# Traffic congestion in Ontario leads to calls for more train service



## CHamilton (Aug 17, 2014)

Solve road gridlock with rail investment | The London [Ontario] Free Press

This is a good article. But I ROFL when I read this: "Other countries like Germany and the U.S. build and operate their passenger rail services based on co-operation between all levels of government. They set aside partisanship and ideology to make needed investments, get the job done and keep people moving efficiently." Has the writer been following Amtrak's woes lately?


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## The Davy Crockett (Aug 17, 2014)

CHamilton said:


> ...I ROFL when I read this: "Other countries like... ...the U.S. build and operate their passenger rail services based on co-operation between all levels of government. They set aside partisanship and ideology to make needed investments, get the job done and keep people moving efficiently." Has the writer been following Amtrak's woes lately?


I've noticed in my travels 'Up North' that a lot of 'Up North' railfans have a condition I call 'Amtrak Envy.' I wonder if this condition played into the author's delusion?


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## neroden (Aug 19, 2014)

Well, yeah, I suppose if you're comparing it with VIA (where the provincial government disclaims responsibility and the federal government announces "improvements" consisting of major service cuts), Amtrak looks like a model of cooperation between state and federal governments.

All depends on where you're starting from, I guess. From Mexico, with no interstate passenger service, Amtrak probably looks pretty good too. Perhaps even from Australia; there, the interstate service from NSW to Queensland and Victoria is simply operated outright by NSW, while the interstate service elsewhere has declined to sub-daily levels and is basically only usable by tourists.


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