Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

19 January 2002

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 637, recorded on 19 January 2002, Harry Gow reporting.

In this issue...

In this issue, more sad news, rail, transit and air news:

1 - Michael Harris (T2000 UK) remembered

We are sorry to announce the death of Michael Harris of lymphatic cancer at the age of 54. Michael was one of the people who organized Transport 2000 in the U.K. in the early 1970s. He went on to become the first Operations Manager (Executive Director) and in that capacity provided help in the organization of Transport 2000 Canada. He provided research papers and organizational documents. In Oct. 1976, he came to Regina, travelling on the first VIA liveried train to our Founding Conference which was organized by Michael Jackson and friends. Mike Harris went on to become editor of Railway World and at Modern Railways. He was described as a "terribly kind man and a railway intellectual" by his former boss at Ian Allen Ltd. He was a prolific writer, publishing a number of books on rolling stock. He is survived by his wife Carol and a son and daughter. Source: Heritage Railways.

2 - Campaign to save Vancouver Island rail service

Brendan Read, a member of Transport 2000 Canada, and President of the Victoria Electric Railway Society, has cooperated with John Bakker, our western V.P. in a campaign to save the E & N dayliner. This service is threatened with a shutdown by the decision of a pulp mill to ship by truck and the North American Rail Company plans to cease operations. To date, Brendan has managed to place two op-ed pieces in the Victoria Times - Colonist and is working on the formation of a coalition to save the service. He proposed a Swedish - style track authority (Banverket) to provide infrastructure and a federal transition grant to keep the line going pending a return to prosperity. This is based on a Québec precedent; the federal support to the Gaspé line.

3 - Québec pours $billions into the ground

The Government of Québec will invest $1.4 billion in the highway network in 2002. $60 million will go to western Québec. $282 million will go to maintenance of roadway surfaces and $180 million for "structures". $303 million will go to "development" of the roadway network. (No mention of any money for rail or transit!) Source: Le Droit

4 - Massive cuts by BC government

British Columbia is laying off 11 7000 provincial employees. Transport and the environment are heavily affected.

5 - UK tries to get rail back on track

The U.K. Strategic Rail Authority published its plan to fix Britain's broken railways. Public investment in rail will increase by 4.5 billion pounds. £400 million has been announced for short-term improvements, and similar amounts for the longer term for commuter services and for local trains. Intermodal and carload freight will get smaller amounts. A TGV line north from London is a possibility. Source: Trains website.

6 - Some rail tidbits

A court has ruled that engineers may not strike railways that use remote-control for switching locos. CANAC is therefore selling 50 "Beltpacks" to KCS Railway and other roads are ordering other brands.

A study shows track speeds may safely be raised to 79 mph (from 60 mph) for Amtrak trains over Guilford track between Portland, Maine, and Plaistow, N.H. This will reduce block time by 15 minutes (Boston - Portland).

7 - no domes, no wider doors for new VIA cars

VIA Rail Canada will not widen doors on Renaissance rolling stock. A 28" opening to the "accessible" bedroom in the service car is at issue in particular. VIA is just as closed to providing dome/observation service on eastern services - a sore point for Transport 2000 Canada. The NTA has ordered CCD and VIA to a hearing on final arguments at the end of February in Toronto.

8 - Toronto-Chicago train changes proposed

Ross Capon at NARP has sent news on the International Limited: Tim Hoeffner at Michigan DOT says "they are looking at" changing the International for a Chicago - Port Huron service known as the Blue Water, to save the cost of one set of equipment. He says that VIA, Amtrak and Michigan agree that a Chicago - Toronto train should run via Detroit, starting the day after the above change.

NARP suggests the train could serve Detroit and Port Huron, but Tim Hoeffner says the border busing imposed by the INS costs $40 000 a month! He is more optimistic about Representatives Dingell and Kilpatrick "leaning on" the INS to be reasonable at Detroit. He also says current food service costs are "enormous" and proposes cart - type service.

9 - Bombardier jets for Air Canada regional routes

Air Canada has ordered regional jets from Bombardier for its regional air lines.

10 - Air Canada may abandon Québec points

Air Canada may abandon its services to Gaspé and to the Madeleine Islands in 2003, due to operational losses, or so claims the newspaper Le Soleil (Québec) yesterday. Other airline routes elsewhere in Canada are under the gun with a view to more "restructuring" by December 31st, 2002. The end of the period to maintain airline routes imposed by the federal government at the time Air Canada and Canadian Airlines were merged.

11 - Strong support for Ottawa light rail

An OC Transpo survey done on December 3rd, 2001, showed a high level of satisfaction among the 950 respondents from the 6100 passengers per day. About 63 per cent of users came from central and south Ottawa. 61.5 per cent transferred to or from a bus. 79 per cent said the train saved them time, most up to 20 min. 85 per cent agreed with expansion to new areas. 96 per cent said it is "easy to use". 90 per cent said it runs on time, and 90 per cent said it is a "good investment for the city". Strong praise from the public!

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www.transport2000.ca.