VIA Rail 9780760325292, 0760325294, 2006029054

Citation preview

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-s o14 -Eh/, /

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Dedication I greatly appreciate for bringing me along on -y countless railway excursions as a little boy. In so doing, you sowed the seeds To

father, Tom, whom

for the lifelong passion for railroading we share today.

First published in 2007 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of MBI Publishing Company LLC, Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

Front cover: One of the newest additions to Vt-tt-s motive power rostet GE P42DC No. 911 heads up midday train No. 45 just west of Ottawds Union

USA

Station en route to Toronto. Ian McCord

@

Endpapers, front \fLA Rail system map, 1978-1981.

2007 by Christopher C.N. Greenlaw

Ono Wndrah AJI rights reserved. \7ith the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes ofreview, no part ofthis publication may be reproduced without prior written

Baclc \rLA Rail system map, 1990-2007. Otto Vondrab

permission from the Publisher.

Frontis: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. AJI recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also disclaim any liabiliry incurred in connection with the use ofthis data or specific details.

\llA

"Fare For

issued this pamphlet in 1979 for its plan. Author collection

AIl"

Tide pages: VIA FP9A No. 651 1 leads a three-car consist-train 38-in spring 1989 near the Casselman, Ontario, station. Previously a CN locomotive of the same numbet this F unit was later

This publication has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by VIA Rail Canada Inc.

acquired by Algoma Central Railway and renumbered

\(/e recognize, further, that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the properry of the trademark holder.'We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication.

Back cover: kt July, 27, 1997 , and VIA Rail train No. 2, the eastbound Canadian, approaches the 1,654-foot (504-meter) Clover Bar Bridge that spans the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, A.lberta.

1752.

A.

Ross

Hanison

Glenn Roemer

MBI Publishing Company titles

are also available at

discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or salespromotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at MBI Publishing Company, Galtier Plaza, Suite 200, 380 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101

USA Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Greenlaw, Christopher C.N., 1977VIA Rail / by Christopher C.N. Greenlaw.

p.cm' Includes index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7603-2529-2 (plc w/ jacket) ISBN-10: 0-7603-2529-4 (plc w/ jacket) 1. \4A Rail Canada. 2. Railroads-Canada. I. Title. TF27.V47G74 2007

385.097r-dc22 2006029054

Editor: Dennis Pernu Designer: Kou Lor Printed in China

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irst and foremost, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to all those who so generously contributed photographic and historicd material for the development of this book and will acknowledge each person individually in kind. To -y ft-ily, I offer my gratitude for their love and support-especially Stacey, who spent an incredible amount of time assisting with the editing process and putting up with both me and this hobby that I

I would like to acknowledge and thank the following people from VIA

enjoy so much.

Rail: Senior Officer of Media and Corporate

Communications Catherine Kaloutsky for her assistance, Dave

Hunt from the \Tinnipeg

Maintenance Centre, and Service Manager Norma Babineau, along with the entire crew of the eastbound Ocean on Decembet 29-30, 2OO5.Iwould also like to thank Gail Dever at Canadian National Railway, George deZwaan and Michael Dufresne from the Library and Archives of Canada, and Marcia Rak from the Canada Museum of Science andTechnology. If I happen to be remiss in Ieaving out anyone, please be assured that my appreciation goes

to you

as

out

well.

portal of the 2,923-foot (89l-meter) Lower spiral runnel Heading east on a postcard-perfect winter's day, vlA train No. 2 exits the upper Spiral Tunnels were completed in 1909 to reduce carved into the side of Mount ogden. A triumph of engineering, the canadian Pacific's from the domes of the canadl'an until the grade of the Big Hill from 4.5 percent to a manageable 2.2 percent and were a sight to behold its rerouting in 1990. Andreas Kellar

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Inbound and

outbound. With the Halifax terminal almost in sight, VIA train No. 14, the 0cean, passes a three-car set

of

RDC-ls that has just departed forTruro and Sydney, Nova Scotia,

on September 5,

1988. Halifax-Sydney service has only one year and four months

left before being discontinued on January 15, 1990, James C. Herold photo,

author collection

commuter line in the world from "one of the worst to one of the most [efficient]" had much

to do with Thornton's appointment to

the

CNR. Thornton's tenure lasted throughout the Roaring '20s until the onset of the Great Depression. During his term, the CNR acquired a fleet of passenger equipment and implemented a service strucrure that outlasted the halcyon days of the passenger train into the i950s.

Thornton foresaw the impending threat automobiles posed to rail passenger service and steered the CNR to attack the oroblem head-on, attempting ro entice prrr.ng.r, back to the rails. Unlike his predecessor's freight-centered approach to solven cy and

profit, Thornton vied for

passengers.

Notwithstanding the cosrs associated with such ventures, intense competition ensued between the CNR and rival CPR to caDture rhe attention of rhe rraveling public throughout the 1920s. The result was comfortable,

l2

European-styled service, among the finest available in North America. Tlanscontinental trains on both railroads were soon noted more for lavish comfort than expeditious schedules.

In contrast to the transcontinental service and in keeping with Sir Henry's focus on the CNR as "The People's Road," reasonably priced, high-speed interciry service was inaugurated on certain routes departing from points between the cities of Qudbec Ciry

-Windsor, Onrario, a rail corridor Qudbec, and that would become the most profitable region of rail service in Canada. Trains such as the

Toronto-Ottawa Capital Ciry and the

Queen

Ci4t bewveen Montrdal and Qudbec Ciry were faster, affordable, and adequately comfortable,

trumping their rivals on rhe CPR. This infuriated CPR President Sir Edward Beatry who,

already disdainful of Crown enterprise, claimed that Thornton was norhing more than a showman aspiring ro render the CPR to "a condition of inferioriry . . . tby duplicating

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It's Christmas Day

once adorned most rolling stock had long

1986 in the Land of Evangeline. VIA RDC-1

since been replaced by more functional revenue-generating equipment. The hardship of

No. 6119 and sister

the Great Depression and the corresponding

stop in front of the

drop in demand for

historic VIA station in

throughout the 1930s resulted in a large quantiry of rail equipment sitting sragnant in coach yards across the Dominion. In contrast, the

Kentville. Nova Scotia.

that once served as

passenger service

Railway. Note the

heary demand on railway equipment and increased traffic a mere decade later during \forld rVar II stretched the capabilities of the

wreath placed inside

railways to their limits.

the fonvard diaphragm

The postwar years differed much from the 1920s and 1930s as the Canadian public envisioned a brighter future replete with jobs, increased salaries, and time for relaxation. Tiavelers began to look once more

the headquafters for the Dominion Atlantic

on 6119. Coo/West collection

toward the rails for holiday and business travel, and the railways coped with this influx by replacing and modernizing their warweary passenger equipment. Changing tasres

of a public that increasingly preferred automobile and airline travel would force a reexamination of this investment, although much after the fact. The 1950s were difficult times for railway management due to the downturn on rail traffic in favor of air and truck transporr and the inabiliry of industry leaders to foresee the future. For many railways in the United States, the prospect of a return to gainful and prosperous freight traffic was bleak. In an attempt to recover lost freight service and

mounting financial losses, scores of unprof-

I

itable passenger runs were discontinued and r: '-

what remained of a once vibrant passenger network was increasingly neglected. Some of

_

the larger U.S. railways made attemprs to woo the traveling public back through the modern-

regulated the price of rail

ization of several well-known name trains, but they avoided the purchase of new passenger

industry-mitigated the impact of declining

approach

travel-a different to governing the transporration

ridership for a period. Passenger services on the CNR and CPR did not immediately suffer the

equipment wherever possible. North of the border, however, things were quite different

same fate as those in the United States, and both

for passenger trains. Although the downturn in rail traffic was

of Canadat uans-narional railways arrempred a renaissance of rail travel throughout the early

iust as evident in Canada, federal sratutes rhat

1950s. In fact, the

CNRI rejuvenation profited

rl

91

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JTaqt

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3o snldrns alqtlre^E llrpea: e ruorJ lpea:S

traffic between 1945 and 1952 from 50.6 million riders per year to 29.9 mt'I' lion. Under Crump's direction, the CPR

nationalized rail passenger system and equtp VIA Rail into the next millennium'

passenger

Norris Roy "Buck" CrumP and the GPR's Stainless-Steel Canadian

would make one final attempt at revitalizing

Aside from a few modernized hearyweight

of modern. smoothsided lighweight passenger cars' the bulk of the CPR passenger fleet in the early 1950s consisted of older steel-framed hearyweight equipment that was worn out from wartime service. The automobile and availability of air travel resulted in a significant decline in

cars and a complement

its flagging passenger service'

Crump began his career with the CPR as a railway laborer before establishing himseif as a member of the company's executive corps. He knew the railway business from the ground up. Using that extensive knowledge, he focused his attention on reviving the siump in passenger service. Crump believed that the problem of diminishing railway

Northern had a morning and afternoon edition of the Until 1g70, at least five u.S. railways offered service to canadian cities, The Great that city from st, Paul, Minnesota' The Grand Trunk Internationalfrom seatile to Vancouver, as well as the winnipeE Limited which ran to respectively. Travelers to Montr6al could ride western,s Maple Leaf and lnternational Limited served Toronto from New York and chicago, York or choose the Boston & Maine's Montrealer or aboard the Delaware & Hudson,s Laurentian or Montreal Limited from New york. By the mid-1980s, only a few of these trains remained. VIA and Amtrak revived the Ambassadorfrom either washingon, D,c., or New near Dundas, 0ntario, on January 18, 1987, with a International and operated it jointly until 2004. Here, Amtrak F40PH leads this train mixed consist of six Amfleet cars and three of VIA's lempo coaches. Andreas Kellar

L1

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With towering thunderstorm clouds in the background, the

westbound Super Continental makes its crew change at Edson,

Alberta, in August

t977. Richard Yaremko

to form the backbone of their contemporary passenger fleet, as well as 20 sleeping cars with a unique 24-duplex roomette configuration, purchased in an attempt to appeal to the thrifty business traveler. Pullman Standard was contracted to build 141 sleeping, dining, and parlor cars in no less than 8 different configurations, including 52 E-series sleeping cars that provided an assort-

coaches

their new acquisitions, a "streamsryled" design was applied to the old heav'Tweight cars that

included a contoured cover over their clerestory roofs and gallery windows. Though often overshadowed in the eye

of the railway romantic by the streamlined

unprecedented move that stunned the indus-

Canadian's gleaming stainless-steel consist, the Super Continental was inaugurated on ApriI 24, 1955. The new and modernized equipment in its attractive olive green and black livery, highlighted by gold pinstripes and complemented with a maple leaf roundel

try) at etime when rail passenger service faced an obvious downturn, the CNR equipment order totaled 359 new cars and cost in excess

at the side ends of each car, was a stunning sight that appealed to the traveling public, but it was only the beginning.

ment of affordable accommodations to attract passengers

to overnight travel. It was

an

of $60 million. fleet, modernizing and refurbishing an assort-

Pierre Delagrave: The Grandfather of VIA Rail

ment of sleeping and parlor cars. To ensure

By the late 1950s, with ridership beginning to

that this older equipment adequately matched

wane on Canadian rails, regulatory issues

CNR also re-shopped their heavyweight

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customer service, he'd get the feeling that his freight would fbe treated] the same way'"

Delagrave's most pressing concern was

the need to educate Passenger train crews in customer service. Since crew departments functioned independently, there was a disconnect between the Passenger Department, which was responsible for passenger comfort and customer service, and the Operating Department, responsible for onboard service crews. Hiring practices that favored seniority over demonstrated service ability meant that crewmembers were often ill-equipped for their iobs. As Delagrave explained, "There were conductors and stewards who had no

three Since its inausural run on June 3, 1904, the ocean has changed owners become times and survived more than 100 years of politics and service cuts to likely North America's longest-running regularly scheduled name train' Most taken in the Matap6dia River Valley of northern New Brunswick sometime

6852 between 1978 and 1982, this photograph of vlA FPA-4 6788 and FPB-4 for press at the head end of a 10-car consist of the ocean was used by vlA published in releases and newspaper publicity photos. However, when the clean' newspapers, the brilliant colors provided by the autumn foliage and are here. sleek blue and yellow of the ocean were never as crisp or vivid as they VIA photo, Coo/West collection

appointed Pierre Delagrave, although not merely because of his cultural and linguistic roots. His tenures first as sales manager then as vice-president of passenger services demon-

strated that he saw the Passenger train as a potentially profitable enterprise, based on better service, cheaper fares, and better equipment. Delagrave's personal notes, now preserved at the Library and fuchives of Canada,

of service. The quality of

reveal a macro-understanding of the benefits

a

well-run passenger

passenger service, he wrote, leads people to "decide what qpe of company we are . ' ' if a businessman aboard our trains receives good

lformal] training in service and public reladons, men who knew only the operation of trains. I sat in the dining car for dinner once and asked for a glass of wine and got a glass of vermouth! It wasnt their fault-they had not been taught. So we made a booklet to explain everything, wines and so on, and gave three-day classes."

Delagrave initiated appropriate customer-

service training Programs for all frontline staff members and pressed Donald Gordon to abolish the practice of seniority-based recruitment of passenger service personnel'

The process met with resistance from those who insisted that there was no other way of doing business and who were more concerned with their seniority than with the companyt ProsPects. One story of his effort to improve employee attitudes recounts Delagrave traveling on the overnight train between Montrdal and Toronto, to be woken up halfway by an excessively rough ride' During a stopover in Brockville, Ontario, Delagrave donned his housecoat and stormed down the platform toward the locomotive. Confronting the engineer climbing out of the locomotive, Delagrave thrust out his hand to introduce himself saying, "It's my job to get people on these trains. I just want to tell you that if you keep driving the way you did tonight, I'm r /asting mY time."

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specifically for passenger services for the first time in 1962, a, seemingly ritualistic series of

complaints from the budding intercity bus industry became an almost annual event.

The Red, \7hite and Blue fare plan attracted customers back to the rails and garnered significanr growh in passenger miles for

CNR, but it also had the undesired effect of strengthening the ever-growing voice of oppo-

sition against subsidized and publicly owned rail passenger services in Canada. The notion that the CNR should desire to be competitive and yield dividends for its shareholders, the Canadian taxpayers, became a point of disgust

and a rallying call against the continuation

Rail passenger detractors were initially Ied by the Canadian Motor Coach Association, which lamented that the Red, \7hite and Blue fare structure was inherently unjust, undercutting fares offered by other modes of transport. In the opinion of rail opponents, governmental funding covered or absorbed losses the railways sustained, whereas buses, for example, enjoyed no subsidization whatsoever. Mounting dissent by the Motor Coach Association and its affiliates resulted in the summonins of CNR Presi-

The wooden Canadian Pacific station at Dorval, Qu6bec, stood for almost a century on this location before being closed in 1984 and razed some time later. In January 1979, the westbound Super Continenfal will pass by the platform. After entraining passengers at the

station located across the adjacent CN tracks, VIA FPg No. 6519, still in CN paint, backed the Super along the CN-Cp crossover track, faid in place initially for pool train service, in order to continue on to 0ttawa by way of CP's M&O Subdivision. Author collection

VIA

of

Passenger trarns.

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lllr*,ieql'v861 '62 eunI uo'ara;.1'uor1e1s

rolnuuoc ;e,iou

1unoy1

oql J0 luorJ ur 0ols pue (slqBIet teUoa)

;eyod eroue3

eq1 1e

sserFe ;;1r'r,iaq1 areqrr eperF punorFrepun

releurolDl-/'9 aql 0n ure4 pue 0t99 ttrz9

'0N 6dl vt^ pue

gI/9

peot

so^rlourocol

cupala qecxoq etr-z sselc Nc'lauunf

;eIog 1unoy1 aq1 aplsul Fullersdo seurFue

ocueprocce ul

qlri

lo uogrqrqord

lasolp e

0nce considered

a

bear the 20 percent balance as "an incentive

prime route for LRC

to economic efficiency." Per the subsidy

service, the short

arrangement, the CTC held authority over the disposition of existing routes and permit-

two-car consist of the Edmonton-Saskatoon

local traverses the undulating prairie landscape near Ardrossan, Alberta,

ted railways to longer required

[end]

unnecessary

duplicarion and eliminate any over-capaciry . on services that [were] required to continue operating in the public interest." The

Panorama just over a year later replaced

passenger trains.

this local service,

Irrespective of whether a railway wanted to discontinue a service or receive subsidy funding, it was required.to apply for discon-

The introduction of

the WinnipegSaskatoon-Va ncouver

Richard Yaremko

tinuance. The application resulted

42

uneconomic or the service should be continued under subsidy in the public interest.

"discontinue services no

NTA thus relieved the railways of the financial burden of unprofitable passenger services, placing them on an equal footing with competing modes of transport without discharging them of their obligation to maintain

on April 1, 1983.

CTC review that was open to public input to determine if said passenger train was truly

in

a

The Politics of Discontinuance After a series of minority governments throughout the 1960s, the Liberal Parry with Pierre Tiudeau at the helm attained a majority government in the 1968 election. For the first time in five years, the governing parry was able to enjoy a certain level of political safery and freedom to pass legislation despite opposition.

Following the election and the establishment of the CTC, a series of patronage appointments for services rendered to the Liberai Parry stacked the ranks of the CTC with individuals politically sensitive to the government's agenda. More so than ever before, the

€,v

ol pasn ere^. VJN /96I eqi 3o suolstrord lprsgns pue tuauuopueqe lrer ra8uasstd

luauruopuege aqr parrrurad

lrer Suru.racuoo sarcrlod ]uaruu.rerro8 IEJep{

^ep-ot Fuynp ;ene4 sse;c

ar{l roJ Surpr epq,ll sarrlres atottt r7I

-n8ar ertrssed ot pelrrur1,, aJa,lr\ afr-n.las ra8uassed

e

al{t 'rlqErlJordun ueaq a Erl sseleque eu flf peepur leru sacr.rsas lsoru qBnoqlly 'sarnor 6E eruos Jo uonezrPrsqns Pue afuBnulluof,

pue (,sofnf,Erd rsed Jo uouratord pue uorrel

uotJJeilox Joqnv 'pouod

Burproocy'f,If

-uro,to8 uaa \taq suoureretur Jo Surputtsrapun arp

E JO

lueu

-{tuouoce po}1u!lun lo sAep 71 Io[ue uec SSVdIIVUNVC VIA sreplor.l u!

'{epol'795tr

ssvdlvuNVc

'zrr.a.arse{n-I or

al{r pue

rprlr E per{ 'usrueLlc:u lprsqns VIN JO

SfnrJf PeuJEal erolu ar{l Jo auo 'zfr,4AersDln'I

snrpf

rossa;o.rd lrrsra,r.run uota]reC 'PereJJo saf,I^JasJo

0rll pocnpoJlul lsrlj

p3 leeI

leluuoluoc

eql Fuunp cuJerl reFuessed Jo eunloA

eFrel e FuBedplluv

,brpnb pnuarod Jo luaJrnr pue ro; puetuep aJnlnJ ar{l s" r{fns erretrJJ te>lJeruuou uo dyarrtua suorsnlf,uor rrar{} peseg pue rrruou auou r"qr PaPnlluoJ

-ofeun lfEJ ur

eJe.^^.

peurar tuaruura,ro8

oq./v\

lluo

l srer aprs urnururnle rq8ro.^,rrg8r1 g73o

lerl+ E 'oluorolJo tsr.&\ roPrrroJ erlt urqtr.r\ efr^JOs Joc 'leaJtuow PU? oluorol ua3,\\laq lpgay uoouraue aql uo laredde urr1]r^epn?^ ur tsruerd e Surrntea3 sref o-rtsrg o,{\-t Jo ouo rprr plnol aced a,r.rlsa3 rnq llarnsral erolu E tE

,$snpueg yeqoy 'eFeiloJ

8/6tr

raq0lc0 Inlol0c eql prue Fuulrls

sI0ol ssoleqlre^eu ulerl sr.lt lnq 'lured vl^ po^r0c0r a^eq lsrsu0c

odual s[]] ul

ser.lgeoc

ua^as aql l0 eerql lsPl eql /{luo 'urBrl srql Jo drqsrauMo aql alleq

tgTt

puB

Fel-ruN

z9Ie'soN NO peseel

;o Ilant; olil.l^r\ pue per eql'uor1e;od,roc uMorc e euPceq

vl^ raue sqlu0ur xls

6V

lfv

-rsgns of,rllas ra8uessed IrEJ ur suonJnpag

uotqs uosef'epeuec

uonetlodsurra FuorrEN eqt rapun

uo,lJailo9 Jo soFentuel lepUJo

qloq ur leualeu slr por.lsrlqnd s,{e^ le seq VIA'uorlerodroc u/'AorC e

SV'l.lcualj ul

uolwouadns pelet osfe locl^ros rcyu/teg

s,vl^ r0l slnqcoJq

leuolloulord v :ol!soddo

papre8a.r

]ng

sarp

lpo

sE

eJr Jas ,-{.rore8qqo,, ,llou

lpurseanur

Udf er{I

'se /r af,uo

aq1:ere1 srtad o,\\7'u?xp"u?)

