Guilbeault apparently didn’t bother to check the schedule, as the pandemic meant that, until recently, VIA Rail had been running fewer trains. However, the fact that we don’t have more trains — never mind high-speed ones — is no mystery at all. For starters, unlike places such as Europe and Japan, Canada has a much lower population density — even in the densest parts. The equivalent corridor in Japan of almost identical length, known as the Tokaido corridor, has a population of 75 million. Wishing it away won’t somehow make trains viable in this country, and policymakers would be foolish to try.

Source: National Post August 02, 2022 17:17 UTC