Transport committee  We're planning to double our ridership. We can double our ridership with the proper moves--buying double-decker cars, adding more trains, and everything. This is our plan. The AMT produced a three-year plan, and it's all there. It's all on paper right now. For us, it will be a new era.

Transport committee  Yes, that can definitely help us as well. It will limit the discussion and make things much easier.

Transport committee  If I might add to this, right now the locomotives we're buying have very high restrictions, not only on noise but also on emissions. We could still reduce that, but there comes a point when it's useless. Also, most of the time we're running on welded rail. Welded rail reduces the noise extensively.

Transport committee  That's no longer a fear right now; it's a reality. That's what they're doing, and a company, the name of which I won't mention, is doing it more than another.

Transport committee  I don't want to single out anyone.

Transport committee  I agree with you.

Transport committee  That will prevent us from having to increase rates later. Our answer to that is that we'll have to increase rates at some point. I'm using the incorrect term. It's more a reasonable price that will enable us, if it falls, to reinvest money immediately, because the demand and needs are there.

Transport committee  It's not only the purchase price, but it's also in reconstruction. If we issue a call for tenders to rebuild a line, the cost isn't the same either. Here we haven't addressed the surcharge issue or other similar issues. That also comes into play. So it will cost us much more to rebuild.

Transport committee  That's what we're going through today. Yesterday, I worked on scheduling matters. All these matters come into play. It's an eternal struggle to determine how we can manage to agree so that the service we put in place meets the public's needs.

Transport committee  Yes, the same for us. We worked hard just for this. At one point in time we said, let's get this, let's not do any more wishful thinking for anything more. I mean, it was already hard to get this, so you can imagine, if we started to add to it, how it would simply disturb things.

Transport committee  I think I answered in French earlier, so I'll let the others respond.

Transport committee  I would like to add that at the agency there is already a process for the freight operations, so I don't think they start from anywhere. We count on them to determine the process. With their experience, they should do it.

Transport committee  I would like to add that our market is very small when you compare it with those of other countries. For example, with passenger locomotives, we're talking in numbers of five to ten. So it's difficult to attract a local or Canadian manufacturer. Even for the freight, it's still being built in the States, where you can imagine there are a great number of locomotives.

Transport committee  It has an impact. Merely delaying for one more session would represent a lot of money for us.

Transport committee  It's the same thing for us.