Quote:
Originally Posted by Truenorth00
I'm always surprised that those who advocate for expanded VIA services think this argument will work.
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I am always surprised to find some people who think that a mediocre service that doesn't even run daily, and is often behind schedule would be considered acceptable to the population that the service purportedly "serves."
Any operator who wants to abandon a service (but who is governed by a regulator) will first make the service so slow and unreliable that people will stop using it. The operator will then go to the regulator with "evidence" that the service is no longer relevant or useful. The prophesy thus becomes self fulfilling.
If on the other hand the operator chooses to make the service reliable and convenient, then this will draw ridership, and revenues will increase. As opposed to the other scenario above, a virtuous circle is created and a renaissance in rail travel occurs.
For example, if VIA created a 2-3x daily passenger service from Saint John to Moncton and on to Halifax, and it were reliable, I am willing to bet it would become popular over the course of several years. You just have to be willing to make the initial investment for the eventual payoff.
If you build it, they will come...………..
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