The Municipality of Tantramar has announced it will be acquiring the Sackville train station from VIA Rail.
In a news release Wednesday afternoon, the municipality says the agreement with VIA will ensure the train station’s “preservation and future revitalization for the benefit of the community.”
VIA will sign over ownership of the train station in exchange for the municipality taking on maintenance of the historic building, including janitorial services and snow clearing.
A VIA spokesperson says by email that the crown corporation “remains committed to maintaining rail service at the site.” In fact, VIA expects service in Sackville to improve. As a result of the deal, “VIA Rail passengers will eventually have access to an indoor waiting area and facilities once renovations are complete.” CHMA has enquired as to who will be responsible for those renovations.
The municipality says it, “intends to lease the station to a local business that expressed interest,” but does not specify which or what type of business that is. The release says the initiative, “aligns with the municipality’s commitment to heritage preservation and economic development.”
Mayor Andrew Black was unavailable to comment on the new agreement, but is quoted in the release saying the agreement allows the municipality to, “maintain a key historical landmark, repurpose it for community use, and continue to support rail service in Tantramar.”
Transport Action Atlantic’s Tim Hayman says the agreement is “fantastic news.” CHMA spoke to the president of the non-profit public transportation advocacy group on Wednesday, as he was himself in transit between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
“It’s absolutely very welcome news for passengers using the station there,” said Hayman, “promising to be a pretty huge improvement for the the overall kind of passenger experience.”
Hayman says there are many stations along VIA’s network that have been closed due to cuts in services and the shift to online ticketing. While VIA’s The Ocean still makes stops at the Sackville platform, the station has been shuttered for some time. But agreements with municipalities across the country have meant the reopening of some amenities for passengers, are helping keep VIA service viable, and are making stations “more of a relevant place for the community.”
And as for the level of service that VIA currently offers, down to just three trips per week between Halifax and Montreal, Hayman says it will likely remain limited.
“Despite our advocacy on this,” says Hayman, “VIA is in a spot right now where the equipment that they have available and the resources they have available… We are likely stuck with this current service level for the immediate future.”
There are rays of hope, says Hayman, such as VIA’s launch of “the first stages of procurement for a new long distance train fleet.” Unfortunately that process might not be complete until the early 2030’s, says Hayman.
VIA’s spokesperson says, “VIA Rail continues to evaluate service levels based on operational considerations, ridership demand, and available resources. At this time, no changes to the current service schedule have been confirmed.”
“We continue to push for trying to find ways to improve things in the more immediate term,” says Hayman. On a positive note, he says that there’s been a consistent increase in ridership since it returned after the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Within the scope of what’s being provided right now, people are absolutely using the train,” says Hayman. “And we certainly would hope that helps send a message to VIA, and also more importantly, a message to the federal government that there is a demand for that service, andiIf they could actually provide more trains and more capacity on those trains, then you could definitely be carrying a lot more people than we are right now.”
