#FREETHERAILS

[Klause]

1. Create a crown corporation in charge of overseeing regulations maintenance billing and usage of the Rail beds.


2. Expropriated ALL rail lines in Canada. They will belong to all Canadians like the highway system.

3. Charge certain cents per km per tonne to pay for maintenance and administration.


4. If and when required introduce a system of surcharges and discounts for rail operators depending on their performance and ability to meet shipping deadlines.

5. Make one mainline a westbound line the other eastbound with interconnects every couple hundred miles. This will ensure all loading points will have equal service at all times.



There's my proposition.

[TOM4CWB]

Klause,

On 2; the rail lines and roadbeds are 'Works for the general advantage of Canada... and have always been. The CTA Act needs a few revisions to better require transportation services... which is in the works.

Great Ideas!

[Klause]

Allow any rail company.... shortline private... American... coop to use the tracks provided:

1 operators are trained and pass exams showing they are competent in the safe operations of a train to a level meeting or exceeding current North American standards.


2. All rail cars operated on said lines are inspected through a federally mandated inspection program much like CVSA for trucks.


3. Coherent standards for lengths of cars between locomotives be set for all car classes.

[Klause]

As far as the crown corporation in charge of the Rail beds...

1. They should have a board of directors numbering 12. 3 provided by government, 3 provided by rail companies 6 provided by the varying major industries that use Railways (forestry grains fertilizers oil importers)

2. The railway police that cn and cp currently have must have their powers transferred to the crown corporation.


3. In the event of any derailment both the Railway running and the crown must each conduct an investigation separately and publicize their findings.

4. In the event of a dispute between two or more rail companies on one line a tribunal made up of appointed judges shall resolve such disputes. This tribunal shall be made up of: 1 elected by government. 1 elected by industry groups. 1 elected by rail line companies. A 2/3rds majority is required to settle a dispute and none of the three members shall have veto powers.

[SASKFARMER3]

Good points. What would be wrong with a Quaker Oats train running from USA to Yorkton. And another running from USA to Yorkton bringing Fert etc. back. Or Richardson's owning a train of Canola oil or meal south.
Basically the industry needs to start pushing this shit also. We cant keep trying to grow our way out of a problem. The industry isn't ready for what's coming. 2014 proved that.

[bucket]

Klause

Excellent. Well thought out. Clear. Concise.

Now see if any MP could understand it.

They are the guys that have to implement your solution.

I wish you the best.

[TOM4CWB]

There are many ways to skin this cat. We need to create a pull system... that self regulates... and provides the best service possible. A performance bond pooled... can do exactly this.

[farmaholic]

To simple for "educated" people.

Now take into consideration where that comment came from...

[Klause]

Any surpluses from the crown corporation shall be kept in the crown corporation. A mandate shall be exercised to use such funds to expand the Rail network and repair aging equipment.


The crown corporation shall publish monthly reports showing any and all rail companies running on the network, the commodities hauled, and total tonnes of each commodity. This information shall be made public no later than the tenth day of the following month. The corporation shall also have a mandate to keep the shipper's anonymous in all reporting to maintain competitive integrity for the industries that use the Rail network.

[TOM4CWB]

Klause,

We should be focused on the services provided in a timely and proper manner... I doubt that paperwork and administrative overhead will achieve the end result desired. Seldom does.

[Klause]

Tom,


The idea of my proposal is open running rights. Imagine having a shortline like Mobilgrain able to run trains out to thr coast... or a niche market like trains to Iowa with oats. Once CN and CP realize that the grain won't still be there even ever they feel like hauling it, performance will come.


I also feel my proposal, with independent inspections and reporting of all commodities moved, will echo with "laymen" Canadians considering rail safety is a hot button issue right now.


Performance isn't a problem only in grain. Sawmills are full of product that is sold but can't be moved to market. Oil batteries are full and can't move to market. This spring we will find fertilizer trains that can't or won't move.


The minute we allow competition on the lines things will change.... what's to say Richardson and P and H won't have their own trains then?

With one line running each way we can basically have a resource pipeline on rails.

[bucket]

Klause

Is this a result of being in a truck all winter?

Very good ideas. Can't devils advocate much on your ideas.

[bucket]

How did that episode of Seinfeld go when George and Elaine went without sex?

I hope you are not depriving yourself for the better good of farmers klause? That truly is taking one for the team.

[oldjim]

While I'm as frustrated as anyone else with rail non-performance, I'm going to play devil's advocate for a minute.

Particularly point 2: boils down to confiscation of private property by government. That's going down the path of the Sask NDP and potash back in the 70's. Are the rail companies going to be compensated for this? And who pays? Do we eventually re-nationalize CN and bring CP in under a "Peoples' Railroad"? And when the grain companies keep screwing us on the basis to we eventually nationalize them under a Peoples' Grain Company? Oh wait, we just got rid of that.

Sure, I'm carrying it to an absurd extreme. Fact is under this federal government it'll never happen. It won't happen under a liberal government and the NDP will never form government. At best we'll see a little more diddling and a few brave and hollow statements from Ritz cracker but in the end nothing will change.

[Klause]

Technically cn and cp received grants to build the Rail lines... along with property from the Federal government. This was in exchange for specifically moving western canadian farmers' grain.


Obviously today we export far more than just grain... However the Rail lines aren't really holding up to their agreement.


Plus what about all the lines they have abandoned? Most were built with public money.


The Rail companies must remain private just like trucking companies are private. However I'm saying the underlying infrastructure should be public.

We don't have Qline building a highway only they can use, do we?


In exchange for this the freight cap should be removed.... competition will keep rates fare... and if they aren't well we can always form a coop and pull our own trains.