As I sit here on Via Rail’a Ocean train which is parked on a siding adjacent to Folly Lake in Nova Scotia, I’m reminded of how backwards our country’s approach to passenger rail is.
When you consider that the backbone of the fleet was built in the early 1950’s (the stainless steel Budd Car Co. equipment) we can’t really hope for much better. The only rails that VIA actually owns is the Brockville to Coteau via Ottawa route; on all other routes it is a tenant. Given that the current philosophy in freight rail circles is on trains that are 12,000 feet on average, it is no wonder that VIA trains are unable to maintain any sort of schedule. Even the core Quebec City-Toronto corridor is subjected to long waits for VIA trains when CN freights are given priority. Passenger trains do not have right of way over freight in Canada, contrary to what some may believe.
When you consider that the backbone of the fleet was built in the early 1950’s (the stainless steel Budd Car Co. equipment) we can’t really hope for much better. The only rails that VIA actually owns is the Brockville to Coteau via Ottawa route; on all other routes it is a tenant. Given that the current philosophy in freight rail circles is on trains that are 12,000 feet on average, it is no wonder that VIA trains are unable to maintain any sort of schedule. Even the core Quebec City-Toronto corridor is subjected to long waits for VIA trains when CN freights are given priority. Passenger trains do not have right of way over freight in Canada, contrary to what some may believe.