Op-Ed: The Most Historic Train in North America is under attack, again!
By: Patrick Murray - Regional Representative, Unifor Council 4000
Featured in Miramichi Online
January 29, 2014
MONCTON - The Union finds it hard to believe that there is a possibility that Via Rail could cancel passenger service from Quebec to the Maritimes if CN doesn't find an investor to buy a portion of its railway in northern New Brunswick.
CN announced last week that it will discontinue operations on a 70-kilometre section connecting Bathurst to Miramichi because their freight cars don't use the line.Via Rail's Ocean line runs on the same route. Via Rail pays CN huge amounts of money every year to run their trains over CN tracks. How much sense does this make? Passenger service was never put into place to make money it was designed to provide a service to Canadians.
Via Rail's spokesperson Mylène Bélanger made the statement to CBC that Via Rail will maintain the connection between Quebec and Halifax for as long as it can, but will not acquire the railway itself.
"At this time it's still a hypothetical question, but if this section is abandoned we'll look into the commercial viabilityof all other alternatives, for connecting between Halifax and Montreal, before adopting any other route," she said. What a statement to for the Corporation to make showing its true colors while attacking Maritimers with a crystal clear message that Via Rail doesn't care about Maritimers or having a service that the people have become dependent on. Via Rail is doing everything in its power to eliminate the service in its entirety and a concrete example of that was back on January 7, 2014 when they made a change to the schedule for the train to depart earlier. Again doing everything possible to discourage people from travelling by train with their reasoning being the train will now go through Ste.Foy the station of choice as per spokeperson Ms. Belanger.
Hard to call Ste.Foy the station of choice when the Ocean train has never travelled through their in the past. Ms. Belanger also made the statement that it offers a better connection for the travelling public. She made the statement that people could transfer trains in Ste. Foy and arrive in Ottawa 45 minutes earlier than if they travelled all the way to Montreal than were to transfer trains there. Who in their right mind is going to take the train, transfer themselves as well as their baggage in Ste.Foy and continue on to Ottawa. It is excuse after excuse to cut the Ocean.
It has been 2 years since CN announced that in the event that they did not receive proper funding from the NB Government in the sums of $50 million dollars than they would apply for an abandonment of the line. This is absolutely ludricrous as they sold off portions of that tracks some years ago to a shortline New Brunswick East Coast railway for millions and bought it back I am sure for pennies on the dollar. CN which is a privately run company is getting funding in huge sums from a Government and province that is essentially broke. In my opinion that ought to have been the responsibility of CN to properly maintain their tracks and not allow it to get to this point. If they were properly maintaining THEIR tracks all along we would not be in this predicament for which we are in today.
CN said operations will be maintained on the tracks between Nelson Junction and Nepisiquit Junction for at least five months while the rail line is put up for sale.
Ms. Belanger stated that "Via Rail does not have the financial resources to acquire or maintain this section of the tracks. So we'll wait for any developments," said Bélanger.
Daily passenger train service in the Maritimes was scaled back to three days a week in October 2012.
The Alward Conservative Government has also given New Brunswickers a crystal clear message in that they do not care about having any form of Passenger Rail Service in NB. Hard to believe that the people of places such as Miramichi, Bathurst and Campbelton soon may not have any form of transportation other than filling up their gas tanks and driving themselves.
This is a direct ATTACK on the people of New Brunswick. I would urge the public to write to the Premier, MLA's and municipal leaders as well as their MP's to voice their displeasure while delivering the message that Passenger Rail service in NB is a much needed form of transportation.
I have also read with interest the comments of Robert Goguen who is the MP for Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe as well as Greg Gormick a transportation consultant regarding the elimination of 70 kilometers of rail line between Miramichi and Bathurst by CN Rail and the impact this could have to the operation of the Ocean limited over that line.
Via Rail since the early inception back in the late 1970's, was established to provide Rail Passenger service to Canadians when CN and CP opted out. Via's mandate was established through an order in Council rather than the Federal Government establishing a proper Via Rail Act which would have created a solid foundation for the Corporation.So what this boils down to is Via Rail was doomed to fail from the onset.
Although the Federal Government had to provide an annual subsidy to Via, Via's cost in particular to paying CN and CP for track usage, equipment updates etc Via's initial mandate was short lived when cuts to services commenced in the 1980's and have continued ever since.The Union both past and present have voiced their concerns for the protection of Rail Passenger service for Canadians.If CN is allowed to abandon its 70 kilometers of track which is scheduled unless a buyer comes forth, a huge piece of Atlantic history " The Ocean" may be gone for good.This cannot be allowed to happen.
Mr. Goguen and I quote from an article of the Times and Transcript "says Federal Government needs assurances from Via Rail before proceeding on file." What assurances can Via make to anyone when they have been financially starved by reduced funding from the Federal Government. Rather than asking Via Rail that question Mr. Goguen possibly you should address that question to your own Government and then once and for all Canadians will know whether or not they will have access to a rail system they can be supportive of and afford to travel by. Mr. Goguen the ball is in your court and every other MP from Atlantic Canada.You can play politics with it and or you can actually do something about it. I would suggest you do the later and stand up and fight for Passenger Rail service in this beautiful province of New Brunswick.
