Federal NDP Transport Critic and MP for Skeena Bulkley Valley, Taylor Bachrach, is bringing attention to Canada’s outdated and inefficient passenger train infrastructure, riding the rails across Canada on his way home for Christmas from Ottawa to Smithers.
Increasing freight train schedules along Canada’s limited rail infrastructure has made it difficult for passenger train services like Via Rail to operate efficiently and on time, especially in rural areas like Northwest, B.C. Bacharach’s private members bill, Bill C-371, aims to mirror a federal law already in place in the United States giving passenger trains priority from coast to coast.
“Canada lags behind much of the world when it comes to passenger rail,” said Bachrach. “One of the key things holding us back is the fact that Canadian passenger trains have to frequently pull off and make way for freight trains, resulting in poor on-time performance. My bill aims to address that problem.”
