Still no money for Chaleur line

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

A report by Gilles Gagné in le Soleil, <http://goo.gl/5PBr68> or
<http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/affaires/les-regions/201407/21/01-4785690-la-societe-du-chemin-de-fer-de-la-gaspesie-toujours-en-attente-de-financement.php>,
says that the Gaspésie Railway is still waiting to hear whether
the Quebec government will give it money for repairs to the
Matapedia - Gaspé line. The railway hopes to hear by the end
of August. Further time will then be required to request and
receive tenders for the work, so the favorable summer weather
for maintenance of way work will be lost.

The railway has submitted a request for $35 million over the next
two years, though the total amount needed is $107 million over
five years. With the $35 million of work, the railway will be
able to serve LM Wind Power in Gaspé, since the wind turbine
blades that it manufactures aren't very heavy.

Jean D'Amour, the provincial minister responsible for the region,
wants the federal government to participate, and hasn't given a
firm guarantee that the provincial government will provide the
money requested.

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


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[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

Thanks for your interesting link. Covering more of this endless ping pong game as to what may or not happen with Via's former Chaleur service. Via itself is creating a falsehood with notices in their timetables to the effect that's it's only temporary. As Les Gaspésiens watch L' Amiral go by at slightly slower speeds to just about everywhere. Go figure.


Here's my conspiracy theory. Although the region's political map is currently not blue enough to satisfy the feds suddenly they' ll become magicians in 2015. Prior to the coming elections they'd find the funding......to restore service. Sound familiar ?


Meanwhile as we contemplate the outcome here's a photo essay about The Chaleur from last year.


Let's go for a ride.


A Trip on VIA Rail’s ‘Chaleur’ http://northamericabyrail.info/canada-east/the-chaleur/15-port-daniel/ An update on the Chaleur:


Alas, after over 40 years of operation, VIA Rails’ Montreal-Gaspe train, the ‘Chaleur’, will no longer be offering passenger service on the section of the route from Matapedia to Gaspe, according to the following press release from Aug 22, 2013




http://northamericabyrail.info/canada-east/the-chaleur/ http://northamericabyrail.info/canada-east/the-chaleur/




K.Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

Speaking about Le Chaleur here's the only game in town lately. Running this weekend from Gaspe :


Le train touristique L’Amiral reprendra du service




( French ( French report ) http://www.lavantage.qc.ca/Actualites/2014-04-15/article-3690388/Le-train-touristique-L%26rsquo%3BAmiral-reprendra-du-service/1 http://www.lavantage.qc.ca/Actualites/2014-04-15/article-3690388/Le-train-touristique-L%26rsquo%3BAmiral-reprendra-du-service/1


K.Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

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

so What's wrong with some nice Highway busses....seriously, as a taxpayer , it makes no economic sense, to spend the funds on this route...


Lloyd

[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

You have a valid point Lloyd. Like anything else I certainly want value for my tax dollars. Yes some operators have comfortable luxurious motor coaches. But not every single one of them.


The other side of your equation raises these questions :


1 - In spite of the fact that levels were tri weekly what comparable alternatives are there ? Does Via have the patronage ? Which did exceedingly well throughout the late 90's and into the last decade.


2 - What alternatives are there ? Any reasonably priced air service available ? Anyone tried the cramped Orleans Transport service to Montreal ? Currently being reviewed for service reductions by the carrier with Transport Quebec. Next would be driving ( or travelling by bus ) especially in the winter. Will you get there ?


3 - Finally consider this. One way for the region to get more value out of their publically owned rail line.
If it's tentatively lined up for track renovations why not make maximum use of it ? With rail passenger service ? That could provide extra revenue with an operating / track usage agreement thanks to Via.


Here's another thing to mindful of. Never believe anybody's numbers as to cost. No matter who's tallying them.
Aren't they always exaggerated ?


K . Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

In my last post I forgot to mention one other irritant that Les Gaspésiens had taken away from them. As a temporary replacement that involves a highway bus service connecting with Via Rail.


Via and Ms Raitt's Ministry Of Transport created more of a wedge than ever to make their point. The connecting bus from Matapedia was abolished shortly after the passenger train was terminated on August 22nd.


Orleans Transport now wants to cut their present service in half.


Isn' t that just lovely ?


K. Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

['DAVID J. SCOTT' tiadjs-FFYn/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

Wait till next spring (2015) Election Year the Feds will find MONEY for Regional Development and Infrastructure.
David Scott

Toronto




On Friday, September 19, 2014 12:10 PM, "xcnken-/***@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]" <Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org> wrote:




In my last post I forgot to mention one other irritant that Les Gaspésiens had taken away from them. As a temporary replacement that involves a highway bus service connecting with Via Rail.

Via and Ms Raitt's Ministry Of Transport created more of a wedge than ever to make their point. The connecting bus from Matapedia was abolished shortly after the passenger train was terminated on August 22nd.

Orleans Transport now wants to cut their present service in half.

Isn' t that just lovely ?

K. Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

[Anthony Prince anthonyprince849-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

I live in Port-Daniel West along the Gaspe coast. I have been following the news about the Gaspe Railway since December 2011. I am a huge fan of trains. I took VIA Rail's Chaleur from New Carlisle to Montreal in July 2012. This summer I went from Perce to Gaspe on the L'Amiral tourist train.

I hope that the Gaspe Railway can get the funding needed to repair the line, 2015 could be the year (I hope) with the upcoming election. The provincial government invested $27 million on the Gaspe line in 2012 and 2013. If the Federal government would invest some money, the provincial government would also (I think.) There is a good reason to repair the line.

