RACQ0110

Interchange Official Publication of the Railway Association of Canada Publication officielle de l’Association des chemins de fer du Canada

Changed VIA’s Culture Côté stepping down after 38 years in rail industry

High-Speed Rail Conference Putting Teeth in Trespass Prevention Railway Hall Honours Class of 2009

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Winter 2010

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Interchange Winter 2010

Hiver 2010

Chairman: Sean Finn Vice-Chairman: Fred Green President and CEO: Cliff Mackay Vice-President, Operations and Regulatory Affairs: M. Lowenger Vice-President, Public and Corporate Affairs: B.R. Burrows Director, Finance and Administration, and Treasurer: D. Dickson Published for The Railway Association of Canada 99 Bank Street, Suite 901 Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9 Phone: 613.567.8591 Fax: 613.567.6726 www.railcan.ca Roger Cameron, Director, Public Affairs Alex Binkley, Contributing Writer Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist in the Parliamentary Press Gallery and serves as the Canadian/Ottawa correspondent for domestic and international transportation publications.

contents 7 President’s Message It never hurts to find time to plan 8 Côté Helped Change VIA’s Culture VIA president/CEO stepping down after 38 years in rail industry

Interchange is published four times a year by Naylor (Canada), Inc. 100 Sutherland Avenue Winnipeg, MB R2W 3C7 Phone: 204.947.0222 / 800.665.2456 Fax: 204.947.2047 www.naylor.com Editor: Lyle Fitzsimmons Publisher: Robert Phillips Sales Manager: Bill McDougall Project Manager: Alana Place Marketing: Allie Hansen Publication Director: Blair Van Camp Account Executives: Bill Biber, Candace Dyck, Brenda Ezinicki, Gordon Jackson, Lana Taylor, Ralph Herzberg, Tracy Goltsman Layout & Design: Catharine Snell Advertising Art: Allan S. Lorde ©2009 Naylor (Canada), Inc. All rights reserved.

The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Naylor (Canada), Inc., Distribution Dept.

100 Sutherland Ave. Winnipeg, MB R2W 3C7

21 High-Speed Trains Proven Around the World Summit-goers say public needs evidence of high-speed rail benefits 29 Putting Teeth in Trespass Prevention Saskatchewan’s CP police get new tools to combat violators 33 The Class of 2009 Canadian Railway Hall of Fame recognizes industry performers 36 Moving the Olympic Spirit CP, employees ramping up for Vancouver 2010

Regular Features 37 Industry News and Developments

Canadian Publication Agreement #40064978 PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2009/RAC-Q0110/9385

41 Index to Advertisers Interchange

Winter 2010 5

At VIA Rail, we give our clients a unique travel experience. People choose the train because no other mode of transportation provides a more comfortable, secure or relaxing way to travel.

Whether you want to read a good book, chat with a friend, or just take in the scenery rolling by, VIA is the only carrier to offer you all the space you need to make the trip as enjoyable as the destination.

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President’s Message THERE SEEMS TO be light at the end of the tunnel,

LA CONJONCTURE SEMBLE devoir s’améliorer, mais

but most observers are saying it is too soon to tell. So

selon la plupart des observateurs, il est encore trop tôt pour

caution and careful financial management

l’affirmer; prudence et rigueur dans la gestion

continue to be watch words in our industry.

financière sont donc toujours les mots d’ordre

Having said that, perhaps it is time to think

dans le secteur. Cela dit, il est peut-être temps de

about challenges ahead when we begin to

commencer à penser aux défis à surmonter quand

grow and prosper again. I want to highlight

nous recommencerons à croître et à prospérer. Je

three issues.

First there are innovation and technology.

We are going to need both to meet future demand and improve service in a more complex marketplace. The RAC recently Cliff held a one-day conference on technology and a two-day session on high-speed rail. The good news is that the industry has some very smart and dedicated people, and governments are starting to pay attention. However, we will need strong leadership from management and a solid system of cooperation in key priority areas to succeed.

The second item is human resources management. We have been fortunate that our best and most experienced staff members have stayed throughout their careers.

However, time marches on and we are facing a large number of retirements in many key areas. Companies are implementing plans to address this issue. The RAC, through its Human Resources Committee, is working with members and community colleges across the country to put high-quality courses to address the problem in critical skills areas. We hope to expand this program to focus on First Nations people in cooperation with the Assembly of First Nations in the near future.

The last challenge I want to mention is community relations. As we grow traffic on both the freight and passenger side and address critical capacity issues, we will need to strengthen our ability to work cooperatively with communities in which we operate. Much has been done with amendments to the CTA and growing, positive cooperation between the RAC and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). A continuing, focused effort on this area will be very important to our ability to meet future challenges.

I hope I am not too optimistic in raising these challenges now. Sooner or later, they will be upon us and it never hurts to fi nd time to plan for the future.

J.C. (Cliff) Mackay President and CEO

voudrais souligner trois éléments en particulier.

Premièrement, l’innovation et la technologie.

Nous allons devoir faire largement appel aux deux afi n de répondre à la demande future et d’améliorer le service dans un marché sans cesse plus complexe.

Mackay Récemment, l’ACFC a tenu une conférence d’un jour sur la technologie et un atelier de deux jours sur les trains à haute vitesse. La bonne nouvelle, c’est que nous comptons parmi nous des gens brillants et dévoués, et que les gouvernements commencent à nous écouter. Mais pour réussir à cet égard, nous avons besoin d’un bon leadership en gestion et d’une solide collaboration dans les domaines clés.

Le deuxième élément a trait à la gestion des ressources humaines. Nous avons eu la chance que les cheminots les meilleurs et les plus chevronnés aient consacré toute leur carrière à notre secteur. Mais le temps passe et nombre d’entre eux s’en vont à la retraite dans bien des secteurs clés.

Les entreprises mettent en œuvre des plans à cet égard. Le comité des ressources humaines de l’ACFC collabore avec nos membres et avec des collèges communautaires partout au pays afi n d’offrir des cours de qualité pour relever le défi lié aux compétences essentielles. Nous espérons étendre bientôt ce programme en concentrant nos efforts sur les peuples autochtones, en collaboration avec l’Assemblée des Premières nations.

Enfi n, je tiens à mentionner le défi des relations avec les collectivités. Au fur et à mesure que le trafic marchandises et voyageurs augmentera et que nous résoudrons les importants problèmes liés à la capacité, nous devrons être en mesure de collaborer avec les collectivités où nous exerçons nos activités.

Depuis un certain nombre d’années, nous avons bien progressé grâce aux modifications à la LTC et à la collaboration croissante et positive entre l’ACFC et la Fédération canadienne des municipalités (FCM). Pour pouvoir relever les défis futurs, il sera primordial que nous fassions des efforts concertés et soutenus sur ce plan.

J’espère que je ne pèche pas par excès d’optimisme en parlant de ces défis maintenant. Tôt ou tard, nous devrons y faire face, et un peu de planification est toujours souhaitable.

J.C. (Cliff) Mackay Président-directeur général Interchange

Winter 2010 7

Côté Helped Change VIA’s Culture VIA president/CEO stepping down after 38 years in rail industry AS HE NEARS retirement as president and CEO, Paul Côté could boast about recent improvements at VIA Rail.

But to him, most important has been how the company’s 3,000 employees have engaged in its operations. It was a topic he returned to several times during an interview reflecting on 38 years in the passenger train business in Canada.

“One thing that has changed significantly in that time is how people in the business are managed and how they react to a customer issue,” he said. “I’m very proud to have been part of the changing of a culture. When I started in 1972, the employees on the front line had zero power. If there were any problems, you referred it to a higher level. You wouldn’t take any responsibility for the problem.”

He claims the hierarchical system is now a VIA relic.

“One thing I hear people say a lot is how impressed they are with the level of engagement and empowerment of employees on the front line,” he said. “When an issue comes up, it’s taken care of. People make decisions and take care of the customers. That’s very, very important.

