With High Frequency Rail (HFR) finally approved as Alto HSR, but not expected be operational until the 2039 or later, Canada also needs to increase the capacity and reliability of VIA Rail’s existing Quebec-Windsor Corridor network to meet current and future passenger demand over the next decade, at least. Heavily booked trains are a good …
Transport Action Canada, founded as Transport 2000 Canada in 1977, is the nation’s leading citizen transportation advocacy group. We represent the interests of consumers or users of public transport services in Canada. Here are some of the main issues that our advocacy work revolves around:
- the development of rail passenger services in Canada;
- the future of inter-city bus services and their connectivity to rail and air services;
- urban and commuter transit systems;
- the implications to consumers of the deregulated airline industry in Canada;
- the impact on the public interest of demands for new highway spending
We're here to help you get there.
We exist to advocate on your behalf so that the decision makers understand the needs of passengers, and follow through on what they promise. That new bus stop. That construction being complete. More bus or train times... So on. And we'd love to keep you in the loop.
2025 Annual Meeting – Kingston, Ontario and Online
Transport Action Canada and Transport Action Ontario invite all members and supporters to join us for our annual public meeting on April 5th, before our Annual General Meetings. When: Saturday 5 April 2025, 1:00 pm Eastern TimeWhere: The Spire Conference Centre, Lower Hall82 Sydenham St., Kingston, Ontarioor online – click below to register and add …
Cadence wins $3.9B High Speed Rail development contract but delivery timeline is cause for concern
On February 20, 2025, Canada’s Minister of Transport Anita Anand announced that the Cadence consortium has been selected as the winner of the VIA-HFR Request for Proposals that was published on October 13, 2023. VIA-HFR was rebranded as “Alto” and, as we anticipated, the high-speed 300 km/h+ option in the bid was confirmed. After decades …
VIA Rail Struggling with Fleet Availability
One daily roundtrip between Ottawa and Toronto and some weekend departures have been cut from VIA Rail’s schedule at least until at least March 2025 as the company struggles with fleet availability. Caught between the need to retire its legacy corridor fleet, including life-expired LRC cars, and availability issues with the new Siemens Venture fleet, …
Book Review: How The Railways Will Fix The Future
Reviewed by Ken Westcar, board member of Transport Action Ontario Railway historians, enthusiasts and planners will revel in this compendium of industry experience, logic and pragmatism. In How the Railways Will Fix the Future: Rediscovering the Essential Brilliance of the Iron Road Gareth Dennis leverages his career in UK railway engineering and global research to …
Ottawa’s Trillium Line re-opens
Ottawa’s Trillium Line light rail re-opened on December 6, 2024. Transport Action Atlantic president Tim Hayman was in Ottawa and provided this report on the first trip. By rather happy coincidence, I found myself in Ottawa during the week of the O-Train Line 2/4 opening. January 6th marked the official start of revenue service on …