Rail transport | VIA Rail wants to enter “a new era” by 2030

VIA Rail Canada wants to “open a new chapter” in its history. By 2030, the president and CEO of the state-owned company, Mario Péloquin, has set the goal of increasing capacity on trains by nearly 20%, while generating savings equivalent to 15%. of its operating deficit.

“I fundamentally believe in the potential of passenger rail, and above all, I have the ambition not to wait to make things happen. […] This plan is the signal of a new era that is dawning. Today, we have the chance to open a new chapter,” Mr. Péloquin will argue this Thursday in a highly anticipated speech before the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), which The Press obtained.

To make “a giant leap”, he undertakes in particular, within just six years, “to reduce [les] greenhouse gas emissions [de VIA Rail] by 50% compared to 2005 and to increase [sa] capacity of 18%.

Annually, VIA Rail calculates its capacity in terms of available seat miles (SMD), or the number of seats per passenger per mile – the equivalent of 1.6 kilometers traveled. In 2023, this figure was 1.493 million; by 2030, the organization hopes to reach 1.761 million.

The businessman also promises to generate savings equivalent to 15% of the operating deficit, in order to be able to “self-finance” the transformation plan. As the 2023 deficit is estimated at around 381.8 million, this therefore represents around 57.3 million.

New ton trains

Everything will be done in stages. First, the high frequency train (TGF) “is a superb project for future years” and is likely to change the situation, according to the CEO. He will recall in particular that last February, the person in charge of the megaproject, Martin Imbleau, had affirmed that a journey between Montreal and Toronto could be done in three hours, or even less.

The call for tenders for this multi-billion project was launched in September. In addition to the reference scenario, in which trains would run at top speeds of around 200 km/h on railway tracks reserved for passengers, the three selected consortia must propose a more ambitious version with a reduction in travel times. This option seems to be gaining more and more importance.

Nevertheless, “we must now improve the experience of our passengers and our service,” notes Mr. Péloquin. According to him, the change will already be noticeable by the end of 2024, when approximately two-thirds of the 32 new trains expected to be added in the coming months to VIA Rail’s rail fleet, in the Quebec-Windsor corridor, will be books. All trains will be in service in summer 2025.

“These trains offer an unparalleled experience, comfortable, ergonomic and fully accessible,” says the president, who promises to launch “a vast campaign in June in Montreal to present these new trains,” praising their comfort, on-board service and productivity during the trip.

VIA Rail welcomes the “vote of confidence” from the Trudeau government, which committed last April in its budget to replacing long-distance trains, whose end of useful life is set at 2035. In February, the company said fearing that they would have to make major cuts to the service if nothing was done.

We don’t know how much this vast replacement operation will cost, but we know that it will cost at least a few billion dollars. In the Quebec-Windsor corridor, the new trains cost around 1.5 billion, on a scale of 1,500 kilometers, while the network to be covered here is 10,000 kilometers.

Most long-distance trains were built between 1946 and 1955. They notably connect Halifax to Quebec, and Toronto to Vancouver. “We are launching the tender process for the new fleet this year. I can guarantee you that these new trains will be the envy of many people around the world. We will design train cars that are unique in the world,” promises Mario Péloquin.

A call for “integrated mobility”

In his speech, the big boss of VIA Rail will also launch a “call for collaboration” among players in the transport industry so “that integrated mobility becomes the rule rather than the exception”. He also wants to encourage employers to encourage the use of the train in their travel policies.

“We look at what is being done in Europe in terms of strategic hubs like Berlin or the Netherlands where different modes of transport collaborate to offer the best travel experience,” explains Mr. Péloquin. In particular, he wants to “identify development opportunities” around stations, and work on access to them.

“Look at what we are doing in Ottawa. Our new VIA Rail station is at the heart of the mobility journey, connecting light rail as well as local and regional bus services. This is a perfect example of what we want to do across the country. […] With housing and housing issues, we must explore all avenues to densify the areas around our stations,” he concludes.

With the collaboration of Julien Arsenault, The Press