Passenger Trains > VIA Rail Canada receives a bit of cash for facilities maintenance

Transport Canada has provided VIA with $34.4 million (CDN) to renovate stations and shops along the Windsor--Quebec City corridor.  Article from Progressive Railroading Daily News today:

Funding for VIA Rail stations and shops

Last Friday's press release from Transport Canada on the same subject:

TC--VIA press release

Reading the fine print, this is just a press release re-packaging of part of the $445 million (CDN) VIA was already scheduled receive from the Government this year.  That's up from $395 million (CDN) last year.  But it does address basic facility maintenance needs that often get overlooked in the pursuit of flashier projects with ribbon-cutting photo opportunities.

illini73 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Transport Canada has provided VIA with $34.4
> million (CDN) to renovate stations and shops along
> the Windsor--Quebec City corridor.  Article
> from Progressive Railroading Daily News today:
>
> Funding for VIA Rail stations and shops
>
> Last Friday's press release from Transport Canada
> on the same subject:
>
> TC--VIA press release
>
> Reading the fine print, this is just a press
> release re-packaging of part of the $445 million
> (CDN) VIA was already scheduled receive from the
> Government this year.  That's up from $395
> million (CDN) last year.  But it does address
> basic facility maintenance needs that often get
> overlooked in the pursuit of flashier projects
> with ribbon-cutting photo opportunities.

Note, how in the U.S., the investment is focused on the corridor.

Canada's priorities, however, appear to be elsewhere:

"In October, when Canadians voted decisively for the Liberal Party of Canada, led by Justin Trudeau, they empowered a government that promised a major reinvestment in the arts and culture. After winning the national elections, Trudeau made good on the pledge: In U.S. dollars, the new government has promised almost $1.5 billion over the next five years to Canada’s complex and robust cultural infrastructure."