by jhdeasy
Via continues to take actions that make private car travel significantly more expensive and difficult, thus discouraging private car travel on their system.
Their private car tariff rates have been raised twice in the past 2 years, without any consulation with private car owner organizations such as AAPRCO and RPCA. Via's rates are much higher than similar private car services (mileage, switching and parking) provided by Amtrak. Examples:
Mileage: Via $3.55 per mile ; Amtrak $1.75 per mile ($1.30 per mile per car for additional cars moving on same request.)
Switching: Via $410 per move ; Amtrak no charge for terminal switching to/from parking or from inbound train to outbound train.
Parking: Via $350 per day for any portion of a day ; Amtrak $75 per night, higher charges for selected facilities (Boston South Station and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal).
Via now interprets their daily parking charge to be applicable for any portion of a day. If you arrive Montreal on Friday evening, park in the station and leave on Monday morning, Via will bill you for 4 days parking. In the past, they billed you for 3 nights parking in this situation, which is similar to the Amtrak practice.
Via recently prohibited (crew or passenger) occupied parking at Toronto (the TMC) due to operational and safety concerns. Crew/passengers must detrain upon arrival at Toronto Union Station and may not reboard their car until it is ready to depart in the consist of an outbound train. This increases the cost of the trip and makes the logistics of re-provisioning and cleaning the car at Toronto much more difficult.
Their private car tariff rates have been raised twice in the past 2 years, without any consulation with private car owner organizations such as AAPRCO and RPCA. Via's rates are much higher than similar private car services (mileage, switching and parking) provided by Amtrak. Examples:
Mileage: Via $3.55 per mile ; Amtrak $1.75 per mile ($1.30 per mile per car for additional cars moving on same request.)
Switching: Via $410 per move ; Amtrak no charge for terminal switching to/from parking or from inbound train to outbound train.
Parking: Via $350 per day for any portion of a day ; Amtrak $75 per night, higher charges for selected facilities (Boston South Station and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal).
Via now interprets their daily parking charge to be applicable for any portion of a day. If you arrive Montreal on Friday evening, park in the station and leave on Monday morning, Via will bill you for 4 days parking. In the past, they billed you for 3 nights parking in this situation, which is similar to the Amtrak practice.
Via recently prohibited (crew or passenger) occupied parking at Toronto (the TMC) due to operational and safety concerns. Crew/passengers must detrain upon arrival at Toronto Union Station and may not reboard their car until it is ready to depart in the consist of an outbound train. This increases the cost of the trip and makes the logistics of re-provisioning and cleaning the car at Toronto much more difficult.
