[LINK] "Dedicated Quebec City-Windsor track would improve on-time performance, Via Rail CEO says"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC reports.

Via Rail is looking at building a dedicated passenger rail network in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor to improve its on-time performance and boost ridership, says the company's CEO.

"It's a definite possibility, meaning that we are acquiring track as it becomes available in the corridor," Yves Desjardins-Siciliano said in an interview with CBC's The Exchange with Amanda Lang.

Desjardins-Siciliano, named as president and CEO of Via Rail Canada last spring, said he believes he can raise private capital to fund the purchase of track.

He admits that 98 per cent of Via's trains run on someone else's track, which means that passenger trains take second place to long, slow freight trains.

Freight railways CN and CP are carrying more oil, more grain and more goods of every kind across Canada, which means there's more likelihood of freight trains needing the rails.

"When they do, then the passenger train takes the side track and waits for the freight train to get along. So that congestion issue is what stands in way of greater penetration of train travel for passengers and increasing ridership, he said.

The interview in question is here.