Letter from Lisa Raitt re: Reinstatement of VIA Rail Passenger Service

DEC 1 0 2014

His Worship David Screech Mayor Town of View Royal 45 View Royal Avenue Victoria BC V9B 1A6

Dear Mr. Mayor:

The Prime Minister’s Office has provided me with a copy of correspondence of February 11, 2014, from your predecessor regarding the reinstatement of VIA Rail’s passenger rail service on Vancouver Island. Please accept my apology for the delay in replying.

At the outset, I should note that VIA Rail’s objective is to provide safe and efficient passenger rail service. VIA Rail regularly assesses its operations to decide how it can best meet this objective. This may include suspending services if VIA determines that a host railway’s track, such as the railway line on Vancouver Island, is unsafe for passenger operations.

The Government of Canada supports infrastructure projects that strengthen the economy, support the environment and build prosperous communities. In this regard, the Government has committed $7.5 million in funding through the Building Canada Fund to address critical safety repairs in partnership with the Province of British Columbia. I also understand that additional funding has been committed by some communities along the rail line.

It is important to recognize that VIA is an independent Crown corporation that is responsible for its own operational decisions. This being the case, the Government does not intervene in the day-to-day running of the organization, including the negotiation of its train service agreements. As you may be aware, VIA, the Island Corridor Foundation and the Southern Railway of British Columbia have negotiated and signed a new Train Service Agreement.

Comments and thoughts on VIA’s services are important. In this regard, I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy of your predecessor’s correspondence to Mr. Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, VIA’s President and Chief Executive Officer, for his consideration.

I trust that the foregoing information will be of interest.

Sincerely,

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, P.C., M.P. Minister of Transport

c.c. Office of the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister

Mr. Yves Desjardins-Siciliano President and Chief Executive Officer VIA Rail Canada Inc.