I recently took Amtrak’s Wolverine between Chicago and Detroit to connect to VIA at Windsor and it got me thinking....the Chicago<>Detroit corridor (280 miles) should be a prime candidate for frequent service but still only sees 6 trains a day (3 each way)....and even with the extensive track work.....schedules are about 5hr 15 min.
VIA has a similar 250 mile route between Toronto (pop 6.4 million) and Ottawa (pop 1.3 million)....but effective today there’s now 20 trains per day (10 each way). The fastest schedules are about 4hr 15 min and all trains have a Business Class Car offering a ‘First Class’ type product with a Hot Meal, Beer and Wine service and Station Lounge access.
Passengers are up 40% in three years between Toronto and Ottawa..... even with 3 airlines offering a shuttle frequency and one of those airlines....’Porter” flies from Toronto’s downtown airport....1 mile from Union Station.
(And BTW...that Detroit to Windsor connection was no problem at all. I took a taxi from Amtrak to a Windsor Transit bus stop that loops through downtown Detroit every half-hour....then through the tunnel and onto the VIA Station....easy!)
Posted by Moderator (Member # 2933) on :
I agree there are now 20 trains a day between Ottawa and Toronto, but they are half full at best. Some people on this forum know that I live along the Ottawa-Toronto route, have for years and I see the same consists every day. A lead unit pulling four cars, the very odd time only three cars, and on super rare occasions I have seen up to seven cars but that was during major holiday seasons when the weather shut down other forms of transportation.
If Via's ridership is up forty percent the past three years you'd think they'd be adding another car or two to accommodate these extra passengers.
I believe Via is padding their ridership numbers to substantiate the NEED to the Federal Gov't, of a high speed rail route between Quebec City and Windsor Ont.
If the government were to use common sense they would see the NEED was really to redirect those billions of dollars towards building a safe, reliable route to Churchill Man. The three times weekly train was suspended indefinitely because of flooding damage to the tracks early in the year.
Posted by ghCBNS (Member # 3093) on :
Churchill certainly needs their train and service should be restored.....but you spend the money where people are actually riding trains....and that is in the corridor. And I don't know what Ottawa-Toronto trains you've been on lately......but the ones I have.....they've been more than half full and do sell-out on weekends,
Actually I haven't been on any Ottawa-Toronto trains in years. No desire to go to Toronto, way too busy for my liking.
I live alongside the old CP B&O line and I watch those daily Ottawa to Toronto trains from my window. Now that it's darker in the mornings the first few trains go by in darkness, before the sunrise. Three cars in total darkness while the lead car has lights. During the day, depending what time of the day, the cars appear to be anywhere from nearly empty to three quarters occupied.
I have tried to find ridership summaries for different sub-routes, ie Ottawa to Smiths Falls or Brockville to Belleville but cannot locate the info on the Via site. All I seem to find are total ridership miles, nothing is broken down into actual riders who rode the train from point A to point B.
I concur with your statement on spending money where people are riding trains, but only to the point of tip-top maintenance of the trains and rails and safety aspects, especially at rail crossings.
We both know that Via is heavily subsidized, into the hundreds of millions a year, I just don't want to have to subsidize them into the billions, not for a few riders who feel entitled to high speed rail.
Posted by ghCBNS (Member # 3093) on :
quote:Originally posted by Moderator: Actually I haven't been on any Ottawa-Toronto trains in years. No desire to go to Toronto, way too busy for my liking.
Suggest you give the train a try then....maybe a round-trip to Kingston so you don't have to experience 'busy' Toronto. You'll see the trains are running with a lot more passengers than 'nearly empty'. Stand in those long lines prior to boarding in Ottawa especially on a Friday or Sunday!
Posted by Moderator (Member # 2933) on :
Years ago when I lived in Toronto, sans children, it was a wonderful exciting city to live in and I know it still is, but, at this point in my life, I have no desire for that hustle and bustle.
I would not take a round trip to Kingston just to see those long lines, I'll take your word for it and I do understand that weekend travel is much busier compared to the week days, I see those trains too, I'm sure it's the same anywhere.
I would still like to see those actual passenger numbers broken down in segments along the corridor to make up my mind as to the need for high speed rail
Posted by ghCBNS (Member # 3093) on :
quote:Originally posted by Moderator: I would not take a round trip to Kingston just to see those long lines
Certainly not suggesting you ride the train to see those long lines but why not just go for the ride? If Kingston is not to your liking.......here's a route I like taking: Ottawa-Brockville-Dorval. Hang around the platform there for a couple of hours (lots of action)....... then return Dorval-Ottawa.
Don't know what traffic numbers are per segment but the news article (linked above)...says it's up 40% so the passengers must be there to support 20 trains/day. And we're not talking High Speed Rail here but I'm sure traffic would soar if was ever introduced. Right now at a travel time of a little over 4 hrs.....it quite competitive with flying. VIA even seams to do well against Porter which flies out of Billy Bishop.....right next to Union Station.
Posted by Moderator (Member # 2933) on :
I would not take a train ride just to hang around a platform for a couple of hours. Not a foamer.
I don't ride as often as I used to, but when I do it is usually an overnight trip, my last trip was to LaPlata three years ago. I'm probably due.
Anyway, I do not believe the "figures" in the linked article. Maybe when I have more time I'll pay the $5.00 and go through the access to information process.