VIA Rail has shut down a push from western leaders to move the Canadian passenger route onto the Prairie North Line.
The Crown corporation rejected the idea in 2024 and confirmed the refusal again this week.
Read more: Sask mayors pitch VIA Rail re-routing
“Rerouting presents significant safety and infrastructure challenges,” said VIA Rail’s media team in an email to the Meridian Source.
They said the change would mean slower trips and would take service away from towns already on the CN Main Line.
According to Lloydminster Mayor Gerald Aalbers, who’s spent years backing the push to move VIA Rail service north, 120,000 more people live along this line than the main line.
“The track is not going anywhere and you’re not going to wear the track out by having a couple more trains a week,” he said, noting the mainline is already busy with freight, especially with more potash mines coming online in Saskatchewan.
“BHP being the largest mine in the world … produces at least two trains a week,” he said.
“We believe we can improve the service, the quality of on-time delivery, versus competing in the mainline, just due to the amount of traffic.”
He said the federal government has a role to play.
“At the end of the day, the minister of transport is responsible for VIA Rail,” said Aalbers. “It’s a Crown Corporation. They report to the minister, and we believe that’s where we need to go with our energies.”
VIA fleet replacement program
The federal government committed $462.4 million over five years in Budget 2024 to support VIA Rail operations across Canada. This included funding for replacing the Western Canadian fleet of trains.
Meanwhile, Aalbers said much of VIA’s attention remains in the East and referenced personal observations from a recent trip to Ottawa on behalf of the City.
“I saw their station, the services they provide, the cars they have. They’re beautiful,” he said of VIA’s Ottawa service. “Yet, the Canadian (fleet) they use for the West is more out of date than those.”
This observation aligns with a page on VIA’s website, which makes no mention of upgrading the western fleet. It does, however, promote upgrades on the Windsor to Quebec corridor.
“The Fleet Replacement Program is a building block of our modernization plan, which will help VIA Rail contribute to building a more connected Canada. In 2022, VIA Rail began to deploy a new generation of trains on the Quebec City-Windsor corridor, transforming the travel experience for Canadians,” states Via’s website.
“A more comfortable, sustainable and accessible service, improving the environmental footprint through advanced energy-efficient technology. Get ready to experience this new adventure with us!”
What the change could do
For Aalbers, it’s about more than just trains. He said new VIA service could bring jobs, boost tourism and support Indigenous-led ventures. He stated 17-20 First Nations could create new tourism experiences if the decision had be positive.
Aalbers painted a vivid picture of what could be.
“Could you imagine, waking up in a paddock surrounded by grazing buffalo after sleeping in a beautiful teepee, with Saskatoon berry jam being made, from local berries?”
Although the city had daily train services in the past, Aalbers admitted it wouldn’t be the reality now.
“Two trains more a week in each direction. A week, not a day,” he said, adding he’ll continue to push for service to the north line.
“We’re still in discussions with VIA and CN, and we’re still trying to get the federal government to the table. We’re not giving up.”
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