Discussion:
Via: Costing Formula To Use CN or CP Trackage
xcnken-/E1597aS9LQAvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]
2014-09-13 01:56:41 UTC
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The round of discussions concerning The Canadian's on time performance with it's padded schedule shows how little interest CN really has. However in the corridor things can be different. At times.


Via has a large expense they disburse annually towards CN. Ten years ago a Via TOP told me they paid out $15 million per quarter. Plus an additional incentive of 10% on that amount for on time performance. Similar to a formula Amtrak uses with the US railroads. That doesn't work in reverse for poor performance by a given company.


Having looked in vain through Via's Annual Report for 2013 the only non-monetary acknowledgement was in the Financial Statements section 19 page 76 (c ). Apparently no one's required to disclose anything as Transport Canada considers it to be a privately negotiated contract between Via and the respective railways.


For the record not one of Canada's railways or any of the passenger / commuter agencies release these figures. Nor are they indicated in any of their respective annual reports.


A very knowledgeable editor I had conversation with from one of Canada's leading rail magazine's argued that those figures are in the public domain. Yet High Speed Rail Canada had a very benign request turned down :


Tuesday, July 15, 2014 VIA RAIL Refuses to Release Uncensored 14 Year Old VIA Fast 2000 Study http://www.highspeedrailcanada.com/2014/07/via-rail-refuses-to-release-uncensored.html

Well when a study is over 14 years old you would think the information included might be a tad outdated and an uncensored version of the study would be available. Well not in the land of VIA RAIL.


http://www.highspeedrailcanada.com/2014/07/via-rail-refuses-to-release-uncensored.html http://www.highspeedrailcanada.com/2014/07/via-rail-refuses-to-release-uncensored.html




Anyone can anyone confirm why all of this is a Soviet secret ? Or how figures can be obtained between the railways and our passenger agencies ?


K. Wadden Pointe Claire Qc
'Mark W. Walton' mark.walton-rieW9WUcm8FFJ04o6PK0Fg@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]
2014-09-13 14:30:14 UTC
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What’s a VIA TOP?

Mark Walton
<mailto:mark.walton-***@public.gmane.org> mark.walton-***@public.gmane.org

From: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org [mailto:Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 9:57 PM
To: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org
Subject: [CanPassRail] Via: Costing Formula To Use CN or CP Trackage

<snip>
Ten years ago a Via TOP told me they paid out $15 million per quarter. Plus an additional incentive of 10% on that amount for on time performance. Similar to a formula Amtrak uses with the US railroads. That doesn't work in reverse for poor performance by a given company.
<big snip>

K. Wadden Pointe Claire Qc
xcnken-/E1597aS9LQAvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]
2014-09-13 17:40:37 UTC
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Via's job title for a yardmaster now referred to as a traffic coordinator is Transportation Operations Planner. It requires their ok to make any moves at both stations on designated Via trackage in Montreal and Toronto.


Maybe someone out there knows if they have them as well in Ottawa or Vancouver ?


K.Wadden Pointe Claire Qc
makuribu-/E1597aS9LQAvxtiuMwx3w@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]
2014-09-13 16:34:12 UTC
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I always thought that Via should have free access to the tracks, given that huge incentives were given to the railroads based on them providing passenger service in perpetuity. Hell, they can't even haul grain in a timely manner these days.

Via trackage fees are just an indirect government subsidy of the railroads, which aren't exactly hurting these days.
'Don Thomas' thomasd-fVOoFLC7IWo@public.gmane.org [Canadian-Passenger-Rail]
2014-09-14 04:50:34 UTC
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Can you provide any evidence to back up your allegation that “huge incentives were given to the railroads based on them providing passenger service in perpetuity”?



Don Thomas



From: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org [mailto:Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org]
Sent: September-13-14 10:34 AM
To: Canadian-Passenger-Rail-***@public.gmane.org
Subject: [CanPassRail] Re: Via: Costing Formula To Use CN or CP Trackage





I always thought that Via should have free access to the tracks, given that huge incentives were given to the railroads based on them providing passenger service in perpetuity. Hell, they can't even haul grain in a timely manner these days.



Via trackage fees are just an indirect government subsidy of the railroads, which aren't exactly hurting these days.
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