Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
In the east, VIA could be involved in commuter rail in Halifax, and increased frequency rail between Halifax/Truro/Moncton and Saint John. Why not? If it is frequent and reliable, people will take it.
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The fundamental problem with ideas like this is that you're asking the feds to subsidize and run a commuter service. Imagine, Ontario asking the feds to provide GO service to the Golden Horseshoe.
It'd be different if VIA was contracted by the Government of Nova Scotia to provide this service. But there doesn't seem to any real interest from the provincial government doing this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
But VIA has to remain a coherent national railway system, so some form of transnational service will have to remain. If Amtrak can do it, then why not us too.............
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Does it have to be? Why could/should it not be a coherent national
surface transportation system with railways, buses and ferries?
Amtrak runs a lot of services in the US on behalf of the States. The states pay the capital costs, and cover operating subsidies. In Canada, the provinces have shown no interest in using VIA as a contracted operating agency. So maybe VIA doesn't need to run services per se. It could just be an interline ticketing agent. As it does with GO in the Golden Horseshoe.
We're dealing with a very simple reality. VIA Rail despite being our national rail operator has an operating budget that is in the same ballpark as transit systems in Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, etc. They are just barely a "coherent national railway system". Functionally, they are far less than such a title should imply. I hope someday we can actually fund VIA and get it to a role and mandate that is actually about connecting Canadians.
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