The old trains at VIA Rail are starting to cause travel problems all over the country. Many rail cars in the government-owned company's old fleet are many years past when they were supposed to be replaced. This could have a big effect on faraway tourist spots like Churchill, Manitoba.
Churchill, known as the “polar bear capital of the world”, has always been a popular place for tourists. But some people in the tourism industry are worried about the lack of high-quality, working rail cars causing fewer people to visit.
Daryl Adair of Rail Travel Tours told 680 CJOB’s The Start that the old infrastructure means that the amazing experience tourists should have when they go to Churchill is just not possible anymore.
“You only have one sleeping car, which can only hold 18-19 people, so you can't have big groups. And you'd have to give your guests microwavable, preheated sandwiches,” Adair said.
“It's not an international standard experience. We're explaining to them that the time for tourism in Churchill is very short — whether it's the northern lights, beluga whale season in the summer, or the famous polar bears in the fall — we have people calling us every day.”
He said that the trip to Churchill by rail is crucial for bringing tourist money to the northern Manitoba community, and without more investment in passenger rail, many people around the world might miss out on what should be a first-class experience.
“It's a two-day, two-night trip. People don't realize it goes through isolated backwoods. The fact that you can go through the prairies, the northern taiga, and the Arctic tundra all from the windows of the same train, it's a unique train in the world.
“We want to take people up there. VIA says we just don’t have the equipment… and we say there must be something out there, because we know the tourism economy is so vital in Churchill.”
Unifor Canada’s Christopher Graper says there’s a huge untapped market for rail travel across Canada, and fears if nothing is done, there’s a risk of losing many — if not most — rail services in the next five to 10 years.
“I think we’re turning away revenue. There’s a huge untapped market for rail travel in Canada that we just can’t take advantage of because we don’t have the equipment to do so.”
Graper fears if something isn’t done, there’s a risk of losing many, if not most, rail services in the next 5 to 10 years.
“All regions need more investment and a vision, really, a mandate for passenger rail in Canada because there is a demand there,” Graper told The Start.
“People are looking for carbon neutral solutions to get home, to go see grandma. And travel in Canada unfortunately is becoming something that happens between big cities, but rural communities lose out in that, and railways serve rural communities unlike any other type of carriers.”
Graper said that places like Churchill depend on the railway, and without any help, it's a bad situation for tourism.
“We need to see a full reinvestment in the long-distance fleet.”
