By Paul Morden, from www.theobserver.ca The Observer
VIA Rail, following a 10-mayor meeting with company brass Thursday, is promising to do a better job consulting before making changes to rail service.
“There was some blood on the floor and they apologized for no consultation with the communities,” said Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley.
VIA’s passenger service in and out of Sarnia was cut in half at the end of July, leaving one train arriving daily at 10:18 p.m. and one leaving at 6:11 a.m.
The station will no longer have ticket agents by the end of September.
Thursday’s meeting at London City Hall was with VIA’s president and other railway officials.
“They’re not retreating on the cuts,” Bradley said. “We were realistic about that.”
He said the mayors from along the VIA corridor are most concerned about the passenger service’s future plans.
VIA, he said, has agreed to meet with the mayors again within 30 days to look at issues that include the possibility of combining bus and train services, marketing, service delivery and train schedules.
“I would have loved to come by train here today,” Bradley said from London following the morning meeting, “but I would have had to be here until 9 p.m. to get the train home.”
Lambton Warden Steve Arnold said that, along with agreeing to improve consultation, VIA officials said they’re willing to come to Sarnia-Lambton in October to speak with residents.
County staff will ask the Chamber of Commerce to set up a community meeting, he said.
“The bottom line is lack of ridership,” Arnold said.
Until more people start taking the train, he said, service will be limited.
Sarnia is already lined up as the launch community for a Canada-wide series of town hall workshops, held by advocacy group Transport Action Canada, about VIA Rail.
The meeting is Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Lambton Inn, and residents can register at http://tinyurl.com/TownHallWorkshop, or by calling the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership at 519-332-1820.
“We are a community in crisis regarding inter-city transportation,” said partnership general manager George Mallay.
“This is each Sarnia-Lambton resident’s chance to express what they think this community needs, and an opportunity to offer suggestions on how it can be achieved.”
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