Trains, planes, and automobiles

[Cainanite (imported)]

I've only traveled by train here on Vancouver Island. There is a small train that goes from Victoria to Nanaimo and back. It is just one tiny car.

A few years back, when my parents visited, we decided to take the train to Nanaimo as something of a novelty. We regret it.

The seats were uncomfortable, the one bathroom on board was little more than a rolling outhouse, there was no food or drink served aboard. There wasn't even someone to sell you a newspaper for the trip.

Here in Canada it seems like there is a conscious effort to kill rail travel. They have removed every comfort from the experience, and run it as a cheaper alternative to the bus. I would have preferred to take the bus.

My parents and I often talk about that trip. Not because it was pleasant, but because it was unpleasant. Sure the view was spectacular, but that was it.

If they were serious about keeping rail travel alive in Canada, they'd offer more comforts. They are even missing prime opportunities to make money. We were on that train for four hours each way. Why not have someone on board who can sell some sandwiches or snacks? Why not offer to sell newspapers or books? Why not have an observation car, or a dining car?

With just a little investment, train travel could be something very desirable. It could be an inexpensive form of travel, without feeling like it.

My grandfather was an old railway boss. My dad still knows a lot about the rail industry. An engine pulling one travel car, can pull two travel cars just as easily, and just as cheaply. Why not outfit one as a dining car, and make some more money on the trip? It would make the travel experience more pleasant for the passengers, and make you more money than just the price of the ticket you sold.

The only reason we can come up with is that they want rail travel to die. That makes me very sad, and very angry too.