[nfitz]

Has anyone heard any indication of how Alstom plans to overcome the hostility of CN and CP against any use of overhead line equipment (OLE) within their ROW? Or are they planning to build the world‘s first 300 km/h fast high-speed trainset which doesn’t depend on continuous electrification?

I'd assume the latter, now that Siemens is manufacturing battery-hybrid Charger locomotives.

They'd need to develop something for faster trainsets, if we do end up with HST - but they've got a good decade to do that.

Siemens to build 73 trains for Amtrak including first battery-hybrid  

The latest news and analysis of the global railway industry from the world's leading international publication.

www.railjournal.com

 

[Urban Sky]

I'd assume the latter, now that Siemens is manufacturing battery-hybrid Charger locomotives.

They'd need to develop something for faster trainsets, if we do end up with HST - but they've got a good decade to do that.

Siemens to build 73 trains for Amtrak including first battery-hybrid  

The latest news and analysis of the global railway industry from the world's leading international publication.

www.railjournal.com

Call me old-fashioned, but I would call committing to an infrastructure project, which can only be properly used with a rolling stock type which does not currently exist, rather risky, if not to use the word: insane…

 

[Frank_Lee]

Call me old-fashioned, but I would call committing to an infrastructure project, which can only be properly used with a rolling stock type which does not currently exist, rather risky, if not to use the word: insane…

This kind of thing is what turns military procurement into such a disaster so often. Don't plan on something which hasn't even been tested yet working reliably.

On the other hand, the maximum annual political donation is around 3,400$ if I understand this table correctly. If and when I get out of graduate school, it's almost a tempting proposition to see if I could actually get someone in the LPC (or for that matter, the other parties) to pay attention and actually advocate for HFR.

 

[Bordercollie]

CN ignoring a committee hearing shows you how much the the railroads really care about the situation and passenger trains. They know the can get away with anything as the Federal government has no balls to enforce the acts.



https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/via-rail-holiday-delays-transport-committee-1.6726889

So have a court order them to show up or fine them everytime they don't show. And they should pay a fine everytime a VIA train is late due to CN.

It's amazing that 100 years ago people depended on the train to know what time it is. Now we can't even arrive on the same day.

 

[lenaitch]

From the House of Commons "Procedure and Practice" website:

"Although they can send for certain persons, standing committees do not have the power to punish a failure to comply with their orders in this regard. Only the House of Commons has the disciplinary powers needed to deal with this type of offence.164 If a witness refuses to appear, or does not appear, as ordered, the committee’s recourse is to report the matter to the House.165 Once seized with the matter, the House takes the measures that it considers appropriate."​

Being a Crown Corporation, I am sure there are any number of ways to 'convince' somebody to appear.

 

[crs1026]

The remedy is not to "punish" CN executives for non-attendance at a parliamentary meeting.

The remedy is to change the law so that CN's obligations to VIA's operations are more of a level playing field.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

From the House of Commons "Procedure and Practice" website:

"Although they can send for certain persons, standing committees do not have the power to punish a failure to comply with their orders in this regard. Only the House of Commons has the disciplinary powers needed to deal with this type of offence.164 If a witness refuses to appear, or does not appear, as ordered, the committee’s recourse is to report the matter to the House.165 Once seized with the matter, the House takes the measures that it considers appropriate."​

Being a Crown Corporation, I am sure there are any number of ways to 'convince' somebody to appear.

CN is not a crown corporation which is why they can ignore it. But if the minister orders the regulatory authority to investigate then, they would need to appear before Transport Canada, and for that, they must show up.

 

[nfitz]

CN is not a crown corporation which is why they can ignore it. But if the minister orders the regulatory authority to investigate then, they would need to appear before Transport Canada, and for that, they must show up.

They say they will attend, and are trying to arrange a date.

How much noticed did they Parliament give?

 

[lenaitch]

CN is not a crown corporation which is why they can ignore it. But if the minister orders the regulatory authority to investigate then, they would need to appear before Transport Canada, and for that, they must show up.

Strange. Treasury Board thinks it is.

List of Crown corporations - Canada.ca

Page of related links to Crown Corporations

www.canada.ca

Maybe somebody should call them.

 

[Dan416]

Strange. Treasury Board thinks it is.

List of Crown corporations - Canada.ca

Page of related links to Crown Corporations

www.canada.ca

Maybe somebody should call them.

I don't see CN on the list of crown corporations?

 

[Urban Sky]

I don't see CN on the list of crown corporations?

They ceased being a Crown Corporation when they were privatized in 1995, just like Air Canada was in 1988:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/what-are-crown-corporations-and-why-do-they-exist-1.1135699

 

[Bordercollie]

They say they will attend, and are trying to arrange a date.

How much noticed did they Parliament give?

Where did it say that? The CBC said that CN did not respond

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Yesterday, VIA posted an RFI for the replacement of its long distance fleet (HEP1 and Renaissance). Includes new motive power.

VIA RAIL CANADA INC. LONG DISTANCE REGIONAL AND REMOTE FLEET RENEWAL PROJECT NOTICE OF MARKET CONSULTATION

VIA Rail intends to renew its existing long distance regional and remote fleet by selecting a supplier to design, manufacture, test, supply, deliver and commission cars and motive power and ancillary equipment (on-board and offboard) with a prescribed capacity of car types (seated coaches, sleeper, diners, multi-purpose, baggage) through an open competitive procurement process (the “Long Distance Regional and Remote Fleet Renewal Project”).

 

[Northern Light]

Yesterday, VIA posted an RFI for the replacement of its long distance fleet (HEP1 and Renaissance). Includes new motive power.

VIA RAIL CANADA INC. LONG DISTANCE REGIONAL AND REMOTE FLEET RENEWAL PROJECT NOTICE OF MARKET CONSULTATION

Excellent find!

We're not at the right stage yet, but something to watch for will obviously be fleet size and/or provision for supplementary orders.

Most of us here aren't utopians expecting the return of the golden age of rail travel, but most believe there can and should be more of it in this country than there is currently.

To see if government is giving any weight to adding back 2 or 3 routes, or improving frequency on 2-3 others, seeing how much provision there is for capacity for same is key.

 

[Bordercollie]

At least this is a first step. Likely be ten years before we see any replacement cars.

Yesterday, VIA posted an RFI for the replacement of its long distance fleet (HEP1 and Renaissance). Includes new motive power.

VIA RAIL CANADA INC. LONG DISTANCE REGIONAL AND REMOTE FLEET RENEWAL PROJECT NOTICE OF MARKET CONSULTATION