Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

27 August 2001

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 616, recorded on 27 August 2001, our 25th anniversary year, Bert Titcomb reporting for Harry Gow.

In this issue...

1 - Air Transat emergency landing

The top story this week is the emergency landing by Air Transat's pilot Robert Piché, who was forced to glide to an emergency landing on Lajes Field in the Azores on Friday 24th August, after his Airbus with 304 passengers aboard lost its fuel in an unexplained incident. He kept his head when nearly all about him (except cabin crew) were losing theirs, to paraphrase Kipling. As such, he is a Canadian hero, the saviour of 304 people aboard, according to all concerned. "It seems clear that our pilots did an outstanding job" Denis Jacob, Air Transat's CEO said August 25th.

A precedent was an incident were a Boeing 767 was glided into Gimli, Manitoba by pilot Bob Pearson and 1st Officer Maurice Quintal in 1983. It is beginning to look like glided landings are preferable to trying to "land" on water, according to some media.

The two-engine Airbuses in Air Transat's fleet will now have to fly farther north, to stay over or nearer to land, on TSB orders. The airline has no problem with that.

Last week smoke in the cabin from ceiling lights or air conditioning (?) forced evacuation of another Air Transat aircraft.

2 - Update on VIA Nightstock accessibility case

On August 15th the Canadian Transportation Agency decided to deny applications by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities for various interlocutory orders against VIA Rail Canada in the matter of accssibility of the 139 Night Stock cars orderd by VIA through ALSTOM.

The Agency 1) denied CCD's request for costs until a final decision is issued, 2) denied CCD's requests that the Agency file its decisions and orders before the Federal Court of Canada and 3) denied CCD's request for production of the Alstom and Bombardier contracts.

While these decisions seem technical, they seem to make short work of the CCD's contentions and bode ill for a final decision in its favour.

The case is also before the Federal Court.

3 - CP Rail financial update

CP RAIL shares closed Friday at $32.30, in the middle of the range of their estimated real value, but CP Ships closed at $ 17, well below their estimated value range of 21 to 32 dollars.

4 - Russian tanker detained in Canada

The Russian tanker Virgo, involved in the fatal August 5th collision with an American fishing vessel, has been held at Long Harbour, Newfoundland for surety and investigation. The Russian owners, Primorsk Shipping, have decided to deposit a $13 million guarantee, and the ship may alrady be on its way.

5 - Montréal canal renovations

The Lachine Canal in Montréal is being restored, and the Peel turning basin is to be excavated. The canal should reopen in 2002 for recreational navigation.

6 - CP to cast off more tracks

Canadian Pacific Railway wants to drop five branch lines in western Canada; the Arcola subdivision, the Burstall Sub., the 3.3 Rocanville Sub., the Willingdon Sub., and the Kimberly Sub. claiming little or no traffic. In the past such claims were often made after years of de-marketing. We await reactions from interested groups as to the background to these line closure plans.

7 - CN seeks financing

Canadian National Railway hopes to raise a billion dollars U.S., no less, to pay down bank debt and finance recent aquisitions in the U.S.

8 - Feds seek transit improvements

Mr. David Collenette, federal Minister of Transport, says he will press the federal government to fund transit improvements to alleviate the need for new roads.

Road lobby groups such as the CAA disagreed with the Minister that this would help alleviate congestion; the CAA's David Leonhardt claimed people that "if did not want to use transit ... there is little you can do". Bizarre, when you consider the growth rate on major Canadian transit systems. Even more bizarre, when one considers that new-start LRT lines in the USA almost all exceed ridership projections.

The St. Louis, Mo. line carries 40 000 people per day. In its first year the line caaried 20 000, 67% per cent over the estimate of 12 000. The Portland, Ore. Westside line had exceeded projections by 22%, and is now five years ahead of projected growth. The Salt Lake City Line is 43% above forecast! Denver is 67 % over! Perhaps David Leonhardt hasn't heard of light rail, or of commuter trains, which have been doing even better percentage-wise?

9 - Ottawa light rail scrambles towards service

Ottawa's diesel light rail line is being rushed to completion to try to meet the September 4th 10:30 am (at Carleton U. Station) deadline.

Informed observers say there could be difficulty in opening to full service on that date, already moved from mid-August.

Thanks to the Ottawa Citizen, the Globe & Mail, Post Time, David Jeanes and Bill Wimperis for this week's items.

Thank you for calling the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline. For additional information, please contact our web site at:

www.transport2000.ca.