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When it comes to passenger rail service in Canada, the question is always the same: where’s the ridership?

It helps to keep that question in mind when you hear the latest pitch from Via Rail for new infrastructure funding in the upcoming federal budget.

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The federally-owned passenger rail service based in Montreal has been struggling since its inception in the 1970s to cover its costs and become self-supporting. In 2014, it gobbled up $317 million in operating subsidies while passenger volume continued to fall.

Now it’s pushing a $4-billion plan to renew its rolling stock and obtain a dedicated track between Montreal and Toronto to improve its performance and avoid traffic conflicts with the trains run by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific.

On the surface, the timing of the request may seem opportune.

The federal budget on March 22 is expected to include major plans for infrastructure investment, especially in transportation, and even the prospect of a large budget deficit does not seem to deter the Trudeau government.