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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------4BBC17AA1863 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Currently the House of Commons Standing Committee on Transportation is conducting hearings into the future of passenger train services in Canada operated by the federal Crown Corporation VIA Rail. There is considerable resistance on the part of right wing Cabinet Members and MPs to continued "subsidies" for a service which is socially and environmentally very necessary but which does not make a profit in the narrow bottom-line sense. You are encouraged to write the committee chairman Ray Bonin, M.P. House of Commons, Ottawa K1A 0A6 as outlined in the attachment. Please send a copy to Transport 2000 Atlantic by mail at 40 Lorne Ave. Dartmouth, B2Y 3E7, Fax at 469-3474 or e-mail <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca> Thanks! --------------4BBC17AA1863 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Message-ID: <352F4DDA.7FB8@ns.sympatico.ca> Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 04:02:50 -0700 From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca> Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.02E-SYMPA (Win95; I; 16bit) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: pfalvo@chebucto.ns.ca CC: hines@fox.nstn.ca Subject: Letters to House Transport Ctte re VIA Rail Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I just subscribed to "sust-mar". If there are too many messages on my wife's machine, I'll have to withdraw, but I'm interested. I appreciate your help in soliciting letters to either Mr. Ray Bonin, MP, Chairman of the Committee, or to Jacques Lahaie, the Clerk. Just a few notes about letters. First, we need ENVIRONMENTAL letters, so that should be a first priority for anyone with that background. Some comments about energy use of day trains being about 4 times less than that of the average automobile could be made. A ton of freight can be moved 4 to 8 times more efficiently by rail than by truck, BUT this is only incidental to VIA Rail, I guess. CO2/global warming pollution is in about the same ratio as fuel use as you can't really burn hydrocarbons without producing C02. Buses are very fuel efficient and low polluting also, but unfortunately the comfort and image factors mean that people are unlikely to leave their car at home and use a bus (especially for a medium to long trips 200 to 1000 miles) while trains have demonstrated appeal. Day trains in the Quebec-Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto-Windsor "corridor" can be very fast (100 mph) and have that potential if they ran on the prairies so that's another appeal. There are other environmental issues such as land use. Existing tracks can carry many more trains, while main highways are very crowded and would need to be expanded. Safety of public transport is 50 to 100 times that of the automobile. Short-haul air trips are costly, and use a lot of energy creating pollution in take-off and landing, tying up busy airports better used for longer more efficient flights where significant time savings are involved. WE SHOULD AVOID THE HISTORIC AND ROMANTIC ARGUMENTS! These tend to reinforce the view of passenger trains as anachronisms from the horse and buggy days. Trends in Japan and Europe as well as recently with Amtrak in the U.S. suggest the passenger train as the mode of the future. Trains in Canada are well used (60% occupancy vs. 25% of auto seats). Passenger counts are growing both in the U.S. and Canada. VIA carried 70,000 more in '96 than '95 and 100,000 more again in '97. Stress the train as comfortable, secure, energy efficient, low-polluting, a socially friendly place (meet people), giving freedom to view scenery, study or do business on a lap-top, use a cell-phone, move around, and relax. VIA should be a NATIONAL system benefitting all parts of Canada. We all pay taxes towards its upkeep. The Maritimes, for example, is more densely populated than many parts of France where trains are very popular. Up to Jan. 1990 they were well used in Saint John, Fredericton, New Glasgow, Sydney, Kentville, but now they're gone although freight tracks remain. Paul, I hope there is a way to get this on "sust-mar" but I thought I would go through you for a first crack. Thanks for your help. John Pearce, President, Transport 2000 Atlantic 40 Lorne Ave., Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3E7 Ph: 902-469-3474 Fax 469-3637 --------------4BBC17AA1863--
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