“I was living it on the front line in the 1970s. Now I manage it from the executive office and I can tell you that I’ve seen a significant change. Railways are very traditional in their rules and methods of work. And that’s what we’ve

“I’ve said all along that the case for high speed has already been proven all around the world. High-speed trains can be effective and productive and have a significant place in the market. They can provide rapid movement of large numbers of people.” continued on page 10 8 Interchange

Winter 2010

Paul Côté a contribué à changer la culture à VIA Le président-directeur général de VIA se retire après 38 ans au sein du secteur ferroviaire À L’APPROCHE DE sa retraite comme président et chef de la direction de VIA Rail, Paul Côté pourrait se vanter de bien des améliorations apportées à l’entreprise ces dernières années.

Mais, selon lui, la réalisation la plus importante est l’engagement des 3 000 employés dans l’exploitation de la Société. Il en a parlé plusieurs fois lors d’un entretien sur ses 38 années de carrière dans le secteur des trains voyageurs au Canada. « Pendant cette période, la gestion du personnel et la façon de se comporter face à la clientèle ont beaucoup changé. Je suis très fier d’avoir participé à l’évolution de la culture. À mes débuts en 1972, les employés de première ligne n’avaient aucun pouvoir. En cas de problème, on s’en référait à un niveau supérieur. On ne prenait aucune responsabilité à ce sujet. » Cette façon de faire n’existe plus à VIA, ditil. « Les gens me disent souvent que la motivation et la responsabilisation du personnel de première ligne les impressionnent.

Lorsqu’un problème surgit, les employés s’en chargent. Ils prennent des décisions et s’occupent des clients. C’est très, très important. » Paul Côté a connu luimême le changement. « Dans les années 1970, je l’ai vécu en tant qu’employé de première ligne. Maintenant, de mon poste à la haute direction, je peux vous dire que les choses ont bien changé. Les chemins de fer ont tendance à suivre des règles et des méthodes de travail traditionnelles.

Nous avons changé cela et mis à jour les processus pour devenir plus efficaces. » Et, précisetil, quand il est devenu président en 2005, « il a voulu, notamment, que les gens sachent clairement sur quoi se concentrer et quel était leur travail. »

VIA sonde régulièrement son personnel pour évaluer sa motivation et sa satisfaction au travail. « Tous les employés ne sont pas heureux, mais ils ne sont pas insatisfaits ou frustrés, note M. Côté. Leur niveau de satisfaction et de motivation est acceptable.

Ils savent à quel point le service compte pour nous, sont très engagés envers l’entreprise et témoignent à son égard d’un fort degré d’attachement et d’appartenance. La plupart veulent rester parce qu’ils croient en l’avenir de VIA. » Selon les sondages, les clients aussi sont satisfaits. « Les gens aiment voyager avec nous.

La qualité du service est bonne. » VIA n’a pas atteint la perfection, il en est conscient. « On peut accroître encore l’efficacité, mais d’importants progrès ont été enregistrés. Nos syndicats y ont contribué. De telles choses ne s’imposent pas. Nous pouvons être fiers des changements réalisés. » Selon M. Côté, peu de gens ont eu l’occasion, comme lui, de faire évoluer la culture d’une entreprise. « Mais je peux affi rmer sans hésiter que la culture a changé. » Parallèlement, les problèmes de congestion routière et la hausse des prix du carburant ont ravivé l’intérêt pour les voyages en train au cours de la dernière décennie. « La situation aujourd’hui témoigne d’une évolution certaine. À leur début, les chemins fer étaient le mode de déplacement privilégié, mais le pendule a basculé avec l’essor du transport routier et aérien. Des décisions politiques permettent aujourd’hui de soutenir les services ferroviaires voyageurs. Il fallait un retour du pendule pour créer un meilleur équilibre. Les services voyageurs, maintenant perçus comme une réelle valeur, vont prendre leur place au cours des prochaines années. » VIA a donné un nouveau visage à ses trains et à nombre de ses gares, et prévoit apporter bien d’autres changements. M. Côté rappelle sa suite à la page 11 Interchange

Winter 2010 9

continued from page 8

If Only It Was This Easy

altered to introduce significant changes and modernize and update our processes to become more efficient. (Upon becoming president in 2005), one of my objectives was to make sure people had a clear focus and employees knew what their job was.�

VIA does regular staff surveys to gauge job satisfaction and engagement. “Not everybody is happy but the employees aren’t dissatisfied or frustrated,â€? CĂ´tĂŠ said. “The level of satisfaction and engagement is at an acceptable level.

They appreciate our clear focus on service, they feel very involved in the company and they show a level of attachment

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Winter 2010

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suite de la page 9 première rencontre avec Donald Wright, homme d’affaires de Toronto, nommé président du Conseil d’administration en 2006. « Nous avons passé de longues heures à examiner les besoins de l’entreprise. Il voulait connaître les plus pressants et savoir comment le Conseil et son président pouvaient contribuer à y répondre. « Je lui ai dit qu’il fallait se pencher sur l’état de nos actifs matériels. On avait étudié des améliorations, évalué leur coût et établi qu’il fallait moderniser les locomotives, les voitures, les gares, l’infrastructure et la technologie. » Le gouvernement, fi nalement convaincu du bienfondé des projets de VIA, a alloué plus de 900 M$ à l’entreprise dans

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continued from page 10 and ownership that is absolutely impressive. Most say they will stay with VIA because the company has a future.”

The surveys show customers are satisfied, too. But Côté doesn’t claim VIA has achieved perfection.

“People like their trips with us,” he said. “Service quality is good. I think there’s another level of efficiency but we’ve made significant progress. It was done in partnership with our unions. We don’t impose these things. We can look back and be proud of the changes that we’ve made. I can say without hesitation I know the culture has changed.”

Along with it has come a revival in passenger train travel as people deal with highway congestion and rising fuel prices.

“There’s no doubt that when you look at the situation today, you see an evolution,” he said. “The pendulum has swung over the years from where we started back when railways were the way to travel before the road and air modes came along. Now political decisions have been made to support the passenger rail mode. We needed the pendulum to swing back for more balance. Now passenger rail is being perceived with real value and I think it will take its place in the mix of markets in the coming years.”

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continued on page 14

9/9/09 8:17:24 PM

Winter 2010

1/14/09 8:53:37 AM

suite de la page 11

« Pendant cette période, la gestion du personnel et la façon de se comporter

son budget de 2009. « Les travaux devraient être terminés en 2012 ou 2013. Avec des trains améliorés et modernisés, l’entreprise projettera une nouvelle image. » M. Côté parle avec grand enthousiasme de la remise à neuf des voitures de VIA en acier inoxydable. « Elles paraissent vraiment très bien. Les voitures LRC seront belles elles aussi. C’est de bon augure. Nous pourrons saisir les occasions sur le marché. » VIA a travaillé avec le CN, dont elle utilise beaucoup les voies, « pour améliorer notre vitesse et notre service. Nous pourrons accroître la fréquence et la vitesse des trains, ce qui profitera grandement à VIA », ajoutetil.

Dans le futur, des trains à grande vitesse pourraient circuler dans le corridor QuébecOntario et en Alberta, et des correspondances pourraient être établies aux ÉtatsUnis. Bien que les décisions à ce sujet relèvent du gouvernement fédéral, M. Côté croit que VIA pourrait jouer un rôle important. « Les trains à grande vitesse ont prouvé leur valeur partout dans le monde, j’en suis convaincu. Efficaces et rentables, ils peuvent occuper une grande place sur le marché. Ils offrent la possibilité de déplacer nombre de gens rapidement. » Mais ils n’entraîneront pas la disparition de VIA, précisetil. « Rappelonsnous que les trains à grande vitesse circuleront seulement sur certains segments du réseau et ne seront pas affectés aux marchés régionaux ni aux courts ou aux longs parcours. Le personnel de VIA doit en être

face à la clientèle ont beaucoup changé.

Je suis très fier d’avoir participé à l’évolution de la culture. » conscient. Il doit miser sur les pratiques commerciales axées sur la croissance de l’entreprise. » VIA a offert son aide aux groupes chargés d’étudier les trains à grande vitesse. « Nous avons rencontré tous les intervenants. Nous pourrions être un bon partenaire. Le Conseil a examiné à fond la question. Nous surveillerons l’évolution du dossier, en espérant que notre expertise sera reconnue. La décision ne nous revient pas. » Selon M. Côté, le gouvernement Harper a fait preuve de constance en reportant toute décision jusqu’à l’achèvement, l’an prochain, de l’examen technique des études antérieures sur le sujet. « En janvier 2008, Laurence Cannon, alors ministre des Transports, et les premiers ministres Jean Charest du Québec et Dalton McGuinty de l’Ontario annonçaient la création d’un partenariat pour l’étude des trains à grande vitesse. Les ministres actuels John Baird et Rob Merrifield n’ont cessé de dire : « Attendons la fi n du suite à la page 15

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There’s a new look to VIA’s trains and stations, with more to come during the next few years.

