VIA Rail president Marc Laliberté speaks about passenger train issues

Written by jrood

Marc Laliberté, VIA Rail's President and CEO, spoke on the issues and challenges confronting the passenger rail industry in a speech made in Quebec City to the members of the Ordre des comptables agréés (chartered accountants) du Québec. Laliberté took the opportunity to explain to the 350 convention attendees the context in which VIA operates at the beginning of this 21st century. In particular, he described the strategies his team has implemented to manage VIA's growth, despite the difficulties caused by the economic situation since the end of 2008. He stated that. "VIA must continue to adapt and evolve if it wishes to pursue its growth and remain relevant in the coming years."

After a brief
presentation of VIA Rail and its three-pronged mission, i.e., to serve large
urban centers, contribute to the tourism industry and serve certain remote
regions, Laliberté outlined VIA’s performance and its most recent financial
results.
 Laliberté went on to describe the challenges and issues in rail
transportation for the coming decades, both at the national and international
levels. He underlined the fact that all around the world, passenger train
indicators are on the rise. Several demographic and social factors are likely
to combine in the coming years to accentuate this trend, in particular because
of the positive impact of the train, as a means of transportation, on the
environment and climate change.

In order to meet the
growing demand, the Government of Canada and VIA over the last two years have
invested close to a billion dollars (Canadian) in the passenger rail network.
These investments will make it possible for VIA to renew its fleet of
locomotives and cars and reconfigure certain infrastructures. Other initiatives
under this program will also allow VIA to reduce trip times, add new departures
and improve its train on-time performance and operational efficiency. All these
initiatives collectively will allow VIA to grow, thus reducing its dependence
on public financing.

Laliberté concluded by
reminding his audience that "the train lets you maximize every minute of
your trip, in whatever way you want, whether for work or simply to enjoy the
experience of a beautiful journey."

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