Halifax Transit

[someone123]

My impression is that the main problem with rail service is that VIA does not own any of the track. The track should be publicly owned and auctioned to operators like VIA or CN/CP. Another problem is that VIA has a bunch of political constraints built into its services. Unfortunately, with this messed up system in place, the options are limited.

But we could still build some new track along ROWs like highways. Maybe the provinces should take more ownership. In the Maritimes, there could be a partnership between NS and NB with the goal of creating service for Halifax/Truro/Amherst/Sackville/Moncton/Saint John which is actually a pretty developed route.

I think the path to good rail service in Canada is made up of thousands of tiny improvement projects, like signaling enhancements, replacing small segments of track, and removing at-grade crossings. This is harder to incorporate into a political platform or debate in the abstract than a showcase project like TGV style HSR.

If the railways were run competently in Canada, it would be possible to have 200 km/h service to the main towns in the Maritimes. In many cases that would be more convenient than driving. Something like an overnight train to Montreal would be useful too.