Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Canada is a G7 country. Unfortunately, when it comes to rail lines, we are literally a 19th century country, and it seems as though the legislative and regulatory framework has not changed either.
There is competition between providing a public service to enable Canadians to travel within Canada, and private companies whose focus is shipping containers. These private companies have the upper hand.
In this system, freight is more important than people. I think this bears mentioning. Ownership of the rail tracks is a big part of the problem, and I think that some day we have to consider nationalizing our rail infrastructure in Canada.
The problem with trees in Quebec and Canada is nothing new. Snow storms are nothing new either. Tree branches falling on a train and slowing the train's progress are nothing new.
Why doesn't VIA Rail have equipment on board such as mechanical saws that employees could use to remove trees or tree branches that are blocking the train's path?