Côté recalls his fi rst meeting with the new chairman – Toronto businessman Donald Wright – in 2006, when the two men spent a day-and-a-half going over all the things the company needed and Wright asked what changes were most needed and how they could best be implemented.

“I told him the condition of the physical assets of the company required attention,” Côté said.

“Upgrades had been studied and costed, and what we really needed was to focus on improving the locomotives, cars, stations, infrastructure and technology.”

VIA made its case with the government and got its reward through two recent awards for much-needed capital projects, $516 million in 2007 and a further $407 million in the 2009 budget. Côté said the funds will help improvements reach their fi nal stages by 2012 or 2013.

“It will be like a brand-new company with our trains in the corridor upgraded and our trains in the west modernized,” he said, referring specifi cally to new stainless-steel cars. “I’ve seen some of them and they look really, really good. The LRCs will be nice too. It’s exciting times. We’ll be well-positioned to take our place in the market.”

“One thing that has changed significantly

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Winter 2010

8/25/09 5:33:57 PM

VIA has worked with CN to improve speed and service. The future could also bring high-speed trains to Quebec-Ontario and Alberta corridors, with possible links to new high-speed trains under study in the United States.

While the federal government will have the ultimate say, Côté thinks VIA could play a valuable role without diminishing its importance in other aspects of the industry. continued on page 16

suite de la page 13

From left to right : Mr. Jacques Gourde, M.P. for Lotbinière-Chutes-dela-Chaudière, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services and to the Minister of National Revenue, Paul Côté, President and CEO, VIA Rail Canada handing a locomotive key to Mr. René Chevalier, hostler and Fausto C. Levy, President, CAD Railway.

De gauche à droite : Jacques Gourde, député, Lotbinière – Chutesde-la-Chaudière et secrétaire parlementaire au ministre des Travaux publics et Services gouvernementaux et au ministre du Revenu national, Paul Côté, président et chef de la direction, VIA Rail Canada remettant un clé de locomotive à René Chevalier, mécanicien de manoeuvre, et Fausto C. Levy, président, CAD Railway Industries.

442271_Railquip.indd 1

processus d’examen technique. Il faut voir les conclusions du rapport avant d’aller plus loin. » Il est inutile actuellement de faire des hypothèses sur la faisabilité. Ils restent très prudents et constants. » M. Côté ne doute pas que les trains à grande vitesse peuvent fonctionner au Canada. « Il s’agira de savoir comment et ce qu’il en coûtera. La neige et le froid représentent des défi s, mais ils ne sont pas insurmontables.

Le coût est un facteur important, mais n’oublions pas les avantages. L’examen technique les mettra en évidence, je l’espère. Les trains à grande vitesse offrent de nombreux avantages. Pensons à leur apport environnemental et sur le plan du développement communautaire dans les villes qu’ils desservent. » M. Côté espère que l’examen en cours tiendra pleinement compte des avantages. « Il faudrait les quantifier pour mieux évaluer le coût réel de ces trains. L’achat de voies et de matériel et la construction de gares représentent des coûts, mais il faut penser au nombre de voyageurs, aux recettes et à tous les autres avantages. » Si on les ignore, on pourrait bien rejeter les trains à grande vitesse soulignetil. « On pourrait évaluer les coûts à 20 G$, calculer qu’il faudrait un nombre X de voyageurs pour les recouvrer et conclure qu’on ne doit pas aller suite à la page 17

Interchange

Winter 2010 PM 15 12/9/09 7:21:48

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continued from page 14 “I’ve said all along that the case for high speed has already been proven all around the world,” he said.

“High-speed trains can be effective and productive and have a significant place in the market. They can provide rapid movement of large numbers of people.

“One thing we need to keep in mind is that high-speed trains will be on some segments of the current network but the long haul, regional and short haul markets will not be served by high-speed trains. It’s important for people in the company to realize that. They have to keep focusing on business practices that will help the company grow.”

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made.”

“The issue will come down to the cost and how we do it,” Côté said. “There are some challenges in this country because of snow and cold, but they’re not insurmountable.

The issue of cost is an important factor but let’s not forget all the benefits. Hopefully the technical review will make that very clear. There are many benefits to be derived from high-speed trains. We shouldn’t underestimate the environment and community development benefits in cities served by high-speed trains.”

“The benefits should be quantified to better assess the real costs of high speed. There’s the cost of buying track and equipment and building stations, but the benefit side is not only ridership and the revenue you derive but all those other benefits as well. You can say it costs $20 billion and that you need X number of passengers to achieve this return and then the conclusion is ‘Oh no, that’s not possible, and we’re not going to do it.’ That would be very shortsighted.

“Keep in mind that it could be an 8-10-year window by the time high-speed train comes into operation. I’m sure by then the VIA leaders will be in the mode of equipment upgrade and modernization. A decision will have to be made. You know high speed is coming and taking over the corridor. It will make some traditional equipment surplus continued on page 18

8/20/08 10:36:26 AM

« Je lui ai dit qu’il fallait se pencher sur

suite de la page 15 de l’avant. Ce serait faire preuve d’un grand manque de vision. » L’arrivée des trains à grande vitesse pourrait influencer les décisions de VIA en matière de modernisation du matériel. « La mise en exploitation de ces trains pourrait prendre de huit à dix ans. Ce sera alors le temps pour VIA de penser à moderniser et à mettre à niveau le matériel. Une décision devra être prise en tenant compte de l’arrivée des trains haute vitesse dans le corridor. Il y aura un excédent de matériel traditionnel, et on devra décider s’il y a lieu d’en moderniser une certaine partie. Ce sera le bon moment, car un programme de remise à neuf s’impose à tous les dix ans environ. Nous avons modernisé notre matériel longue distance en 1992 et, en 2000, nous avons demandé un autre programme de remise à neuf, qui est fi nalement en cours.

Nous aurions préféré le faire il y a cinq ans, mais mieux vaut tard que jamais. » Depuis la création de VIA en 1978, l’entreprise a dû revoir son offre de services par suite de deux pénibles exercices de rationalisation. Les gouvernements Trudeau et Mulroney « ont réduit les subventions à VIA. Il a donc fallu nous réorienter, regrouper les employés et repartir à neuf, ce qui fut très difficile. Dans les années 1990, notre service a été réduit de moitié. En 1995, nous avons changé

l’état de nos actifs matériels. On avait étudié des améliorations, évalué leur coût et établi qu’il fallait moderniser les locomotives, les voitures, les gares, l’infrastructure et la technologie. » notre modèle d’entreprise et notre structure de gestion; les deux tiers de nos cadres ont dû partir. » Mais les compressions ont eu du bon selon M. Côté. La rationalisation exigée par Ottawa « ne visait pas à mettre fi n à nos activités. Nous devions vivre avec les subventions versées. C’était difficile. Nous avons dû revoir notre structure d’entreprise et travailler beaucoup mieux. L’année 2003 a été terrible pour nous étant donné l’épidémie de SRAS, les incendies de forêt dans l’Ouest et un ouragan dans l’Est. Maintenant, c’est la récession qui frappe de plein fouet toutes les entreprises de transport. Mais nous avons su maintenir le cap. Il faut surveiller les résultats fi nanciers, tout en maintenant le niveau de service. » Que fera M. Côté une fois à la retraite? Il voyagera dans les trains modernisés de VIA « et je profiterai de l’ambiance suite à la page 19

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and decisions will have to be made on whether to upgrade this, and which ones do we upgrade.

“The timing is perfect for that because 10 years out is about when you need to sit down and look at a refurbishment program. We refurbished our long-haul trains in 1992 and in 2000 made our fi rst request for the next level of refurbishment. We’re fi nally doing it now. It’s too late. We would like to have done it five years ago but it’s better late than never.”

