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46 Connecting Canada
The Birth of VIA Rail Canada
The impact that the railway had on the burgeoning Canadian nation was huge, both economically and socially. From the construction of the first public service railway in 1836, to the early decades of the 20th Century, tens of thousands of miles of track were laid, uniting a rapidly growing country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But the arrival of the automobile and airplane had an equally significant impact, creating new challenges for railroads in the process.
The 1950’s
In the years following World War II,
the freedom of the open road made automobiles, now more affordable, the preferred mode of transport. Demand for highways linking east and west, and everywhere in between, resulted in vast road networks being constructed throughout North America. Meanwhile, airline travel, once the luxury choice enjoyed by the rich, became more affordable and more frequent. As a result, government investment was directed towards road and air infrastructure, with passenger rail largely neglected.
The 1960’s
The regression of passenger rail services continued into the 1960s, falling to such a level that, in 1967, both the Canadian Pacific (CPR) and Canadian National (CNR) railway wanted to drop passenger services in favour of freight. The federal government, recognizing the significance passenger services still had, agreed to
cover 80% of the companies’ losses. Unfortunately, the financial support
did little to curb the trend and, on
the centennial of a nation built by the railroad, Canada’s passenger railway service teetered on the verge of collapse.
The 1970’s
Canada’s passenger rail services continued to struggle into the 1970s, but a decisive move in 1977 proved to be the catalyst for its recovery. The federal government, led by Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, had seen how the formation
of Amtrak in 1971 had succeeded in resurrecting rail travel in the United States. Inspired, they created VIA Rail Canada, with its exclusive mission being to organize and provide all intercity passenger train services in Canada, reduce costs and improve services.
Separating passenger rail services from freight operations proved to be the greatest challenge. VIA acquired passenger cars and locomotives from CPR and CNR,
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