Pe>lrEru E apelu

udf,

Or{t

aJa.&\ ecuEnurluorsrP loJ f,If, eql ol suoller luroferu aqr pue NJ rE u"r{r

-r1dde s,43 3o

'elgEurBlsns raiuol ou sela tI teqt turell agr Surralsog pue aora;as ra8 -uessed uo sassol sg43 Suneq.racexe lqareqr 'la^eJt Jo sapour Jar{to ro NJ rr{t rer{tra or drgsraprr Sulrra,rrp ur papre seseaJlur aJeJ lutcltru8rs're,roelo141'urnulrurru ereq ol porarlpe pw uonerado srr s.atntets aqr

ot pnuanbasuolur

sl

1r tEqlv\JO uOTSJO Uorela>ls e llerruassa 'tsrsuoc urnruruluJ -r€c-ueles e uretul€rx or ftr*1rer agr

perepueLu fIf,

aqJ (urcrr >lrBJ) str 3o esodsrp ot trolJe

OlrrnJ

'/g6I

rarJe elnpeqos rraqt ruor3 paddorp lpearp sureJt aurtu Jo efueJapuodard aqt o] uon -lPPe uI 'uorlrloqe Jo suEeru E sE papualur

snon8rqtur ssol rEJ eJa,/v\ rgrred uerpeueJ te aorlJas re8uassed pJ€A\ot sapnlnlv 'afrAJas ra8uassed yrer

roy rroddns rreqt passartrnq pue sreruotsnr qrl.ry\ InJssaJf,ns ere^l waPI qrog 'Pale^Erl laqr qcrqrn uo urerl erues eqt preoge sellrqe^ rraqr dlqs ol uorrdo aqt uoluorupg pu?

otuorol uer.{\trq lwuduuuo) "tadng aqt uo sreruotsnr ptueuuuorsuerl prrilJo pue ue.r8 -ord peg-og-Jef s.Nf, 3o uorsuedxa uE sE,^.

no1-r.ltr/N-otnv 'qleor .lep8a: E preoqe esoql uegt rar{treJ paurlf,ar terlt stser 3e1 papuarxa sters ra8rey parnreal r{reoc ultufaq ayt qtr.ryr

talalel papurur,,filecrurouofe rql roJ rg8rurar'o

ro srnorl rq8r/ep Surrnp Jaqlre uorleporu -ruoffE elqEProJE ra,t algerro3uro) aJour E s3 pasrlaq 'arr^Jes ptueunuoJsuert ur stdaluor

€-86921'oN uollcailoJ efleq NC 'wnesnlg t$o1our4ca1 pue eluelJs epeue7'olotqd yX

'8/6I

eunf u; ftpueue

sil.ll p0nulluocstp

vl['letuaunuoc .radng s,p3 eq1 uo

uoluorupl pue 0lu0l0l u00/r

l3q

peroJJo

acl^res n0 -tllM-olnv

ro; pelureder

eq1

srecxoq elrq0u0ue lqFlo to ouo

A mishmash of CN and VIA colors appears on

the diverse selection of coach and sleePin$-car

equipment on the Super Continental during the afternoon

ofJuly 5, 1978, near Jasper, Alberta.

Note the Sceneramic

dome 10 cars back from the locomotives. John C. Eenson

were intended to bottom out by 1974, but instead the amount increased threefold, by 1976 comprising 68 percent of all government funding to the railways. Litde incentive existed for the railways to ameliorate the disposition of passenger services under the costing order of the subsidy arrangement, as theywere prwented

from receiving any additional funding for unprofitable passenger and freight routes until their claim for loss surpassed the

50

amount of subsidy they were receiving. A variety of factors, including inflation, rising fuel costs, and internal efforts by the railways to discourage ridership led to cost overruns beyond existing subsidy levels far sooner than government had anticipated. Under these

conditions, the cost to subsidize the network quickiy spiraled out ofcontrol. Regardless of efforts to remedy the passenger train problem, and despite federal

Ig

'uor]3E a^rsrfeP

e{et ot r{teol peurcureJ luauJuralo8 'sunrra,lo lprsqns Suluyagrnua^o prt^rol uonerlsnu Sur,uor8 arrdseq 'Jetteru le,tlrer E selr\ urJI -gord aqr reqt pauretureru pue sassol errlres

tuar;ad 97 Surureruar aqr 3un -raryo ur patsaJJlurun pJureurer luauurano8

re8uassed go

preqrl Sulura,ro8 aqr

pue patelnlpcsru llaros se,{a uourrpard srql 'sanualal arrlJas .ra8uassed ur sassol cnualsls eqr Jttr^olle lyarerulrp ppo,/v\ uonezrprsgns Jo

d8olopoqrau eq] pu" ((rrurouoraun aruoreg plno,/$, surer] aruos l1uo,, teql palarleq VJN L96I eqt3o stuauodord ruaurura,toD 'Ieelq

llpnba

sE^\ >lro^\leu ra8uassed pel?rreura

'.If, ]V 'serr^Jrs

ra8uassed uo .real rad srelop uorTlrur lera^es 'af,uetsTss? lprsqns

uonualuof,Jo lurod e Sunuocaq 'uorssruJuJoJ

srr roJ uonEnrrs [ErJuEuU eqr

'sseler{tJe eN 'zhre4

uosrrgdrery ar{t Jo alEJ aqr ur llrra.rlp

JoJ

^AaU

8ulso1 IIns

se,4a

Nf, eql

d:lsnpur lemlrer agr qll,{\ UoDfEralur ]uaruuralo8 ur aSueqo

8un:a;ga lnoge lred

se

tas alEPuEru

uorlr3]3 s,]Errqrl er{r Jo

pue s,(e,ll'lrer aql pan8eld t?ql senssr er{t ur tserrtur

a]qeraprsuoJ >loo1 puerpJery'relsruru trodsuen s? puer{lrEll{

ueaf 1o tuerururodde

aqt qlr^\ epeur3 t.rodsue:1 q8norgr

rda.trs a8uegc Jo spurn

'rL6I ur tuauruJe,ro8 ltrrofetu

Suorls e qtr^\ slereqrT eqr Jo uonrrlerr aqr

3ur,no11o

SEHFII g3-LdVT{3

,

::=:: ' :

=:.:: 't-,:,',:-;.,,,:a1.

9S

uo\reilox loqlnv'066tr oc!^los u! pauleuel ed^l sil.ll lo lec qcel '996tr ul peou oolne^ llN eql uoll lllun vl^ lo ouo se aFBluaq sI elleq lee eFeFFeq eql pulqeq ladeels

uorlrsrnbce rleql Ful^ olloJ NC oql

Iq poueu-os

sJec Fuldeals ssuos-.,a^,U e^U

stll uo s/r^opul/r^ popuno, ot|I 'uolsl4pqns eleS s,Nc orlt to (9tz Joloruolll) ollur le qce4 dc 0] ro^o r.lclr/r^s llr/r^ tzgg 'oN 6dl 'oN 6dl rpunos tue4 ;o dols yau rleql te Fulnpe ol loyd lsnf '6/6I '6tr requeldeg uo puoleq pue itunqpng

I'9tI

pue '0zgg '0N pre/v\ol

g6l 'trt99

/eluau4uoX rcdng eql speol slrun

I

lreu VIA to los V-g-V ue 'orrelug 'oFeqse6 Jo u^ ol lleurs eql qFnorql pre^ quou sller aql 3ul{ld

-etrodsuert ra8uassrd ur tsaJJtur crlqnd, 'qcns

rolene;e u;erB

aql

sJarrrEf Sur,rr8 dq palras tsaq fsrrit] uorr

qNc eql lo 9'0I

rreqt

-lourord a[q1( tuop3eg lerrrauruor pasear]ur

pue uo|sr^rpqns sla^lu

-lno roJ Paeu rrlt Pro E Plno, a Paulaf,uof asoql IIE 'uonrnpar tsoc Jo lSore.rts e Sur8ernocua lq ieqt pe^arlrg pue trv uouel.rodsuera Puorl?N L96I eql raPun sassol PalEPuEru

uee,l\teg uortrtadruoo raJrpJ pu" re8uorls 8ur

relsuued 0ql lopun

-lsrxe eI{] Jo ,(uorlezrlEuorleJ,, r{1r.4 JJoru PUE uonetrodsuerr ;o srcadse pruarudola,rap 3qr PJuJeJuof sE,4 ur,4 PIEg (('sJerJJEf

uo'ssedreno IemqFlH

'ulnappg 'X uqo{yo suon€puarutuorar aqr lg pauoddns sertt uorrrsod slg 'uorreln8a-r rq8rr

'aurof, ol sreal aqr ur eteurruop ppo.,lr teqr tdaruoc B 'aurrt ra,r.o tuatsls 8ur

s,//f pol '966tr 'tr7 reque1deg uo

iedruurl4 ur le^ile

'u'e

e;ru

0t:/

1e

eq ssed

e roJ

orull

r{1r.&\ ssal

sV 'stueruela a,nDrladuor Suorts qtr,4 aJnlEuJ e8rel pue lq serw ruersls ra8uassed IrEr aql teql (cr1od uortrlrodsuert uo PaPnPuor ul,/y\plEg lroda.r e u1 'rrodsue.r;3o ,&rsrurry arp roJ lue

/@g uospng

oql pue t0$

'oN

l luvGdl vl^ ss uozilor.l eq1 peqceerq {lereq

seq uns

-rlnsuor unr epauv) rryJo

eq1:elsoddg

turpTsa-rd -rar-u.ro3

rrlo

sde,na.lrer

aqr ruor3 tuautuasat Jo aprl

luals ot Poro^eoPue oslE PUEr{rrEW ,,'arenbepe pu€ tuarl5Ja 'trrruouofe ueql

regttr tuerluJa pu€ elqeunba 'a1qrssarcr,, Sureg se sartrrorrd slr paurltno eq 'r{rns sE

pue ,,af,rlJas uoddns

aztrssed E sE

uer{l rer{teJ

lc4od puorreu Jo tuournJtsur,, uE se uorteuod -suert ra8uassed pa,rar,r. llerrrsqoq pueqlrery

Thanksgiving

In a speech to the House of Commons, Marchand suggested that CN and CP should

the policy made by the Ministry ofThansport and applied by the CTC. Right now, there

weekend, FPA-4

collaborate in a manner similar to the former

are many fields where

In anticipation of

No.

6773 is in charge

of a nine-car holiday consist carrying travelers from Montr6al to points west along the Corridor and Toronto on October 7,

t994.

Ronald J. Visockis,

author collection

pooling arrangement, to become commercially viable by combining their passenger services and facilities wherever feasible to improve services with minimum cost. Marchand also sought to redefine the role of the CTC with respect to the Ministry of Tiansport, believing that the purview of the CTC since its inception had far exceeded its original design. In order to affirm the chain of command for legislation and transportation policy in Canada, adjustments

it

is the CTC making the policy [and] not the department." Unfortunately for Marchand, his view of the dilemma was outdated and did not reflect that of the railways, which increasingly viewed the subsidy arrangement as a liability and

were necessary: "Transportation . . . is too big

growing financial burden. For this reason alone, the CN and CP never bothered to initiate coordination and neither invested a large amount of new capital in passenger trains. By 1975, government regulation of passenger rail service was almost inevitable. Marchand never would have the opportunity

to dispense with an organization such as the CTC, but we would like to see

to realize his ideas for railway reform as he was replaced by Otto Lang later the same year.

a business

L9

uolloailoJ Meluaile wol 'qulq slq eroJeq sqluoru Jnol-coqgn0 'le^roc

pue'oleluo'uolsFuly ueelloq'ssol ou oqtnt aql uo pue

''{xord

lecrur{col,, r{q slueted slq qilA VIA

uo dyl rene-lsr[ qroqpe oq] uorl e^sels

lep[

V

ra8uassed Surrerado or pare8rlgo pauleluar

Nl Jo lrerprsgns ro8uasstd ^\eu aqt 'le,nlper ra8rel ag1 3o ruauoduroc lreltcue ue ry 'vIAJo r{}rrq

er{l

paTeru lrelprsqns ra8uassed yrc.r atercdas e ol errlres ra8uassed Nf IIr Jo JeJsuEJl aql stasse

' r{Jn s ry .,'ltuouolne paluarlo-lgord,, p.rezr.r,or lerv'1rer eqt Urqs pue saJrlras alqergordun urelraf, Jo .(lsoc aql Japun urory rno t03,, sueoru e se suoTsrlrp Surrerado or Surf.rt Jo tsolJo dnor8 e olur srol

f-rerprsgns ro sraluef,

-cas Fuonerado 3o uorlezrleJtuarrp eqr st.ryr uonnlos srH 'ssol Fnueug Sulurersns ra,to sarrlras Surqsqoqe peJo^eJ ueapueg 'JC pue

sreilop uorTlruJ l€rales Jo ssol e perrodar 513 'gL6I trg lernper pau^\o-u./(orJ egl Jo rueu -8as lrazra uo lrrlrgetgordun jo rcafqns aqt paplrer llarerparuurr uaepueg 'ruaprsord st

ueepusg

traqou 'rc pellEtsur Nf, '21.6I uI lo ,{e14 ,{g NC

'aPEleP lxeu er{t orur il4.,l\

IIEU VIA parearr-aq-or-ral aql lrgJe plno.4A reqr ,ftrrogrne a,nrteysr8al Ja^o sa188nrrs ;o serJes r ur Jeqlou? ouo lsure8e sarlnue JDEJf -nEarnq elqEPrurroJ o.r,rr ud ot se.&\ qrrq.,1 Jo llnser JrErperutur eql'uort:rpsr:n(30 uorsrlrp Epeu"O snonSrqur eqt or uortuaue ^\oJp rrodsur:; pue f,If, arlt Jo uonf,Eratur aqt uo st uetu uJor s(puer{)rery'llareunrrogun'rbrrep puorrezrue8ro Surpr,to;d ur uaaq a,neq rq8rur Jo ssalpreSar 'Pauorsr^ue aq

1r a^rlf,aJJa .&\og

lerp tuetxe aqr or lruoqrne JJJJo uorrrrard -ralur s.puEr1fJEW uo petre ralau rrodsue;t 'VL\Jo uone

Jo sretsrurru ruanbesqns g8nogr

-arr ar{l roJ

srseq

aqt 'tred ur 'pauJoJ af,rlias

ra8uassed IrBr Jo >lro^ teu pazrleuoneu pue pareln8ar

t Jo uorsrl srH

'Epeu€J uI arllras

Ir€J uo ]cedurr Surrsel E per{ retsruru trod -su?rt se turts s Puer{rrew Jauq re^a {oH

Standing on the vestibule stairs of the only sleeping car on

train 58, a VIA/CN porter awaits passengers for the overnight run from Ottawa to Toronto. This E-series sleeping car was one of 52

built by Pullman for the CN in 1954, each named for Canadian

cities beginning with the letter E and located along CN lines. Canada Science

and TechnoloSy Museum, CN Image

Collection No. E3412

CTC rulings

To promote their new passenger sub-

under the 80 percent costing arrangement. The advantage of separation from its parent company, on paper at least, was CNt ability

sidiary the CN harkened back to its successful reimaging campaign of the early 1960s and chose a color scheme, name, and logo for its passenger equipment. The creation of the name and logo fell on CN's Public Relations Department and their design examples were based on a livery of old gold and sapphire blue, personally selected by Dr. Bandeen in tribute to the colors of his former fraterniry

services mandated by previous

demonstrate to the nation both the potential and the financial shortcomings of a subsidized passenger concept. During an interview in May 2006, Bandeen revealed that CN opted in late 1975 ro remodel their passenger subsidiary into a marketable, choice product for sale to consumers, taxpayers, and perhaps even the federal government, as CN had become fatigued with the perennial necessity of offsetting its 20 percent share of passenger losses and sought to obtain 100 percent compensation. Unless this were possible, the 1967 subsidy costing arrange' ment would continue into the next decade and CN would seek a means of completely

to

divesting itself of the passenger train problem once and for aII. Until then, they would give

it one final push.

Delta Upsilon. The PR department also selected the Latin word uia as a title for the new subsidiary because it worked well in either of Canada's two official languages. 'When combined with the namesake of the railway, uia provided the additional benefit of a marketing slogan that practically wrote itself Its meaning was described to employees in one of the first VIA/CN newsletters as something that "dramatizes the commitment

of [CN] to the rail

passenger business and

encompasses many improvements

in

passenger

69

teilsy seupuv

'u'e 0t:0tr

rou prp dlreelc lueuruJaloD 'azrplsgns ol os eJour uale puE alerado ol e.rtrsuadxa ararra. lr"r l"gr r'a.au1 3ue1 saf,rlJas ra8uassed

'u{eq arp

punore

uI

'af,rlJas ra8uassed IrEr roJ pue luauruJe

-,ro8 neepnra aqt qtoq ro3 Surqr poo8 e sez*

l?qt-suren

po1r1 lyaulnua8 3ue1

IuIE ouo

Fuel oPg lo Ae A fg

re 3ue1

Jr eas ot ernl Nf/vL\ aqr lno rsEf Pu? efIAJas A\eu eql alern8neur ol sE.1r^. pour?ural leql 1p ,,'8uro8 al,nol eraq,&\ nol ra8 or tno il"

q8norgr peurttsns rsaq .,fcualcrgns-Jles prf,Jau -urof,, Jo uoltepuaruuocar strodaa uy pleg

snq elqeh lleloreruruoc,, Jo uonntusqns eql

lslsuoc

auolue

guvt ssrd ot rrrror tou PFo.l( srqt ',firsnpur sng le.tlq8rg agr3o urr8eqo arp or IpnW (.'sacllras

le-oJluon ur a^ure pue lqFtu oql olu!

enulluoc

ll!/r4

rec-o^!J r0r.l pue

/099

'oN 6dl'ilotF 'ule/vr e

por

q uelpeueJ

eq1;o lueuFas

er{r roJ uoddns papnpur epua8e

sputqlr"W

'aJnual s8uel rapun uo peIJJEf, aq p[no^\ reqr seopr Suqurqr-pJe,{uo; pue o]g"r^

saf,rlras ra8uassed roJ sarprsgnsJo anssr aqr 8ur

Fugdo;alue 'orrelug

paultruoc

1e94uo111-finqpnS eql

'uopqoC reou uozlroq

eql

010q

quls

uns

^

reqolco eql se osolc e ol tu!/vtetp

I;p;nb

s! 286tr lo reuurns elqel(o[ue'Fuo; eq1

-.tordrur roj ueld s,puerprery q8nogr ua,rg

'arurl ur rsnf pue lolles E pEI{ uolrenlls lrrr ra8uassed aqt '8uraq eurn eql ro{ 'suoll -n1os algr8uel acncerd otul lnd pue luasa.rd pFol( sleraqrl neapnrl eqt'gL6I regruardag ur ratsruTur t:odsuert se 3ue1 Sunuroddt

'Surfrg

Suro8 ar.e16,, 'urSoys aqr

lq

serr,r

pa1 uSrcdruec

8ur

-la>lreru E Jo uonrppt aql qrllN 'punorSlceq enlg E rar'o paqdde pue sadrrts ,u.o1al 3o ras Jo Pue agr re paceld servr aSeur pautg ur^fv\l ?

-uror aqJ ..'Nf, [qns] VIA,, ruroJ ol lducs -qns ur urelqua IBuorr"N UEIPBUeJ elrq^{ 'lleurs ?

lq paurof sEA pue erueu VL\

aqr JoJ

PetEaJf, sEl1\ 'uoltElualro Jo ssalpreSa: alqr8al 'o3o1 molal pazl/rs V .,'NJ y1,,1 :oB ot lE^. eqt JoJ lldturs atrnb 'spuets Vlysalrluarup

t9

uorltzrpuoneu parep8ar go po8

srr

e

aIgf,E

ol

luauru.rar'o3 roJ Iool rcaSrad eql sEia Nf,Aill^ '3ur1 oa'auntroddo aJoru uaag e^Eg lou e8errreur aqt 'l1nsar e plnof, seapr o.d\r aqt 3o Nf,/VIA erll se 'pu€ paaorlgnd sern ruerSord

rage lproqs ,{-ra,r 513 paneruoo tuaruu;azto8 agr '3ut1 pu" ueaputg Jo stunoJre Ieuos -rad aqr uo pes"g 'pallefuof, lpuapuadapur

lnq luaJJnfuof, aJe/r\ ecI Jas raSuassed lrrr pezrleuontu rog ueld E alBInuJoJ ol erlsaP aI{I luaururar'o8 Pue

Nf,/vIAJo

uonEarf

ro3 3ur4oo1 sez'r,8ue1

aplp

aqr sa!\

srqr sdeqrad 1nf,co or se1ri seJIAJas ra8uessed IEuonEu 1e go uontp8a.r g1 ,ftreduroc ateredas

uo$lcll paJ'Icolc,o

-uo ue

r

se

uontrodrorul sll

sEA

ul le^ue aui4 r0l uolsr4pqns

'redord

trI le leglluol l

08W 9aC Fuole rnoq red (srelaurolll,g

ro3 plruarod aqt Suntarc

NJ tuo5 PerusrsrP ,(lazrrltrtsrulurpe

Pue,fierplsqns

"

w Paqsllge$a dpearP

ser*

qcrqm 'ldacuor Nf/VIA eqt qrl.&\ paseayd sern 3ue1'uorsr,np Suntrado ra8uassed peqslTgerse

repun uatsls uoltelrodsuerr per algteSeueur r;o rueudola ap al{r peal ol xog aqr aPrstno lurrp lpulnue8 or ayge se.irr'tlnsal E sE 'Pue sP

resu su!loroqs

;o ,furslul1A1 eqt Jo a8nqc 8ur4er raut uoos 'tuaururartoS FJePaJ aqr 3o lrqrqlsuodser agr

eql le uelpeuec oql

lyr'Lau rlagl rnoqe aroru peureel arl aleq^\ rE spIrUJo rpra teru 3ue1 'rrodsuerl

68) sollur 99 1o peeds

speot

pe4

palsod

tr//g'oN PVdl

VIA 'coq9n|'uospn;1

NJ

per{srTer sr reqr e8ueqo rcage ol uopaegJo Ia al e saprrrord lurouolne puorrerado qll \ uollEu -rqruof ur luaruureloSSo rroddns ilry aI{I

lelu0urluocsue4 (te1eulol;1-g99'7)

-raqrT neepnl aqr lq rarv.od qcns paruer8 selr 3w1 'tr lo(ua or q3noua ateuntJoJ asoqr lg

oql Fuole sy;1s

sulelunon ornlr0

elel

ule4 eql se Ieuno[

.ruaruura,roS

IErePaJ aql

lrqrqrsuodsal E sE sa3I Jas ra8uassed I-eJ ^pl^ ol suowu pazlplrlsnpul rofuur 3o rs4 agr urol rsEI rE Plno/vr ePeueJ:lollod Puon"uJo rallEru E ouof,aq peq rualqord ,(emller e st d1a1os reqrxl 'frlrua a18uls e qSnorqr

-0r0ru oqllo uleuol rc) selut

Jo

e1;u-ggg'7-ueql (sre1euol;1

0t ueq

sse; 'Fulutotu

-plu ,{g 'lseileoJq ero;eq uolFar

pe.{\\er^ af,uo

sB.lv\

'JalpuJs e a8euetu ot le.,rl, lsalsee aql 'ra,roaro141

qceor lllril pue'{e11e1 ro^!u erilello cluocs

Sefr/\jas raSuassed 3o ruersls Pazl[EuonBu

leildec leuo[eu eq]

oqt olu! pue pt0!r.ts ue!peuec 0H Jo

uopod urolseo ssorce Ipernb s1lor uelpeueC eq1 'lqFgup;tu punote

finqpng Uat FuneH

sE.lr\

'Jaleosttrl.4a

urog due uI enuDuof ol

eJe/v\

sulen ra8uassed jr Lressacau sP.1\^. sla)lr"lu PUE satnor Surlsrxa Jo uoll€zlpuolleu auos ]eql se,l,r sftnper eqf pue sIEItWo uodsuen Suoure snsuesuor praua8 aqr '3ue1 or Sutproccy 'Sur4rortr lou se ,\ regr onb sruels E earasard ol rapro ur spury cqqnd Surruaap daa>1 or qsu'r

As FPA-4 No. 6793

and maximize the rationalization of domestic

hold public hearings on the matter

with matched FPB-4s

passenger services. Bandeen was initially "shocked" by the expeditiousness of the gov-

develop plans to rationalize existing rail pas-

the dinner hour in

ernment's move to capitalize on VIA/CN, but was content with the idea for economic reasons. Although the subsidiary company

Moncton, New

was

elimination of duplicate services and some 2,000 route miles (3,219 kilometers), and operational and logistical consolidation. Naturally, the CP joined the negotiation procedures that had begun in earnest soon

6870 and 6871 quench their thirst for

fuel and water during

Brunswick, on August, 3, 1983, VIA

train 15, the Ocean, takes on passengers heading on to Miramichi, Bathurst, Campbellton, and other points west.

