OTTAWA, Dec. 3, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Honourable Steven
Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport) and VIA Rail announced the
completion of a number of important projects including additional
frequencies and the introduction of a new service between Ottawa and
Quebec City.
These initiatives will lead to safer, faster, and more efficient service
in the Quebec-Windsor corridor. The activities are part of VIA Rail's
modernization plan. To make travel easier for Canadians, new scheduling
options in the Ottawa-Toronto-Quebec City line were added, the F40 were
renovated, and additional safety features were implemented at railway
crossings in the Quebec-Windsor Corridor. The upgrades to F40
locomotives will improve fuel efficiency and environmental
sustainability. These initiatives help VIA Rail to bring Canadians
together, and promote economic growth and prosperity in Canada.
According to Minister of State Fletcher: "Our government is committed to
creating a safe, efficient and reliable passenger rail service for
Canadians. That's why we are supporting VIA Rail through our Economic
Action Plan, and why we have invested nearly $1 billion in passenger
rail since 2007. We believe that improvements to VIA Rail will help to
create jobs and stimulate economic growth across the country."
"This investment in VIA Rail is made possible through the support of the
Government of Canada, who like us, wants to provide transportation
solutions that are accessible to Canadians and improve their quality of
life by offering more train frequencies to millions of passengers. The
improvements made to our schedules and rolling stock will allow us to
meet our targets in terms of the environment, customer experience and
operational performance," said Marc Laliberté, President and Chief
Executive Officer of VIA Rail. "The Corporation is in a better position
to face the future and, thanks to the vision and innovation of our
employees and partners; it addresses the needs of a larger number of
people in terms of mobility."
The improvements were made possible by the federal government's Capital
Investment Program for VIA Rail. The Government of Canada has invested
almost $1 billion in VIA Rail since 2007 to improve its stations,
infrastructure, trains and technology. These investments will directly
benefit Canadians and the country's economy, by promoting job creation
and prosperity across the country.
About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's (www.viarail.ca) mandate is to provide safe, efficient and reliable passenger
transportation, with service in the country's two official languages.
VIA operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking
450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre network. Recipient of the
RAC's Safety Award in 2012 for the 11th time in 12 years, and of the
2012 Agent's Choice Award voted on by Canadian travel agents and
presented by Baxter Travel Media, VIA safely transports over four
million passengers annually. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has
provided VIA Rail with nearly $1 billion in capital investment funding.
Follow the evolution of current projects at viarail.ca/transformingvia.
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Backgrounders available on VIA Rail's website
- Improvements announced
- New scheduling options on the Ottawa-Toronto-Quebec City segment
- F40 locomotive fleet
- Closure of railway crossings in the Quebec-Windsor Corridor
SOURCE: VIA RAIL CANADA INC.