The VIA 1-4-10 Plan A Recovery Strategy for Canada’s Rail Passenger Service For Transport AcAon Canada By Greg Gormick On Track Strategies November 6, 2015 Table of Contents Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................iv Execu:ve Summary......................................................................................................v 1.0 Se@ng a New Course for VIA.................................................................................1 2.0 The Founda:on of VIA’s Recovery.........................................................................3 2.1 A New Rail Passenger Ac:on Force...................................................................4 2.2 A Reformed and Informed Board of Directors...................................................6 2.3 Managerial Redirec:on.....................................................................................7 2.4 A Clear Legisla:ve Mandate............................................................................10 3.0 Overhauling the Freight Railway Rela:onship.....................................................15 4.0 Modernizing VIA’s Fleet.......................................................................................23 4.1 Rolling Stock...................................................................................................26 4.2 Mo:ve Power.................................................................................................30 4.3 Fleet Procurement..........................................................................................33 4.4 Short-Term Fleet Maximiza:on.......................................................................34 5.0 A High-Performance Quebec-Windsor Corridor...................................................37 5.1 VIA’s High-Frequency Rail Proposal.................................................................38 5.2 The High-Performance Rail Alterna:ve...........................................................41 5.2.1 Montreal-O\awa Upgrading Project........................................................43 5.2.2 Coteau Capacity Expansion Project..........................................................44 5.2.3 Gananoque Cutoff...................................................................................44 5.2.4 Shannonville-Newcastle Line Consolida:on.............................................45 5.2.5 Branaord Bypass.....................................................................................46 5.2.6 Windsor-Detroit Connec:on....................................................................46 5.2.7 Incremental Corridor-Wide Projects.........................................................47 5.2.8 VIA/Government of Ontario Coordina:on...............................................50 5.2.9 Improved Intermodal Links......................................................................52 5.3 The Missing Corridor: Calgary-Edmonton........................................................53 i 6.0 An Equitable Off-Corridor Vision..........................................................................57 6.1 Revitalizing the Long-Haul Network..............................................................57 6.2 The Remote Service Reality...........................................................................61 7.0 VIA’s Need for Growth.........................................................................................65 7.1 RidershiP Growth Ini:a:ves..........................................................................66 7.2 Longer-Term Network ExPansion...................................................................67 7.3 Interna:onal Service ExPansion....................................................................69 7.4 Tourism-Related Service ExPansion...............................................................69 7.5 Feeder Bus Services.......................................................................................71 8.0 Ini:a:ng VIA’s Recovery: 2016............................................................................75 8.1 ImProved Fleet U:liza:on.............................................................................76 8.2 Service-Driven Pricing and Product Redesign.................................................78 8.3 Rebuilding the VIA Brand..............................................................................81 8.4 Service Restora:on and Stabiliza:on.............................................................82 8.4.1 Gaspé Service Restora:on......................................................................82 8.4.2 Vancouver Island Service Restora:on.....................................................84 8.4.3 Securing Northern Manitoba’s Services..................................................85 8.4.4 Algoma Central Service Restora:on.......................................................85 8.4.5 Stabilizing the Ocean..............................................................................86 8.4.6 Stabilizing the Canadian.........................................................................87 9.0 Advancing VIA’s Recovery: 2017-2019.................................................................91 9.1 Enhanced Fleet..............................................................................................91 9.2 The HPR Corridor Takes ShaPe.......................................................................92 9.3 ImProved Interna:onal Connec:ons..............................................................94 9.4 Growing the Long-Haul Markets.....................................................................95 9.5 Remote Service ImProvements......................................................................96 9.6 ExPerimental Regional Routes........................................................................98 9.6.1 Montreal-Sherbrooke.............................................................................99 9.6.2 Toronto-North Bay...............................................................................100 9.6.3 Winnipeg-Regina..................................................................................101 ii 10.0 Comple:ng VIA’s Recovery: 2020-2025............................................................103 10.1 Fleet Renewal and Growth.........................................................................103 10.2 The HPR Corridor in Full.............................................................................104 10.3 Expanded Na:onal System.........................................................................105 10.3.1 Daily Transcon:nental Service............................................................106 10.3.2 Winnipeg-Calgary-Banff......................................................................107 10.3.3 Montreal-Sherbrooke-Portland..........................................................108 10.3.4 Toronto-Peterborough........................................................................109 10.3.5 Toronto-North Bay-Kapuskasing.........................................................110 10.3.6 Sudbury-Sault Ste. Marie....................................................................112 10.3.7 Winnipeg-Minneapolis/St. Paul..........................................................113 11.0 A Passenger Railway for Canada’s Future.........................................................115 © 2015 by Greg Gormick and Transport Ac:on Canada iii Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the following individuals for their generous assistance in the produc6on of this plan: Ted Bartle\ Barry Brake Ma\hew Buchanan Andy Cassidy Bill Chester Ray Farand Harry Gow David Gunn Dan Hammond Bruce Harvey Bob Johnston Peter Lacey John Leeming Howard Levine Peter Miasek Tony Turri@n Chris West Ken Westcar … and numerous members of the rail industry, who wish to remain anonymous. iv Execu:ve Summary 1.0 Se@ng a New Course for VIA The new federal government will soon have to make major decisions about the fate of VIA Rail Canada. Through no fault of its own, this government has now inherited all the problems that VIA has accumulated since it was imperfectly created in 1977. These problems are a result of previous governments not dealing effecEvely with the issue. The VIA 1-4-10 Plan is a suggested blueprint for the naEonwide reconstrucEon of VIA as a modern, affordable and effecEve public transportaEon service. It recognizes there is no “silver bullet” for fixing VIA; strong poliEcal will, vision and investment will be required. The plan is based on five underlying assumpEons: ! VIA’s revival shall be a publicly-funded project undertaken in the naEonal interest; ! VIA shall be retained and improved as a naEonwide service; ! Proven techniques and technologies must be employed to minimize risk and deliver improvements at the earliest opportunity; ! A capital budget of $5 billion over a ten-year period is required for projects that will reduce costs, improve service and increase revenue incrementally; and ! Improvements must be deliverable within one, four and ten years, for valid pracEcal, financial and poliEcal reasons. 2.0 The Founda:on of VIA’s Recovery To revive VIA, there are four fundamental steps that must be taken for it to have any prospect of recovery and long-term success. These are: ! The formaiton of a Rail Passenger AcEon Force, composed of experienced rail transport professions, to create the official blueprint for VIA and provide high-level advice to the new minister of transport; ! An informed board of