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APRIL 21, 1971 TERRACE BAY NEWS : PAGE 13 PUBLIC NOTICE Integration of Transcontinental Passenger Trains In recent decisions the Canadian Transport Commission required the continuance of transcontinental passenger-train service and announced its intention to investigate and develop an integrated rationalization plan for CP Rail and CNR transcontinental trains. On January 29, in a decision dealing with proposals for rationalizing The Canadian, CP Rail's transcontinental train, the Com- mission said: "It is. our view that the elimination of needless duplication of service and pos- sible reductions in frequencies should be considered as a single problem in re- lation to the transcontinental services of both railways." On February 26 a decision was issued order- ing the CNR not to discontinue operation of the Super Continental transcontinental train. It repeated the integration proposal, stating: "The objective is to develop a basic transcontinental .passenger service which will justify whatever cost there may be to the federal treasury and which will satisfy the needs of the travelling public." Commission cost studies carried out in con- nection with those decisions identified an actual loss of $15,171,024 by The Canadian in 1968 and an actual loss of $14,058,030 by the Super Continental in 1969. Under the law, these two train services now are eligible for federal subsidies of up to 80 per cent of the losses being incurred. At the present level of service and rates, this could cost the taxpayers of Canada an estimated total of about $24,000,000 a year or $2,000,000 a month. On each train the main area of loss has been in the provision of sleeping and dining car services -- about $9,500,000 a year in the case of The Canadian and $10,000,000 on the Super Continental. Accordingly, the bulk of the subsidy entitlement is attributable to these services. Yet of every three travellers on these trains, two are in coach seats and one in sleeping car space. The Commission has already made a firm decision that transcontinental passenger-train service will be continued. It is convinced that an integrated, rationalized plan of operation can reduce the heavy losses while maintaining a level of service that will meet the public need. Since the February 26 decision on the Super Continental was issued, the Railway Trans- port Committee of the Commission has been investigating various methods of integrating the services of the two transcontinental trains into a single, rationalized system. 3 In order to ensure that all possible methods of 'integration are considered, the Commission invites suggestions from the public on ways in which sueh a system might best be devel- oped and operated. Such suggestions, dealing with national or regional aspects of the system, should be submitted in writing by May 31, 1971, addressed to: Secretary, Canadian Transport Commission, 275 Slater Street, - Ottawa 4, K1A ON9 Persons making submissions are asked to give consideration to the following points: 1. Transcontinental routing, using a com- bination of CNR and CP Rail lines. 2. Frequency of service on the resulting route or routes, with possible varia- tions in summer and winter schedules. . Train departure-arrival times. . Connecting services by rail, road and air. : . Methods and costs of providing meals. . Methods and costs of providing sleep- ing car service. . Fare levels for coach services. . Improved reservation procedures to reduce the "no show" problem. (Both railways report that about 40 per cent of sleeping car reservations are not picked up.) ° The Commission hopes to obtain responses from the appropriate departments of provin- cial and municipal governments, the railways, trade unions, travel agencies, public bodies and individual citizens. It is particularly inter- ested in the views of those members of the public who have actually travelled on 'the trains in the last two years. oN OO AW