Thanking you in advance,
Sincerely,
Patrick Murray
Regional Rep
Unifor Council 4000
Featured in Miramichi Online
January 29, 2014
MONCTON - The Union finds it hard to believe that there is a possibility that Via Rail could cancel passenger service from Quebec to the Maritimes if CN doesn't find an investor to buy a portion of its railway in northern New Brunswick.
CN announced last week that it will discontinue operations on a 70-kilometre section connecting Bathurst to Miramichi because their freight cars don't use the line.Via Rail's Ocean line runs on the same route. Via Rail pays CN huge amounts of money every year to run their trains over CN tracks. How much sense does this make? Passenger service was never put into place to make money it was designed to provide a service to Canadians.
Via Rail's spokesperson Mylène Bélanger made the statement to CBC that Via Rail will maintain the connection between Quebec and Halifax for as long as it can, but will not acquire the railway itself.
"At this time it's still a hypothetical question, but if this section is abandoned we'll look into the commercial viabilityof all other alternatives, for connecting between Halifax and Montreal, before adopting any other route," she said. What a statement to for the Corporation to make showing its true colors while attacking Maritimers with a crystal clear message that Via Rail doesn't care about Maritimers or having a service that the people have become dependent on. Via Rail is doing everything in its power to eliminate the service in its entirety and a concrete example of that was back on January 7, 2014 when they made a change to the schedule for the train to depart earlier. Again doing everything possible to discourage people from travelling by train with their reasoning being the train will now go through Ste.Foy the station of choice as per spokeperson Ms. Belanger.
Hard to call Ste.Foy the station of choice when the Ocean train has never travelled through their in the past. Ms. Belanger also made the statement that it offers a better connection for the travelling public. She made the statement that people could transfer trains in Ste. Foy and arrive in Ottawa 45 minutes earlier than if they travelled all the way to Montreal than were to transfer trains there. Who in their right mind is going to take the train, transfer themselves as well as their baggage in Ste.Foy and continue on to Ottawa. It is excuse after excuse to cut the Ocean.
It has been 2 years since CN announced that in the event that they did not receive proper funding from the NB Government in the sums of $50 million dollars than they would apply for an abandonment of the line. This is absolutely ludricrous as they sold off portions of that tracks some years ago to a shortline New Brunswick East Coast railway for millions and bought it back I am sure for pennies on the dollar. CN which is a privately run company is getting funding in huge sums from a Government and province that is essentially broke. In my opinion that ought to have been the responsibility of CN to properly maintain their tracks and not allow it to get to this point. If they were properly maintaining THEIR tracks all along we would not be in this predicament for which we are in today.
CN said operations will be maintained on the tracks between Nelson Junction and Nepisiquit Junction for at least five months while the rail line is put up for sale.
Ms. Belanger stated that "Via Rail does not have the financial resources to acquire or maintain this section of the tracks. So we'll wait for any developments," said Bélanger.
Daily passenger train service in the Maritimes was scaled back to three days a week in October 2012.
The Alward Conservative Government has also given New Brunswickers a crystal clear message in that they do not care about having any form of Passenger Rail Service in NB. Hard to believe that the people of places such as Miramichi, Bathurst and Campbelton soon may not have any form of transportation other than filling up their gas tanks and driving themselves.
This is a direct ATTACK on the people of New Brunswick. I would urge the public to write to the Premier, MLA's and municipal leaders as well as their MP's to voice their displeasure while delivering the message that Passenger Rail service in NB is a much needed form of transportation.
I have also read with interest the comments of Robert Goguen who is the MP for Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe as well as Greg Gormick a transportation consultant regarding the elimination of 70 kilometers of rail line between Miramichi and Bathurst by CN Rail and the impact this could have to the operation of the Ocean limited over that line.
Via Rail since the early inception back in the late 1970's, was established to provide Rail Passenger service to Canadians when CN and CP opted out. Via's mandate was established through an order in Council rather than the Federal Government establishing a proper Via Rail Act which would have created a solid foundation for the Corporation.So what this boils down to is Via Rail was doomed to fail from the onset.
Although the Federal Government had to provide an annual subsidy to Via, Via's cost in particular to paying CN and CP for track usage, equipment updates etc Via's initial mandate was short lived when cuts to services commenced in the 1980's and have continued ever since.The Union both past and present have voiced their concerns for the protection of Rail Passenger service for Canadians.If CN is allowed to abandon its 70 kilometers of track which is scheduled unless a buyer comes forth, a huge piece of Atlantic history " The Ocean" may be gone for good.This cannot be allowed to happen.
Mr. Goguen and I quote from an article of the Times and Transcript "says Federal Government needs assurances from Via Rail before proceeding on file." What assurances can Via make to anyone when they have been financially starved by reduced funding from the Federal Government. Rather than asking Via Rail that question Mr. Goguen possibly you should address that question to your own Government and then once and for all Canadians will know whether or not they will have access to a rail system they can be supportive of and afford to travel by. Mr. Goguen the ball is in your court and every other MP from Atlantic Canada.You can play politics with it and or you can actually do something about it. I would suggest you do the later and stand up and fight for Passenger Rail service in this beautiful province of New Brunswick.
Thanking you in advance,
Sincerely,
Patrick Murray
Regional Rep
Unifor Council 4000