Alan Tillotson photo, author collection

still in development, CN was "delighted to get rid of it" so that they might focus on their more profitable freight services. Before the House of Commons on January 29, 1976, Lang announced plans for "a basic newvork ofinter ciry coast to coast and commuter services [in coordination] with air and bus services" based on the paradigm of the MacPherson Commission. A document tabled by Lang the same day titled "Directir : for the Guidanc'e of the Canadian Tiansport

Commission on Rail Passenger Services" provided amplifying instructions for the CTC to

62

and

senger services through subsidy reduction,

after the January announcement to Parliament.

To the displeasure of rail subsidy opponents and supporters alike, the talks that would eventually determine the salient attributes of \4A took place behind closed doors.

Pros and Cons In view of public demand for continuation of rail passenger service, both railways released statements that supported Lang's plan wholeheartedly, especially concerning elimination of

s9

uollceiloc loqlne'oJotld p/to1

'l

uoptoC'peddercs arom lle fge1eunyolu1"l

'Z86l'le

roqolcg uo ]ueueJller rleql BuU ollol

seef oml lsoule Jol sogJnJ oll l lseol le osnoq plno^ le.afluol l urvlolu^ op u! uollels le4ue3 qleeuropun Illlcel Fupruos popn4suoc Illetceds V '286I 'g I;nJ uo sqmqns puelsl lso6 qleg4uol l Fuo;e s;ene4 oqlnty;A sgql'suru oc!^res onua^oJ lsel Joq Io ouo uO

L

1

*:..-'

a

1

e uo suorltraqrlaP Jo lsPnu eqr uJ 'lseloro

ot ssaf,ct rolrladtuoc l.returrd srr e,rr8 ppo,/v\ Itgl uonerado ue a,rordde ot pasngar laqr pue alqerdacJe se. a secroq) o^\l aqr Jo rau"l agr lluo 'd) eW roC 'uoueJodro3 u.Lror3 E sE u^\o slr uo JJo Perunqs Pu" $looq

auJof,ra^o Pu? ,.PeeqB IInq,, o1 PaunuJatap sPld

3ue1 rnq 'runJoJ crlqnd egl olur lemper ra8 -uassed pezrleuoneu EJo Eapr eqr NnJqr

ltrpp

-qns Oqr luauacunouuE IEpuJo aqr JauE Jo lproqs pepunoge N3/VIA Jo ursrrnrr3 '9L6I',92 gsrEW uo

srr ggo pedr.,r,r NI1y1A ernue aql patuE^\ NJ ,,'lrerprsqns NJ po5run,, e eq ot 111 pasod -ord llprrrur tueruurelo8 g8noqry 'y1n

tnqap pr)UJo slr roJ uorreredard ur pauueld s? panunuoo rdacuoc NC/VIA ar{r 'urroJ leuoneredo lEnluela str ialo SurlSurrrn aqr aldsap 'apqrntutatr {

yo ssecord uorlezrue8loar erlt ot se paar8e -srp tng serrlras alqergordun rroqr Jo IIe roJ

'real 8ul,'rolloJ erp Inun

IInJ

ul

sdr,Lr.pr: aqr

led ppoqs

tuaurura,r.oS

ar{r

atEIorA plno.,r lrelplsqns NJ e sE y1r1 Surdaal roJ lleteunrrog 'uoneurroJur lrerarrdord

aqt reqr uorurdo aues aqt Jo era,tl df pu?

luedruoc u^\o slr s€ VIA 3o uonerod:ooul egt Surleyap 'serlrlrqrssod ragto eunuexa or ParJoJ se.,tl. 3ut1 pue rotrraduof Pau,^ o -u/l'or3 rregr peura^o8 tegr uorrelsr8al aqr

N) er{I 'adeqs e>ler plno,rl' eJrAJas ,la.au aql leztr aqr Je o speaqJeSSol rt ararn luaruu.rar'o8 pue sleltlre.l rgt ta^e^\og 'a1get Surteno8au 'saurl uolloq a,rrtcadsar PuE sacr^ras lrlrolrd a,rr8 ot sarrl-ras euJos

llf

rv

rgSlarj rrerp ot

The cover of a CN

condensed timetable issued for 1967, the year of Canada's

centennial and the World Erposition in Montr6al. Author

collection

rationalized rail passenger network, the CTC commissioned a paper from the Institute for Guided Ground Transport on the pricing and subsidy ofair and rail passenger transportation. Although the report concurred that the level of rail subsidies was both uncontrolled and generally ineffective, it argued that "conversion from an 807o to a

i00% subsidy will only exacerbate [the problem]," and favored the benefits of other forms of transportation, arguing that "in contrast, the air subsidy program, while growing, appears to be fmore] effective with regards to patronage and quality ofservice." Both the airlines and the highway bus industry took notice but bided their time on commentrng. FormerThansport Minister and CTC President Jack Pickersgill was horrified by the government decision to involve itself in VIA and believed that the entire rail passenger system should be dismantled. Distaste for the Lang

proposal for a nationalized passenger service was shared by Buck Crump. Pointing unsuccessfi.rl attempt

to CP's

to revitalize its passenger

in the late 1950s, Crump scoffed at the VIA/CN concept and stated that "there isn't a damn thing new about what Lang talked about and it won't work . . because Canada's obsession with rail Passenger service continues to ignore basic economic truths of

business

the transportation business." Crump believed that potential for economically viable Passenger rail services existed only in the Qudbec Ciry-\Vindsor Corridor. The year 1976 aJso saw the formation of a public interest group that was almost entirely pro-passenger rail. Tiansport 2000 Canada, a

nonprofit organization, came together as the result of a new direction in federal passenger policy and would act as a voice of support' clariry and reason throughout the creation of VIA as a Crown Corporation and into the next millennium.

Flirting with High-Speed Rail During the creation of VIAJCN, high-speed passenger rail was often suggested as a possi-

ble means of competing with airlines and intercity buses. High-speed rail was a key component of the negotiations that led to VlA, and Otto Lang formally announced the government's intention to equip VIA with efficient high-speed trains. The available

s9

u 0 tlxol loo 1s0 lt[/ ooc' g L6l 'ttr requ0^0N u0 lcolspooM )eau lL elxl Nc se slec odwaf euUl peol Zhl qceoc pue IAI s^t]oruocol CH ed/qolold 'eruleg pue oluolol ueo^ ]0q oleluo uloqlnos ut uotlenle^o s1 Fu;nuguo3

ot (rossaff,ns Ientuele s,uop;o3) uellrrylery ueurroN pup uopro3 pleqoq qroq Surpens -rad ur pepaerlns aH 'otuoroJ pue IeortuolAJ uaa.{\teq senuelar aldrrr or prruarod str lq pate,rrldec se,u, eler8elag'uortrrodro3 UErl -rIV petrull eqr lq ruarudola,r.op rrpun urtrl para-,trod-aurqrnr se8'peure:3-runururnle '3un1s-,ra.oy E tnoq? Surureal uodl f:essacau s?,&\ rlnPaqfs relsBJ ua^e uE lBrlt pe^arlaq arr.er8elaq 's1eo8 parets Jrogt tauJ salr^Jes

lpld?V q8noqrly 'e961 uI surcn optday ,uortrng Jo uorlcnpoJtur Jqt grr,u Surtrers or rq8norq arter8elaq teqt arrlres ra8uassed

ur suonelouur agt ot lpce;rp p3frrt aq uer sanualeJ pue drqs.raprr Sur,r.ordrur Jo su€auJ roprrro3 rr{t ur surert ra8uassBd relseJ Jo

?

sB

uonecrldde apcs-a8re1 erIJ 'uoproC pleuoq luaprsJrd-uaql rJpun Nf rqr .ro3 ruarurredap suorterado ra8uassed arp pa8eueru a,rer8eleg errard uaq,{\ s0g6l-pFu 0q1 ot >ltEq elEp sefr

- res urert -ra8uasszd

dn paads or srdrualty

'VlA

roJ ruarudrnba

paads-q8rq tsag aqt pu5 or peuruexa l11ny -erer aq plno,{\ parroddns dJ rer{t urrSord

luaudola,rap pu? rllreasar Suro8uo ue pue paruarualdurr lpearp per1 Nf lSolouqoar

The anival of LRC

units in 1981 provided VIA with an alternative to leasing MRE-18 road units from the CN to provide Head End Power (HEP) to their

Iempo fleet. Coo/West collection

support bringing this new design, called TurboTiain, to the CN before 1967, just in time for Canada's Centennial and the World Exposition to be held in Montrdal the same year. Other CN vice presidents did not share the passion that Delagrave brought to the Turbo project, and the initiative suffered from administrative discord and subsequent delay. Delagrave resigned in protest in December 1965, citing fellow executives' Iip service to his fervent belief that Turbo would ultimately succeed in the revitalization of rail passenger services. Turbo would eventually make it onto the rails of the CN, though not for another three years; too late for the Expo and the Centennial.

66

Five seven-car TurboTiain sets were built

by the Montreal Locomotive \forks (ML\7) under contract to United Aircraft Corporation of Canada and leased to CN. Finally introduced on December 12, 1968, the inaugural

run was an embarrassing failure. Its passenger complement loaded with media personnel, the westboun

d

Turbo had an argument

with

a

meat truck over the contested space of a level crossing near Kingston, Ontario, and the col-

lision was caught on film by a photographer from the London Free Press riding in the rear dome car. As though this public relations nightmare was not disastrous enough, Turbo was incessantly fraught with breakdowns and mechanical problems during its initial years of

L9

uollcolloc

$ela/ooc'ooJ 'H

Ieg lo

il

'uols!^lpqns

uore;1 qdC oql

(Llt

relauol;1)

8'ZZ ollur le louunl q8norql sessed

1u161

'uPlpeueJ oql'z

'oN

uge4'sropalep ep;;s

{q reqlo

orll uo pue ropedng

elet ,{lqFIu

eql Iq

eprs euo uo perepro8

'I86I ul VIA o1 ^re^ITeP Ientua a srr qSnorqt eru8rsur sJerprcqruog rapun penunuoc ure.rSord CUf eqt put ret"l sqtuour o \r INTW go uortrsrnbre slr ezrleug PIno{\ rerPreqruog 'nag odutal s,NJ aql qllna f,UT aqr 3o lrrpqrradoralur aurruratap ol 'ouEluo 'eruJES pu? otuoJoJ uae,!\leg 9161 kentqe{ ur paf,uaruruof, slprrr rusauop 'perrurl rerpreqruog putrurv 'f rorrns pue IN'IIAI uaa-/rAlag suorlrrloSau Je^oe>lEl elBJ -odroc rsprurv'Euag[V'uotuorupg pue tr:e8 -[eJ ueea]ag roPrrJof erF uo unJ JarJg e PUE lse^lprry 'S'n or{r q8norqr rnot E pepnpur

osp Bal urnter

eql 'rnoq rad (srarauolll

691) selrur 9'86 Jo paads a8erarre uE lE satn pue srnoq 11 ur (uaraurolnrgL'I)

-ulu 0I

selrur 960l)Erl E ras addtotord aqr pue suonelcadxa pepeelxe drrrpunor (raraurolq -g9Z'lI) ellur-000'7. su rnoq8norql JUT ar{r Jo a?ueuro;rad er{J 'operoloJ ltru aql 'laals pue serJPunoc uoruruoc Pu" Palrur-I "PEu?J u€o[V qtr^ uoucunfuoc ul rcnpord yer paads -q8rq puocas Jo uorlf,nrlsuo) pue tueru " ul pa^lolur osle sei 1XflW '286I ul luauraJllar -do1ar.ap aqt

slr

llun

os PaurElual ssal Jo eJoru PUE PeAoJ

-dul qonur se,u ltqlqellal pue acueuro3rad leuonerado slr 'a.rr3 e Surrnollog alq"arllJasun parapuar las urert euo Jo uondaoxa aqt grr^,\ 'PrrE roPrJro] ar{r uI >PEq sellA 0qffiJ re^e \oq trg'rol?ePua orreuraygord dlSunuaas

'rL6I

E rlf,ns uo

lauoru cqqnd go amlpuadxa s 1q3

reao lsra,ro.rluor Jo rurols arp or Surppe 'pazrc

-llqnd ile,,la se^r uoudnrrarur errlres lqr8ual qreg 'satun rnoJ suonto5lporu pur srrcdar ouar sEA taalt alnue arp pue uonerado roJ pa

!. -D-E

A 1976 V|A/CN brochure promotes TurboTrain services

and amenities. Jason Shron collection

-Gl--a

Thus, our story retulns to rhe 1976 nt of Otto Larrg't inreution to furnish \4A wirh high-speed trains. Debate on

utilized on the Twrbo and LRC was designe d to o\rercome some of these issues, spe cificallv curvature and ride, the railrva,vs lacked the

which program the government n.ould champion domirrared the negotiations ri'irh regard ro VIA's routing and equipme nr con.iderarions. Realisticalll. both pro.jecr: uere nothing more than an insincere flirratior-r br- the government and the lailx'ar.s ri'ith rhe medium

significaur fiuancial support aud commiLment from all levels of government to efTect the changes necessary for a bona fide high-

annouuceme

"^*]'"'."^nl: "'- mrinrirr ^F hioh-.."",J rril h".r',." rhe Tut ,-^-t-^_^ .L^l^,._ Llrr r bo's 1s11 gs f slu.ee u LrdLAdSl arvr15 Monrreal and Toronro \\'a5 joinred. contained sharp curre.. and rias fraughr uith l",,el rrnssinos ,l] ..'.rnn,-] rrrire hioh*'' - tn '.- ^-'b' """"^5"' speed operarious. Although Lhe rechnologr

68

speed service, including the removal of all level 61-65.irrgs. straightening oF

rhe light-of-r, ar:

proprietary trackage for passenger ser:vices, and pe

rhaps even electrification.

To its merit,

TurboThain had indeed

overcome the numerous mechanical ar-rd operarional hurdles from which it suffered and rvas finally coming into its orvn. Even so, the LRC program was favored as the program

69

gT-EZ€t1 'oN uollcolto1

a|eq

NC'wnesnry trFopuqcet pue oeue,rs epeueJ'anlq

se^ leog oql lo lseJ oql lol Joloc fueugd eql :ouaqcs roloc lueuluop-ivrolleI e a^recer ol lueudlnbe y;1 fi;uo eql se/vl oqtnl eq1 '{tentl sl! q uleqoqtn! eq1 1u;ed esnoqpunol eulpedg s,NC o$ le #els ecueuolureu 'fuegptsqns NC/VIA otlt lo qcunel eql Jol uolleledeld u1

eu ^

'urerr drqs8eg e roJ arerrdo:dde rauueur

eyt

ar{t uI rorreJ rueulruop aql

Nf/VlA

Plnoa Nf

E ur ut?.tJ0qtnJ 'rrqure8

OsEc. aoqs

Suloq pue 'lrrrncsgo otul pue roplrro) aql Jo tno IIor 939rord paads-q8rq rlel{r tel tou pFo./'r

NJ

'uos€ar lEr{l

roJ

'srela^?rl UEIPeUBJ

roJ uonnlos IrEr alqEr^ e se ul?"tJoq"tnJ eyt Jo ruaudola.r.ap aqt prelv\or urns ls?A E petselul

prq lagr raqraSol'srafedxet ro3 ,{xord lq NJ rog ruatudola,rap aleurltroJun ue 'lrl 'plr€

-snpur ruaudola,rap pue qfreesar puolteu aql ot san Suorts sll uo peseq VIA roJ erroq) Jo

ueq,\\

'gL6I

'ltru pFo,&\ ruaruura,to8 rr{1 ter{t ernsue ot prEMroJ looJ lsrq str rnd 513 'unt oqtnJ Sur4earg-profar eqt

8ur.uo11og

'ssaffns E se^\

vIA Jo uonfnPorlur aql 'lqnoP E rnorllrlN ..'P?OrlrEJ er.{l sn uarrrS eztetl r.uPIno/v\ JLI 'lg or ueru pepuarur peq po9 JI,, 'po>lreurar 'uolterodro3 Surtsecpeorg uErpEuEJ erp roJ slqJo auo JoJ rsrpurnol e

se sluaruu8rsse lsEI

unt oqtnJ rrrorsn{ srr{t prEoqE 'eod ep uELu lproq5

-ro51 'paeds profer slt 8ul1:ear rage

'rnoq rad (srarauroyul 8ur-ra88ers e pear

977) sayy

9'gV1

leldsrp rararuopaads aqr

'ouEluo '8rnqsrrrotr1 reeu lee.,rd -xrs aql q8norqr pateralaffe lllsea rstsuoc utarJoqrnJ JEr-auru rql sE suorsr^rlal eqr uo Sulptar ratauopaads eqr ot pan13 ararrr sala 1yy 'eluonp aqr uado ,ra.erqr uturdrqg uqof raaulSue erer{,&\ uorsrlrpqns uors8ur;1 er{t Jo

70I alrur rE uorlf,as

IreJ-PePIa,t\ aql o1

saqreordde aqr pessed reuerrorp lprogs pue

rnoq rad (srararuoyl gg1) sapur 96 3o

paads

Sursrnrc slr prrunsrr oq"tftJ aq1 'alll.l'>lrorg

le ]rurl prel aqr Surreay3

'rarauropeads

s,urert ar{t 3o a8erur tutrsuof e rstf,peoJg teqt uorsr^alel lrntrrrf,-Pasolr PrEoquo aql oas ot alqe llrrs eJe^\ laqr Surrnsua altqru rurod a8erurz' ayqrssod lseq aqt pug o] srreqr Ief paleld srsan8 tncro ot tnoq? eqt or Surppy -rsnur Jo uos e

sE^\ l?q,{\ Jo tuauJatrrxa

tr'66rt1'oN uoncailoc a7eq Nc 'wnesnW /tfo1out4ca1

pue eluetss epeuec 'pasodugedns sem

punorllceq

snourelunou otll pue 'caqgn| 'ounrg-19 reeu peqderloloqd

sel

lsrsuoc eq1 '{1;leer u; 'suregunoyl {1cog

aq1 qFnorql Ful;ener1

serr

ll

qFnoH se lool

ol epeu pue leueleu leuolloruord y|1[pee ur u00s ueuo se^

las uleJl rec-1qfia s;q1

ct\f

trN

CPRail

Systenr

Indicateur

Timetable Oclob€r 31 , 1 976 Apnl z3,1977

Indicateur g6n6ral

g€n€ral -

6r!rd$Padna

e[d.n

CPRail

Frc+ESr

31 octobre 197523 auril 1977

Canadi.n Canadl€n

HaHoMl Nad6at

31

23

Csnadian Pacilic C€nadien Pacilque

€tobre 1976avil 1977

C€@dlan Naifonal Canadien Netional

in

The October 31,

bolstered by a change

1976, timetable was

echoed governmental commitment to VWCN. One of MA"/CNt first ads summed

the first to include scheduling

information on both VIA/CN and CP Rail passenger services. Author collection

scheduling, CN

up their approach to passenger services for the remainder of the year: "More trains where trains make sense, more service where it

makes sense and fair fares everywhere; because at CN, the passenger business is alive and well."