During Côté’s time at VIA, which was formed in 1978, the company has undergone painful bouts of downsizing during government spending cuts. The Trudeau and Mulroney governments decided VIA’s subsidy level was untenable. After the cuts, the company’s challenge was to keep its focus and regroup employees. Fifty per cent of VIA service was cut in the early 1990s, and, in 1995, the business model and management structure were changed, resulting in dismissal of nearly two thirds of management.

Still, Côté said there was a positive side, because Ottawa resized the company in a practical way.

“They didn’t want to shut us down. We tried to live with that subsidy level,” he said. “It was difficult. We had to rethink our business structure and work a lot better. The market has given us problems such as the SARs outbreak in 2003 along with forest fi res in the west and a hurricane in the east. It was a terrible year for us. Now we’ve had the recession and that hit us right in the face. It’s affected all transportation companies. In the end, we managed through this. People are keeping an eye on the bottom line without compromising the level of service.”

As for his own plans in retirement, Côté’s looking forward to riding on upgraded VIA trains and enjoying the atmosphere he helped create. Beyond that, nothing specific is planned other than more time spent with family and enjoying life. And, perhaps he’ll pick up the phone if someone calls seeking management advice.

“I’ll be happy to look at it if people could benefit from my experience gathered over the years at different levels in the company,” he said. “For now, my priority is to close that period of my life the best way I can in collaboration with my successor to make sure the transition is smooth.” ●

suite de la page 17 que j’ai contribué à créer. » Mais rien de plus précis n’est prévu. Il accordera la priorité à sa famille. « J’aimerais simplement profiter de la vie et rester en santé, comme je le suis maintenant. » Seraitil prêt à partager avec d’autres son expérience de gestion à VIA? Il dit que personne ne l’a approché encore à ce sujet. « Je ne sais pas si le téléphone va sonner. Je suis ouvert à l’idée d’aider les gens si je peux les faire profiter de l’expérience que j’ai acquise au fi l des ans aux divers échelons de l’entreprise. Pour le moment, je me concentre sur la collaboration avec mon successeur afi n de permettre une transition en douceur. »

« Traitez les gens avec respect et ils vous respecteront. Tout est possible quand on est respectueux. Quand on se comprend, on peut tout faire ensemble. » Récemment, lors de sa participation à des réceptions d’adieu pour de nouveaux retraités au Canada atlantique, on lui a demandé de revenir pour qu’on souligne sa propre retraite. « Une telle invitation m’a profondément ému. » Sa façon de traiter les employés y est sans doute pour quelque chose. « Traitez les gens avec respect et ils vous respecteront. Tout est possible quand on est respectueux.

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Wanted: A Few Good Examples Summit-goers say public needs evidence of high-speed rail benefits

HIGH-SPEED TRAINS WON’T get out of the political station in North America unless the public can see shining examples of how they work and better understand economic benefits to communities.

These themes emerged frequently during the Railway Association of Canada’s North American High-Speed Rail Summit in early November.

The consensus from Canadian and international speakers was that a $10 billion plan for an initial segment – between Sacramento in northern California to San Diego in the south – has the best chance of immediate success and favourable notice all over the continent.

Winning over doubting politicians, government officials and the public will require continued reminders of residential, commercial and other business development opportunities that would spring up around stations along the train routes.

Rod Diridron, a leading figure in California’s high-speed initiative, said he and other advocates are experiencing a tremendous sense of relief “after years of feeling like we were pushing a rock up the hill. We’ve entered an exciting period of time in North America. After 40 years of priority on light rail, commuter and intercity trains, high speed is moving to the fore.”

He credits President Obama’s plan to bring high-speed trains to the continued on page 22 Interchange

Winter 2010 21

continued from page 21 United States to boost the national economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also put his political muscle behind the plan for his state.

Denis Briere, president and rector of Laval University and chairman of an advisory committee on Quebec City’s transportation links to North America, tackled the benefits issue by outlining its importance to his city. High-speed supporters “must urgently identify the benefits of fast trains. We need to have a long-term vision of economic development. High-speed rail is not an end unto itself. It is also a tool for economic development.”

With Laval and other research bodies, Quebec City has a tremendous potential for growth in innovative, high-tech industries, he said. But it needs fast links to Montreal, Ontario

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Rod Diridon, Mineta Transportation Institute, and Denis Briere, President and Rector, Laval University

and the United States, especially the Northeast.

“We have to focus on being faster than cars and planes,” he said.

James Milway, executive director of the Martin Prosperity Institute, said 42 per cent of Canada’s population lives along the route of the oft-proposed Quebec City to Windsor high-speed train. Numerous universities and colleges are close to the line, along with 56 per cent of major Canadian business headquarters. All would benefit from faster transportation links.

In addition to government support, he said backers need to focus on aligning conventional trains and transit services that would bring travelers to high-speed stations. “We have to think about how we move people to and from the high-speed train,” he said.

While a $20-25 billion price tag for the corridor train is often seen as a continued on page 24

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handicap, Milway suggested backers talk up how high-speed trains would improve connectivity between cities. *(<;065 “We have to get recognition for the economic benefits,” he said. “This is 65, 4,(5 )(;;,9@ what could be the game-changer in terms of winning approval for high speed. Better connections will help everyone.”

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He said a 300-kilometre-an-hour train “would provide the most efficient, cost-effective and reliable service.

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Q AAR Certified specifications Q Over 85 years of Anthony Perl, urban studies manufacturing experience professor at Simon Fraser University, said the decline in oil supplies and the need to reverse climate change are two strong arguments for high-speed trains.

“Electric motors have to displace the internal combustion engine and public transit has to be favoured over automobiles,” Perl said. “The adoption of high-speed trains in North America is running late, but not too late.”

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high-speed rail a new revenue source for the freight railways,” he said.

Andy Kunz, president of the new U.S. High Speed Rail Association, said that by 2030 the country “could have a 17,000-mile national high-speed rail system.” It would cost $600 billion to construct, but actual spending would amount to about $30 billion a 424303_AECOM.indd 1 year and create millions of jobs. “It would revitalize our economy and manufacturing sectors.”

High-speed rail could help the United States deal with rising energy costs, climate change, roadway congestion, a failing economy and crumbling infrastructure, he said.

One factor that should attract support is the world’s peak oil output phase and the fact future supplies will be more expensive. Switching to electric power would help conserve petroleum in the future.

Harry Gow, former president of Transport 2000 and tireless crusader for high-speed trains, wondered “why people in Japan, Korea, China and Europe understand the benefits of high-speed trains when we don’t.”

He wondered if supporters were really connecting with the public. He 427097_Sumitomo.indd 1 said upwards of 20 studies had been conducted in Canada on faster trains, but hadn’t produced anything more than increased funding for VIA Rail.

Paul Langan, founder of High Speed Rail Canada, a national citizens group with a popular Web site at www.highspeedrail.ca, pointed to bureaucrats and politicians as “probably the biggest challenge that high-speed trains have.” He said

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symposiums on speed, such as the RAC summit, are â&#x20AC;&#x153;effective ways to reach out to the public.â&#x20AC;?

One politician supporting high speed trains is Joe Volpe, transport critic for the Liberal Party. He said backers should push the benefits of high-speed rail as an economic necessity for Canada.

Brian Jean, parliamentary secretary for transport, said the government is taking â&#x20AC;&#x153;a serious look at highspeed rail. Everyone is looking forward to delivery of the technical review of high-speed train studiesâ&#x20AC;? commissioned by the federal, Ontario and Quebec governments, he said.

While a fast-train corridor proposal was rejected by Ottawa in the mid1990s as not feasible, conditions have 12:24:27 PM changed, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The population in the corridor area has grown (by 3 million people) and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new highspeed train technology. The industrial benefits may be higher as well and the emergence of private-public partnerships provides a viable option for fi nancing the trains.â&#x20AC;?

Daniel Roth, managing director for infrastructure with Ernst & Young, said the public-private sector can play a role in fi nancing high-speed trains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foolish to think the private sector can do high-speed projects on its own. The challenge is to fi nd the balance between private and public involvement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are investors looking for infrastructure projects,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The

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Brian Jean, Parliamentary Secretary, Transport

10/9/09 6:08:54 PM

cost of developing high-speed train infrastructure is the most risky aspect because a number of things can go wrong.” It’s for this reason, he said, that governments must be involved in, or backstop, projects.

