what's in that for CN? Or CP for that matter?
Build a 125mph cab signalled speedway between Kingston and Smiths Falls using the straightest route possible, similarly upgrade Smiths Falls to Fallowfield, buy a bunch of cold-ready Brightliner trainsets to run exclusively Toronto-Ottawa (to max utilization on high speed track) and then use that proof of concept to demonstrate what VIA can do if it's given the tools. But good luck getting VIA HQ to approve a non Montreal project, Ontario to step in and fund it, or the industrial policy folks to be happy about Siemens Sacramento cranking out what is "rightfully Bombardier Transportation Canada's"
I haven't read the following posts yet, someone else might also add to this, Dowling's point on BBD really is incestuous, as nothing less than REM clearly shows. But all is not as straightforward as it seems. And besides family rivalries in Quebec, there's also the pending Siemens/BBD rail division merger, and Donald Duck Trump looking to truly complicate BBD's operation in the US, beyond what it already is. (The possible complications of BBD moving their rail division to the US from Germany boggle the mind, albeit Siemen's have the better experience of doing that)(with caveats!)(not to even mention the Caisse in all of this, or government loans, forgivable or otherwise)
Dowling's point on "the speedway"...no matter where it is, let alone who finances it or runs it, is a very good one, one that I'm 'banking' on. It's not a question of whether the 'speedway' makes profit or not, and does it well, that's a given. It's *What About The Rest*!
And one of the very best moves from VIA's Board of Guvs, besides getting Parliamentary recognition in their own Act (and it may well not be the best way) is to spawn VIA HFR as a *part Government owned Corporation* and either as CEO or acting one: D-S.
The real challenge is to deal with the Real Market...not the one they tell you to do and don't give you the cash to do it in, save for "Here's your allowance, now run along before you get a good spanking from Mr CN and Mrs CP." I'm amazed at D-S' perseverance through all of this. It's not the money, he could be earning far more in private practice, it's the *Vision*! And he wants to be in the driver's seat. And he should be...
He's yet to play his hand...Morneau has to play his first.