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I happen to be a Canadian, though unfortunately living in Calgary...Let me tell you a few things about Via, and note that I have yet to read the article. 1) Via Rail is nowhere near "profitable". Sure, it's got a wonderful farebox recovery ratio, but there are subsidies for Via's operation and capital expenses. 2) It really helps when the Minister of Transportation is a self-admitted railfan. Much as I hate the Liberal regime that we have here, I do like the fact that David Collenette is in power. 3) We're able to keep those wondeful Budd streamliner cars because we have so few routes that require them. There's the Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto, the Ocean and Chaleur which run from Montreal to Halifax and Gaspe respectively, and the Hudson Bay, which can probably make do without these cars but does use them anyway. Of course, some sainted soul decided that these cars were worth keeping and the company rebuilt them from the wheels up. After all, the stainless steel used to make them in the 50's doesn't rust or corrode! 4) Canada was built on the railway. There's no doubt that many many communities thrived or died based on the railway, and still do. The highways that followed the railways sometimes never followed the same routes, and thus towns throughout the country literally have no other ground transportation in or out. Just look at northern Manitoba, northern BC, northern Ontario, and rural Quebec. All have government mandated service because there is no other way in or out. Americans would do well to realize this in the case of the Empire Builder and the towns along the High Line through Montana... Honestly, I would love to use Via's service...it just doesn't come to Calgary, though I'm certainly hoping that the governments realize that a high-speed line between Edmonton and Calgary would be a very good thing...And the JetTrain is coming on the 7th of April. :-)
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