Furthering the Cause Although continuing negotiations on the final direction of the VIA/CN subsidiary would not gel until early 1977, the CN chose not to stand idly by during this long transition process. Rolling stock was painted in the new blue and yellow livery as it rotated

through general maintenance cycles. Some cars w€re selected for refurbishment and would be part of an eight-car promotional

74

train that toured the country to showcase the new image. CPt Stephen Morris amusingly

refuted

CN

President Robert Bandeent remark that the equipment of both railways would wear the blue and yellow color scheme once consolidated into a single fleet. In an

interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Morris lamented that Bandeen jumped the gun because "blue and yellow would look'hellish on CP Rail's sleek stainless steel trains." Undaunted, VIAiCN also published its first

SL

Jo auo 'rf,v ^e^\lreu eql Jo I I uorlfes afuEPJoc3E ur roleredo IrEr

pgel aql

srnoq

VL\

8t

I

r{1I1(

sselJ BJo snlEls

e^r8 or paau elp roJ pan8re rarel

pesealer psodord puoras

V

(('aJI JeS JeSUaSS?d Ir?r Jo uorsr^ord aqr or spre8ar qrl^{ rueruura VL\ rer{r

-r.o8 ol ayqrsuodsar,, ureruer plnoqs

pur -ra8uassed unJ or uone8qgo l:ot ,.sureJl -ntels,, rreqtJo Jo Nf, Sur8reqcsrp uI tlnseJ

df

rou ppoqs y1r1 dola,rap ol rrogr Surnunuoc erp ltqt papuauruorar psodord slI{J 'll"d

VL\ epn arp rapun raqrea sftp ZI Nf, eqljo lrelplsqns FIrlJJo ue auroreg peg qf,Iq/v\ 'uon -erodroc ra8uassed .{eznyer s NJ pauraluoc Jo rsru aql 'rEJ snqt ruerSord uort -u puoneu or{r urqrl \ sruaudolaztap uo paseq

asar{r

spsodord purroJJo

salJes E

uo 9L6l Jo slpuoul

(JJJ Sururru aqr q8norqr >lJo re prtg aJa ^' ^ aqr qtr^t 3uo1e 'sareulprogns slq pue 3ut1 ul >lltg ouo Jatsrurry uodstrerl'? ^ElO ralof erp uo paleldslp dpnord lrar'q rrmu agr ur ux?"tJoqtnJ

e 3o

a8eul eql gll/v\ alqeraun

*J,-: 'r nv uon ailoc toqlne 'o\otld ptron 3 uoqoc 'uolsr^lpqns 08lN s,dc 0rll r0^o erils$o 0l

Fo^ tulnuluoc eroloq sleFuesspd ule4uo

0l leiloc lo qJnqns oql le tegfluoll to puelsl aqt uo dols puocos sl! oleu ll!/r4 uelpeueJ oql'tr 'oN

ulefl vl^'lseoc culced oql ol ,{ouno[

sI

olu! sellu ilel e lsnr

0nce the eastbound consist of the Canadian is backed alongside the

platform at VIA's

the earliest documents to urge the formation of this new railway into its own Crown Corporation. \fith the exception of the latter, the most cogent elements of these proposals were acted upon and legislated with the

Vancouver station,

insertion of a clause into the 1977 federa,l

train staff make final

budget that appropriated only a single Canadian dollar. This clause, recorded as Transport Vote 52nd, was approved in Parliament without debate on March 29, 1977, and by government's own reckoning, was a means of "backdoor entry into public enterprise" that avoided the necessity for the "introduction

preparations for an August 1990

departure. In order to assist passengers in

finding their accommodations, the conductor arranges

the line numbers to denote the order of each car on the train. Coo/West collection

76

into Parliament of a constituent Act for \4A." This legislative technique, while expeditious for polirymakers, had a lasting negative effect on VIA by establishing it as a Class 1 railway without full articulation of its role and structure. Lacking an act of government

penaining directly to VIA, the new organization had no real mandate per se and as a result was further exposed than

CN

ever was

to the politicized environment inherent in government and worse, to the whims of the r.,,1i-uIrrS yar ^^.-,r/.

lnheritance Until this point, VIA Rail's organizational chart consisted of a notional chairman, a president, and some allocated office space. This began to change in March 1977 when

VIA began hiring and transferring necessary personnel from CN's former passenger department to its yet unpopulated management and administrative departments. Concurrent with his presidency of the Canadian National, Bandeen had already assumed the role of VIAs first chairman and subsequendy

LL

prcdoel utlof

't661'Lz

rfieruqeg uo peoqe

c!#e4 pun0qlso/t^ s! orsql aleclpu! possed 1snI ereq '0N

urerl pue

ztrt9

z-Hdott lPtll qqtll Icolq

Jo ]as

oql uo

uollcarlp Fu;soddo eq1 ut leuigs ,,teolc,,

otll

A CN conductor

watches carefully from

the platform of van No.

79907 as VIA

LRC-2 No. 6916

glides past after its meet with CN freight Advance

422 near

appointed J. Frank Roberts, who was previously CN's general manager of passenger sales and services, as the first president and CEO of \{IA. Garth Campbell also made his way over to the VIA Rail execurive ranks as vice president of sales and marketing. Before the end of the month, all key officers were appointed and the marketing department

Acton, Ontario, on

was fi.rlly staffed; what began as a promotional

April 23, 1988.

idea was quickly evolving into a genuine passenger company in its own right. By the end of March, coinciding with the cessation of CN and CP's marketing campaigns for their own passenger services,

Andreas Kellar

VIA had acquired all of CN's passenger equipment and as of June I was fully responsible for the management of passenger services formerly handled by its big brother. In anticipation of assuming responsibility for the

provision of joint passenger service, VIA

7A

published the first VIA./CN-VIAJCP timetable

in advance of this date. It contained a list of each railways passenger schedules distinguish-

able by colored tabs along the top of each

VIA/CN and red for VIA/CP Rail, a practice that continued corresponding page: blue for

until the following

year.

Back at the Negotiating Table Negotiations between the government and

what now were three railways conrinued with a reasonable amount of progress. Internal government memoranda showed that it would be easier for Parliamsnl-fe1 accountability and legal concerns, such as the 1955 CNR Act-if VIA were an independent Crown Corporation. Separation from the Canadian National was essential to achieve this status and would serve

to simplify the relationship bet'*'een CN and \{tA

6L

3qr JoJ suortdo aldrcurrd aqr uo preog lrns -eera aqr or troda-r srr u1 leru'1rer ra8uassed f\au er{l 3o ruaurdola^aP eqr uI sraPloqa{e]s aureraq pue Iauuosrad lernlrer 3o raloldtua onut ap t sE VL\ rttes saaloldule acr,rtas ra8 -uassed IrEJ pazluolun

e aurof,aq PeePul

'uolterodro3 uI\oJJ

PIno,&\

vIA lElil

Paulu

-ralaP lueluura,rog erp aloJag ua^a 'sls"g e^nrelJe-rsor E uo pue attrrdo-rddt araqzrr

fnquepuetg pr e0 'vl^ 0l plos ueq^ 0u!l rolnuuoc pneF;g-1e94uoyr1

q6g uo lood

lluo pa,rordwr pue pazIIEuoItEr utqt ral{ter ru.rar 3uo1 eql ralo paputdxa pue pa,r.ordurr aq ppold ecrlres raSuassed ]Ier tEI{t suollel -cadxa cllqnd Sursrer3o rceSya parcadxeun aql per{ uonoruord ruanbesqns sll pue delrprr

I ssel] E se vIAJo rueurqsrlg"rsa eql 'sle.,'t1rer agt pue VL\ uae.e\laq sluauaar8t lenlrerluof, Jo uorrera3tlord NJ Ipoq tuo5 eql Suntl^elle

'll"d dl

puB

papnllur pue spsodord snor,rard earqt aql parerodrocul qrlqa ,,', VIA,, 'psodord pug eqr ro^EJ ur patcafar osl? se^4. uorrsaSSns 'slt-a,r1leJ al{r qll^\ s}rerluoc q8norgr

Jnol ouo sefi 690t l0 zdl 'Ic!^{suil8

slesse efTlras :a8uasstd IIEJo uoltlsrnbce agr

e^llour 0rll u! sllun

'oN

mep 'uqoJ lugeg roJ

uollels rospulM

q1e94u0141

yedep

srql

paqslldurocce

aq plnor\

slasse

Jo

esn

'Sunalreru 'Sutuueyd apnllul ot spsodord o,t.rl snorlard aqr papuedxa ,,E y1n,,

v

rqt pue surun Jo uonerado aqr (lpuolrlppy 'yauuosred errlras ra8uasstd Surloldrua pue

qclllced uelpeuec

ol iloqe 'cllue\V eq1 dn

seletu

lslsuoc rec-rnol

IrEr Jo

'af,IAJas raBuasstd

lil1lgel,t aqr Sutrsar ol lueurllurluor

prrred e .{1uo rse88ns rq8rur uotteluauraldrur Jraqr IEI{r lrt,lt serrt tuaururarro8 esnesaq parca(ar ara-& qrog 'Pua eqt uI 'serllras 3o Surtalreur eqt epnllul ol papuedxa ':s.rg eql sE auI?s eql set]^ ,,2 vIA,, af PUE N:)

lf?Jtuof luaruurar.oS

JOJ

aovtras .ra8uassed IIEr Jo uorsr,r.ord aqt

lq

E

Jolluour PuE alErl

-o8au ot dnor8.{rosl,lpe pu" Suruueld lprus E eruof,aq plnogs VIA t"ql parsa8Sns '(acr -Aras sselr-rsrg lep-ruasard s.peg VIA qtli pasnJuor aq or rou) ,,I VIA,, 'rsru eql

'uotterodro3

u, aoJ3

E sE uorl"ruarJo IEuu aqr roJ lsEI aI{] VIA Jo rarear8 e 8uusa88ns qrea rllL\\ uBql ^\arlrnd parenperS atew ,,'rz y1n,, q8noqr ..I VIA,, palaqel 'spsodord rnoJ aI{I 'uorterod.ro3 u,{ror) 3 sE PrqslTq"lse eg lI PFogs 'VIA Jo ruaurdola,rap eqr ot perepr lpoarlp spsodord aqr Joaral{r uoD?ulqluof rnoJ PalqEr fI) t fo 'slsof uI aseaJfep 'anua^eJ uI aseaJful uE g8norqr tlluap requnJ Surpror'e Jo uolluetul aq] qulN 'sarllres ra8uassed IIer Jo uoltezlP -rsqns atalduror eqr or peal l1alt rsou pFo,^a salnenrur dorlod treny.et 9L6I l:qto Pue

VIA Jo uolleerf aqr teqt aulurJaleP dgcrnb ol fJf, aql Pal 'rllreasar u,^ao sll q1I.4 Peulq -ruor 'srunroJ asaqr rE paragre8 uorleurroJul 'sacrlres ra8uassed IIer uerpeueJ Jo arnrnJ

Il"ra^o eql uo rrodar s,3ut1 ouo or asuodsar ur eprauolleu ploq s8urreaq crlqnd str aI{I qtr.Lr ssarSo:d Surletu osls sB.& llf 'peroelas lla,trtetuat s".^ lrtru 1961?upnp g3e' rasuasstd ur c

""r'rX:f;:'.#::Tl^"

sapelap o,/dt ralo afIAJes ra8uassed IIeJ ruou PeJnseau sll Jo esnEfeg'ra^a,ry\oH

IE,AaErPqlr.

'lle1 dl lq uorllrur gtg jo ure8 prcueug

e parrodar ales luaurdrnba aqr Jo uoll€rllr -uo)rr sraururruo3 trodsue;l lreU fIf, eqr 'fpcarrp aJoW 'stsor uoDerado pu" af,ueuel -ureuJ ur s8urles ruecgru8rs e paplar.{ sJatsor

lraql ruou srEf esaql Jo IE^ouar

Nl

roJ rgord roerrpur

sE

dJ

uE prrEartr IIEU

Pue

VIA ol aI{I

ruarudrnba sII{r Jo drgsraurtto Jo reJsu"Jr 'ruarudrnba

pa8e srqr Jo eles aqr uorg lpcar -rpur pue lpcarrp pargord sler't1ler ar{l tnq

eqt, pu€ ruerudrnbe odrua1 NJ-xa arp urou aprsV 'luerudrnba parenbrrut go luoluerllar

Jo uoncallor rellErus qfnuJ E PIos dJ 'luaru -drnba pareler ur uonrnper ruanbasqns pue

'srca.f, 97 papaarxe reeg rer re8uasstd pateru -r8purc srgr Jo e8e a8era,te egt 'uralJzqmJ

llcrlqnd srl plp uEI{r VIA ot 1rot,

i.tr11o,

Canying a set of kerosene markers on

the rear of a two-car set of Budd cars, VIA RDC-9 No, 6005

takes on passengers

at CP's West Toronto station, The 6005 was one of seven CN had purchased from the Boston & Maine in

1965. The lack of cab windows beside the diaphragms is a feature that denotes

this unit as

a

passenger-only RDC-9, CooltVest

collection

l

the latter fate. The few hearyrveights that survived the torch were pressed into auxiliary service as accommodation cars for

concerns with the rest of

fie \{IA fleet.

scrapped, the greater part of this rolling stock

Although somewhat threadbare on the interior after a decade of inattention, VIAs premier acquisition from CP was their inventory of 169 cars built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia for the 1955 Canadian.Initially, ex-CP equipment was overshadowed by the large quantity of ex-CN rolling stock on VIA Railt roster. However, by the end of the

to \ftA. The lightweight equipment that was ultimately purchased from the CP comprised a group of 15 2200-series coaches and 13 baggage cars from the 2400 and 2700 series, but these would be retired within two years due to

next decade, the corrosion-resistant properties of the stainless-steel Budd equipment had outlasted its counterparts of CN heritage. Equipment made available for new ownership by CN would form the dominant share of VIA Rail's rolling stock, reflecting the

maintenance - of -way perso nnel. CP's complement of smooth-sided light-

weight passenger cars fared better than their hearyweight cousins. \7ith the exception of rhe 14 Groue series and the four ex-NYC Dale

series 10-5 sleepers was included

88

financial constraints and compatibility

in the

that were sold

sales quote

and

68

lEqJ 'Jal{lll^rs PEor 8I-SU sll Jo uolsra^ lrun gel e PatrnPorrul DIrolN e^IlouJofoT 'snorJIdsnE ssal ou IEertuol\ eqr '8E61 uI se./r\ uollnqlJluo) Ja/r\od J^Ilolu s.NJ It,trper JLlt uo stlun { raqro lue uer4 ra8uo1 apeJep E efIA-Ias enuJAeJ uI PeuI€IueJ slrun eseql 'I RIV6dl uoneu8rsap ar{l qll.i!\ sgg61 .,(pee aqt ur Surrnlrgnueurar roJ s6dC

9I 3o uotroalas Oqr PUE sPrEPuels 6dC ol s/dc d)-xe Jo uolsre^uo) aql are,A qf,Il{,4 Jo eIqE]ou lsouJ er{l'sJJelEf eflAJJs llJI{l rnoq8norqr sarulr IEraAes sallloluolol Eseql '8E6I Pue Z96l uee./Y\laq PIInqar Plno.4a VIA sarJolrg UoISIAIC e^Ilow-orlJalg s,wD ur paJntf,EJnuEur'suottern8guoo llun-g puE -v r{rog uI s6dc Pu€ s/dc srolol^I IEre -uoD Jo uonrrllo) E rla,t po.rrnbre V1A sllun qel rselpJnls pue turle^ard tsour aq1 'EfrJaurv quoN ssorfs ruou suEJIrEl Jo uollErlruP" PUE uolluall? aqr .^ arp osle stlun a8tlut,r eql 'seulllseol uerpeue3 eerllr IIE ruo5 PuE ot sute.rl 8ut PFol pue ra.nrod a^IloruJo lels

pue.{emyer aqr,(q paseal dlprrlul era \ sauoP '1796I ul PEou ae>l ..f,rru"reuef s,, xls asar{I -nt,t.rlrlN aI{I ruou estq:rnd tuarudrnba ue ul peurtrqo pel{ Nf t?qt srer aurop gr8ual-11ni eql are^t VIA ol NJ tuoU ler't slt e>l€ru ol tuaurdrnba Sutlse.ratut ororu aql Suoury 'srer rrllrrs leatu PuE SururP ulrur(aq l7ceot Jo relsnltr e pu€ 'suon"rn8guoc

0I 'sle) SurdealsJo suolsral are:tdas ZI 'slt) a8uno1 ro/put qnllJo sadlr 91 'ol PalIurIT lou tnq 'PePnl)uI lualulJossB srI{J 'suollEr sE,&\

-n8guoc uorleporuuJocce3o sedlr ruaJeJIP 8€ Sursrrduroc srec ra8uassed 7g1 au:os;o arn35 arcBat1Be uE palar .{e,la.1rtr Pau,l.ro lP{qnd aqr ruo{ reJsueJr PUE aPs Jo sluaulnfoc 'se3l^res II"r ol gctordde e^rlf,e erou s,NJ

ra8uassed

-PEel uaos eq

-ureru aqr st,tn lrotsrq &.nr1ler Jo eruelllaqul srql (saJrlJas ra8uassed IIEJ Jo uorlezlPuolleu

eql rau"

aPef,aP E IJEI{]

arou ro{

'af,I^ras

anue^ar u?f,Irelrrv l{lroN ul PuPl sll Jo sleau rsa8rel el{r Jo euo uI Surtlnse: '.IIEU VIA ol strun g?) 0gI tsoruleJo eles Jlaql uI a8trrraq derrrlrer Jo ernseau e papr.tord sler't1rer

qrog

re^ od e^llol

l

'LL6l ur. psodsrp rlal{t plun prel qctoo SadruurlX ar{t uI paqstn8uel xrs

[v

's]run ,r,r,aul15 aq]Jo

Ie.4

"rPI{rL ^

3r{1 Pesn€r

rer aqr Jo rear ogt ]E trxa lcua8rarua ue 3o >lrEI

ra o ureluor uo pePunoJ s6161 dlrea aqr

ur uorsr)aP

llf

v'uparo xeJlleH-Ie?rruow saurlll

egl Jo Pua IIEI aql uo efl^ros ,^^Bs PUE -J€W aqr ur sleq snorueJ JoJ srtf, aIP PaIlrEu

NJ

'ruotuqslgrryer reUV 'VlAJo uotlderuor

eqr IDun tsEI tou prp dlereunlroJun l?ql srer uoltelrasgo-aBunol-radaals anbtun .,.,r,r.a1M1g,,

Jo terxas E PePnllul osF uollftsuBrl PEou ea{n€,4AIrw-NC aIiJ'l?luau4uo) "1a4ns )qt dpuanbar; arar't 3o 3a1 urarsa,\\ eql uo Pazr1lln

Gracefully navigating

the S curve near 0'Brien, 0ntario, RDC-2 No. 6205

and RDC-4 No. 6250 have almost reached

their destination of White River.Ontario, in the fading daylight

ofOctober

t[,t994.

The all-baggage 6250

is indeed a rarig,

the last remaining RDC-4 in revenue

service of 14 built for Canadian railways. John Leopard

t6

teilay seelpuv 'u0!s!^!pqns eleS s,Nc pue ra^!u uoc eql re^o lcnper^ qcuelS u0c s,l!eu d3 aql

sessorc lecol cou

Ic0la^eH-olu0loI

sql'986I

u! Eulue^o

,i;n1 e Fu;lnp

lcug

r{e|1e1

slloiyl

uoc eql

l0 raur03 lseaqlnos aql u0ll paMelA 'le9rluohl pue olu0lol qloq olul e3l^los

rolnuuoc lo uilol e paplnord selnpeqcs SSOtl/v\'SleC0l

CCU lele^as ele/v\

slnc e3r^ras 066tr aql

lo smrlcln

aq1

fiuotuy

snorr?AJo sernor Arsuap-q8H Pue -.tro] r{roq

uo sJCU pasn sorutdurol rql'aPEleP-PItu lq UaC aqr uo ,,s.raur1deq,, se parotuord pu" s0E6I dpea aqr uI ,,sreuIIIeU,, s" UNJ eqt uo arllres orur pa:e1d era,\\ SJCU 'sref elrloruolol E Jo tslsuol ]?uoIl ra8uassed pu?