Besides passenger trains, the line has huge freight potential. Here is a list of current users, and users waiting on the line to be repaired.
1. VIA Rail (passenger train service from Matapedia to Gaspe) waiting.
2. L'Amiral tourist train (operates mainly between Perce and Gaspe) current user.
3. Temrex Sawmill (Nouvelle) current user.
4. Fabrication Delta (New Richmond) current user.
5. Rail GD (New Richmond) current user.
6. Coop and grain farmers (Caplan) current user
7. Saint-Elzear Sawmill (New Carlisle) waiting.
8. Cement McInnis (Port-Daniel) waiting.
9. LM Windpower (Gaspe) waiting.


On Friday, September 19, 2014 12:47 PM, "'DAVID J. SCOTT' tiadjs-FFYn/***@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]" <Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org> wrote:




Wait till next spring (2015) Election Year the Feds will find MONEY for Regional Development and Infrastructure.
David Scott

Toronto




On Friday, September 19, 2014 12:10 PM, "xcnken-/***@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]" <Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org> wrote:




In my last post I forgot to mention one other irritant that Les Gaspésiens had taken away from them. As a temporary replacement that involves a highway bus service connecting with Via Rail.

Via and Ms Raitt's Ministry Of Transport created more of a wedge than ever to make their point. The connecting bus from Matapedia was abolished shortly after the passenger train was terminated on August 22nd.

Orleans Transport now wants to cut their present service in half.

Isn' t that just lovely ?

K. Wadden Pointe Claire Qc

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

Here's my conspiracy theory. Although the region's political
map is currently not blue enough to satisfy the feds suddenly
they'll become magicians in 2015. Prior to the coming elections
they'd find the funding......to restore service. Sound familiar ?

Wait till next spring (2015) Election Year the Feds will find
MONEY for Regional Development and Infrastructure.

There is already a "Building Canada Fund",
<http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/nbcp-npcc-eng.html>,
and federal Infrastructure Minster Denis Lebel suggested last May
that it could be a source of money for the Gaspésie Railway, if
the provincial government identified it as a priority. See
message #75762.

It's very possible that extra money for that fund as a whole will
be announced next year as a pre-election goodie. I doubt that
Ottawa will give any extra funding targeted specifically at the
Gaspésie Railway, though, because that region looks like very
stony soil for the Tories.

The entire line from Matapedia to Gaspé is now in the riding of
Gaspésie-Magdalen Islands, held by New Democrat Philip Toone.
The Conservatives came third there in 2011, with 17% of the vote.

The riding boundaries are being redrawn for 2015, and the
stations from Gaspé to New Richmond will be in Gaspésie-Magdalen
Islands, while Carleton, Nouvelle and Matapedia will be in
Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapedia. If the 2011 votes were
transposed to the new riding boundaries, the Bloc would have
won both ridings. The Conservatives would have been third in
Gaspésie, with 19% of the vote, and fourth in Avignon-etc with
13%.

The new Bloc leader seems bent on sailing his party onto the
rocks, but I doubt that many disillusioned Bloc votes will
switch to the Tories. The current government's changes to
employment insurance have been very unpopular in the Gaspé
region. I expect that most Bloc voters will switch to the
Grits or Dippers.

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


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[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

Be that what it may gents my scenario may not necessarily come about.
However my cynicism towards politicians of any stripe tells me that anything's possible in an election year. To garner that vote.


So instead of the feds Via pulls a rabbit out of their hat by restoring service ? HA !


K . Wadden Pointe Claire Qc.

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

Here's a report that says the railway's request to the provincial
<http://www.radiogaspesie.ca/radio3/?portfolio=de-107-a-70-millions>
The total amount being requested has been reduced to $70 million.
The first portion is now $42 million, for work on the Matapedia -
Chandler segment. That includes the complete replacement of four
major structures, including the two bridges over the Cascapedia
River (between Carleton and New Richmond). That work is supposed
to be finished by winter 2016.
The other $28 million would be used to upgrade the Chandler -
Gaspé segment, to be finished by winter 2017. (I hope that means
January - March, not December. "Winter 2017" is an ambiguous
phrase.)
The August report suggested that VIA service to New Carlisle
could resume once the western portion of the work was done.
Today's report seems to indicate that VIA won't come back until
the work is done all the way to Gaspé, though it isn't crystal
clear on that point.

Here's another news report:
<http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2014/09/18/voie-ferree-en-gaspesie-demande-revisee-a-70-millions>
My thanks to the Facebook page of the Coalition des Gaspésiens
pour l'avenir du train for pointing it out.

The story is similar to the one from Radio Gaspésie, with a few
differences. This one says the completion date for Matapedia -
Chandler would be fall 2016, and Chandler - Gaspé would be fall
2017. That would mean at least three more summers without VIA
service to Gaspé.

This story also says that the Gaspésie Railway does not have
an assurance from VIA that passenger trains would return. "We
haven't got that far", says railway president Éric Dubé. That
seems to contradict the statements made by the VIA president at
VIA's annual public meeting last May (see message #75789 and
follow-ups).

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


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[xcnken-/[e-mail] [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]]

This whole project keeps back pedaling every day. Which must frustrate Les Gaspésiens all the more watching their L'Amiral cruise by.


Via should step up to the plate. By eliminating the train's ' temporary' schedules in their public timetables altogether. Or show that they' re serious by restoring their connecting bus right to Gaspe. Like it used to be.


The longer the service remains suspended the more difficult it will be win back patronage. Everyone will have forgotten about it.


The SCFG as a municipally funded entity should be pushing harder to get The Chaleur back. Along with it's added revenue. As for Via they'll never admit that it certainly suits their bottom line.


Or is there a back door agenda. Have L' Amiral eventually replace Via's former service altogether ! ?