It's an interesting proposal for sure. I could see it working with the caveat that they maybe throw a few riders on the provided subsidies, at least to start, that they be focused on running that line and closely related services (e.g. stations, track, etc.), so the province doesn't find a way to move them elsewhere, but I think this could definitely be interesting.
There would definitely need to be some kind of framework in place that would protect remote services even if they were in the hands of provincial authorities. And in the case of the Sudbury to White River line, a transition period would make sense. Not only would it allow for all the proper federal-provincial agreements to be put in place, but it would allow each agency to divest of/inherit the service without being rushed to the detriment of passengers.
I have never had the chance to ride a Budd car (I have been in one, but it was parked so it was not the same experience). But I would love to do a camping/canoeing trip using that line one day. The immense remoteness of Northern Ontario is really quite something to experience.
I would be interested to know who actually travels the Sudbury-White River route. Who was the rail planner who first said, "you know what this country needs? A dedicated route through nothingness from a city of 150K to a nondescript town of less than 1000. Also, let's make sure it doesn't connect to any of our other routes."
Why don't we have a dedicated route from Thunder Bay to Atikokan? Or Quesnel to 100 Mile House? Or Fort McMurray to Baker Lake?
Your argument is convincing. But would Ontario Northland make enough money on the route to make it viable? I presume VIA is already subsidizing the route from its more lucrative Southern routes. How would Ontario Northland make a go of it?
It's an interesting proposal for sure. I could see it working with the caveat that they maybe throw a few riders on the provided subsidies, at least to start, that they be focused on running that line and closely related services (e.g. stations, track, etc.), so the province doesn't find a way to move them elsewhere, but I think this could definitely be interesting.
There would definitely need to be some kind of framework in place that would protect remote services even if they were in the hands of provincial authorities. And in the case of the Sudbury to White River line, a transition period would make sense. Not only would it allow for all the proper federal-provincial agreements to be put in place, but it would allow each agency to divest of/inherit the service without being rushed to the detriment of passengers.
I rode the 'bud car' as a youth on a canoe trip down the White River. The engineer let us kids hang out in the cab.
Of note, it is still flag service, and many people, residents and canoe trippers, stand at the side of the tracks to flag the train down.
I have never had the chance to ride a Budd car (I have been in one, but it was parked so it was not the same experience). But I would love to do a camping/canoeing trip using that line one day. The immense remoteness of Northern Ontario is really quite something to experience.
I would be interested to know who actually travels the Sudbury-White River route. Who was the rail planner who first said, "you know what this country needs? A dedicated route through nothingness from a city of 150K to a nondescript town of less than 1000. Also, let's make sure it doesn't connect to any of our other routes."
Why don't we have a dedicated route from Thunder Bay to Atikokan? Or Quesnel to 100 Mile House? Or Fort McMurray to Baker Lake?
Your argument is convincing. But would Ontario Northland make enough money on the route to make it viable? I presume VIA is already subsidizing the route from its more lucrative Southern routes. How would Ontario Northland make a go of it?