Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP adds petition to ongoing push for improved passenger rail service in Canada

VIA Rail's passenger train between Prince Rupert and Prince George
at the siding by the Wheelhouse Brewery this past summer

Following up on his recent cross Canada rail trip, Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach has sponsored a petition initiated by Terrence Johnson, President of Transport Action Canada, urging the government to take action to fix the state of passenger rail service in Canada. 

The Petition E-4754 is a follow up to the Bachrach Sponsored Bill C-371 which was introduced in December of 2023. 

In an information release from Thursday, the focus of the petition on addressing the concerns of Canadians over the lack of momentum on rail issue is outlined.

Bachrach’s petition not only calls on the government to adopt the Rail Passenger Priority Act, but to address many issues brought forward by passenger rail advocates from Transport Action Canada and Unifor over the years.

Included on the list,  a legislative mandate for VIA Rail, renewing the long-distance fleet, and keeping the government’s High-Frequency Rail project in the public’s hands. 

 “I am very encouraged by the support my Rail Passenger Priority Act has receive. The bill is a strong first step towards securing the future of strong, reliable passenger rail in Canada. Combined with the actions called for by advocates, Canada can truly make passenger trains a desirable option for travellers. The goal of this petition is to show the government the enthusiasm Canadians have for strong passenger rail services. We’ll see if they choose to listen.” 

For Mr. Johnson, the President of Transport Action Canada, the need to improve on a service that sees extensive delays is key.

 “We’re not just talking about delays of a few hours. Three whole days have been added to the scheduled travel time between Halifax and Vancouver since the 1970s. Rail is the environmentally-friendly backbone for Canada’s logistics and travel network, and we need to invest in strengthening our network for both freight and passengers.”

You can look over the petition and sign up to further their cause here.

The closing date for signing on to the petition is April 7th at 3:21 PM, so far the document has received over  600 signatures, with British Columbia providing for the second highest amount of contributors after Ontario.

More notes on VIA Rail service in the Northwest can be reviewed here.

Items of interest from the House of Commons can be explored here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.