The president and CEO of Via Rail Canada told a Halifax business audience Monday that while the Crown corporation has big plans to modernize its passenger service in the Maritimes, it needs to ensure its trains run on time.
During a presentation to the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Mario Péloquin said the “major problem” was the fact that the Montreal-Halifax train, known as the Ocean, cannot meet its schedule.
“Via Rail only owns 3% of the network we operate on in Canada and we are aware that this has an impact on the performance of the Ocean,” said Mr. Péloquin. “My trains are always late. The Ocean does not arrive on time and there is infrastructure in New Brunswick that extends the schedule even further.”
He said discussions are continuing with Canadian National Railway Company (CN) and other partners to try to improve a situation in which freight trains have priority on rail lines, causing delays for Via Rail’s passenger service.
“For me, collaboration is essential for the future of passenger rail transportation,” said Mr. Péloquin. “This means that we must continue discussions with CN and other partners in the region to improve the situation.”
Ted Bartlett, former president of public transit advocacy group Transport Action Atlantic, told reporters the federal government must play a leadership role in reaching an agreement with CN to repair deteriorating tracks and replace sidings that have been removed over the years.
Mr. Bartlett explained that the condition of the section of line between Campbellton and Moncton, N.B., poses a problem for faster passenger trains. “They [le CN] “They don’t need a fast track for their freight trains and this is just a secondary line for them,” he said.
Despite the ongoing problem, Péloquin said the Ocean manages to bring 13,000 passengers to Halifax each year and he believes there is room for growth. Part of the solution, he added, is marketing the train as an environmentally sustainable option through the use of new “state-of-the-art” trains that the company plans to put into service in about five years.
Mr. Péloquin encouraged business leaders to integrate the use of the train, despite the length of the journey, into their corporate policy, describing it as “fertile ground for meetings, new ideas and innovation.”
He told the House that the average age of Via’s trains is 77 years, making it the oldest fleet used by a passenger train service in the world.
The federal government committed in its spring budget to funding fleet replacement on routes outside the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, although the exact amount has not been disclosed.
“There is a figure, but we are about to launch a call for tenders with international manufacturers and it would be more than imprudent of me to give a figure,” said Mr. Péloquin. “They [les entreprises] will propose a budget to us and we will be able to select the right bidder.”
The funds committed are in addition to the $3 billion invested by Ottawa over the past five years to help modernize passenger transportation service, said Mr. Péloquin.