-rp?rt ?

utqt

a,ttsuadxa ssol ag

ol ParaPIsuor

se,ln asn JIaI{t 'suorlern8guoc Surdrrec-a8e8 -8eq puz -;a8uasstd l?le^es uI Perol3o 'tlr?or palladord-31as t lldrurs st paqlnsrP sdeqra4 'stsoc Sutttrado acnpar ot sde,nlre; ro3 sueoLu ? s? s076I al?l eqt ur lueduo3 PPng aqr

dq pacnponur s?.{\ 'rer PPng ?

sE o1 Parro3al

lluorutuo:'(OAU) r?r IesrIP II?r rt{I lueud!nbf Pelledold'lleS

'gLL9'olJ.7-vdC Suraq:aqro eql 'euo Prl pr?puers aqr 3o aceld uI rsou srr uo o3o1 y1r1 enlq ? 3o uorrerrldde aqr Pellalor a^?q ol

u,{\oDI srlun o^Al dluo;o ouo s?.{\ '8E1.9 'oN

'Z-VdC a18urs e (leuonrppy'e^Itourorol oql e Jo Pua-ror3? eql uo slo^nol er{l .{\olaq a1lr:3 pe>llel ,(aqr rtrp uI sulsnor tllnq-qrol1 e^Il -ouro3o-I I?arluotr J rlar{l urou PereJJrP sllun

lnoJ esarp ' ll?uratul s7-VdC eql ol I€rIruaPI 'sz-gdJ o.Ml Put sz-vdc o.^Al Jo IUroJ aql uI saluouro)ol anbrun jo talrenb z Suop passed osle NJ '996t ul lN-It^'l lq rllnq 0l-SU u? 'BEE8 'oN :(iJ ruou osle 'VIA dq perrnboz JOr{f lr,trs peoJ alos aqt qtr,&\ tuatuu8rsse srqr paJer{s sJrultauros sllun E qrog 'slead Ierr^as roJ uatpaua) eqt Pal lpuanbar3 pue (sOq6t rrel aqt Surrnp Pa>per^\ p;tqr aqr) VIA or le,,lt -rraqr rpeul orrt stLlr Jo o,tt1 'lz,tr

-lrer utlp?upf E /q paseqc-rnd PuDI rlelll Jo sauo dluo er{t are^\ 6rz6l ut. Udf or Para^IIeP

svSE aerqJ '286i ltrun erl^res IlEu vIA

ur Paurcruar lEqr saIlIPPo snorsurnu PaPnPuI

oslt rJrsor ra,trod alltour leur8rro aIiJ

^ 'uaxPvua) eqlJo sial

drnqpng-pgnuoW pue drnqpns-oluorol aqr or pau8rsse ueuo rrr.4A sselJ ttr{t Jo sraqlo alrq^\ slEluaulluofsu?Jl uJelsEa uo PUE surEJl ltrcralut s,vIA Jo pEaI{ aqt tE Pu? roPlrlo3 agt ur dpueuruopard pa,r'ras salJrs slql uI slun rzIT Jqr 'VlA LIIl,tt lrrle) :r:t1r 3ur'rnq 'sluarua8uzue llun-g Pue -V qtoq ur urt8e pestgornd s€.t\ '7-VdC aqr 'lapotu

'Nf lq

L

-

t.r

distances and eventually even on commuter services. By the late 1970s when VIA amassed its passenger fleet, a significant portion of this roster comprised five different Budd car configurations and a refurbishment program was detailed for aJl96 RDCs inVIAs 1978 budget outline to the Tieasury Board. The set of cars acquired from CN provided a slightly greater variation in configurations

92

than those of the CP. \flhile both railways contributed numerous all-coach RDC-1s and coach-baggage RDC-2s, fewer mailexpress/coach-baggage RDC-3s were obtained since Railway Post Office services had concluded in Canada in 1972. Both railways converted many of their RDC-3s to RDC-2 standards. Next on the VIA roster was the mail-express/baggage RDC-4, unique among

s6

'peuoddnsun JIeslI roJ PueJ

ot VIA 8ur.tea1 '.&\ErpI{lI^r PFo,^ elntuloJ alrtrEdlJl sIrF Jo laqlu3ur auo '3uo1 erojag 's086I aqr orul a.Inluel ra8uassed InJssarrns E s? Jlesrr r{runtl ot tueururalo8 ruor3 rrod -dns q8noua pu? 'tuapt l{t 'slool aqr psod -srp slr rE petl VIA 'trtts snotltdsne ue tsn( ueql arour paraJJo &rsra,rrp srr 'pa8e selv\ laeg

sMAJo lrtrofeu a8rel aqr q8nogr ua.,'E

'JCU rel{rou€ qlyl\ paldnoc aq ot perl pue raaur8ua ue ro3 qer ou peq

laqr toloru allrp

E

qtl \

PaDU ara,v'

laqr

q8noqrly 'u^\o rlegl uo eterado lou PFol tnq sra8uassed lpo parrrec 'dNJ alp dq t6-lq-U or parraJar 'SE-JCIU eI{J 'srlun asarp IuoU sE

pJ^orurr rrJM sluatulreduor lrcu rl{l 's€-fqtl eqt qrr^{ sy 'sraSuassed ou pelrr?f, Pu" tI s? srer PPng

qr8ual IIereAo uI JatJoqs se./r\

trysnpueg

liegou',{le^ll y;1 u; peluledor oq ol lo^ seq lcols Furllor

euos'sgg6tr fipee eql u! uo^l 'tr86tr

'{e6 en3 seulsUrlC uo 'opldeA wn!ilUtotll

'92 uge4 VIA tllr/r^ Ued eurol le uo!s!^!pqns eil!^Ieo oqt Fuole Fullelcot

'L89

lun g Fulqcleu tll!/v'

t-Vdl

9//9

'oN

sl esou Iugqs

e qllh ilq uJol -Ilo/t^ FuHool 'ecfotuv

llq

e

rluoN punole suolleredo 1syno1 l.lll/r4 o1

$eelec pr!tll

uo euoF oleq ouos

lenerrog'geuued c1l3 rlotll plp ueqt tlll,l 0lll leuoqs e

VIA

st-vdl Mll l

peq leql 1o

sel;lord ;n;esodtnd pue {prn1s eq1

teFroJ ol ilnc!#lp s!

ll

vIA uorrlnrlsur alull lBr{lN 'sJ?Jl a^IlEluroJ srl HuIJnP tueruuJalo8 ruo:y uollfarlp cgroads PalJ?] PUe at?PUEru IEnrJJo ou pEq IIps

VIA

'tuerudoya^eP e^ItrUJa an8eld or

panunuor sualqord IEre^aS 'epplap elp Jo pue eqt

dltue:gru8rs eq plnoa

>lJo,^

lau

lq

patarp

ra8uasszd PazIIEuoIt?r PuE

parep8ar e Surdole,rap ul pe€lrpe uaaq PeI{ tEI{1 1y de,u'1pr ra8uassed 3ur13pag ar{r JoJ arult

iltoeq)

E are,/v\

s086I ill

SAII HEIdVHC

VIA/CN first offered

adapt easily to a fast-changing transportation

its roundtrip excursion

market. To make matters worse, VIA's

conjoined red and

attempts to overcome these disadvantages by improving services and luring passengers came under constant fire from other elements ofthe passenger transportation industry led by

blue arrows seen here

the highway bus lobby.

fares with this brochure, effective

0ctober 1, 1976. The

were meant to

Fare Fot All

represent the savings

To level the differences in fares offered by its parent railways VIA devised a new fare structure in 1979, loosely based on the Red, \7hite and Blue system formerly used by CN. Marketed as the Fare For All plan, this

one could yield with

the roundtrip excursion fare, loosely based on the Red, White and Blue fare

standard one-way fare

first attempt by \4A at fare structuring was competitively priced, only slightly more than

plus one-tenth, where

the overall cost of bus travel and CN's former

the standard fare was

Red,

represented by the

less than rates formerly charged by CP. The

blue arrow and the lesser-value fare was

plan also included two discount "excursion fare" incentives for travelers that brought on

denoted by the red

a storm ofcontroversy.

arrow. This logo was

The first excursion fare applied to singleday roundtrips, provided that the return leg

plan. The cost was a

dropped and

\7hite and Blue fares, and somewhat

departed before midnight. The second was a seven-day version of the excursion fare, simi-

eventually used in

1977 torTerra

lar to the one-day discount, with the return Ieg leaving before midnight exactly seven days after departure. These two excursion fares cost significantly less than the full-fare cost of a roundtrip ticket, by almost half in some cases. These fare reductions by a publicly subsidized railway were seen as unfair

Transport, the

subsidiary cost center CN created for its

Newfoundland freight operations. .lason Shron collection

executives did receive came in the form of conflicting signals from the CTC and the

Tiansport Ministry. This confusion resulted in VIA developing a business plan that set goals beyond what the government was willing to commit to. In addition, equipment and cultural differences compounded VIAs difficulties. The vast transport system it inherited included antiquated equipment that was costly to maintain and employees whose embedded railway culture, including habituation to earlier styles of service and their former

CP or CN operating experiences, did not

competition by the bus companies and drew the ire of their executives. Soon after learning of VIAs aggressive

rate structure, Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) President Paul Martin complained to the transport minister and the CTC. Martin was "very upset" over the "predatory rate structure" presented by Fare For All, claiming that it undermined the profit potential of CSL subsidiary company Voyageur Colonial Bus Lines, and pointing to a loss of 137,000 passengers on their routes between Qudbec City and Toronto. Martin's grievance was

L6

trslsnpueg Ueqou '866tr 'LZ

ol

6l

lpdy tttol; uel ulell lelcods

sltll'Iueg 0l ulnlol

pue sleFuessed aq1 lo; eceld s,dnorF lslll orll elel plnorv\'snq uo ueplo5 ur polure peq oqrur'dnolF puoces e slotUrA'uep;og ol uo onulluoc 'eur;,{1s aq1 1o topuelds eH plue I;euoue 02tr oulos lcelloc ol gueg ol pole^ell utell orll'IleF1e3 ul lr.lFlu oql Fulpuods layy ^leFleC '866I '2tr ;udy uo sluneq ue leq/v\aujos sl ulell lsilnol poruop-tllnu eql Jo lslsuoc aq1'sree{ lqFte leno ul ulell VIA e uees Fu4eq 1op lo plo ltstll lo auq ol poulnlsl uelpeueJ leulFlo aql uoll slec euop ueqr* 1q!1s otxoclo/'^ e eleiil lools ssalulels uo Fullteds sltlFll IllC

uoe,{\leq OP?ru suoslJ€clluoJ Oql Jo

slrrqo5 lueduor przlprsqns t

puetuap or uo tur,{\ trodar 3qt 'slql Surrrtg

eJe,&\? s?,t\

,,'ruarsls snq lrrcratur pozlprsqns-uou,, e Jo Jo^EJ ur Jfr,t.Jas ra8uassed IIEJ Jo uolteulturla aqr parse83ns reqt .(lIEd VIA 's^.{rrsnpul sng eqJ,, paprr tuarunfop t Surqsrlqnd '8utr aql orur paddars uolr?Irossv qceoJ rototr J u?rP

3o ruaprse.rd

aqt sV 'pu?ruap ra>lleru pue ltrpnb arllrrs pa.tordur pr?,{\or sactrd roltel or VIA

^\oll?

plno^\ l?gr soIllllqTssod 1e a:o1dxe ot .,stut;8 -o-rd qrns ur uorreur8etul Jo asn aqr apnlcard,,

ot PasnJer

Put ernlfnrls rltl eql Jo OsuaJJP luerJ luaPlserd vl^

-?ueJ arP uJq./t\ PerElelse uollEnlls aIlJ 'VlA ol orlqnd Suqa,lerl eIP Jo ar?I{s ra8rrl e ,4aerp pue uot8ar rqt ur srela^Ell Jo slrqeq aIF rarp lpuecgtu8ts ppoc uotletrod -suen Irer Jo Surraryeru ra^alr slqt t"qt Par?eJ srlnnraxe luedurot snq Pu€ aq 'd1rea13 'eare Sunerado srr ur llodouour E se.'!\ llprruassa palofue rne8elon aculs ssalpunor8

aqt or eurEl srreqou

ruroJ ^Plsqns Jo E se arnronJrstr3ur le,rlq8lr{ Jo uolsl^o.rd agr

perunorsrp reqr srs.{pue )I) Z/6I e Sutlrc 8urpury trarlpul pallotar l;rsnpur snq rql

lq

ter{t uonou aqr Surrrafat toPuroJ al{t urqlr,AA sarer lrotesuadtuoc d11ry e8reqc VIA rerp

reg-,1,r

I I l

Light flunies throughout the evening have yielded an inch or two of accumulation, creating a pristine layer of snow on the right-of-way lying before VIA FP9ARM No. 6303. The freshly plowed station platform is devoid of activity and all aboard the Hudson Bay are continuing north toward the shores of this train's namesake bay and are tucked in for the night. lt's 1:55 a.m. in Dauphin, Manitoba, and train 93 will shortfy move on, cutting fresh tracks in the snow, Mark Perry

those who received government funding and those

within private industry. In his view, bus

companies paid only a fraction of the cost to

provide and maintain the highways on which they operated. He suggested that an impartial examination of public funding for VIA would illustrate a"great imbalance to the disfavor of the rail mode, which if corrected,

would lead to an attractive, efficient and modern rail passenger system." In the United States, Roberts' Amtrak equivalent, Paul Reistrup, shared this opinion and responded to a similar claim by Greyhound's president

that his company was not

subsidized.

Reistrup succinctly remarked that he had yet to see a snowplow on the highway with the name "Greyhound" on it.

Eventually Tiansport Minister Otto Lang and the CTC intervened, soothing the ruffled feathers of the bus companies at Vur-s expense. Their ruling compelled VIA to develop a fare structure that would not use

government subsidies to undercut other modes of transportation. Although VIA complied, in a letter to the transport ministgr, Roberts expressed his concern by saying,

I

i

66

3sn eqt PuE uorlrnrlsur rlarrP PaPnPerd

fJf

ar{t puB EPeu?J uodsuB[ uaa,4a]aq dlqs -uoDEIar IESal eqr asnEfaq laurqEf qSnoJql uouEurroJur aql dElar or lnq aJlorlf ou P?q lrlsrurl4l trodsutrl aql 'asuesuou rettn se.tr uorlentrs aqa dprarrpul rueqr ot paruasa-rd s?A\

ll

JsnEfJq

uon)nrrsul JI{1 tdalle ua.,la rl 'VIA ot gnbtunururoo

or paurlrep p"elsur uluoq'lA'H 'uollej ecuts Fuol seq tqFlu

'986I '82 roquo^oN uo uollels uolsFuly

oul'aJnlua/'euog

eql'89 ulerl

srqr palelar a^Er{ ppoqs

f,If

aqr q8noqrly

'taurqEO IErrqr-I Surprsa-rd aqt ot uols

-srulqns e 3o le,r lq aperu se.& rI 'JIJ agr or lpca.rrp a8tssau aqt Surruasard 3o pearsul fe,Lrlrer re8uassed erp roJ ruacrad gE 3o ta8;et uorrcnpar rrruap e fJf oql ot la,tuoo

pue le,trlrer aqt ro; papuelul aouapuodsarroc

splereq uunlne olel

ot tduatte s,epEuEJ lrodsuerl peureluof aldurexa aurrd y 'Jalaosleqlt\ uortcartp lue Sur,tracar ruo5 VL\ patua.tard saser auros uI

^q pue slosuns r0!ue0

vt^ sFuuq 9269 'oN

t-cut eullorfl

IBuonfnrlsur PallBrsaroJ

lJf

aq] Pue lua(U

-urarro8 uIqtIA\ stue^Jas II^II'acuEsEeJIBLu

ruaredde ue u?qr Jaqlo u.1'tou>lun suoseaJ roJ 'peetsul 'ua1qo:d srgt a8ensse or lrred raqrra

lq

sr araqt

fJf

suolJa

lue

rsaSSns ot eruapl^a

rnq Arredsrp srl{r Jo

are.,rae

aplll

IIa,{\ aro./r\

JI{r pu? Bp?u?J r:odsue.r1 'srrlll)s

lltsoc Sulureturcur paroleJ llsnonulluoc teqr s8uqnr f,If I{lF teeJ u./v\o slr uo puets pue lprsqns srr aJnPeJ or EPEueJ trodsuera s1a,ral

Pu? tuauurertoS ruorS sPueurP

eJuEIeg

ot pa188nrrs y1,4 'sreal ellleurroJ str Surrnq

uolsuel Fulseercu; ']fJJJof ool lF sE./r\ eI{ 'vln JoJ llareunuogun .,'Sulurool rllguof Jo spuD1 'lrtsnpul sng agt Jo p,r.o.rdde IIE rrs uec 1

erll or

rca(qns eq

or are sareJ swIA

JL,

-I

For a brief period

in 1980, VIA FP9 No. 6532 and two coaches, Nos. 5558 and

5590, received an experimental grey-and-yellow paint scheme in an attempt to match an early artist's rendition of how the yet-to-be-delivered LRC equipment might be painted. Similar to that applied to the prototype LRC locomotive and coach, the livery tested by VIA used yellow bands instead of the red bands seen

on both the after-end of the prototype locomotive and that around the vestibule area of its coach. The VIA example also included a second yellow band around

the blind end of each coach and the application of a small VIA logo overtop the men's lavatory on the side of each car. Seen here without her matching

6532 pauses briefly with her train at the Dorval station on August 9, 1980, before continuing on the remaining 12 miles (19 kilometers) to

coaches, the

Montr6af 's Gare Centrale. Earl Roberts collection

policy directive would constitute "undue interference" with the CTC and be "subject to legal challenge." The end result was that VIA of

=

a

did not receive the message at all. The situation was further exacerbated by conventions made among government, CN, -:

= =

I

and CP during the negotiation process that created VIA Rail, which prevented \{[A from auditing its own finances. In essence, VIA

authority to control costs, yet it was expected to reduce costs and subsidy reliance. The preponderance of costs charged to VIA Rail were generated by CN and CP to pay for trackage rights and other support

for providing rail

services rendered. These followed a "cost-plus"

without the corresponding

formula loosely based on the same costing

was given responsibility passenger service

tol

uosuteH ssou 'y

'gL6l '9l1nf parep '6rsr5 eIlI drrlrqrssod ol efuaPerf Purl solueul NJ ]?uralul

o^[

u0 uollels uolun

srr{]

'686tr '92 fieruqa3 s,el ello le lueudtnbe poleeq-uieals qll/r4

se.Lr

'serplsqns Sutspatoul Jo esner Surpeal

sle.ulrer aqr

lq pa8rtqc sasuadxe

^\aIA

t

ol

Jo pearsul saf,Ilres ra8uassed alqtrgordun

VIA

lrrpqtur s,VIA ler{r persa8Sns ueeq sEI{ 1I 'safu?nulruolslp algeuosEar Suttttturad

r{erre lqFlu aql salPl

9829 '0N ?-Vdl

llporuorqc uIEtuIEur ol VIA reql lcua8e euIEs pallrq

Jt{l-fJf

err.4^ sasuedxa

PalePu?tu

rllr

q8norqr

puorrrrado ro3 sa8req:

'ppEuEJ r:odsue.r1 tuo! Pe^lJJa: se,tr 3ut -pury ,,{prsqns q8noqrp 'q8noua .{13unsaralu1 'crlgnd aperu ueeq relau setl reql ElnruroJ luarrad 08 al{t arqnrpl ol Pasn '.€Ig9-U tePro

i

:{

,l

As the waning

September sun glistens off the sides of cars in the Toronto dead line, a solitary stainless-steel car stands out. One of six Green series sleepers

the CN purchased in 1966 and transferred to VIA 10 years later, she is a victim of the

1981 cuts and has rolled her last revenue mile in Canada, Helmut Ostermann photo, author

collection

states that there is no surprise

"to

see that

[CN] is being constrained by costing order R-6313." The second, dated after VIA had become a Crown corporation on May 1, 1980. states that since VIA had become an annual customer and was "billed on an actual basis, it is important that we recover our true costs." \X/hether the railways were disingenu-

ous toward VLA in rheir invoicing remains to

\fhat

is certain. however. was that the operating subsidy to VIA Rail had skyrocketed 81 percent from $232.4 million in be seen.

1979 to $422.3 million in 1981. In hindsight, the accuracy of these figures and the decisions made by the federal government

I I

and the CTC at the time based on these numbers is curious given that the reconciliation of VIlt's accounting and the expenses charged by CN and CP were tardy, to say the least. The job of verif,ring and re-auditing VlAs annual expenses and reports fell to the CTCt Rail Tiansport Committee Railway Economy Analysis Branch, which, due to a shortfall in manpower, was late in finalizing

its reports by, in some cases, several years. In fact, the CTC audit of VIAs figures bewreen 1978 and 1981 was not completed

until 1983-t!\ro

years after the 19Bl serv-

ice cuts. As the findings became available,

billing discrepancies from the railways to VIA pit the CTC against CN and CP for resolution. Most significant were alleged $3.9 and $15 million profits, respectively, in the sale of passenger equipment and motive power to VIA that remained contested by both railways and unresolved into

the late 1980s. A seldom discussed factor that exacerbated Vur-s financial problems came in the form of labor protection designed to insulate union

VIA or transferred from CN and CP "from the costs and risks of

workers hired by

train restructuring." Deliberations in l97B over the future ofrail passenger poliry for VIA included a requirement for the transport minister from cabinet to develop measures within the new policy that would "assist railway employees adversely affected passenger

gol

'€PEuEJ uodsu€{ roJ Pa>llEls sEld >l3eP aql JoteJlsruruPE raSuassEd Irer sE lls o1 leFlrl traqo1 tsr,4qqol lrrsnpur sng patralas urnl sp,{r 'rselsnqrue snq ltro

ul oH 'parurodde

-Jatur palels e 'urdg4 cn1-ueaf lJo^\

)eiley seilpuv '996tr fie1^l ul sulerl s,Iep Uou oql orederd pue 'uleluleu

'ueelc ol loa[ oq] ln0qe 0llsnq srelroM

'lelnb sueou ou Iq sl pre,{ qceoc eulpedS

3ql te eutDqFtN

against

VIA: massive subsidy payments combined with an unfriendly political climate

more commonly accepted version is that Pdpin announced on Jtiy 27 , 1 98 1, that cab-

that was keenly aware of the much publicized discord betrveen \4A and the bus industry. Published descriptions of the events that led to the l98l service cuts are inconsistent.

inet had exercised its power to bypass the regulatory framework of the CTC concerning rail passenger services by issuing an order-incouncil to initiate service reductions of 19 percent, effective August 15, 1981, forcing \4A to apply for discontinuance. This decision was based on the presumption that VIAs deficit would reach $550 million by 1984, though VIA President Frank Roberts

One account claims that Pdpin instructed VIA to find a way to reduce its subsidy requirement 6y 20 percent. This notion is partially supported by the self-published history of the Canadian Tiansportation Agency (the name assigned to the CTC after 1987), which claims that \4A initiated a discontinuance application in early 1981. However, a

million of that figure was directly attributable to overcharging by CN and CP. No public hearings were held prior argued that $100

s

E E

F E

With all their tribulations notwithstanding, the TurboTrain power dome coaches provided a view unsurpassed by any tint-windowed Vistadome. From here, one could watch the train's almost hypnotic undulations for the entire 335 miles (539 kilometers) between Montr6al's Gare Central and Toronto's Union Station. Such an experience quickly dispelled the myth induced from years of day-coach travel that this line was mostly straight and level. One could also watch the speedometer, secretly hoping to observe some yet unattained speed, Here is a peer-to-peerview of meeting east and westbound lurbos at Kingston,Ontario, on March

23,I979.

