Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

15 September 2002

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 671, recorded on 15 September 2002, Harry Gow reporting.

In this issue...

In this issue: rail and air items and a T-2000 calendar announcement.

Items 1, 11 and 12 are from the NARP Hot Line of Sept. 13. Other items are from Jim Goss and from Post Time. Thanks to all our sources.

1 - VIA asked how to provide faster service

Transport Minister David Collenette has asked VIA Rail for a report on what is needed to increase speeds and ridership in the Québec-Windsor corridor. He sees improved rail service as a way to reduce overall pollution emissions, in keeping with Kyoto agreement goals, and to serve a new market that has emerged since the 2001 terror attacks... according to a recent Canadian Press story. Harry Gow said in the same story that money should not all be invested in only one corridor, and pointed out the irony of BC Rail being set to abandon its NorthVancouver-Whistler service, just as Vancouver is pushing for the 2010 Winter Olympics in which Whistler would be a venue. ... (No one has told the IOC about this, in all likelihood!)

There is a lot going on behind the scenes on the VIA file. In particular, Transport 2000 is pushing for a return of the Canadian to the C P R line and we like to think that there may be developments in this soon.

2 - Prince Rupert port resumes

Work began Thursday on clearing up a backlog of grain at the Prince Rupert B.C. port. Company manager Jeff Burghart is pleased with a court order removing Vancouver pickets.

3 - Minimalist road plan for BC Olympics

The International Olympic Committee would be satisfied with a "minimalist solution" to fix the Sea-to-Sky Highway, members of the 2010 Bid Corp. were told during meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland, this week. Would they be as satisfied if they knew about B C Rail dropping passenger trains to Whistler?

4 - Trespassers roasted on Acela catenary

One man died and another was burned Friday night after the pair climbed a signal mast along the Acela Express rail line in Attleboro and were electrified, according to MBTA Police.

5 - More air-related Bombardier stock woes

Bombardier shares dropped 7 per cent Friday on news that its Brazilian rival, Embraer SA, had entered into a partnership agreement to build jets in China.

6 - Bombardier buoyed by UK rail order

Bombardier Transport got a US$57-million order from GB Railways PLC for eight trainsets for its "northeastern" (Anglia) franchise in England.

7 - BC Rail ends Whistler train

B.C. Rail is dropping its Pacific Starlight Dinner Train service and the Whistler Northwind luxury rail service at the end of the current tourist season. Company representative Alan Dever confirmed the closures Friday.

8 - Optimism for O-Train ridership

Tim Lane of Ottawa reports that the Ottawa DLRT line loadings are now much higher than during last academic year at Carleton University. Michael Richardson attributes last year's weaker loadings to the October startup of the rail service AFTER sudents had chosen their residential locations. This year, up to 105 people were counted by Tim getting off at Carleton from one morning train.

9 - Construction reduces Eurotunnel departures

Eurostar, the London Paris & Brussels TGV will have a reduced frequency in October and November during works to connect classic lines with the first (eastern) part of the CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link). For now, trains will serve Waterloo Station in London, but St. Pancras will become the main terminus after the CTRL is completed.

10 - Driver cell phone ban pondered

Although research suggests using a cell phone while driving increases the likelyhood of an accident, a researcher advised a coroner's jury in Whitby, Ont. that there was 'no need' to ban drivers from using them, but the jury recommended the ban on Friday after a week-long inquest into the death of a driver and his little daughter, killed while the man was chatting with his wife on the phone. The jury also recommended rumble strips on roads before grade crossings.

11 - Boston-Portland rail service update

The Boston-Portland Downeaster had a change to its weekend schedule, to allow weekend day trips to Maine. Old Orchard "summer" service ends October 31st. The official ribbon-cutting for the new Multimodal Transportation Center in Portland Me. took place on Friday.

12 - Acela equipment blamed for losses

Meanwhile, Amtrak has reported that the Acela crack problems cost it 76 000 riders (Aug. 12-31) and $9 million in lost revenue. This past week, Amtrak ran 40 weekday departures, where 50 are normal.

13 - Air Canada loadings up

Air Canada's load factor was 81.9 per cent in August, up from 80.4 in the same month last year. Market demand and less flights explained this, the best airline load factor in North America. The Tango load factor was 86.3 per cent.

14 - Air Canada shares down

Air Canada shares dropped 6.3 per cent September 12th. On Wednesday, the airline and athe union representing its 8500 flight attendants reached agreenment on staffing the Zip disciount unit. The tentative deal will "mitigate" plans to lay off 600 permanent flight attendants, union spokesman Tom Poland said.

15 - Another India passenger rail disaster

A Calcutta - New Delhi 11-car express train derailed and plunged into a river on 9th Sept. and at least 100 passengers were feared dead, police said. Railway Police added authorities hadn't ruled out the possibility of sabotage.

16 - Insecure air security

On September 9th, three men who worked as security agents at Heathrow Airport pleaded guilty to helping smuggle people on board Air Canada flights in return for thousands of dollars.

17 - Acadian Railway featured

On August 31st, the Toronto Star carried a favourable article on the "Acadian Railway", a 10-car Budd-built train that follows the former CPR International of Maine Division through Québec, Maine and Northern New England. Regular stops include Greenville, Me. on Moosehead Lake. The passengers stay in hotels at night.

Transport 2000 members who observed the train said that in Québec the train ran slowly over the poorly-maintained track.

18 - Transport 2000 Calendar

Saturday 21 September, Toronto: Transport 2000 Ontario Board meeting at the Matty Eckler Community Centre at 953 Gerrard St. E.

Monday 7 October: Next T-2000 Canada Steering Committee will be held at 117 Sparks St, Ottawa, at 19:30 HRS. Directors please submit items for consideration in advance.

25-27 October, Gatineau and Ottawa: Transport 2000 Canada Board meeting will be held at 117 Sparks St., Ottawa October 25th and 27th, - but on Saturday the 26th the meeting will be at the Régie Régional de la Santé at 104 Lois St., Hull (in the new City of Gatineau). Dinner Saturday evening is scheduled for the Laurier sur Montcalm Restaurant, in the former HCWR station. We hope to participate at the Barrhaven Station opening on Sunday the 27th of October, if VIA invites us!

Thank you for calling the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline.

Next week, a new volunteer to the Line will be George Wooldridge, whom we thank for taking on this monthly duty.

For additional information, please contact our web site at:

www.transport2000.ca.