The private sector has to be realistic about risk, he said. “Larger projects are less likely to deliver an adequate return for investors.” Also, high-speed projects need provisions for regular upgrades to equipment and structures.

Public support seems strong in Canada, said Frank Graves, president of Ekos Research. A survey in late

October found about 75 per cent mild or enthusiastic support for the trains, with the rest in the “doubter” category.

There seems to be fairly high knowledge of high-speed trains as well, he said. Most respondents cite the economic benefits of fast trains. He said high-speed trains should be “all aboard, full steam ahead.”

About 72 per cent said they would be more likely to support a high-speed train than conventional services, 26 per cent said it would make no difference and only 2 per cent said they were less likely to use it.

Diridron said North America’s passenger train service is third world.

Meanwhile, China, India, Argentina, Mexico and Europe are pushing ahead with ambitious high-speed expansions.

“It will be a major economic boom for North America building all the stations, bridges and viaducts as well as laying down new tracks,” he said. After the California project, which could be running by 2020, the most likely high-speed sites are the Northeast Corridor, Florida, Texas and the Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Minneapolis-St. Paul routes. ●

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Putting Teeth in Trespass Prevention Saskatchewan’s CP police get new tools to combat violators

WHEN RON CHOMYN joined the CP Police Service in Saskatchewan in 2005, he quickly faced a dangerous trespassing situation in Saskatoon, where local residents treated railway’s tracks and yards as convenient shortcuts between residences, shopping malls and bars.

In fact, Chomyn recalls more stupid behaviour by the public in four years with the railway than during 23 years with the Saskatoon Police Service.

Among them: children playing around freight cars or women hauling baby strollers through the yard, oblivious to the danger of a passing train or a possibility that standingstill cars could suddenly begin moving. People on bikes would race trains to level crossings. One woman lost two toes when her foot jammed in the coupler of freight cars.

That’s not to mention university y students returning g from yards an evening’s revelry, staggering ng through tthr hrou ough gh yyar rds aand n cursing railway rail i wa il wayy employees empl em p oyees warning w wa rnin rn ingg th them of the da dangers dang nger e s face. tthey th ey y ffac ace. e.

And And in rural rura rall areas area eass and a d an northern nort no rthe hern parts part rtss of o the the province, prov pr ovince, ATV AT riders r de ri ders r and

snowmobilers ride along railway rights of way, adding to Chomyn’s lengthy list of foolishness on railway property.

The heart of the problem, he said, is a widespread misconception that railway lands are public property. And while many provinces have functional anti-trespassing laws, Saskatchewan didn’t until July.

Chomyn himself played a significant role in that change.

Once he realized the scope of the trespassing problem, he began enlisting community and business groups in a campaign to convince politicians the province’s antitrespassing laws needed the kind of teeth that would discourage people from wandering on railway property.

He got his reward when the Saskatchewan government passed a statute allowing CP police and other law enforcement agencies to issue $250 fi nes, just like police forces ticket traffic speeders.

“This is a huge g tool for us,” he said. “We have what we want and now we can iissue summons to offenders. It will make us far more effective.

Our focus is on improving effec railway safety and this provision makes it easier for us pro to deal with the problem. It’s I a safety issue. We wanted something that was a real deterrent so we can go after d repeat offenders.”

The railway plans a con concerted effort to use the statute fi ne as basis for an educati education program to reach those who have missed earlier attempts attemp by the railways – including Operation Lifesaver – to explain the dangers of being too ex close to a passing train, as well as hiking through rail yards and past standing freight cars. c The railway police will issue warnings to innocent trespassers and tickets to rrepeat offenders.

“In the past, we didn’t have a way to deal with those h who property as a short cut. It’s a who continually usee our pr dangerous dang da ngerrou ous way to try to to save a few minutes,” Chomyn said. here and in other parts said sa d. “We’ve had ffatalities a of thee country w where people, often with music blaring their earphones, decide to cut blarrin ing over th across acro oss or walk wa along the tracks without paying any attention to the possibility a train could cou be coming. People see our tracks as a a pedestrian highway.” continued on page 30 IInterchange

Winter 2010 29

continued from page 29 Most trespassers are simply trying to save time and steps, but some seek to paint graffiti on railway equipment or steal from standing freight cars. In those cases, the new regulations allow the railway police to detain and search suspects if they fi nd evidence a crime has been committed.

In the past, the railway police could only lay charges under the federal Railway Safety Act, which meant the charge had to be heard in provincial courts already busy dealing with cases that judges and prosecutors consider more important than trespassing on private property.

“Simple trespassing isn’t a criminal activity, the courts were busy and when they issued judgments, it was often a $50 fi ne or even a discharge,” Chomyn said. “Pursuing

“We’ve had fatalities here and in other parts of the country where people, often with music blaring over their earphones, decide to cut across or walk along the tracks without paying any attention to the possibility a train could be coming. People see our tracks as a pedestrian highway.”

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Winter 2010

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trespassers in court was a time consuming and often unproductive avenue for the railway police.”

Chomyn got support from the Saskatchewan Chiefs of Police Association and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, which, along with Saskatchewan’s new government, wanted tougher antitrespassing rules and regarded it as a serious issue.

The previous government wasn’t sympathetic, he said, because it didn’t understand the safety issue. But that changed with the election of the Saskatchewan Party.

He credits Jocelyne Schreimer, MLA for SaskatoonSutherland, for championing changes in the legislature, and said rules also benefit other businesses where trespassing is a serious issue. He said the city of Saskatoon was willing to toughen anti-trespassing rules but didn’t want to include railway property, forcing Chomyn to aim at the provincial government.

While fatalities caused by train accidents always stir public sympathy, few consider the impact of the incidents on crews. “In most cases, they can’t stop in less than a mile. They’re helpless as they watch the inevitable happen,” Chomyn said. One CP engineer was so traumatized by a fatal accident last September that he still hasn’t been able to return to work. “These accidents affect them in a very strong way. They can’t steer out of the way like a vehicle driver can.” ●

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The Class of 2009 Canadian Railway Hall of Fame recognizes industry performers

A RAILWAY LEADER, heroes, community and modern technology were inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall

Hudson Bay Railway is now operated by a regional railway and hosts a VIA Rail passenger service. The former GSLR is part of the CN system.

of Fame in Calgary at the industry’s recent annual general meeting and trade show.

“The industry is part of the nation’s present and future, as well as its past,” said Cliff Mackay, RAC president and CEO, who added Canada’s railways transport 75 per cent of surface freight in the country, 68 million passengers annually and generate only 3 per cent of transport’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The Railway Hall of Fame was created in 2002 by the Railway Association of Canada with the support of its 50 member railways, the Canadian Northern Society of Alberta and the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers. Since then, almost 100 nominees have been inducted on its Web site at www.railfame.ca.

The 2009 inductees are:

Leader: Major J.L. Charles Major Charles played an important role in shaping the Canadian railway network we know today. Major Charles was an energetic and driven railroader known for his skills and ability to motivate and complete challenging railway construction projects.

Beginning his career with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, Major Charles went on to direct engineering projects and operations on Canadian National. He was involved in construction of both the Hudson Bay Railway line from The Pas north to Churchill and the Great Slave Lake Railway from Roma Jct., near Peace River, to Hay River, North West Territories. Both continue to serve Canada’s north. The

Heroes Category (Current): Paul D. Roy Paul Roy started his railroading career in 1955, working on the track for Canadian Pacific Railway.

He also served the Northern Alberta Railway, CN and the Pacific Great Eastern – later BC Rail – over a 35-year career as a telegraph operator, station agent, train dispatcher and railway officer, retiring as a train supervisor at Roberts Bank.

Paul has a keen interest in railroading and started collecting artifacts in 1955 when he was issued a switch key by a CPR roadmaster. He has contributed countless hours of time and talent to various railway preservation projects in British Columbia.

He arranged for the donation of a former BC Rail electric locomotive used in coal service in northwestern B.C., to the Prince George Railway Museum. At the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, Paul created the ever-popular mini-rail to introduce railways and rail history to a younger generation, and contributed a display car to the park.

