Save Maritime Rail Tour and Rally
March 3, 2014
Unifor Council 4000 Regional RepPatrick Murray speaks at the Moncton Rally
and Save Maritime Rail Tour stopover
On Sunday morning, March 2, 2014, Bruce Hyer, Green Party Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Superior North and Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada, embarked on a passenger rail trip from Halifax to Montreal in a push for a national transportation strategy and to raise awareness of funding cuts which could mean the end of passenger rail in the Canadian Maritimes as early as July.
The tour started with a rally at the VIA Rail Station in Halifax, with Hayer and several others boarding VIA Rail's Ocean train destined to Central Station in downtown Montreal. The trip included stops in Truro and Amherst, Nova Scotia, as well as Sackville, Moncton, Miramichi, Bathurst, and Campbellton, New Brunswick.
With CN abandoning a 71-km stretch of track between Bathurst and Miramichi, which is used by VIA in providing passenger rail service to the more densely populated New Brunswick north shore, should no buyer step forward - which is most likely - VIA would have to run on CN's less populated mainline between Moncton and Edmundston, New Brunswick if they keep the Ocean in operation.
There is concern that a Moncton-Edmundston run, if that even occurs, would see VIA's ridership decline based on a less populated area to service. That could trigger VIA or the federal government to reduce service even more than what it is at today, or perhaps abandon service in Atlantic Canada all together.
The tour started with a rally at the VIA Rail Station in Halifax, with Hayer and several others boarding VIA Rail's Ocean train destined to Central Station in downtown Montreal. The trip included stops in Truro and Amherst, Nova Scotia, as well as Sackville, Moncton, Miramichi, Bathurst, and Campbellton, New Brunswick.
With CN abandoning a 71-km stretch of track between Bathurst and Miramichi, which is used by VIA in providing passenger rail service to the more densely populated New Brunswick north shore, should no buyer step forward - which is most likely - VIA would have to run on CN's less populated mainline between Moncton and Edmundston, New Brunswick if they keep the Ocean in operation.
There is concern that a Moncton-Edmundston run, if that even occurs, would see VIA's ridership decline based on a less populated area to service. That could trigger VIA or the federal government to reduce service even more than what it is at today, or perhaps abandon service in Atlantic Canada all together.
Unifor National Council 4000 Regional Representative Pat Murray, who services Unifor Local 4005 members at both VIA and CN, spoke at the Moncton rally. Murray said; “You’re essentially isolating communities and strong-minded communities like Miramichi and Bathurst. There is talk of re-opening the mines and you’re really not talking business development in regards to that.”
"Since Confederation, our coast-to-coast rail network has served to unite our country and streamline our economy,” said MP Bruce Hyer. “But today, we're facing the cancellation of passenger rail service in places like the Maritimes, we have too many tragic accidents and freight derailments, especially with dangerous DOT-111 rail cars shipping bitumen, and we have a government that puts oil company profits above the public interest.”
A long-time rail transportation advocate, Hyer has also worked extensively to restore passenger rail service along Lake Superior’s north shore, in his home riding of Thunder Bay–Superior North.
Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich–Gulf Islands and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, said; “Right now, we are the only OECD country without a national transportation strategy. It’s time for this government to show some leadership and work to improve rail infrastructure and safety standards.”
Several people who are against any additional cuts to passenger rail service in the Maritimes gathered at train stops along the Ocean Route as a show of solidarity. People who gathered in Moncton said there’s still an important place for rail service in Canada.
Unifor will continue throughout 2014 to campaign for the federal government to properly fund VIA Rail, restore and improve service and train frequencies, and lobby for a new vision for passenger rail service in Canada – a bold new plan that would introduce high speed rail to Canadians, boost jobs and help reduce our environmental footprint. Read more on Unifor's campaign below.
"Since Confederation, our coast-to-coast rail network has served to unite our country and streamline our economy,” said MP Bruce Hyer. “But today, we're facing the cancellation of passenger rail service in places like the Maritimes, we have too many tragic accidents and freight derailments, especially with dangerous DOT-111 rail cars shipping bitumen, and we have a government that puts oil company profits above the public interest.”
A long-time rail transportation advocate, Hyer has also worked extensively to restore passenger rail service along Lake Superior’s north shore, in his home riding of Thunder Bay–Superior North.
Elizabeth May, MP for Saanich–Gulf Islands and Leader of the Green Party of Canada, said; “Right now, we are the only OECD country without a national transportation strategy. It’s time for this government to show some leadership and work to improve rail infrastructure and safety standards.”
Several people who are against any additional cuts to passenger rail service in the Maritimes gathered at train stops along the Ocean Route as a show of solidarity. People who gathered in Moncton said there’s still an important place for rail service in Canada.
Unifor will continue throughout 2014 to campaign for the federal government to properly fund VIA Rail, restore and improve service and train frequencies, and lobby for a new vision for passenger rail service in Canada – a bold new plan that would introduce high speed rail to Canadians, boost jobs and help reduce our environmental footprint. Read more on Unifor's campaign below.
Related stories:
- Province of New Brunswick and CN commit to preserve rail freight service... But what about passenger rail service?
- VIA Rail forecasts record loss
- Does job cuts at VIA "Enhance Customer Experience"?
- Getting on Board or Running off the Rails? The Past, and Some Possible Futures, of Passenger Rail in Canada
- Unifor Passenger Rail Campaign
