VIA offering stations to municipalities

[Tom Box [e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

Here's a news report that says VIA officials met with mayors of
towns on the Ocean route last Friday morning in Halifax.
<http://goo.gl/HgLerT> or
<http://www.acadienouvelle.com/actualites/2014/07/04/via-rail-propose-ceder-gares-aux-municipalites/?pgnc=1>
That would have followed their trip on the Ocean to mark the
110th anniversary of the train.

They discussed ways to increase ridership on this route. VIA
offered to sell, cede or transfer some of its stations to the
municipalities. No final decisions were arrived at, and the
towns want further details on what sort of commitment would be
expected from them and from VIA.

The story mentions that some stations are designated heritage
stations. That would require a different process for transferring
the station, but it would still be possible. According to
<http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/clmhc-hsmbc/pat-her/gar-sta.aspx>,
the stations in Halifax, Amherst, Sackville, Matapedia, Amqui,
Sayabec, Mont-Joli, Rimouski, Montmagny and St-Hyacinthe are
designated. Several of them were destaffed by VIA last year.

Thanks to the Facebook page of the Coalition des Gaspésiens
pour l'avenir du train for pointing out this news item.

Tom Box
tbox at ncf dot ca
Port Hope, ON, Canada


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Posted by: Tom Box <tbox-***@public.gmane.org>
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