RobertSandusll?e1 urue( -uag s01 lueruEllr"dJo requraul

s,y171

PUE Ol?tro^P?

IrEr uer{.l. JeIuIUns snor,rard aqt aours 8ur -tElnfrlf ueeg PEq slnr efl^rasJo sroulnd 'paUIsueluI saJIAJes .raBuassed areqap pcrrqod pue suollrnper af,Ilras eql ol

rlturyiv ugof rureg-le?rruory aqr Surpnlcur

Irsr Jo arnlnj el{l re^o luau€rlJEd ulqll.

aules Jr{l JeAo JsEJJfur tuarred ZZ ? peuJEJ tEI{l

trslsnpueg Uegou 'slnc tr86tr eql

eql Jo soloqs qlnos pue

quou otll

ollol

tlcil.l/r^

'suolslnlpqns

^

0?1

qI^ popuo'fi;enpcadset'1a45

eme119

pue olnqcel s,dC 0$ le^o ocl^Jos VIA 'suleuol uolsl^lpqnS eupuexolV

{|uo'LOOZullec4lesuge4 leFuessedpeqerrellgpuelegJluolluoo/yqoqselnoroaJq}'po^lecuocsei VIAuotlM'seqceocsellos

-0022 dC-xo ooltll pue Zt?tr 'oN Zdl dC-xe lno Fullleo pargnber '616T'lZ qcte61'fieplnles uo cuJer]le!^eaq Uq unl {tlep slttt pelpueq s36g 1lleurop 'legl1uol l pue e^^eug uaa^ ]oq olnor aroqs quoN orlt uo 'coqgn| 'a1nqce1 ut uo!]els UdC leutol eq1 1e sdols Zttr 'oN VIA

Photographed from

of the official opposition after an embarrassing

ously impaired the role of the CTC as pro-

the CN Tower in May

nine-month tenure

the ruling party, were

1982, the Spadina

also aware of imminent service reductions prior to the official broadcast. Further politicizing the issue, Progressive Conservatives seized the opportunity to lambaste the Liberal strategy for VIA Rail by holding 15 days of nationwide public hearings and publishing their findings in a document titled "The Last Straw: Report of the Task Force on Rail Passenger Service." Don Mazankowski led the

tector of the public interest. Furthermore, the report implied that the Liberals had long favored the air industry, citing the Mirabel Airport fiasco and aviation subsidies of $1.5 billion in terminal services and $700 million in fuel for 1980 alone. After the reduction announcement by Pdpin, political concern over the provision of rail passenger services had become almost electric in intensiry creating prime opportuniry for policy reform, and perhaps even the legislation of a VIA Rail Canada Act. However, the government chose to ignore this possibility and on November 15, despite powerful opposition, the cuts to VIA services went ahead as planned. The Atlantic and the Super Continental, along with myriad other regional services, rolled quietly on their last

roundhouse and coach yard in Toronto was a major hub for VIA maintenance and

operations for many years. After the

closure of the Spadina facilities, VIA moved

to its newly

built Toronto Maintenance Centre on June

28, 1985.

Andreas Kellar

as

task force, which demanded that Pdpin imme-

diately rescind the order that "emasculated" Canadat transportation services.

The Conservatives' report contained many salient and legitimate arguments that should have compelled the Liberals to reverse course, and pointed out that the use of an

order-in-council to eliminate services seri-

LOt

rrruErauefs xls IIe Pue las uI?Jl uxqdru?c/) rEr-e^g eql SuIPnlluI (slueurarrnber svIA 01 snldrns ro elqBafl^-rasun s?

aqr ,{q pereratllqo llaraldruoc se,^a sPPo alqe -lunourrnsul ll8unuaas Jo elEJ aqr ur drqsra

-uorlEr '(sralaurolDl 7.82'IZ) sal.ut ITrz'cI str ;o lrrro(tru eqt uo salrur ra8uassed pue drqs

llqrcro3 sea >lrols 3ur11or Jo lunoru€ elg"

-PIr ul qrr'ror8 srql ..'unurruru alqlfnParrr,, ue or rroJeq sqtuour rsnl 313 agr .{q paztle

auros s,t\oqs

Pal"ls srEl 002

El laqua^oN ol rolrd sl{luotu

oA\l uJ11rJ,4A oIUJuJ suollBrJdo ilA v

'PaJIleJ

-reprsuotr e 'stnf, aqr Jo llnsar lrerlP E sV

lrorsrq IIEU VIA ur Surtetser'eP rsou eql aq or a,n'ord PIno^\ lcuaSe u,4 or3 E Jo uolreredo lep-or-ltP er{l ur Surlpparu tuaurura,r,o8 3o elduexa srqt 'euole uoseaJ srqt roJ :dlgsraprr uI ssol slql uIoU ralofal vlUesl^ras uI uolllnPar PalroJ re^au PFo^\

-roprJ pos€arour llln3ssaccns PEI{ VL\ 'suouel -cadxa p puo.{aq palel}ur peq sruaruled lprs -qns I?rJpaJ q8noqrly 'lrsa,tert E s? uolslreP

s.luerrJuralo8 aqr parrrarl'arIAJas re8uessed or1lr\'lllqnd uerpeue3 aq1

IrEr palerqruJ

'ePEuEJ ssoJlE

IIe surJoJreld uottets uroU sellru enualer ilepaue wol't86T leqolco u!loLllel

tleql pue ,leqlorq p1o-lee1-lno; s;q'(eul1 oql le plo sree{ uanes) roqlne aql r(q'eqo11ue6 'oyleld el eBeuod Eu;qceotdde lqFnec se^ ,slolleul eq1 dn Fu;Fuug Tgtgtr 'oN roleleuee cylcell odurely|1 tlltM'uoluotupl pue FedluulM uos/vueq eweloued les ulell stql pue slec )oul\adns lnot lo relu!/r^ pue llel eql Fulnp IeJlulV tlloll peseol e^llotxocol Hd0tl ue srvl^ uo polsal aroil\

9g6I-t86I

::

::

domes. Gone too were the majority of Cape, Falls, and Riuer series sleeping cars. The TurboTrain was also retired for several reasons, most of which had to do with rising repair costs. The financial restrictions placed on VIA following the service reductions coincided with the introduction of the LRC in 1981 and the culmination of a nine-year service contract for the Turbo. The face of the railway was forever changed with the disappearance of this equipment from the VIA roster.

Aftermath If it was the government's intention to strike VIA down with the sword of legislation in favor of other forms of passenger transport, the wound was not fatal. The imaginative

potential of

MA

employees, to which Frank

Roberts had alluded, would begin to flourish

in the wake of the service cuts. Meanwhile, the Liberal government carried out damage control by ensuring that a government official of some standing was present at most

VIA events. Several service reinstatement ceremonies resulted from CTC recommenda-

tions to retain 15 of the original

2l

axed

services, and government attendance and encouragement was an attempt to Pass these "inaugural" trips off as Liberal pro-rail initiatives. Furfier efforts to sway disgruntled voters in the years following the VIA cuts saw the replacement of Jean-Luc Pdpin as minister of transport in 1983.

The long-awaited debut of the LRC was a happier milestone for

VlA. Following

seven

60r

-Jo^&\xv toPuro] al{r ulr{ll^\ eull-uo iuluJof CUt aqt sV 'araq^lesla ssau

st1'l rueJ8ord -are,v'E

cqqnd pasnooJ lsra,rorluoc PalEIaJun rauloJ sluauru:a,ro8 eql uo JsJnor

rsnf 'pprruoly'q ur pauado tuarudrnbe

fU-I

senrlrreJ arueualurcur rlrng-asodrnd'986I

roJ

tI

uo!lerednceu

se epua3e

asre^eJ 01 alqs sez'r dgtro.v'xv 'lPu vIA olur >lfEq,(euour Iauueqr ot stuerSord IEreAas pel pue rossacapard slq u?qr trodsuert ra8uas

-std lrer 3o artrrroddns aJour se.u dquortrxy

plol'I rrodsuerl jo ralslulry

r'reN

'rualsls SurrPl crlntrPlg s,:)UT er{r qrIA peouarradxa saIllnlUJIP Sutruoc -Ja^o slEIlSJo afuEualurcu JaIPJEquog PUE r{rl^d Surprcuroc Pue tuarudrnbe 391 Jo lra^IIeP aql ol roucl

VIA

Jo qlrEq Puoras

E

demt s1co1q

o,4^l

uorl€ls Ierlua3

s.NJ lE sefl^res slr el?Pllosuof ol

vIA

uel{/!\ raqule^oN ]eql Pasolf

uonels Jospull1

asoqJ

sE.&\

JIaslI

'JarlJEa sread aruos pasod

-ord se sourlllr?W aqr ro EP"UEC uralsa-4 ur UEI{] JaI{lEr tar?I sgluoru ol!\1 ToPIJJoJ aql ur efr^Jes enua^al PeJatua Pue P?Jruow ur uorlEls rosPullN s(fIJIJEd UEIP"UEJ al{l ol

'Ig6I 'I aql

'EarE

lpf uo PaJa^IIaP se^\ les ulerl lsru le?rluoy\ eql uI slslrl Jo sqluour pue

lonl s/ileud elneg.uoouleue lpql olel xeltleH pue Fulurotu eql u! eulu Iq uqol ]ules ul o^uJe o] ]seo onulluoc lll^ ]l 'lolelf\ 0^ ragy .0g6tr ,tZ loquococ lo slnoq Fulurotu {pee eq1 Fuynp 'euge6 'uoglcunJ oll!^u/r^ol8 qFnolql ssed o1 suo!}cos } }0 }slll

uo Fu;1e1

qilm ecueplocce oN'02 alnu Fu[etedg orll sl rltuelty eql tslsuoc slql leql oleclpul 'lqfilu ,{q slqFll uearF o/Yq pue r{ep Iq sFeg ueetF lo uV uo sloueu ueerF eql [q luap;ne s! seutluet^l oql ol ]seo Fulpeaq sJolo^ell r{ep1|oq l0 ocuepunqe

ul

.0//g

.oN

t-Vdl lo osou otll

j

Not unusual for a July

1978 consist, VIA FPA-4 No. 6791

leads a mix of liveries on its four-car train. Given that the

engineer has opened

the door on the nose of 6791, it must be scorcher of a day. Author collection

a

thy turned his attention to transcontinental services. The steam-heated transcontinenral passenger fleet was expensive to operate and maintain, and by this time was almost 30 years old. Studies for a replacement began to circulate in early 1984 and by September VIA leased a single F40PH locomotive and a four-car set of mechanically heated and airconditioned Superliner equipment from Amtrak. Two phases of testing took place over a six-week period during the fall and winter of

1984-1985 on the newly inaugurated Panorama benveen Edmonton and'W'innipeg.

Funding was also provided to finally construct maintenance facilities in Montrdal, Toronto,

lWinnipeg, and Halifax, reducing costs by alleviating the need to conrract maintenance services

I

to

with other railways.

\X/hile beneficial for VIAs future, these changes had minimal value in the fickle public eye. Polls throughout 1983 and 1984 elicited increasingly negative public opinions that projected imminent defeat for the Liberals at the ballot box. Pierre Tiudeau resigned in an attempt to improve the partys fortunes under

different leadership, but to no avail; the Canadian electorate was already thoroughly disillusioned with his government.

In

1984, the Liberals suffered the biggest

defeat in parry history when a landslide victory handed the largest majority government in Canadian history to the Progressive Conservatives under Brian Mulroney, whose cam-

paign incidentally included promises to restore several VIA Rail services. Over the next eight years, Mulroney's politics would

ltt

senssr du?ur paoqle

uoder

sTr{l

Jo slulod dr>l

ar{I'E86I '€.T trEW uo rarslulur uodsuErl eql ot retlel ? ur sSurPuu sll PeqsIIqnd lI PuE

ElerEqrleP or Prnulluof r)lol uoll)v Jqr '9861 3o 8ur:ds pue rrlult\ :qr rnoqSnorql

'rJlsIuItu r:odsue'tt snor.r.ard

srq Surrnp flf

sE

JJnuJl

rqr pu" ?p?uEJ

rrodsue-r1 re lJets lq pedolo.tap ueaq P?q parsnp pue lrr;orrd e VfUA rer{r suerp ar{r e

Jo

go uonelsr8al eqr aperu DIS^\o>lu?zeW Ja.trod

ot prulnlal srArlE^rJSuoJ erlt

r)uo '(VfUA)

lrv Epeue3 Il?U VIA E Jo ro^BJ ur slesodo.rd snoreurnu parroddns l1q:unrts pu" II?U VIA uo lcrlod rraqt Suturaluor s]trrgl-J el{l pessereq dlssapualer selltelrasuoJ a,trssa:8o:4 aqt 'uonrsoddo ur s-read rroql Surrng (VfO) d:ua8y uonelrodsue[ u"IPeuEJ Ogt

stuofag or uITertJ E a^lafer Plno,\\ )If

.qr

pue palger aq ppo,&\ rcy le,upea ,4aau-Pu?rq E :lreU VIAJo

puolaq

rEJ

sPaeu

eql

sserPPe

ol

arrseP slq

par{lear,{:rsnput derrr.per eqt lrIroJal

ol uorlrqule s.Dlsdo>JuezelN '986f '1 :un[ uo faruauuuo) u{ng pue rlluaftV aq1 Sur.pnycur 'srrr^rEs VIn xls polorsrrpasrLuo,rd sB pup ppeu?J safIAJes ra8uassed ur IIeJ Jo alntnJ ot arroC uortrv ra8uas aqr 'ure8e

ral

'-{pnrs

-sBd IIE1 requau-aarqr arp Sunu;og lq anssr VIA or{l passerpp" .{larerpauur aH 'erntnJ s.lEU VIA ur lnoqeurnl E roJ :doq aruer ter{t qtr,{\ pu? JersIuIuJ trodsuert 3o uorrrsod

eqt or paruroddz aroul aJuo s?,\\ I>ls,^ o>l -uezew uoc 'laulgtJ eAIlEArosuoJ il{r uI

ulofeu uar{t Pu?

'ruaqt gsnrr llareurrp ale^3la lsru

vIA Jo seunlroJ rl{r

u!P&o in!) rsif!,trlrrr cr)r?iF!ou!!?N3

: otrpluo

&s e,( n! uen'u.o -{vd |

sunbq-N

taauloiunow tr4tod .4ea1eN puptquoN

prqunlol qsrtrrg

rerluv uolllauuol

^lalreu IpMltp! lerlual puoElv "__'_ -

--

-

ePPuPl llPt^ual vl^

,:l:X;1iliJili|"illlliXi:fi:: '

066t-986t - epeuec llEU vl^ -

Ps {w! q d@ruq uo, o !^o pruto tr6 pqs s6 ts

tF

First, a tiny light down the long tangent shimmers slishtly with the changing air currents in the late-winter sunset. Then, almost noiselessly, it's upon you. lts red CN logo fading, the nine-car lurbo whumps past the antiquated stone mileposts that date back to when this portion of the CN line between Montr6al and Toronto was owned by the Grand Trunk. Then it's gone and only the memory and the spent-fuel odor finger. Robert Sandusky

of concern expressed to the CTC in previous VRCA proposals: VIA needed a formal mandate, access to invoicing and service contracts, and a new charging policy for oPerational expenses fiat would provide conditional

CN and CP for the achievement of performance standards. The report also bonuses to

112

recommended that

\{A

continue to improve

its

management structure, modernize its motive power and rolling stock based on the Superliner trials, and obtain all remaining

CN and CP passenger

assets and employees.

A suggestion to present a "basic network" of

sqrvice

for parliamentary approval was

ert

robuassed

rl{t

,096I ul IreU aqt Iesodord VfUA tng ,,'8urpun; tuauru.ra.ro8 uo

e>lTI 'SEIB

lcuapuadap ssal qtr^\ lcuarcgjns-gyas

_ralear8,,

Surpr,tord lg a.rnpuo ol palroJ uaaq pBq de8 a,rrrelsr8al aqr 3ur11g pre.r\ol parea8

y11

E s? DIs.4

-urof,ar asaqt Jo requJnu poo8

y .eptu?l ur

errlres ra8uassed lrer ;o lrrlrqrsea3 rurer-Suo1

aqt arnsua plno.&\ ,ssaco.rd arnelsr8al aqr q8norqr uaas lllnyssacrnsJr ,uonrsodord qrea

qrt.u drqsuorrelar qt8ual-s,urre uE r{srlgetsrar

turru?rlrEd ol

rerp ua.rr8 'lled VIn roJ uooq e se patardrarur eg llrsea ppoc uodar aqr .acue18 lsrrJ tV u,{\ol] .[l?

o>lueze14trgpalleH .9g6I

lfB aqt (lretu 886I requlr^oN ur EpEuEJ l:odsueLl te IE^rrlB srq pue JJrsIuIuJ uodsuert .,t(rou ,sJAIt?AJas -uo3 aqr se paruroddr se.&r prel{lnog tloueg

se.u ra8pnq Surrerado Il?U VIA aqt uI lnr uorlFu 00Is ? roJ luaualunouue uE 1?I{1

iq rya1 e 8ur.r,ro11og 'a,rrr:alqo S.lelsIuItu l:odsue:t

ssard uelpeue3 arlt

rr{r ol al)Etsqo ;erruarod p sE PJ,{\EIA se,lt Jq req: rrreu8ruJ os erEA\ A?^\lrEJ agr aror.uo:d

"(rorc''

ot stroJo,(rturproerlxa slq PuE ler paads-q8rg q8norqr rq8nos F^alJag ep teqt uounlos aI{J

uo'rero rrg.l-::i^tH:l:L,.

unJrr^o Prsqns svIA ^

3o dor uo uoIIIIq €$ raqr.rry t ro3 tsanbar aqt :ruarun8re ruereJJlp llaralduoo ? uo PasnroJ

'tuatur s,turtuuralo8 oqr ruor3 .{puecgru8rs

're^e,^ oq 'aluelPnt s,F^allag aC 'se3l^-ras VIA rerlro ro3 perrnbar uoltezlPlsqns aql

peralJlp tpua8e atzrod-roc asoq./y\ 'le^allag aP qtr./l\ qsEIf, PrErPnog aas PFo,^A lDSeP

VIA rqr

_-

120

lzl

ueql raqrer sacuarradxa lq patuangul sE./( Surleru-uorslrap tuauura,to8 reqr Perulell

osp rrodar aq1 'sdnor8 lqqol lrodsuerl

Jo srulq,ll Surrelpe,r egt ot alqerauln^ VIA aPeru PUE afueJaJJalul lIltJJnEaJnq Pu? pcrrqod parrrurrad qrFlra 'VfUA al{t treua ol sornlr"J snor,rard s,ruaurura,lo8 pue uorrelst8al Jo >llel ? uo erueluro3rad

poruelq tuelunrop

prcutug:ood s+,r,t

eql'686I llnf ur ,.der1x

reuag V :VL\,, paqsllqnd pue qrro3 padders 6997 rrodsutrl 'ue1d s(tuaruurelo8 agr 8ur -JetunoJ strodar ateredes penssl IIE suetcrlqod

pur 's;aploqalers 'sdno.r8 tsaratul 'tno

>leal

ol

ue8aq rrodstrerago.ftrsrurl4 el{t roJ ssay*e1 dq

padola,tap suonf,nper elllras Jo slrcrep 'uor8ar Jralp ot .,lwtrodrut.{:a,t,, aq ol

ry arI Jas

ra8uessed IrEr pe^alleg pala.t-rns sreurltlr?trAJ 3o ruacred Z6 :epEuv) lltu"llv ruor3 Surtuoc rroddns tsaq8rq eqr qtl^ 'setnor Surrsrxa s,pea

s se,la' stnl -qnd 1o4 dnlpg E Jo stFsa1 errlres Sunuocgrrog al{r ol uoltlear rl1qnd '6961 aunf3o pua arp lg

ulet1 eq}

vIA urElur"ru ol E.^ Ello Palue,^A SUEIP?uEJ go luacrad 08 ltr{r pe,^ or{s tuatuelunouut eql r3u€ uoos afi2za, /aa4u0w aql uI PaqsII

0rll lo^nocue^ 0l

sltE pat 'Fulutotu Fugrrollol

uo Fugnuguoc aro;eq

sdoo;uey {e1s

'rotuuns

u1 lqFgureno 1;;rvr

Fugt*01101 eqg

neuletunoyl

trs1coy

oql psueueu 'ocr^res ,,lttFilIeo Iq sa;1cog uelpPuec,, 0r.ll rol suogeredo lo rauuns ;ernFneug aq1 luunp or.ull prlr.ll aq1 l(1uo

lol ueploe

ple/Y\01

epetF eq1 urrop rierr

sl! slroi 60t9'oN z-Hd0tl vt^'886I 'e z 0un[ uo'elqunloc qsllug 'lleueilo reou

re^ru ssroH Fuglcty

eqlFutssorc'066tr

ut

lJo plos serr uetFotd oql oJolaq ulerl

$unol )eaulelunow

ficou eql

pe^lecuoc

ItteutFUo VtA

'ULA

sta8ret luaruura,to8 taalu ot sqo( pue 'sefIAJOs

(satnor

y1n

Sursroxe

-rluaun egr ua,rr8

sE^\

;o .{rrpqrsuodsar Pu" IPu

vl1

alqe

Jo luaP

-rsa:d se p^ellag ap acelda: ol parurodde se-,'t 'spsodo-rd sw6

ssa],lt€l uo1 tuaprsard

Nf

uo perecrpard aq ppo.u,tottiJSp FuU srq pue alqer arp

uo peurcruer suondo il" l?qt 8ur.{es VIA Sulllll tno alnr ot pasnJar

'raqraSotle

pr?r{lnog 'sratrodar lq pordacratut Sutacuod6y (ep erues ar{r ralel ?.^ ?tto ot urntor s.preq)nog ruJE lJo rra,r\ slrq 11e q8noqr se uaas Plno.\\

rI 'uorllrlu 0gz$ or 066I-6861

ur uoTIITru If!g uor3 'ue1d art.rodrot read -e^U ?Jo r:ed se palnpar

llecnserp aq plno^\

vIA ot sarPrsqns rEqr ParurIJE osP Preqlnog 'se)UJo VIA aqt r€ alII{lN 'rurq Surlces 3o asodrnd ssardxa aql loJ le?r]uory ut s;atrenb -peeq VIA or pele^tn irodsuzrt Jo rEtslulur aqr ter{l portlnlrlr srolrrnr q8noqrp lsolord ut pau8rsar llparrodar aq

'686I 'e lelN ug

'acr-rd

p ofleg ap ']ueurturur

e prcd pue puets e >loor

Maritime rail

by a "coherent

passenger transportation

opposition act by arrogantly castigating the

passenger services

government for its policy on rail passenger services, all the while promising to resrore the dignity of the railway if the public would only

cuts, leaving only the

policy'' and demonstrated favoritism for the aviation industry through the annual subsidy of $1.3 billion, double that received by VIA. Their solution included the provision

elect them. The same party whose cuts in

tri-weekly 0cean and

of legislation to ser attainable goals,

a

1981 decimated ridership and passenger miles

Atlantic to serve the

revised costing arrangement with the railways, and new equipment to reduce costs and attract riders.

legislative mandate" because "the only respon-

were decimated by the January 1990

region. No longer required, 10 RDCs languish in the dead

line at VIA's Halifax station in October of the same year. Fred Headon

In some ways, the service cuts Bouchard announced were like a kickoff at a football game, with VIA as the political football. The tactics the Conservatives used in 1989 to effbctuate service discontinuances, providing the facade of reductions in government spend-

ing, appeared to have come from

122

on

MA

insisted on the provision of a "true

sible course ofaction is to strengthen national

rail passenger seryices." Like the Conservative effort, the Liberals' demands had no effect on the eventual outcome.

