Loomi, the new train unveiled by VIA Rail on Wednesday and intended for the Quebec-Windsor corridor's new railway fleet, could see its capacity wasted by an aging railway network devoted primarily to freight.
In an interview with LCN, Brigitte Dagnault, head of communications and marketing at VIA Rail, indicated that the new train can travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h, but due to the state of Canadian railways, Loomi is limited to an average of 60 to 70 km/h.
“It depends on the segments. There are segments that are fast, where the rails are in good condition and where there are not many turns, stops or level crossings,” she explains.
“We have a Ferrari, but we're on country roads,” host Michel Jean is reported to have said.
“In certain corners,” Ms. Dagnault agreed.
Furthermore, the latter recognizes that in Canada, freight trains always take precedence over passenger trains.
“The transportation of goods by rail is very important in Canada. It's important to the economy,” she explains.
VIA Rail is counting on the enthusiasm of Canadians to turn the tide.
“If more people take the train, we and other organizations can negotiate and advance things in terms of infrastructure for this transport” , supports Brigitte Dagnault.
Watch the full interview in the video above
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