VIA To Acquire It's Own Tracks + ROWs, Seek Private Funding?

Fair use quote below:

Last week, the federal government announced $204 million in new funding that will be divided between Via and federally-owned and operated airports.

Mr. Desjardins-Siciliano said he doesn’t know exactly how much of that money will go to Via, but the funds will be used to acquire rail lines. And he plans to ask provincial and municipal governments for funding as well if they want Via to provide additional service — something Amtrak has done in the United States.

Via will consider buying tracks that other railways don’t need anymore, acquiring existing railway beds that have been abandoned, or building new tracks from scratch, he added.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/ ... ail-lines/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

VIA already owns several sections of track that has been extensively rebuilt for high-speed operations and are currently in use:

65 miles of the Alexandria Subdivision on the Montreal-Ottawa route
35 miles of the Smiths Falls Subdivision on the Ottawa-Toronto route
38 miles of the Chatham Subdivision on the Toronto-Windsor route

VIA also owns the abandoned Canadian Pacific M&O Subdivision from Rigaud, QC to near Ottawa. It’s currently a hiking/biking trail but the right-of-way is “banked” for future rebuilding into a high speed corridor.

http://goo.gl/maps/qtbuI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This was always the most direct Montreal-Ottawa route and in one HSR proposal was to have been included in a route stopping at Mirabel Airport…..crossing the Ottawa River near Hawkesbury……..then picking up this RofW near Vankleek Hill to continue onto Ottawa.

I recall reading a recentish HSR doc which discounted reclaiming the rail trail. Will try and recall which study. In any event It's hard to see what VIA could acquire affordably. For me fed-prov partnerships are big news as they will oblige provincial legislatures to recognise that talk is cheap but expanding service costs money.