Algoma Spirit Passenger Train

01/25/2023

https://www.yahoo.com/news/famous-alaska-railroad-turns-100-194741426.html

Stretching 470 miles from Southern Alaska to the northern wilderness, the Alaska Railroad is considered one of the most scenic train rides in the US.

02/09/2022

Second of two parts Two veteran Amtrak employees retired last year after lengthy tours of duty on the New York-Washington-Indianapolis Chicago Cardinal, and a regular on the train reached out to suggest their stories were worth telling. Previously, we spent time with sleeping-car attendant Janice Ad...

04/11/2020

During theses strange times, take the time to say thank you to railroaders along with the many other everyday heroes.

03/21/2019

https://www.saultstar.com/news/local-news/legal-spat-over-passenger-train-chugs-along

The $33 million lawsuit Railmark Canada has filed against the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corp., Tom Dodds and Transport Canada remains at a standstill until…

12/22/2017

People in the Sault have been without a passenger train since mid-July 2015. The ACR passenger train operation was successfully transferred to Railmark Canada Limited on May 2, 2015. The funding was secured from Transport Canada and all the city and the working group had to do was to execute a Reimbursement Agreement and you would still have a train today. After three months and when it looked as if the city would not sign the final contract, Railmark made a public offer to operate the train on a "Month to Month" basis until such time that another operator was found. Everyone turned Railmark's offer down - the city, the EDC and the working committee. This is what stopped the ACR Passenger Train.

Why did they do this? The public should be asking the question. A "Month to Month" agreement with Railmark, who was already running the train, would have kept rail service going until the city found someone that they liked better and then the operation would be turned over to them with the Transport Canada funding stream intact. But the city politicians and even people with whom were not even elected by the people, made the decision to turn down - TWICE, Railmark's "Month to Month" offer. Please remember this in the coming days. Let the public articles and public news speak for itself.

The ACR passenger train stakeholder working group's message is simple and clear: no deal.

09/10/2017

http://www.trainweb.org/franzswing/franz.htm

07/23/2016

Railmark Canada Limited contracted to run this train and its plan was going to help the Canadian taxpayer reduce their tax investment in the train's continuing operation. Now the truth is coming out and this truth, along with the media, is making and proving the case for the all of the right things that Railmark did, including the development of a unique, phased down public funding plan that was accepted by Transport Canada. Railmark's plan reduced the Federal subsidy to ZERO, improved the economy, increased tourism 5-fold and created new jobs. But elected politicians and unelected bureaucrats made bad decisions with no rail experience to back them up and now the truth will be coming out more as the week goes on. This is the same government that has also let relations deteriorate with their largest employer, Essar Steel, forcing them into bankruptcy, partially due to China dumping steel but also due to the city and province not living up to financial commitments made to them as well. Now the city is loosing with Essar as they have lost with the ACR train.

The truth coming out now in the news media is making Railmark Canada Limited's case that everything was going smoothly up until May 8, 2015, then went downhill from there all due to bad politics and back room dealings. Its a shame that all across the U.S., Canada, and in many other places in the world, that too many good things that would help people get held up or cancelled due to bad government and bad politicians. This needs to be the year that the voters "Throw The Bums Out".

History seems to be repeating itself as Transport Canada, now being run by the Liberal government, is denying the same subsidy the Conservatives did

07/22/2016

Railmark Canada Limited ran this train from May 2nd until July 15th and stopped ONLY because the City of Sault Ste Marie ON would not execute a reimbursement agreement with Railmark. The funding from Transport Canada was literally in their hands and there was zero risk or liability on the part of the city, but they chose to create last minute "conditions" and did everything possible to not live up to their commitments made in the RFP. Railmark then made an offer publicly (so that everyone would know) to continue and run the train on a "month to month" basis until they found another operator they liked better. Railmark advised them that getting the funding mechanism started would make it easier for them to locate another operator and preserve the rail service for the remainder of the 2015 tourist season. They (the City, EDC and the unelected Working Group) turned this down TWICE. They turned it down in the public media so everyone knows what happened. Now it is one year later and still no train and none in the foreseeable future. Railmark warned publicly in March 2016 that this could cause the loss of an entire industry and stated that it had contacted the EDC in February 2016 about resuming the train service by May 1st. Railmark alone had created or was going to create 35 jobs with our Business Plan.

The people of Algoma Country and the City of Sault Ste Marie should demand answers from your elected politicians and from those involved with the decision who are not elected, but took actions (or inactions) on the loss of this wonderful train that contributed $32M per year to the Northern Ontario economy, but has now been lost for a year and perhaps forever. The citizens need to demand answers why these decisions were made. Now your economy has been hurt by these decisions and who knows what other decisions that your elected officials made that may have helped Essar Steel.

http://www.saultstar.com/2016/07/20/fed-rail-support-off-the-rails

Transport Canada is pulling $5.3 million in support for passenger rail service north of Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst because “most” of the communities along the rail line have access to highways.

07/21/2016

Railmark Canada Limited ran this train from May 2nd until July 15th and stopped only because the City of Sault Ste Marie would not execute a reimbursement agreement. Railmark then made public an offer to run the train on a "month to month" basis until they found another operator they liked better. They turned this down TWICE, all in public and over one year later, still no train and none in the foreseeable future. Railmark warned publicly in March that this could cause the loss of an entire industry. Railmark alone had created or was going to create 35 jobs with our Business Plan.

The people of Algoma Country and the City of Sault Ste Marie should demand answers from your elected politicians and even those who are not elected but made decisions on this matter that has now hurt the economy.
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/sault-to-hearst-passenger-rail-doesnt-qualify-for-transport-canada-funding-says-minister-341052

The file has been shifted to the Ministry of Indigenous and Northern Affairs