Transport 2000 Canada Hotline

23 December 2000

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline for 23 December 2001, by Darrell Richards.

Summary

1 - Transport 2000 Rebuts G&M Article

Transport 2000 Canada's David Jeanes has sent a letter to the Globe and Mail challenging an article that criticized the VIA decision to purchase 139 European railway passenger cars. Jeanes wrote that:

"Your front page diatribe by Murray Campbell against Via Rail's new passenger cars (16 December 2000) is unfair and wrong. The European Night Stock that Via has bought are among the safest trains ever built. The Eurotunnel program set extraordinary standards of safety for collision, fire, and other risks. The survival of passengers in a collision is ensured through the use of crumple zones to absorb energy, similar to the safest automobiles. The cars need only minor changes to fully meet North American compression standards, unlike other European trains. However, it has been shown that these standards do not protect the passengers as much as crumple zone."

And ...

"Transport 2000, Canada's national public transport advocacy group, has been looking at the cars since Via brought three to Canada for testing in June. We have met with Via senior management and have examined the trains closely in their shops. Our members who have seen the trains have engineering training, railway industry experience, and accessibility knowledge and experience. These are in fact "state-of-the-art" trains, the first that Via has been able to buy since 1983. We must now work together with Via to ensure the best transportation for all Canadians, including those with accessibility needs."

2 - Rail Union Announces Branch Line Project

At a speech in Saskatoon Dec 15, the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employees announced it is negotiating an agreement to lease CN grain branch lines on the prairies from CN. The speaker reported that CN is very open to new ideas.

The union, communities and farmers want to create a vertically integrated grain system that manages branch lines, grain handling and marketing. This would avoid the problems that bedevil private short line operators of grain lines. Short lines have little future if the elevator companies close all the elevators on a line and force feed the grain to their inland terminals.

For example, Central Western has had to abandon much of its short line trackage that was abandoned by the grain companies. About 100 inland terminals can handle the entire wheat crop.

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is closing and demolishing elevators at a rapid rate. The union/farmer proposal would keep branch lines open by providing grain handling services independent of the grain companies, either with community elevators or track loading facilities. The union proposal would also be compatible under NAFTA trade rules because it would be a commercial agreement to lease lines from CN.

The Omnitrax proposal to acquire forced access to CN and CPR lines could run into trouble under NAFTA because it would involve expropriation of investment and would exclude other railway companies from using its forced access scheme.

3 - Air Canada Announces Price Hikes, Staff Cuts

On 21st December, Air Canada announced it will raise fares by six per cent and cut eight per cent of its workforce (3500 employees), after warning that its fourth quarter losses will be much deeper than expected. It also might have to cut back service on some domestic routes. The airline blamed the problems on high fuel costs, increased domestic competition and a slowing U.S. economy.

Finally...

John Pearce of Transport 2000 Atlantic will prepare the final Hotline for the Year 2000, which is expected next weekend. This will include a summary of the environmental and transportation progress made this year.

Thank you for calling the Transport 2000 Hotline, and we wish you safe travels and an enjoyable Christmas, New Year's and holiday time.

For additional information, please contact our web site at:

www.transport2000.ca