CANADIAN passenger operator VIA Rail reached agreement on June 10 to take over parts of Canadian National’s network in the Ottawa Valley, forming part of its key Montreal - Ottawa route. CN’s Alexandria Subdivision runs from Coteau, Québec, to Hawthorne, Ontario, a distance of 92 km. Excluded from the deal is CN’s Ottawa Terminal freight yard which will still be accessible from the west.
The move is part of CN’s strategy to sell off its less-significant freight branches and concentrate on core routes. CN will retain exclusive rights to operate local and overhead freight trains on the line, paying track access charges to VIA. CN plans to transfer these rights to whichever short line operator agrees to purchase its Beachburg Subdivision between Ottawa and Pembroke, Ontario. This would enable the short line operator to exchange traffic with CN at Coteau, and develop freight services along the VIA corridor.
- On June 13 VIA Rail reached agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers on a collective operating agreement to take effect from July 1. This will merge the positions of conductor and driver, which VIA says should ’result in enhanced safety and increased focus on customer service.’ The three-year deal provides a 2% annual pay increase and premium incentives for holders of the merged jobs, together with initiatives for retraining, early retirement, or transfer to CN, for employees ’impacted’ by the initiative. o
