Hello. Welcome to our committee meeting.
I would like to ask Mr. Gow a question. Your association, Transport 2000, has some interest in transportation efficiency, in general, and how citizens can make the most of various means of transportation. Under an important provision of this bill, railway companies must absolutely inform federal and provincial governments, as well as urban transit authorities before dismantling any siding or selling a rail line.
The bill also includes a provision that railway companies must prepare and keep up to date a list of their sidings and spurs that they plan to dismantle. This list will allow for negotiations with respect to the sale of rail lines, or sections, to urban transit authorities who may need them in order to provide better services to commuters.
However, railway company representatives do not agree with how the property is appraised for possible transfer to an urban transit authority. The proposed method is based on its net salvage value. They told us that this is not nearly enough.
Do you not think that, under these conditions, some railway companies might simply avoid putting certain sidings on the mandatory list, because they would not get a remunerative price? This provision of the bill would therefore become completely useless. You seem to know a great deal about railway companies. I would like to know your opinion on this.