Heroes Category (Historical): Joseph Birse Joseph Birse joined the Grand Trunk Railway in 1858 and became an engineer in 1864. On Dec. 4, 1890 at 0530, he left Montreal’s Bonaventure Station with Train No continued on page 34 Interchange

Winter 2010 33

continued from page 33 6 – the Toronto Express. A derailment west of the station in the midst of a raging blizzard had delayed the train’s departure by almost six hours.

Running on the wrong main line track on the time of the Montreal to Lachine local train, the switchman mistook the Express for the Lachine local and threw the switch in front of the train which was diverted on the 1.5-mile long Lachine branch.

Because of the continuing blizzard conditions, neither Birse nor his fi reman noticed the error until they passed the station lights near the end of the Lachine wharf. Birse put on the brakes and stayed at his post, slowing the train so that only the locomotive and front end of the baggage car went into the St. Lawrence River. Birse was found dead with his hand on the throttle but the 100 passengers on the train were saved.

He is buried in the Mont Royal Cemetery in Montreal.

the largest city in the province, the distribution centre for the Prairies and a major target for railway builders.

The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway subsidiary – the Manitoba & Northern Pacific Railway – broke the CPR monopoly when it reached the city in 1888. The acquisition of the M&NP by the Canadian Northern in 1901 laid the groundwork for the expansion of the Canadian Northern into a transcontinental line from Montreal to Vancouver.

The Grand Trunk Pacific made the city its eastern terminus as it built to Prince Rupert, while its sister line, the National Transcontinental Railway, built to Quebec City and Moncton, New Brunswick. By 1915, Winnipeg was on three transcontinental railways, all of which had their major shops and yards in or near the city.

Community: Winnipeg Winnipeg would have remained a small Prairie village except for the pluck of its citizens. Originally, the Canadian Pacific was to cross the Red River at Selkirk where the river was narrower and the ground less prone to flooding.

However, Winnipeggers voted in 1879 to build a $300,000 bridge over the Red River and provide station grounds for the CPR, to persuade the Dominion government to shift the crossing and place Winnipeg on the transcontinental line.

It made Winnipeg the terminus for the CPR branch being built from Emerson on the U.S. border. Two years later, the citizens voted to provide the railway with grounds for freight yards and a perpetual exemption from taxation if the railway made their community a divisional point and site for their railway shops. These actions led to Winnipeg becoming

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Moving the Olympic Spirit CP, employees ramping up for Vancouver 2010 CANADIAN PACIFIC LAUNCHED its Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games employee activation in Canada’s tournament capital. CP is the official rail freight services provider to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“Canadian Pacific employees are uniquely qualified to move the Olympic Spirit,” said Fred Green, Canadian Pacific’s president and CEO. “The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games provide us with an international platform to showcase our abilities as North America’s safest and most reliable railroad.”

Almost 5,000 employees from across North America have signed their names to a specially designed 53-foot intermodal container, the CP Spirit Train Wall of Fame.

Unveiled at a recent event in B.C., the container will tour CP facilities across western Canada before moving to Vancouver in February 2010.

The design showcases CP-sponsored sports teams and incorporates the names of employees into notable terrain and architectural structures across the railway’s network, including the Rocky Mountains and Lethbridge’s High Level Bridge. A virtual version of the CP Spirit Train Wall of Fame, with a searchable name function, can be seen online at www.cpr.ca.

Employees who signed their name to the CP Spirit Train Wall of Fame were automatically entered in an internal contest to win an all expenses-paid trip to the 2010 Winter Games for four. Tennile Haug, a clerk at Canadian Pacific’s Crew Management Center, was announced as the winner.

“Thank you CP! I can’t wait to share this Olympic experience in my own country with my friends and family,” said Ms. Haug.

Another 47 Canadian Pacific employees will experience the 2010 Winter Games as volunteers. These employees were chosen after a rigorous internal selection process in which they detailed their involvement in the areas of community, sport and sustainability – the three pillars of the Olympic Movement. CP will pay expenses for those employees during their 2010 Winter Games experience.

“I’ll be working at the Richmond Olympic Oval during Games time with the full support of my company,” said CP project manager Dan McGavock. “What a wonderful way for CP to recognize the volunteering we do in our communities year round.”

36 Interchange

Winter 2010

Hundreds of Canadian Pacific employees in Metro Vancouver and at CP’s Network Management Centre will ensure freight trains and additional West Coast Express commuter trains run safely and reliably during the 2010 Winter Games. The Canadian Pacific Police Service is also supporting the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.

Canadian Pacific employees have been working for months to coordinate and move construction and staging material needed for February. Tents, scaffolding, fencing, paint, scoreboards, ticket kiosks, hockey nets and bleachers are on their way to Vancouver from across North America and around the world. CP ensures these unique shipments arrive safely and reliably.

Visible across Canada, 20 Canadian Pacific locomotives sporting the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Emblem continuously represent CP’s commitment to Canada’s Games. They are part of a fleet of more than 200 fuel-efficient GE Evolution Series locomotives, which are among the industry’s most efficient and environmentally conscious, meeting stringent U.S. EPA Tier II emission standards.

Canadian Pacific has supported Canadian Olympians since 1924, when Canada’s gold medal-winning hockey team returned from France on a Canadian Pacific steamship.

CP was also an official supporter of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Summer Games and the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. ●

INDUSTRY NEWS AND DEVELOPMENTS

VIA Boosts Transcontinental Accessibility and Appeal VIA RAIL CANADA has announced a $19.5 million program for the reconfiguration of 12 stainless-steel passenger cars used on its western transcontinental train, the Canadian, to increase accessibility and market appeal. The work is being funded from the $407 million allocated for

Avalon Rail specializes in remanufacturing passenger rolling stock of all types

passenger rail improvements under the government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

The contract for the rebuilding of VIA’s eight Chateau sleeping cars and four Park sleeper-dome-lounge cars has been awarded to Avalon Rail Inc., of Milwaukee, Wis. Avalon Rail specializes in remanufacturing passenger rolling stock of all types. The company will use various Canadian engineering, design and supply fi rms for a portion of the project. The cars will be delivered in 2011.

“Avalon Rail was selected for this demanding work through a competitive bidding process based on numerous factors,” said Paul Cote, VIA Rail’s president and CEO. “These included price, craftsmanship, a detailed knowledge of the equipment to be rebuilt and on-time completion of previous projects.”

“We are honoured to undertake this work for VIA,” said June Garland, president of Avalon Rail. “The Canadian is a living legend, offering thousands of travellers from around the world the ultimate in safe, stylish and sustainable rail travel every

year for more than a half-century.

I can think of no better showcase for the skills of Avalon’s dedicated craftspeople.”

The work involved in the modernization and major upgrading of this classic rolling stock is extensive.

The eight Chateau sleeping cars will be reconfigured with an all-new arrangement of six upscale cabins designed to accommodate up to three passengers each.

Each sleeping cabin will be completely self-contained and will include an ensuite washroom plus a separate shower. The new cabins will also feature wood paneling, sofa seating, a widescreen television and controls to enable passengers to raise or lower the beds whenever they desire.

This elegant new design has been selected to enable VIA’s Canadian to attract the growing clientele for more upscale travel experiences.

This program will also substantially increase the train’s accessibility for travellers with special needs. The four existing Park car bedrooms will be replaced by two large upscale cabins.

One will be identical to those in the rebuilt Chateau sleeping cars. The

other will be an extra-large, fullyaccessible cabin. It will provide separate, fully-accessible washroom and shower facilities. Each Park car will also feature an onboard wheelchair lift.

The 174 cars in VIA’s stainless steel fleet were primarily built for Canadian Pacific in 1954-1955 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, the world’s leading manufacturer of stainless-steel rolling stock. These elegant and robust cars were used to create CP’s Canadian, the last all-new train of the Art Moderne-influenced Streamlined Era. VIA bought this distinctive and durable rolling stock when it took over the operation of the former CP services in 1978.

Canadian government funds 35 crossings projects The Canadian government plans to provide $3.8 million to upgrade 35 grade crossings in five provinces.

Funds will come from Canada’s Economic Action Plan, which provides $28 million for crossing upgrades over the next five years.

