Quote:
Originally Posted by GoTrans
Having the head office somewhere other than Montreal would make absolutely no difference. The problem is the federal government, the provincial government, politicians and the public at large. Changing the location of the head office will not change anything. Via is only given so much cash. It is the funding that in part needs to be addressed.
The Rocky Mountaineer makes money but it only runs part of the year. They also charge a fortune for the ride/ experience. Nobody who just wants to get from A to B would be willing to pay their price. Their trains are still delayed by freights.
Not all their equipment is old, some of it is new. That is a sign they are making money.
A tourist train is not general public transportation, but a non-tourist train can still carry tourists.
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Separating the management team that handles the corridor and the Canadian is critical. They are fundamentally two different business serving different customers with different needs. Both those programs need to be tailored around their customer base.
Leaving out the Economy cars on the Canadian both The Rocky Mountaineer and Canadian are after the same passenger and should have comparable pricing. Via should start by trying to make that successful.
It can then in phase II add some economy cars and go after the connect A to B market.
Being delayed by freight trains is a non-issue for the Canadian. I used the Canadian a few time between Saskatoon and Vancouver between 2000 and 2013. If you ask the on board staff there are multiple hours of slack in the schedule to ensure it pass through the mountains at the best time for viewing and arrives after breakfast service in Vancouver. I have left two-three hours late and no one is worried about making an on-time arrival.
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