Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad
Well, your vision of a VIA service limited to the Toronto-Montreal corridor, and my vision of an interconnected national transcontinental service are completely incompatible with one another. It appears that I am not going to convince you, nor are you going to convince me.
The solution therefore is to disband VIA and let Ontario and Quebec manage the rail service in central Canada. Meanwhile the west will be left with no bus and no passenger rail. At least the Maritimes has a functional intercity bus service.
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Nouvellecosse has the right idea IMO.
I think VIA has to come to a point where they view themselves as an interprovincial transit service that uses a combination of rail and bus, including private operators Maritime Bus, Orleans Express, Ontario Northland and Rider Express.
It would focus on a land-based transit system that serves long-distance transit as a public good. It wouldn't have the government competing with private operators for the same passenger. It would help overcome the barriers and limitations of a patchwork of independent operations.
Would it work? Maybe, but I don't see the long-term future of VIA as bright given the fiscal problems of governments today. You can only defer capital spending so long before you're in a position of serious commitment or abandonment.
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