The 35 projects are in addition to an earlier round of crossing projects announced in May. The most recent projects – in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec – call for installing flashing lights and gates, linking crossing signals to nearby traffic lights or adding new circuits or timing devices. The government covers up to 80 per cent of project costs, with the remainder provided by continued on page 38 Interchange

Winter 2010 37

Kids on trackless train with NB Southern’s Lorrie Johnston

continued from page 37 railways, municipalities, or provinces and territories.

New high-horsepower locomotives for CN CN has ordered 70 new high-horsepower locomotives from GE Transportation, a unit of General

Electric, and from Electro-Motive Diesel. CN will acquire 35 ES44DC locomotives from GE starting in the fourth quarter of 2010 and 35 SD70M-2s from EMD beginning in January 2011.

The GE locomotives produce 4,400 horsepower and the EMDs 4,350 horsepower. The new units are part of CN’s multi-year locomotive-renewal

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Winter 2010

10/30/09

program aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, improving service reliability for its customers, and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

The new locomotives are 15 to 20 per cent more fuel efficient than the ones they will replace and will comply fully with the latest regulatory requirements for reduced locomotive exhaust emissions. In addition, the new GE and EMD locomotives will be equipped with distributed power capability.

Province, Feds give CentrePort $3.5M The federal and Manitoba governments have taken a multimillion-dollar step towards creating Canada’s fi rst foreign trade zone.

Premier Gary Doer and Stockwell Day, minister of international trade and the Asia-Pacific Gateway, announced $3.5 million in joint funding for CentrePort Canada at the Richardson International Airport.

They also announced a pair of pilot projects. The fi rst will enable CentrePort to become Canada’s fi rst foreign trade zone by providing simplified one-stop shopping for businesses interacting with CentrePort, 9:50:26 AM

while the second will raise awareness of policies supporting international trade.

One of the main objectives is to entice overseas companies to ship goods to Manitoba, where they can be stored without duty costs before being sent on to the U.S. One-year-old CentrePort is gearing up to run an inland port, concentrating export-oriented manufacturing, warehousing and multimodal distribution activities around the airport.

Diane Gray, newly-appointed CEO of CentrePort, said a foreign trade zone in Winnipeg would compete on a level playing field with counterparts in Kansas City and Dallas-Fort Worth in the U.S. and with Guanajuato, Mexico. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a car manufacturer and bringing in parts from Mexico, the U.S. and Japan to an inland port, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay duties or taxes until after you assemble the car and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shipped for sale in the domestic market. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to upfront taxes for goods that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sold yet,â&#x20AC;? she said.

restrain on a container, CareGoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pallet immobilizes the steel and distributes its weight across the container, Krancevic said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Steel is so dense and the coils are so heavy that you need to immobilize them,â&#x20AC;? Krancevic said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have them rattling around like empty pop bottles in the trunk of your car.â&#x20AC;?

CareGo is the parent fi rm for a cluster of businesses that grew out of Steelcare, the company best known for its innovative steel storage facility on Hamiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pier 25. Though CareGoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roots are in steel, the company also has a supply-chain management fi rm, an environmental building design company and an information technology arm.

It recently designed a system to fully automate container-handling shipping for small secondary ports in emerging countries and Europe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This company has a lot more to it than steel,â&#x20AC;?

Krancevic said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have expertise and knowledge that spans the supply chain.â&#x20AC;?

Agawa tour train to undergo $10M retrofit

Device speeds steel delivery Hamiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CareGo has built a device it says will dramatically reduce the time it takes to ship steel by rail. The specially engineered rail pallet could shave up to 14 days off delivery times to Western Canada. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody wants things faster,â&#x20AC;? said Walter Krancevic, VP of sales and marketing at CareGo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to figure out how to get around the challenges to that. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t serve anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose to have steel sitting on a boxcar somewhere in Grand Prairie.â&#x20AC;?

Getting steel coils off the boxcars and onto faster-moving intermodal containers is the idea behind the specially engineered pallet. Sending a product to Western Canada can take up to three weeks on traditional railcars, and railways provide only an approximate arrival date, Krancevic said. Intermodal containers, which move everything from grain to consumer goods, deliver products within a week and also provide a precise arrival time.

Though steel coils have long been considered too heavy and difficult to

The Agawa Canyon tour train is entering a season of rejuvenation.

Ian McMillan, executive director of Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, said the tour trainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new coaches and diesel locomotives, used over the summer, have been taken out of service as of

Thanksgiving, and will undergo work needed to complete their $10 million retrofit.

Work to be carried out over the winter includes new seat coverings, carpeting throughout the train and new window structural work to improve viewing on some of the coaches, he said.

The upgrades are also expected to include a fresh paint job, though the decision on what that new branding looks like will be up to Algoma Central Railway. And, yes, there will be a Snow Train this year, said McMillan. What isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t certain yet is whether the coaches will get the high-tech upgrades Tourism Sault Ste. Marie has envisioned.

That is up to the federal government, which the tourism organization hopes to tap for a grant. CN, which acquired the ACR in 2001, and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund pooled $10 million toward the purchase and refurbishment of newer rolling stock for one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s showcase tourist attractions.

The newer stock â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the locomotives, coaches, two cafe-lounge cars and a presentation coach, as well as two former tour train dome cars which have been out of service for the past few years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will all undergo some form of upgrade or refurbishment in the coming year. continued on page 40

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Winter 2010 11:19:09 39 AM 10/31/09

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The system would cost between $500,000 and $700,000 for the hardware alone, McMillan said.

McMillan said proposed additional technological improvements would outfit the coaches with “drop-down TV screens, wireless headsets in multiple languages and GPS-triggered technology that will enable the people on the train, when you go by a certain mile-marker on the line, if something significant happened, whether you’re talking about the construction of the Montreal River Dam or a location where the Group of Seven painted, the system will kick on, you’ll see some entertainment and education on the screens, it will talk to you in your native language and it will enhance your experience.”

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Winner of Via Rail uniform design contest A Montreal-based designer is on the fast track to fashion victory as the winner of the Via Rail uniform design contest.

Xiao Wei took home top honours at an event held recently at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week.

She was one of three fi nalists selected from 23 entries in the competition, where designers from across the country were invited to create a new look for Via Rail Canada employees.

Wei, who primarily designs handbags and accessories for Rudsak, took home $10,000 in Via Rail travel credits. Wei said the inspiration for her look was practicality.

For women, a navy zip-front dress is set off by a red print neckerchief and a red waist pouch designed to store pencils and tickets. For men, a white-collared shirt is accented with satin piping, allowing the individual donning it to go with or sans tie.

She said she’ll probably use her travel credits for a crosscountry trip to Vancouver. Lynn Pellerin, product manager, long-haul services for Via, said the rail service’s employees were invited to participate in an online forum in which they could say what they liked and disliked about their current uniforms.

“What’s most important was comfort, functionality, that it not be too out there fashion-wise,” she said.

The winning concept will serve as inspiration for the new uniform design, to be rolled out in 2012. “What you see here is not necessarily what our employees are going to be wearing down the road because we as a company are going through a rebranding process,” said Pellerin.

“We’re renovating all our trains with new colours and designs, so the uniform has to fit that,” she said. “Maybe the colour will be different, maybe the fabric will be different, (but) it really is the inspiration.” ●

I N C .

an ASSA ABLOY Group Company

85 Vantage Point Drive Rochester, NY 14624 Office: 585.352.6868 Fax: 585.352.2020 Customer Service 877.734.7245 Local Representative “Canadian Territories” JAYCHRIS Indus-Rail Supply Inc. PO Box 250, Longueuil, Quebec, J4K 1Z1 ph: 450-923-4292 fax: 450-923-4293 For increased system reliability give Rail Development Group a call. RDG is an industry leader in new and remanufactured signal equipment. Our full line of products, parts, engineering services and LED crossing lights are all backed by a 5-year warranty. We keep your costs down and performance up.