The official announcement from Bouchard on what would become of VIA was made the following October and this second

in the

round of cuts would be far deeper than antici-

Liberal government's playbook eight years previous. The Liberals, on rhe other hand, played the part ofthe task-force jester, provid-

pated. Even the House of Commons' Stand-

ing Committee on Tiansport was baffled by the decision to eliminate passenger trains

ing a repeat performance of the Conservatives'

while so many nations worldwide continued

a page

ezL

eqt uo uorrrrqdde egr peruap

VIJ

el{r

ot are,r\ srnf ar{r eroJaq s,{ep 1 1 rsnl

tnlro penssr

Surpr E uI 'sluaruartnba: try uortetrod -sue[ ,laolaq J"J arrlras Jo Ia al e Sutrroy ur vJN arp PuE luaruura,roS uaer*lag lf?rluoJ Jo r{rearq e ale8llsa,rur ol uaqr pa>lse pu" sacuenunuoosrp pasodord eqr uo s8utreag crlqnd lsenbar ol VJf, oqt qtr/h uolrolu E PelS V-Idf, aqJ 'arnrnJ syIA ul raPloq -a>l?]s PeuJafuor € eluEfeg luaura^ou JoqB] aql 'suonelndns uoncalo.rd qof snoraua8ra,ro llrerurog paJatle 986I ul srf,erluof re>lro^\ uorun Jo uorterto8aual aqr ual{lN 'af,uatuas SI/TA alnu[uor or uoljo rPlIP-rsEI e uI uollfE p8al or perrosar gggT rrodsue[ pu€ (V-IUC) uonerJossV JnoqeT lernlleg uEIp?uEJ agt 'peqreordde rnoq qrur^ale agt sV 'uIEJl roPlrro]-uou relFo euo lng 1e Surrsaq 'tuacrad 87 Jo olrer l-ra,roce.r-tsoo qt!$ reel rad aldoad uoITIIur-JIEg e Ircqt arolu

"

VIA eW uI erEJ lcuedncco aql p€q rI r€r{r rr"J al{t atrdsap

Surr(tnc'ruals,(s

rsaq8rq

uontunurTa ro; parroles se,ra. a8alcerr 43 Suop elnoJ uraqlnos eJrtue aql PUE u?xy?u?) erp 'sur€Jl IElueunuof,suErl rnoJ svIA JO 'stnl I86I aql Jo s133JJa al{r roj luno)lB ol prllBJ suonplnrlEr esaqt'886I Pue I86I uea^uag ruacrad 0Z paullrap drgsrapu sr/IA rEI{r perulelr luatuu.re,to8 rlltl/S. 'sluaruetets drorcrpenuoc areqt '.I86I uI sE

pue sarcuederf,srp

aJa./v\

'ure8r pue aleuoner s,fuauruJaloB agi azdl -"ue ot ue3ag srapyoga>pts snoIrEA'EpEuEJ rnoq8norqr suolrels VIA lE saull ra>1ord ul Surgcreru srarsalord qrl.,ra (uolslcap Jaqorlo rl{r Jo o{t^r eql ur PePunogP slnf, agr tua,rard ot srdurale rlqnd '066I'gl ,{l:;nue[ elllf,aga 31",{ .rl porrTs aq plnol1\ OPr,{auoll€u sell^ras 's8uueag

VL\ 'lrrunor-ur-reproJo ,kn '(qput

orlqnd rnoqrrlN 'sarrlres asaq] ur rselul ol

u0s.,//eH ssou

'ryed )lnwspaattl.l uolle^resqo-eu0p pue 'sJedeels seues

-neepqJ

o,l^l

loulp

lecleg lolereuaF

uesls

e speol

00t9'0N z-Hd0?l 'uogsecco

eqllo;

polerocep ,{11e;ced5

'soull Nc Jo^o xellleH ol re^nocue^ uorJ epeuec possorc urerl rec-u0A0s

strft'066tr 'vz pue 2 IlnJ uaerrleg

'9661 '6tr {;nJ uo 'oIelu0'sFuUdS peqsueC qFnorql secer ulprl ,,e^uo

else;

gsda6

lel6 orll

Until 1990, VIA and

basis that an order-in-council supersedes the

the Ontario Northland Railway jointly

a legal

operated the overnight Northland between Toronto and

Kapuskasing, 0ntario, A pair of 0NR FPTs lead train 128 along

the Don Valley toward Toronto's Union

Station on a crisp morning in March

1987. Andreas Kellar

124

agencys authority. Tiansport 2000 also made

claim on the grounds that service discontinuances would adversely affect the environment, but to no avail.

line Transportation Association of Canada were openly in favor of "severe cutbacks" to VIA, insisting that successive governments'

financial assistance to the railway was "patently unfair" and that rail passengers

More than 17 services ceased to exist after January 15, 1990, when more than a

received a subsidy 14 times greater than bus patrons. Based on this "fact," transport lob-

hundred towns and cities saw passenger trains for the last time. Stations all across Canada were vacated, boarded up, and in some cases torn down. The most prominent service to be eliminated received a great deal of media coverage as journalists aboard the last trip of the Canadian broadcasted their coverage directly from the train. The bus lobby and the opponents of rail passenger service finally accomplished what they had begun almost 40 years previous. The Canadian Bus Association and the Air-

bies dismissed evidence that other modes

of

transportation had also benefited from gov-

ernment assistance as "irrelevant" because VIAs subsidy levels were so large. Clearly, there was no room in the lobbyists' vision of the passenger transportation industry for aircraft and buses to include or even cooperate

wifi

rail service. VIA had to go. One year after the 1990 round of cuts by

which buses had replaced rail service in the Maritime Provinces, with the exception of thp thrice-weekly Montrdal-Halifax Ocean

9Zl

,fisnpuesyaqoy'sltedulelunoW,{IcoUaqlrolgelsodlo^e4ulUeulpuellueuluold quedeJ 1o ouo lo] uollotuold fieslerluue qlegg e ueeq Fuol seq ulelunotf ollsec 'leuolleure1u1 sserdr3 nIluep 'stoleredo rnol Fulpeel yed se '866tr '€Z lUdV uo ulelunon epseC lsed ulet1 lelceds sltll speol t?tg 'oN Z-Hdgtl VIA'$ueg ol uoploC llorl lses FulpeeH e ;o 'qceoc Z-dlH elFu;s e [q pue qcee uo p3teploq slec ouop oul6ls xls lo lslsuoc lensnun ue sllell )t/ed l@ue\ooy uo!le^l0sq0-0tu0c

'prelduo pessard s3 'Paslnrq Pue PIrP elP o1 Pasryer vI 'p1 rsou agr

uetpeue1 pelno)

The quiet at a level crossing in the St. Lawrence Valley near Lemieux, Qu6bec, is briefly interrupted when VIA RDC-2 No.

6225 rushes

by

with an RDC-1 in tow. Le Champlain in name only, these two Budd cars are the September 27 ,1987 , equivalent of the smart little five-car Champlain thatthe CN purchased from the Reading and once ran on this route. Pierre Fournier

the first HEP-equipped F40PH-2 locomotives

were acquired

in the mid-1980s to

replace

\4As aging fleet of steam generator-equipped cab units.

Although testing of leased Amtrak in Canada had been

Super/iner equipment

successful, the federal government determined

that the cost of new equipment far exceeded

what they wished to spend on the replacement of rolling stock. But they did comprehend the advantages of mechanically heated and air-conditioned passenger cars. Instead of procuring new cars, plans to refurbish a portion of VIAs existing fleet were formally announced on May 19,1987. Applications were tendered for a rebuild of passenger cars

ssl

0Z$ aruos

VIA

pa^Es

l"qr ttra(ord t

Surpnyc

sreo ra8uessed ro3

Sulddoqs

rua,4a

VL\

'ssol srql

ruarudmba slqr Jo uornadsur uE tnq 'urerSord

ara.&\ plrngar roJ pelels ra8uol.ou asoql 'tsII tuaurqsrqrnJar eI{} ruou Pa^oluar aJa,4 'sre3

ruarualddns oa lpauar or lpsoo ool sE.4 rtql uontJolJatep leJnlrnrls tuecgruSts Pelea^ar

-uoc '166I aunf ur sdogs aqr Jo tno Pallor rec paper{Ja^o ts"l aq1 'a3trors ur pectld

etuoP PuBr{Puocas

/ il" PUE sref uollE^Jesqo

ar.uop 7 eqr Surpnlcul 'srer EI put '066I lrenurf3o

slnr ecllres aqr 3ur.,v'o1o3 ParnPer

srrnr tuerSo.rd aEU aW Jo adocs aga 'srrun Suluorllpuof,-JTe ot stad:ec

tuorg SurSuer 'parrnbar plrateru Ip Jo Iortuol lrolua,rur pu? rueluaJncord 3o tuarua8eueur asnoq-ur q8norqr epeul osle araru' s8ut,rrs scrrsrSol 'lno uraq] Surtctrtuoc ueql JeI{tEr .{lpuretur serrlros u8rsep pue Surraaur8ua ru.ro;rad ot aoroqf, syl1 dq pate8rtru ara,u. slsoc urrrSord Sursrr pue Jeluruns 8ur,lloloy eql or PrElt\ro3 uoualdruoc aqr paqsnd slelaq '696I-pluJ ur aruaurruor PFol( vL\ ol sr?f, peqsrgrryer aqr3o,{-ra,rqap rerp partdrf,Ittre sE r tr pue /86I ur sdoqs salreq3-rs rrulod s,NJ Paralue InErfla o loJ PeDalas sJel lsrg aqJ 'le?rruo1zr{Jo peg trdag ot trerluo) egt perepuaral VIA os 'tueluaar8e pulSlro aql ur patttto8au arrrd aqr ro3 ruaurdtnbe 3o dnor8 puocas slqr al?Aouar or pasnJer Nl 'PuPIsI >pou aql PUE '!lerrua] >lro^ ,ltaN 'Eruelydsuua4 eqr sE speor qfns ruoU

plrnqal al{l ur seqf,Eor pue sJer aBtSSeq NJ-xa Iaats-sselurEts-uou ee ePnlful ol PoPualul vL\ (lpur8rrg 's086I-p1ru eqr Surrnp sP"orller 'S'n ruou parrnbce sJEr laals-ssalultls Jal{lo xs snld srer laars-sselurc$ Ud)-xa IEI PIFqar

ot lrerluof, E paprt,4ae se,l\ NJ 'llareurrrln 'srualsls IElurJela qlr-a,r sruats,$ Sutleag-ureats pet"plno rreqr aper8dn pu€ sJolrolul rloql azruJaPou or raeu Flueurluofsu?Jl al{l luog uolllelloc toqlnv lo^nocue^ pue 0lu0l0l u00/t4l0q uelpeueJ e$ pleoqe sselc r,0nl8 pue ronllS,, Fullenell sleFuossed lol loloc

lelcll

V

Sunuoc 'rarsor IrEU VIA eqr ot a8errrag peo: lrEr uerrrarrrvJo ro^eu IEUoIIIPPE u" PaPPe asaql'I66I PUE 886I uae^\laq Paulelgo sref

sreo aBeSSeq

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z PaPnrrul s'"r os

l:,:il"i;.:;;,,"11",_

-drnbe laats-ssalulers go aseqcrnd arp parrdsut

llpur8r:o reqr durn:3 long lq parIIuPE os urert arrrts arp't[qda7 alutotqa7 aqt roJ tllng llpur8rro aram 'q8noua llSurrsararut 'teql JEf uoDe^fasqo auloP e Pue gleoJ aruoP B JoJ pEor[rEJ uralsalN ?? rpuBr5 ory ta^uac eqr qlr^\ sr"r odual 91 paraueq osp 11111 'sler*. -lrEJ uEfrJaurv snoIJeA urou sal{f?oJ auoP

rnoJJo aseqcrnd aqr Trl \ Lg6Irrlruaurdrnba puer{-puolesJo rol rsr5 srr pe:rnbce y6 'snor.,tard sap"€P aar-P auos auoP PEg a.ter8elaq arrald sp rsnf raprog aqr Jo qrnos

VIA FPA-4 No.

6791 makes a station stop in Smiths Falls,0ntario, in September 1983. Today, VIA owns trackage north of this location through

to Ottawa and operates its Ottawa-Broclwille-Toronto trains on

CP

trackage between Smiths Falls and Brocllerlruy or pas?al llsnonard

rail tour between Prince Ruoert and Halifax

they were among the last areas targeted for

on this vintage train.

conversion to HEP

End of Steam Heat in Northern Ganada Declared an "essential service" by the federal

government, the Hudson Ba1

in

northern

Manitoba and the Abitibi in northern Qudbec, with their all-blue-and-yellow consists, were spared from discontinuation in 1990. Because these northern routes are rertiary components of the national passenger network compared to the profitable Corridor

and more popular transcontinental routes,

The cancellation of Tbe Atlantic in December 1994 freed up three train sets of HEP equipment. This sudden surplus of overhauled passenger cars allowed for the provision of better-conditioned stock on the two northern routes. Delivery and integration of The Atlantic's cars on the scheduled runs of the Hudson Bay and the Abitibibegan early in 1995 as newly refurbished HEP baggage cars, coaches, and diners were transferred to Montrdal and \Winnipeg. Crews of both trains familiarized themselves with the

ln recent years, VIA has become known for the interesting liveries applied to several of its locomotives, especially those assigned to the Corridor. Here, VIA F40PH-2 No. 6429 is decorated in a Telus Mobilig-Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics color scheme as she pauses with train 75 at Brampton on June 22,2003. Pierre lzordk

6Sr

l-ra,r,ryap

sretuar alueuatuleuJ SadruurrlX pue le?rluotr l

rnq .,t1.ta.o1g '966I Jo IIeJ Pue ratutuns aql rnoq8norqr lauuosred ocllJes-leau roJ rer IEuortfnJlsul uE sE P3Sn Pu" uorlEls uolun s,3adluurr16 re Surprs e uo paceyd se.tl rtc 8ut -urp rlmq-ppng a18urs y 'ruaudrnbo PaIEOI{ -ureals rePlo aql uo alqBlle^e uoeq Peq rel{^\ urors lpq8qs poreglp taau llnq-pPng rl{r uo suorlEPotuurofft Pu? secTAJJs aql se ssafoJo

pJEl (satnoJ uJaqtrou sralA uo elaldruol l?aq f,rrtrelo qtl^\ Iueats Jo tuoruar?ldar aqr qu15 'rorrotul srr 3o Suruealc lrosrnc e lluo rar3e auIT PeaP eql olul Pelunqs sertt tr araqrtr sprel agf ol >lcBg luas sE./r\ 13s UI?JI Iaals-uoqJEl NJ-xe eq1 'caqgn| ureqlrou uIoU P?rluory ur penrrre ! q lq qV paddrnba-r"ro11al-pue-an1g -llE ts"l 3q1 ueq,^^ asolr e ol eluEf EPEUEJ urer{trou ut tuarudtnba ra8uassBd paltaq ug Err rLIr '966I '97 -ueEls lrrdy Jo 'efr^Jes ulou PsAoIueJ tuaurdtnba 513-xa aqt sE paueqr8ual se,la.

aqr qroq lE sref ra8uasstd

r'to11ad

Put anlq

'stslsuor Paleeg-ueats ;o sananb '3uo1 ero3ag raplo Surceldar 'apdc uolt€lor ruarudrnbe erp aqr 'llarns orur peceld arJ. stas ulerr

dgH-llt

agr rnoq8norgr ruaurdtnba

uol:r,eiloc pnTaw uel 'utoqteaH gog 'legrluoN ol uo Fulnulluoc

8et9 'oN Z-Hdotl

r'tau

pue 'e^ ello

or.ll qlrr'Iueduoc yed pue oll!^Icolg u! o^Ule uoos ll!/r^ lslsuoc polllun eql'oyelug 'utvto$lo1;e61 pue sllel sq1us lol qyou Fu;peaq 206 'oN CCZtd 'acl^les VIA lo leo/( pllW loq ul lo lolueq eql Fulssed 't002'otr lequococ uo suorleredo u;et1-1u10[ srvl^ sesec^ oqs 206

VlA, Rail Canada

D6med Pefk

VIA ceased the use of

ticket sleeves in favor of a single-sheet, foldover stub. This cover

was issued during the summer of 1995.

Author collection

Car. Tr$*s*online*tal tiei+s

l;+it+re pener+nlo+: Par:

.

and station heating supply lines became the'!finnipeg and Montrdal maintenance centers were disconnected; no more would latent wisps of white vapor be seen rising above \{IAs railyards. Changes to the scheduling and accomredundant and steam flows at both

modations available on northern routes were

effected once the transition

to HEP

was

Tratts ire+,qacti+ent3sii

The Last of Many Equipment troubles with the HEP-I cars and F40PH locomotives developed during the fall and winter of 1997-1998, causing numerous difficulties for the railway. As the previous winter was more temperate, the burden placed on the electric heating systems of the HEP fleet was light and problems from extreme temperature loads were not immediately apparent. As a

complete. Passengers aboard the Hudson Bay

result, the frequent heating system breakdowns

between lVinnipeg and Churchill would continue to enjoy sleeping car service while those aboard the Montrdal-Sennetaire Abitibi would not. The HEP equivalent of the ex-CN E series sleeping cars formerly used on both routes was only provided for the Hudson Bay.Without sleeping car service, the Abitibi was rescheduled for daltime operation. Further schedule changes to the all-daylight service in northern Qudbec came later that spring in the form of simultaneous operations. In a measure to further cut costs, the Abitibi departed northbound with the Montrdal-Jonquibre train and coupled with the Saguenay between Montrdal and Hervey, Qudbec, running jointly for a portion of the journey.

that occurred as the temperature nosedived were quite unexpected.

The acute cold of a Manitoba winter defied the abiliry of the heating mechanisms on the HEP equipment to sustain adequate climate control, forcing them to draw copious arnounts of power from fie F4}PH-2locomotives that had replaced the FP9ARM units not 10 months prior. The locomotives themselves began to suffer from the cold and no longer ran efficiently. The net effect was that the entire train would freeze up en route.

