Editorial: Via Rail upgrades essential

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The federal budget unveiled last week contained much wasteful spending, but we support one essential item decades overdue and essential to the Maritimes: the replacement of Via Rail’s regional passenger fleet. Much of it is so old, some dating to the 1950s, Via will soon simply not have any trains to run here anymore.

Since its 1977 creation, Via’s spending has concentrated on the Windsor-Quebec corridor, with the bulk of Canada’s population and commuters. It has left the Maritimes with scraps, if anything. Hence our poor levels of service, dangerously degraded track beds and resulting longer trip times. North shore to Moncton by train ought to be faster than driving by car, and once was, but today a car without speeding can do it in almost half the time despite parallel routes the whole way.

Rail from sea to sea was a key promise to the Maritimes at Confederation. It needs to be reasonably renewed.

Tuesday’s budget promise is clear in its intent, and it notes Via is already modernizing in the Windsor-Quebec corridor. It’s our region’s turn and it simply can’t be put off any longer without totally losing our trains. Moreover, it will help all of Canada in addressing climate change by giving Maritimers a reasonable, less polluting alternative to car trips.

The budget references $526 million over the next five years. It may take more: New rolling stock will need proper track-beds built too, for example. The government’s number is deliberately a ‘ballpark figure’ so it can protect taxpayers’ interests in negotiating the best contracts possible with firms supplying the railcars. That’s reasonable too.

With money already committed for securing the rail and road links across the Tantramar Marshes to prevent washouts, it’s time to move expeditiously. Upgrading our region’s rail cars makes sense.