Thursday morning rail news:
— VIA Rail Canada has written off the summer travel season for its long-distance overnight trains, the Canadian and the Ocean, extending their suspension until at least Nov. 1, 2020, and has suspended Sleeper class on its Winnipeg-Churchill, Man., train until the same date. Anyone holding reservations will be contacted and reimbursed automatically, or may contact VIA via the email or phone numbers listed in this press release. VIA is using the suspension of service to accelerate an inspection and modernization program for its heritage passenger equipment, and has found structural issues that need to be addressed. “”This was not an easy decision to make but, given the current circumstances, the health and safety of our passengers, crew members and local communities must come first, “ VIA President and CEO Cynthia Garneau said in the press release. “… . We will use this extended pause to assess and identify which measures to implement in order to get back on track as soon and as safely as possible.”
— Calgary Transit will lay off almost 450 employees and cut 17,000 hours of service per week in response to decreased ridership because of the COVID-19 pandemic. CTV Calgary reports that Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583 President Mike Mahar informed workers that the cuts would be coming, with notifications to begin today. Ridership on CTrain light rail is down as much as 90%, while bus ridership is down 80%.
— The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says Wednesday’s first night of its New York subway closure saw a 76% increase in bus ridership during the 1-5 a.m. period the subways were shut down, with social distancing maintained thanks to a 150% increase in the operational bus fleet during those hours. Approximately 14,500 people used buses during the subway shutdown, up from 8,300 on a recent average weekday. “Thousands of people worked together to make this go as smoothly as possible,” Sarah Feinberg, interim President of MTA New York City Transit, said in a press release. “I’m grateful to the New York City Transit workforce, to all of our cleaners, to all of the folks who work in our stations, to the NYPD, to the MTA Police, and to all of the social workers, outreach workers and nurses who came out to ensure the first temporary nighttime closure of the subway and expansion of bus service went off well.”
So little of VIA left. If it ever comes back I’d better ride it pronto. Pullmans are the ultimate social-distancing for transportation–even better than a limousine! My only previous across-Canada ride was on the CP route in 1984 after getting the Esquimault & Nanaimo and the Prince George Eventually. As for NY City, it will be interesting to see what the cost performance will be substituting bus service for the subways in the wee hours. Of course would the accounting be done honestly–there are all sorts of accounting “systems”..
Frankly, very few Canadians would notice if the so-called Canadian was put out of its misery. Most of the people who ride on it are wealthy tourists from the USA, the UK, or Japan, and those people won’t be coming to Canada this year because of the corona virus. The real Canadian, running seven days a week on CPR track and with a Montreal section as well as the Toronto section, died thirty years ago.
Why are the those in Ontario allowed to ride but not the westerners? Also, thinking outl loud, the sleepers with private rooms would provide social distancing, so they should be embraced not shunned.All Pullman, nice ring to it.
I’m curious about the”structural issues that need to be addressed.” Anyone have details, or is this a prelude to “We can’t keep this equipment going,” in line with Amtrak dumping the Pacific Parlor Cars?
With no intercity bus svc west of Ontario the western provinces are left with few options. I think the difference is that Canadians are not as vocal about their needs as those communities is the U.S. thus as they say the squeaky wheel gets the oil. They and their provinces need to be more vocal about their needs to their Rep in Quebec.
[I am using the pilcrow (¶) to indicate new paragraph in order for my whole comment to remain intact when submitted.] ¶ While Via Rail Canada is inspecting and upgrading its heritage passenger equipment, it should consider returning ‘The Canadian’ to the original route via Regina, Calgary and Banff National Park. Maybe – just maybe Canadian Pacific would allow its former flagship train priority over freight trains and a faster practical schedule. ¶ If existing equipment is not sufficient for reinstating ‘The Super Continental’, new cars will need to be ordered. Before that is even considered, the mindset of Canadian National on giving priority to passenger trains over freight will need to change. Legislative action would be necessary to ensure the punctuality of the revived ‘Super Continental’.
Sounds like VIA doesn’t want to run the long distance trains at all. I would not be surprised if they never return.RIP
The Ocean is not a tourist train though, it serves as essential transportation in Eastern Quebec and Northern New Brunswick. The Canadian also serves many isolated communities in Northern Ontario.
Because nothing is as essential as a train that runs twice a week and often runs far behind is hugely padded schedule. Also plz. note VIA is pretty much admitting it’s an overpriced tourist train that has little or nothing to do with the travel needs of rural Canadians.
and today Greyhound announced the suspension of all service in Canada, that is in Ontario eastward, so no with no via service either it will leave several small communities with no transportation.
One thing this virus scare has shown is there’s lots of people out there who, given the opportunity, would never work again.