The challenges experienced in northern Manitoba were compounded by positive developments for VIA in the Corridor; increased ticket sales and sold-out trains had the unusual complication of magni!'ing the requirement

tvt

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lllcrnb

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pue /86I-986I ,lgtozT ailald.y11 [q peseqclnd uaeq seq peudgnbe peuorluoure^oqe eql ]o euou 'olep oL'2002 ul ulell l0[ lelplequog oLl] ul eqoiluen uraquou ul snqlleu llug e papnpu! s^eq se^l1erlrul lsal roqto 'popad qluotu-o^ l e lol pelenle^e se^ '966tr '62 lequoldes ,g3; leul;xe;1 zupll6v orll 'slo4eu sl! uo e^ eilg ut aloq uoos lo leto^os ul osn lelluolod lol tueudlnba;o fleuen epl/ri e polsel seq VIA

Attached to a conventional steam-heat consist, LRC-3 No. 6924 requires the assistance of a steam generator. Accelerating past the platform, the short train coats the stone station at Napanee, Ontario, in a dusting of snow. Coo/West collection

the Vancouver maintenance center. No Ionger plying the rails in revenue service, the dignified 6300 maintains her usefulness as an occasional shop switcher and a definite railfan

favorite lovingly cared for by maintenance center staff.

A Renaissance of Rail Travel Of all government officials since the inception of VIA, perhaps only David Collenette matched the dedicated concern once shown by Otto Lang for passenger rail. Appointed

142

decade, thereby ensuring the success of the railway into the new millennium. In the years following the 1992 subsidy reduction, VIA made a concerted effort to reduce this operating subsidy even further through restructuring efforts and continued cost reductions, reaching an all-time low of

$163 million in 2001. By this point, ideas for continuing to provide the highest level of service possible while reducing costs were almost exhausted. Fortunately, Collenette had an idea of his own.

to the post of transport minister in 1997,

In February 1998, Collenette approached

Collenette would come to the aid of VIA by increasing funding for the first time in half a

the House of Commons' Standing Committee

on Tiansport (SCOT) to review the status of

€,v \

ssefrt >lr?Jt aleno8auar or

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144

svI

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trslsnpueg Tteqoy 's0ur0qcs J0l0c

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aqJ 'EpuolC 'edurea pue 'opuEIrO ,luEIW

Prior to crossing the

Victoria Bridge to the

railway." Destined for service on the Ocean and within the Corridor between

passenger

the conductor of VIA

Montrdal and Qudbec City, the cars would be overhauled and aptly rechristened as

train 11. the Atlantic.

Renaissance equipment.

exchanges waves with

In addition rc the P42 locomotive from Amtrak, VIA had also leased an F59PHI locomotive from Sound Tiansit in Seattle for evaluation during the summer months of 2000. VIA examined each locomotive and eventually ordered 21 Genesis units from General Electric in April 2001 with delivery beginning six months later. The

island of Montr6al,

the engineer aboard an eastbound CN

freight at St-Lambert. A. Ross Harrison

146

arrival ofthese new units brought about the

retirement of the last seven LRC locomotives from the VIA roster. As it was, the majority of LRC motive power, prone to electrical failure, had been in storage since 1995. By 2001 the few that remained in operation had surpassed their expected l5-year service life and were due for replacement. Also

included in the Renaissance of Rail Tiavel program was the upgrade of station facilities,

first within the Corridor and then across Canada, and the refurbishment of the six rernaining RDCs on the

\4A roster, assigned

LVL

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peddrnbeer

VIA'2002 aunf ul

After 101 gorgeous miles (163 kilometers) from Sydney through scenic Cape Breton lsland, VIA's Eras D'0r makes a stop at Port

to change crews prior to crossing the Canso Causeway that links the island to mainland Nova Scotia on August 29, 2001. The Sydney-Port Hawkesbury portion of the trip is by far the most stunning, but almost 200 miles (322 kilometers)are left and passenSers Hawkesbury

will enjoy onboard entertainment from Tourism Nova Scotia staff who showcase Maritime artistry, dance, and song. Pierre lzordk 1B months later, forcing another election in which the Liberals would relinquish power to the Conservatives, this time under Stephen Harper. The bill that had contained the VIA Rail Canada Act was retabled in 2006, but the VRCA was removed. As of ea,rly 2007, another attempt to legislate a secure mandate for VIA had yet to be made.

erence" points program, and competitive "Flexifare" rates, as well as excellent onboard and station service, timely schedules, comfortable accommodations, and a superior safery record keep customers coming back to the rails year after year. For many Canadians and tourists alike, VIA Rail has become the

preferred way to travel. Fleet maintenance continues to be a prior-

Via VIA As always,

VIA

presses

on and continues to

improve its core services and to utilize ingenuity

in customer service.

Perks such as wireless

internet for business travelers, the

"VlA

Pref-

iry for the railway, which commenced two pilot programs in 2006. As part of a midlife rebuild program, F40PH-2 No. 6400 was sent to the Canada Allied Diesel shops of Lachine, Qudbec. Delivered in December 2006, it is the

l9t

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1

prlturnsa

or prcldoqs-r.r aq ot edir snp-Jo slrun €! pJedaqs

u//f sutelunon

-Jo

rsnl

,{1cog aq1 qFnolq} tsea Futp?aq

er0J0q l0l3npu0c aql u0l] pJ0n lleMe pue slcaqc s1t elaldutoc llrM Marc oq]'olalduoc acu0 spuooas I,rral e d;uo slsel Ieldstp Bullsaralur stql'etnpecord Fulletado plepuels V )te aqt 0]ut ueols 1o eun;d e Fullooqs'rolereuaF uteols uoslle13 J0qeA s,antloruocol stq u0 sanleA 0999'oN V6dl VIA pre0qe laaurFua aql're^n0cueA ur u0rlels NJ.touu0l aql LUoIJ alnpedep ro; uorletedalcl u;

uMop-Molq eq1 peuado seq

Lacking a single VIA

Sydney subdivisions, sold to RailAmerica in

late 2005 . Higher commodity prices combined

Rail locomotive due to

with a $10 million subsidy from the Nova Scotia provincial government to the

passenger-service

1993 and operated by their Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway (CB&CNS) subsidiary. The raison d'itre for this short line railroad disappeared with the closure of the coal-producing Prince Mine in 2001, but its operation was protracted by the need to ship

GP9s led by 8515

out

bring the Canadian

coal; once complete, the line would close. \7ith abandonment a likely possibiliry VIA opted to cancel the Bras D'Or tourist service.

equipment shortages, CP Rail motive power

saves the day. A trio

of high-hood,

into Field, British Columbia, on July 25,

1981. /. M. Seidl

a

large latent supply ofpreviously extracted

However, this discontinuance could merely be

)Grata,

mining company, won a bid to reopen the Donkin coal mine in temporary

152

as

a Swiss

CB&CNS to maintain the line for at least five VIA reinstate the Bras D'Or

years may see

during the summer of 2007. Since its inception, VIA has always been a steward of the community and has encouraged its employees to involve themselves and volunteer for myriad programs. From annual support for the United \Vay to the gathering of donations for victims of the 1985 Barrie tornado to a contract to sell only fair trade coffee aboard its trains. VIA excels with its

L:I

'sa_ues rr aldoad Sur-ro1-uren aqr pue uorl?u uErpEuEJ er{l Surugaq -uru8rp rarnb pue rrrrds perecrpap e

t1rl,!\

'VlA uo

IaAErt sao8 og 'uorluatte pazrle

-uosrad3o aar8ap Ertxa ue aprrrord snqt pue lrrrarsod roJ tsaJrueru rrar{t uo rarplos lrazr,a

Jo stuauqsrlduocce pue ,ftorsrq

orrlJes

'>lueJ er{l epnllur ot pulu;o acuasatd aqt peq ue^a lJers VIA (uouarar I I Jaqura^oN aql JoJ 3run ur pe^rrr€ puE e.{\euo roJ surBrl pe8ueqo saurnrrery aql tuou sarlruleJ rraql puE suerate^ rct 0g€ uEr{t erour ,F?ltuow

por{JEeJ u?aro er{t uarl/N .arnor agr Buop re Surpreoq saf,rlJas peruJt IIe ruoU su^4,o1

suBrate^ aas plno,r\ ]Eql urBJl rn_o€ 3 otur pauoolTeq pue uo rqSnec Bepr rrar{J .suorl

-Erqaler aqr Jo ree1,, 9007 3o rred ,.uEJelaA se luorua-rac leuoneu er{t puetre ot u?aJO rr{1 pJ?oqE xeJIIeH ruo]J suEJalr^ IErol ,{4.aJ B puas ot Eapr oql pe^reruoc a1ddo1 133a4 pue uoslcef uog srua8e ra>prr VJA (E./{etlo ur ef,rAJOs leg acuerqrueueg IE -uoIlEU eqr PUaDE ot ef,uEr{J aql a^Er{ plnoi!\

suEralr^ II rElN plro/N pue rE1)N uBaro) Sur,rrlrns ra,r,ay real lrala regr ualrD real 8ur,u,o11og aqr ure{ s.aplrg rElN aqt pue ure[ srrerela1 E00Z eqr ere saldurexa rueu8rod lsoru oqt sdeqra4 .uorssedruoc alerodroc teiley sealpuv 'oct^les;o se;rur ,(ueu

uoJI pelelnungce ouut pue ulp orll #o tulqse^ 'lleF srzzlg Jo puo eql le ssoutsnq stq lnoqe saot /{llsuq relrorrl doqs euol p ,gg6tr u! Fuluana qilenj e Jo sJnoq e1el eql u; .1ueuuflrsse lsalel lotl loge osnoqpunol eulpeds oqlJo eceds ps/r^olleq eql ul /ztrg .oN I_COU VIA

EPILOGUE VIA Rail story in 1982 byTom Nelligan, who at the time concluded that the he last book to cover the was completed

future of the five-year-old railway was somewhat uncertain but held a marked level of promise. After the first round of cuts in 1981, few could have predicted what was to come by decadet end.

The events of September 11,2001, and

to airplane security have irreversibly changed how the airline industry operates. Ever-increasing safeqy measures at

subsequent threats

airports continue to prolong the boarding process for aircraft to such a degree that the time required for travel between Ottawa and downtown Toronto by air and rail is almost

After pulling the cut-bar and opening up the coupler, the conductor gives the signal and watches carefully as the engineer backs up the train from the left side of the frame to couple both cars together. Next, both conductor and porter will connect the steam and brake lines and ensure all is in good order before departure. Coo/West collection

154

sst

'eruof ol sJEad,{uBtu roJ epEue] ur a^rrr{] ot Pesrod sl II."u vIA ruo{ efr^res re8uassPd ]l€J 'ilIlP sJala EJl PuE

'sreledxet'tuatuu.ra,ro8 uJoJr luarulnuruoJ

pue rroddns Sumuuuoc glrlN 'ploqsarlll [EIu -uallrrrr aqr Surssorc ur pepeaf,f,ns VIA '.sppo elgero^"Jun Jo neJ oqr ur pue uortdacur s-vIA erurs posdq e^Eg sapmap eerr{t tsorulv eu aqt ur ssaJ 'PeJnssE sEn

urnruualFu

A

plnoo sureJl ra8uassed Jr rer{r pa8esr,tua acuo puEruJV srnol reaur8ua de,la.ller qtueJC'lErlueueq Po^orq JEJ

'9002 ,{lnf ul uolsl^lpqnS ecunen-luleS qNC uo 'coqgno'1c;4ed4t1 lo tluou

-f,ns Jreqt 'l.rntuac qlaDuel\r aqt a,u,rrns dluo

strrctld aanaC

louunl e s1;xa '1q41qy sql'tog ule4 VIA'sollcou eql u! euocs e Jo luooslulue|

snqt s?q ter{r s066l-prur ogl Surrnp pardope

rr t"qt asrnor aqr lers lparqnoput ill^ IIeU VIA'lrrpar E soulocaq slqt sB arun l{fns yrrun 'slerttlrer ar{t pue lualuurezto8 qrrrn alor sr/IA au5ep put sluaruartnbar Sulrsor pue Surpun3 srr,!rre1e ot perrnbeJ sr eltputul

esrruof pue reJll E 'VIA urElur?ur ot JapJo ur pue ltlssacau srql or aunrurur sueeru ou sl epeue3 'rarpoue ro aar8ap auo ol slertl.

lq

-1ler ra8uassed srr spunS uorleu pezrltrrrsnpur

ro(eru fta.,'.a pue lprsqns tuatuura.toS30 uroJ JruOS lnoqlr.4h

ra8uassed

llarrrua aterado louueJ

yrg

aJIAJas

ler'r1rer aqt Jo .{rrllqrurcrsns

rurar-8uo1 aqt arnsur ol trv EpEuE:) IIE1 VlA. 3o uorrelsrSel eqr JoJ sureural paau Surssard

e

E 'sluarualordrul asaqr jo a.tltradserrl 'ofrlras ITEJJo uJnleJ e Suraas ralnof,ue1 pue',{.rc3p3'8adruur4, uae,r\leq aurl ureur s.f,rJrJrd urrp€ue3 3o suortrod ur llnser plnor pue dezruapun aq ot paJounr oslE erE slnl eqr ur lsol salnor urelrar 066I 'alqel ar{l uo urcuIeJ Jo luaurr{srlqElsaer ar{J 'sernor paads-g8rq alg"r^ sE parrodrnd Suoy qtoq 'sropuror rospul2X-lrr3 raqgn| pur lre8p3-uotuorupg eqt qroq ur per paads -q8rq ruaualdurr or sueld 'p?rruontr ul JIAM pue otuorol ur lrsuu{ OD lq unr surErl Jotnruruor 3o r*ar,l,rnd aqr eprsrno ateredo ter{t sureJt dtrcralur str ro3 sassed Jatnururof,

Jo serras E parelJo VIA '9002 'E1 rsn8ny uo Surtretg 'puedxa pue olelouur ol senurl -uor VL\'llnsar e sE 'pu? qrzrror8 olgeurtlsns rog a:aqdsoume ue perelsoJ seq s066I alEI aqr ur

VL\

roJ per{srTqersa Surpun3 a1ger5

'rala u?r{t Sursnuord JJou ag or srcadde

Jo strqeq Ia^E[ 'ayqrunba

sra8uassed

urqtr^.

roprrroJ aqr

svr1 pue

arntnJ

Sur8uego eJE

Sou Perl, Arrthony. New Departur.res: Rethinking Rail

Boobs Anderson, G.W. Canadian Paciftc's Tian*

Passenger Policy

Lexington, Ky.: Universiry of Kentuclcy

British Railway Modellers of North America,

2002.

Sustainable Railway Pnsenger Poliq'

Kingston, Ont.:

P.

M. Bunting &

for

Canada.

American Failroad:, I 970-2002. DeKalb, Ill.:

Northern Illinois Universiry Press, 2001. Merging Lines: American Railroads,

Assoc.,

1998.

I

Bunting, P M., and Everett Johnson.

900-1 970. DeKalb, Ill.: Northern Illinois

Universiry Press, 2001.

Western

Steinbrenner, Richard T. The American

Tianscontinental Railuay Passenger Seruice:

Marhet Opportunities and Requirements for Modernization. Calgary, Alta.: Everett Johnston

Locomotiue Company:

andAssoc. Ltd., 1984.

Publishers, 2003.

Cruise, D., and A. Griffiths. Lord.s of the Line. P.

'W'ash.:

Halifax. N.S.: The Institute for Research on

Superior Publishing Co.,

r975. Garden; J.F. Nichoks Morant's Canadian Pacif.c. Revelstoke, B.C.: Footprint Publishing, 1.99

l.

Holland, K. J. Raik to the Border: The New York Cennal, Chesapeahe (y Ohio andVabash in Southern Ontario, Vol. 1. CaLgary, Alta.: British

Railway Modellers of North Ame rica, 2001. Jackson, Michael. Proceedings of the First National Rnil Pasenger Conference 29-31 October 1976.Regina, Sask.: University

Toronto: Railfare Enterprises Ltd.,

1985. Lukasiewicz, J. The Railway Game.Torcntol Mclelland & Stewart, 1976.

D.

The People's Railway. Vancouver:

& Mclnryre, 1992. Miller-Barstow, D.H. Beatty ofthe C.PR Toronto: Mclelland & Stewart, 1951. Nelligan, Tom. VA Rail Canada: The First Fiue Douglas

Years. Park Forest, Ill. :

R. The Politics of Industrial Change. 'Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 1985.

Articlcs Angus, Fred. "The Fiftieth Anniversary

of

Canadian National Railways Lighweight Steel Passenger FIeet." Canadian

Rail 504 (2005):

11.

"The 50th Arniversary of the CPR Stainless Steel Passenger Fleet." Canadian

Regina Press, 1977.

McKay,

Public Policy, 1988. 'Weave! Kent

of

Lavallde, Omer, ed. Canadian Pacifc Steam Locomotiues.

\7arren, N.T.: On Tiack

Poliqt and Public Corporations in Canada.

C. The Canadian National Railways

Story. Seatie,

Remembrance.

A Centennial

Stevenson, Garth, et d.. Priuatizaion, Public

Toronto: Viking Books, 1988.

Dorin,

Press,

Saunders, Richard. Main Lines: Rebirth of North

1990.

Bunting, P.M. ChangingTiains: A Commercially

PTJ Publishin g, 19 82.

Pammett, John H., et d,. The Integration Question. Toronto: Addison-\7esley, 1984.

r56

in the Truenty-First Century.

Canada Limited (1919-1930). Calgary, Nta;

503

Rail

(2004):2rr.

Brown, James A. "The NewTiains." Upper Canada Railway Society Newslenrr (November 1965): 197-199. Calgary Herald. Untided article, February 4,

r976. Cubukgil, Adil, and fuchard M. Soberman. "Costs of Rail Passenger Service in Canada: An Examination of Inscitutional Problems." Proceedings

-

Twenty-ffih Annual Meeting:

Ti,ansporaion Research Forurn25 no. 4 (1984): 89.

De Poe, Norman. Untitled article. Saturday

Night magazine, 1976.

ZEI

'

9

L6I' 6T,drenutf'1n1 oluotol ,,'ParlC

'V

^"W'tatg ruaplsard st rn3 ra8png svrA,, 'rrled '.lla'^ oH

-09€']d) LL-09t slururnroP reuIqE)

l66l'Sl

.LL6T'OE

'ntg

trsenuef' Jy\I L L- Le ]uaunJoP l3urqel

QTag

xa!1ag'alrrrrt Pallllun

lrenuef

'rare4 'sle11

"Reconciliation sheet of passenger car

memo to Tieasury Board #351Q-2. Ottawa: Tiansport Canada, n.d.

sales,"

August 1980.

Canadian Pacific. "CPR charges to the Rail

minutes of the Rail Passenger

Committee ofTransport Canada. Ottawa:

Tiansport Committee Railway Economy

Tiansport Canada, May 27, 1977.

Analysis Branch of the Canadian Transport

"Paper on Outline for Controls

\rlA." Ottawa: Transport

of

Commission for

Canada, September

Services." December

internal memorandum on the details of

1977.

"The Potential for a Canadian Rail

passenger equipment sales to

Passenger Program." Ottawa: Tiansport

Tiansport Canada file

#S - 1 022 -6 -7 7 .

Ottawa: Tiansport Canada. January 26, 1977. Tiansport Canada, Railway Tiansportation Directorate. "Evaluation of Legislative Alternatives for VIA Rail Canada, Part One, Legisiative Strategy for

VIA Rail Canada."

Action

Don Mazankowski, Minister of Tiansport and the Honourable Benoit Bouchard, Minister State for

of

Tiansport." May 23, 1985.

Lang, Otto. Interview with the author. May 29, letter to Tieasury Board President

Coordination Committee. "Report

of

Robert Andras,

March2l, 1978.

Lower, Doug and Michel Lebel. "Tiains en qudte de passagers." Montrdal: Radio Canada, June

Principal Options for the Finance and Corporate Structures of VIA Rail Canada and the Relationship between Government and and

Passenger

Force Letter of Tiansmittal to The Honourable

Ottawa: Tiansport Canada, 1978.

to Tieasury Board on the Evaluation

4,

2006.

Tiansport Canada and Interdepartmental Rail Passenger

YlA, May

1977.

Horner, Hugh M., et al. "Rail

Canade,7976.

VIA

\4A Rail

16,1,982.

24,1984. Martin, Paul, letter to Otto Lang, March 9, 1979.

VIA and the Railways." Treasury

Ietter to Otto Lang, December 19,

Board file #53510-2. Ottawa: December 20, 1977.

1978. Roberts, Frank, letter to Otto Lang,MerchZ,

Tiansportation Services Branch, Alberta

1979.

Department of Economic Development. "Rail Passenger Service

in the Calgary-Edmonton

RIC, letter to the CNR

January 27, 1977.

Sainte-Marie, Yves and Gaston Poird. "La

Corridor: The Government of Alberta's

reduction des services de VIA Rail en

Position." Edmonton, Alta.: April 1985

novembre '81." Montrdal: Tiansport 2000,

Tieasury Board, docum ent #7 411 67. February 1976.

1984.

TGO 2000. "Transport Action' (French), Vol. 12, #213, July 1990.

Transport 2000. "VlA: A Better \Vay: The

Other Sources Bandeen, Robert. Interview with Chris

Tiansport 2000 Counter-plan." Ottawa: July

Greenlaw. May29,2006.

I 989.

Canadian National. CN Public Relations.Issre

VIA Rail

#6229, AptI 23. 1976. internal correspondence,

"VWCN

Rail

Charges," JuIy 6.1978. internal memorandum, May 1, 1980. "Passenger Sales

&

PIan and 1993 Operating and Capital"

VIA Ontario Public Affairs Newsletter. February 28, 1986.

Service" passenger

promorion memo, May 4, 1966.

Budgets. Montrdal:

VIA Rail

Inc., March 1993.

VIA/CN

158

Canada, annual reports, 1978-2006. "Summary of the 1993-1997 Corporate

newslefter. November 1976.

Canada

691

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