[Fwd: Letters to House Transport Ctte re VIA Rail]

Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 21:46:28 -0700
From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca>
Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
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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!

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Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1998 04:02:50 -0700
From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca>
Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL
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To: pfalvo@chebucto.ns.ca
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Subject: Letters to House Transport Ctte re VIA Rail
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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

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