Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to mention that I would really have liked to ask Mr. Lavoie some questions, but I am happy to ask Mr. Brockenmeyer some.
Mr. Brockenmeyer, welcome to the Standing Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities.
To begin, I would like to know more about the expertise developed in Europe, namely, their model for this kind of service. People in Canada wonder about the difference between high-speed and high-frequency rail. They also wonder about the model that will be implemented. They wonder whether it will be built and operated by the private sector, or rather built in partnership with the private sector.
The private sector will obviously be involved in building the infrastructure, but once it is built, the service will be publicly managed and operated. Right now, Via Rail, a Crown corporation, is responsible for passenger service. Yet the project we are discussing will be managed by the private sector.
I would like to know if you can share any success stories from Europe where a different approach was used. What model is used most often?