Feds confirm Via Rail will replace entire fleet of trains, no clarity on fixing N.B. tracks

The federal government has confirmed it's pressing ahead with plans to replace Via Rail's entire fleet of trains, but a New Brunswick advocacy group says new tracks are needed in the province first.

Ted Bartlett, former president of Transport Action Atlantic a public transport advocacy group said the tracks in New Brunswick are deteriorating.

He attended the federal announcement in Moncton on Thursday afternoon and said he was happy to learn the government was reiterating its commitment toreplace the Crown corporation's entirefleet of passenger trains, which date as far back as the 1950s.

However, in an post-announcement interview Bartlett said Transport Canada should start talking to CN Rail to fix the aging tracks in New Brunswick.

"The snail's pace at which the train must move between Moncton and Campbellton is a national embarrassment, or it certainly should be. We need to fix this and we need to fix it now.

"The newest and shiniest train cars in the world won't attract riders if they have to crawl along at 30 miles an hour," he said.

FederalMinister of Transportation Pablo Rodriguez said his department is aware of the challenges.

He said his department talks with CN "all the time about safety, security, about tracks, about speed, about all kinds of stuff.

"It's a very regulated industry and Transport Canada plays a major role with them. So we speak on a daily basis," he said.

WATCH | 'We need to fix this now'

Ex-president of Transport Action Atlantic wants new tracks for N.B.

3 months ago

Duration 1:22

Ted Bartlett called the deteriorating condition of train tracks in New Brunswick 'a national embarrassment' at a federal event about replacing Via Rails fleet of passenger trains.

Over 300 train cars and more than 40 locomotives will be replaced across the country's passenger train network, Rodriguez said.

Officials did not say how much the project is expected to cost.

The announcement comes months after the federal government tabledits 2024 budget, which included money for Via Rail toreplace its fleet "on routes outside the Qubec City-Windsor Corridor," according to a news release from Transport Canada on Thursday.

Rodriguez would not discuss the state of his department's conversations with CNabout New Brunswick's railway tracks, but acknowledged that delays are "a challenge across the country."

Bartlett said the government needs to take leadership on the issue and if they do, the tracks can be fixed in a couple of years.

He said the tracks move very little freight for CN, but for New Brunswickers the delays are "always an uneasy feeling."

"You tend to worry a bit if you're going to make your connection in Montreal," he said.

Rita Toporowski, the chief service delivery officer at Via Rail,said thenew fleet will open new on-board service opportunities for the Crown corporation.

She said the new fleet will be procured through a global tender bidding process, which could take a lot of time.

"You are talking a lengthy period, you're talking years," she said, citing a complicated negotiation and testing process.

"Our mandate is to serve Canadians right across Canada and we do have lots of communities that are always interested in more service."