VIA Rail

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

VIA is a lost cause and should be dismantled.

Other bonus: now Albertans can decide if they want to run their own Edmonton-Calgary service and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia can decide if they want to run a Halifax-Moncton service without feeling alienated by a Federal agency that essentially only “serves” Ontario and Quebec.

It is not Via that has cut services, it is the government of the day that has ordered Via to cut services. There is nothing stopping provinces from subsidizing passenger rail services now. In fact, Ontario once paid for several frequencies that were operated by Via in SW Ontario at one time. Ontario also subsidized the Northland and the Northlander for many years and may do so again. The problem comes when the railways want to abandon lines and the federal government has no interest in maintaining the lines because the abandonment is often partially caused by the cut backs forced upon Via Rail. The government of the day's position is if there are no tracks then the problem of providing rail service or listening to the public goes away.

The provinces will not provide intercity rail funding, especially when the route is an interprovincial route. The provinces have to maintain the roads even though the federal government cannot find money for Via but it can still find money for interprovincial roads. What is missing is a balance in funding for different modes.