late-night fire on Friday, March 24, caused significant smoke and water damage to the passenger terminal at St. John’s Airport – sufficient to put the facility out of business for almost two full days.

The outbreak is believed to have started around 11:30 pm in the ceiling above a children’s play area adjacent to gate 11. Staff were first alerted to the fire by smoke detector alarms and the facility was quickly evacuated as emergency responders located the blaze, airport CEO Dennis Hogan told the Telegram. The building was nearly empty at that late hour, and there were no injuries reported.

“There were some flames visible at one point in time and both our emergency fire responders here at the airport and St. John’s Regional (Fire Department) worked very diligently and quickly to suppress the fire and really contain it from going any further,” he said. Initially management had hoped to resume operations on Saturday, but it turned out that damage was more severe than initially thought, and flight operations did not resume until Sunday evening. Some 36 flights were impacted by the fire, but an undetermined number of others had already been cancelled due to a late winter storm.

Passengers board a PAL flight at the airline’s maintenance hangar on March 26th. Being locally based, they were able to move their passenger operations to the opposite side of the airport when fire shut down the terminal building, thereby minimizing disruption of their flight schedule. PHOTO – PAL Airlines

PAL Airlines was able to take advantage of being based in St. John’s by moving operations to its maintenance hangar, so the impact on its flights was minimal. All other airlines using YYT were completely out of business for the duration of the terminal closure. First flights resumed on Sunday evening, March 26.

Airport officials said the fire does not appear to have been of suspicious origin, but no cause has been released.

PORTER UPS THE ANTE ON ITS EASTERN PROMOTION

Porter Airlines is clearly aiming to cash in on WestJet’s retreat from eastern Canada, and the Atlantic region in particular. This recent customer e-mail suggests to travellers in this part of the country that WestJet has abandoned them, while Porter is committed to an ongoing. “Mr. Porter” is reaching out to members of the Calgary-based carrier’s frequent flyer plan, assuring that a warm welcome awaits them at VIP Porter. Image from Porter promotional e-mail

There’s further evidence this month that Porter Airlines is aggressively trying to build market share in Atlantic Canada. The upstart airline’s raccoon mascot – known as “Mr. Porter” – is reaching out to prospective and existing customers through social media posts and e-mail blasts to promote their frequent flyer plan and unique economy-class perks.  Clearly taking aim at WestJet, the ad material asks travellers if they are “feeling abandoned”, and assures them that Porter will match their status with the other carrier.

As we’ve reported earlier in this space, WestJet has drastically curtailed its services to Atlantic Canada in recent months, while Porter is increasing both frequency and the number of destinations served in the region.

Atlantic Transport News – October 2022

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