Passenger train

Amtrak continues to introduce new diesel locomotives for its long-distance services, including routes that span thousands of miles.

So higher diesel prices can increase the operating costs of some passenger trains.

But does that automatically mean train tickets are becoming dramatically more expensive? Not necessarily.

The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data contains an interesting finding.

The government of Canada is investing $4.7 billion to manufacture and maintain.

So we'll manufacture and maintain 313 passenger rail cars for Via Rail's long distance regional and remote fleet right here in Canada for the first time in four decades.

Prime Minister Mark Carney last week announcing that the government will be spending almost $5 billion to build a lot of rail cars for Via Rail.

Transport Minister Stephen McKinnon says this is the largest single investment in Via Rail's history.

And I'm going to say why.

Because you're absolutely right.

The passenger rail is something elsewhere in the world that other countries have taken on that as a key service, as something that they see to be able to move people where they need to go.

And really, how did we get to where we are right now? And the reason we have, again, rail cars that are 77 years old is because The Via Rail was put together to take over the passenger rail services that were being offered by Canadian Railways, but they were primarily the freight railways.