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Transportation in Canada 2006 |
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6 RAIL TRANSPORTATION
INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
In the 1990s, the number of rail carriers more than doubled. This dramatically altered the character of the industry. Nonetheless, CN and CPR continued to account for the bulk of rail industry revenues. The rail industry generated revenues of $9.8 billion in 2005, a significant increase over 2004. The Class I carriers, namely CN, CPR and VIA Rail, experienced their biggest share of industry revenues over the 16-year period from 1990 to 2005, collectively generating 93 per cent of the industry’s total revenues. Their share had hovered just below 90 per cent since 1997. This is partly due to CN’s takeover of BC Rail, which has also reduced the regional sector’s proportions in 2005, from a 5.3 per cent share to a 2.5 per cent share of industry revenues. Shortline revenues grew significantly over the same period, from $95 million in 1990 to $455 million in 2005, and this sector’s proportion of rail industry revenues grew from 1.5 to 5.0 per cent.
Table 6-3 compares revenues in the railway sector in 2004 and 2005. Addendum Table A6-3 shows revenues since 1990.
TABLE 6-3: RAILWAY REVENUES, 2004 AND 2005
| |
(Millions of dollars) |
|
2004 |
2005 |
| CN |
4,275 |
4,950 |
| CPR |
3,263 |
3,723 |
| VIA Rail |
421 |
430 |
| Subtotal Class I |
7,959 |
9,103 |
| Regional |
451 |
235 |
| Shortlines1 |
444 |
455 |
| Total |
8,854 |
9,793 |
- Estimated for several carriers.
Source: Transport Canada, Statistics Canada
VIA Rail remains the dominant choice for intercity passenger rail travel, accounting for almost 94 per cent of total passenger revenues in 2005. The balance of intercity rail passenger services is provided by CN (former Algoma Central Railway services), Ontario Northland and the Quebec North Shore & Labrador. Seasonal and tourist operations in Canada include The Great Canadian Railtour Company, Alberta Prairie Railway Excursion, White Pass & Yukon, the Hull–Chelsea–Wakefield Railway and Prairie Dog Central. Amtrak, an American corporation, offers service to Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto (the latter in conjunction with VIA Rail).
Major Events in 2006
Infastructure
Industry Structure
Employment
Energy
Freight Transportation
Passenger Traffic
Price, Productivity and Financial Performance
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