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CP’s new customer safety handbook award for James Cunningham and Kevin Sholes, from RAC President Cliff Mackay

Index to Advertisers ACCESS EQUIPMENT Railroad Solutions Distributors Canada ........................................................12 AIR CONDITIONERS MacBone Industries, Ltd. ..................................4 AIR HORNS Nathan Airchime, Inc.......................................17 ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING & CONSULTING HDR ..................................................................28 BALLAST Montana Hydraulics, LLC ................................26 BATTERIES Surrette Battery Company Limited.................24

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANCIES/ CONTROL/PROTECTION/TESTING Canadian Emergency Response Contractors Alliance (CERCA) ....................20 EXHAUST SYSTEMS Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 FASTENERS UNIT RAIL ........................................................10 GAUGING EQUIPMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 GPS TRACKING & MONITORING EQUIPMENT Lat-Lon, LLC .....................................................20

MAINTENANCE OF WAY EQUIPMENT Loram Maintenance of Way Inc......................32 Racine Railroad Products ................................35 MEASURING EQUIPMENT RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27 METAL FABRICATION DiversiямБed Metal Fabricators .........................28 MOBILE RAILCAR MOVERS H. Broer Equipment Sales & Service Inc...................................................19 Trackmobile Inc. ...............................................31 NOISE & VIBRATION CONTROL HGC Engineering Ltd. ..................................... 34

HATCH COVERS Miner Enterprises ............................................19

PLANT HIRE A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3

HI RAIL CREW CAB RENTALS Hi-Rail Leasing........................ inside back cover

POINTS/CROSSINGS & COMPONENTS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3

CASTINGS Buck Company, Inc...........................................16

INDUSTRIAL FASTENERS Industrial Screws & Forge ..............................12

POWER SYSTEMS DDACE Power System ............inside front cover

CHEMICALS/TOILETS Inca Gold Products ..........................................31

INDUSTRIAL LOCOMOTIVES Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15

PRE-CAST CONCRETE UNITS Dixie Precast....................................................32

CLEANING MATERIALS/SERVICES Hallcon Crew Transportation Inc. ...................18

INDUSTRIAL SWITCHING Vidal Street Industrial Park Inc. ......................22

COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS & EQUIPMENT TESSCO ............................................................22

INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3

PROJECT MANAGEMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27

INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3

PTC TECHNOLOGY Argenia Systems Inc. ..................................... 34

INSPECTION SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27

RAIL CAR CLEANING Scotts Pressure Wash Services .....................20

BOGIES, AXLES, WHEELSETS & SUSPENSION COMPONENTS Amsted Canada Inc. ........................................32

CONSTRUCTION/BUILDING SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27 CONSULTING SERVICES AECOM Canada Ltd. ........................................25 CANAC Inc. ......................................................31 MMM Group Ltd. .............................................42 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27 CONTRACTING SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27 The Toronto Terminals Railway Company Limited ........................................25 COOLING & HEATING UNITS MacBone Industries, Ltd. ..................................4 CRANE REPAIR, REBUILDING & PARTS IPS Worldwide .................................................14 CRANES, RERAILING & LIFTING EQUIPMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 CUSTOMS BROKERS Summit Customs Brokers ................................16

INSPECTION VEHICLES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RTC Rail Solutions Ltd. ....................................27 LEVEL CROSSINGS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 LIGHTING & SIGNALS Golight, Inc. ......................................................39 Rail Development Group ................................ 40 LOCOMOTIVE IDLE REDUCTION SYSTEMS Kim Hotstart Manufacturing...........................13 LOCOMOTIVE REMANUFACTURING Global Railway Industries Ltd. ........................11 LOCOMOTIVE SALES & LEASING Mansour Group ................................................23 LOCOMOTIVE SPARE PARTS/SERVICES/ REPAIR Services Techniques DHG ...............................28

EARTHWORKS STABILIZATION A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3

LOCOMOTIVES Brookville Equipment Corp. ...............................4 H. Broer Equipment Sales & Service Inc. ..............................................19 Trackmobile Inc. ...............................................31

EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15

LUBRICANTS & COATINGS Track Lubricants & Coatings ...........................18

DEPOT & WORKSHOP EQUIPMENT Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15

PROFILE MEASURING EQUIPMENT Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15

RAIL CONTRACTORS Cando Contracting...........................................42 RAIL FASTENINGS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 UNIT RAIL ........................................................10 RAIL GEAR ATTACHMENTS Western Railway Equipment Services ...........30 RAIL LUBRICATORS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RAIL PRODUCTS Portec Rail Products Ltd ..................................26 Sumitomo Canada Limited ..............................25 UNIT RAIL ........................................................10 RAIL SEALS International Track Systems Inc. ....................26 RAIL WELDING A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 RAIL, WHEEL & AXLE TESTING NDT Technologies, Inc.....................................27 RAILCAR STORAGE Vidal Street Industrial Park Inc. ......................22 RAILROAD EQUIPMENT SALES Ozark Mountain Railcar ...................................20 RAILROAD TIE RESTORATION Gross & Janes Co. .....................................27, 35 Interchange

Winter 2010 41

RAILS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 M.F. Wirth Rail Corporation ............................30 RAILWAY COMPANY Southern Railway of British Columbia............38 VIA Rail Canada .................................................6 RAILWAY PARTS Davanac Inc. ....................................................32 Penn Machine Company..................................24 RAILWAY TIES/COMPOSITE International Track Systems Inc. ....................26

ROAD - RAIL VEHICLES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 SAFETY EQUIPMENT/SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 SECURITY EQUIPMENT/SERVICES Abloy Canada.................................................. 40 SIGNALLING MAINTENANCE/RENEWAL A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 STAFFING SERVICES Transportation Certification Services Inc. .....30

SWITCH - HEATING CONTROL/ MONITORING EQUIPMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 SWITCHGEAR EQUIPMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Brookville Equipment Corp. ...............................4 TOTAL RAIL SYSTEMS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 TRACK MAINTENANCE A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 TRACK MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT Plasser American Corporation ......................outside back cover TRACK MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT/ SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Montana Hydraulics, LLC ................................26 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 Railwel Industries Inc. .....................................32

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE Providing quality design and construction management services. This is our way of contributing to the safe, efficient movement of people and goods within Canada. ʇ Yards

ʇ Railway

ʇ Mainline

ʇ Environmental

and intermodal terminals

bridges, tunnels and structures

and siding improvements

ʇ Regulatory

ʇ Rail

requirements and operating rules

assessments

noise and vibration

ʇ Light

rail transit

ʇ Buildings, stations, and

specialty structures (Locomotive maintenance facilities) ʇ Commuter ʇ Project

and passenger rail

management

COMMUNITIES TRANSPORTATION BUILDINGS

www.mmm.ca | www.mrc.ca

INFRASTRUCTURE

MRC is now a member of MMM Group

TRACK MATERIALS/PERMANENT WAY EQUIPMENT A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Global Railway Industries Ltd. ........................11 PNR Railworks Inc. ..........................................14 Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 UNIT RAIL ........................................................10 TRACK RECORDING/MONITORING SYSTEMS A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Global Railway Industries Ltd. ........................11 TRADESHOW/RAILWAY InnoTrans ..........................................................23 TRAIN WASHING PLANT/EQUIPMENT Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15

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TRAINING & EDUCATION Canadian Heartland Training Railway ............28 TRAINING SERVICES Transportation Certification Services Inc. .....30

• Shortline Railway Operations • Industrial Switching • Rail Yard Design and Construction • Railway Equipment and Materials • Bulk Material Loading and Unloading • Railcar Repairs & Storage

VEHICLE LIFTING EQUIPMENT Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 VIDEO PRODUCTIONS Brent Harlton ...................................................32 WEIGHING SYSTEMS Railquip, Inc. ....................................................15 WELDING PRODUCTS/SERVICES A & B Rail Services Ltd .....................................3 Railwel Industries Inc. .....................................32 WIRELESS COMMUNICATION PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS TESSCO ............................................................22 WOOD RAILROAD TIES Gross & Janes Co. .....................................27, 35

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HIGH-CAPACITY I PRECISION I RELIABILITY

Asset Management.

With over 50 machines and a decade of practical experience, the Plasser Dyna-C.A.T. all-in-one high speed switch production tamper and dynamic track stabilizer has proven that it can handle multiple tasks quickly with an optimum Return On Investment. Available as a single or dual tie tamper, high productivity, reduction of slow orders and high work quality are the key factors for the continuing success of the Plasser 09-Dyna-C.A.T.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Plasser, the worldwide leader in track maintenance technology, understands the business of Asset Management.

Plasser Canada Inc.

I

2705 Marcel Street

I

Montreal H4R 1A6 Que.

I

Tel. +1 514 336-3274

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Fax +1 514 336-6517

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