VIA Rail president Marc Laliberté speaks about the role of passenger rail in
sustainable development at Vancouver conference

VANCOUVER, Oct 5 /CNW Telbec/ - Marc Laliberté, VIA Rail Canada's President and CEO, spoke today about the role that passenger rail can and will play in building a sustainable future in a speech made at Simon Fraser University to the attendees of the Gaining Ground 2010 conference.

Mr. Laliberté stressed the corporation's efforts to improve its environmental footprint, noting that VIA had reduced its fuel consumption by 25% and greenhouse emissions by 19% since 1990, while at the same time growing the business.

Highlights

After a brief presentation of VIA Rail and its three-pronged mission - i.e. to serve large urban centres, contribute to the tourism industry and serve certain remote regions - Mr. Laliberté explained that VIA's environmental approach is at the core of its business strategy, just like financial results or human resource development.

Mr. Laliberté then clarified that VIA's commitment in this regard translates into four strategies: reducing the environmental effects of its operations, investing in green technologies, promoting green practices and following a strict environmental risk management program.

He continued by insisting on the importance of building integrated public transportation networks as a vital contributor to the sustainability of our cities and that this matter will become increasingly predominant in the coming years, as issues such as traffic congestion and energy availability will become ever more critical, especially in urban centres.  He told the audience that VIA has been working hard to find creative ways to provide its travellers with relatively seamless transfers from one mode to another and is leveraging the power of electronic technology and partnerships to do this.

Still on the theme of building a strong, sustainable passenger network for the future, VIA's president noted that the Government of Canada and VIA have invested close to a billion dollars in the passenger rail network since 2007. These investments will make it possible for VIA to renew its fleet of locomotives and cars and reconfigure certain infrastructures. Other initiatives under this program will also allow VIA to reduce trip times, add new departures, and improve its on-time performance and operational efficiency. All these initiatives collectively will allow VIA to grow and reduce its dependence on public financing while significantly improving its environmental performance.

Mr. Laliberté concluded by assuring his audience that "any community that seeks to become a leading ecological city in the Americas should count the passenger rail among its partners."

To see the full version of the speech made by Marc Laliberté, please http://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/About_VIA/SP20101005ENG_Gaining_Ground_Vancouver.pdf . To access biographical notes and Mr. Laliberté's photo, please click http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/our-company/management-team/president-and-chief-executive-officer .

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation to Canadian travellers in both official languages. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network. The demand for VIA services is growing as travellers increasingly turn to train travel as a safe, reliable and environmentally responsible alternative to congested roads and airports.

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