Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak about VIA Rail and the government.
Intercity passenger rail service is obviously an important part of our transportation system that benefits our economy and our society, as it connects Canadians literally from coast to coast. Recognizing this, our government provides VIA Rail Canada with an annual subsidy that in recent years has been supplemented by additional operating funding.
To allow VIA to deliver passenger rail services to Canadians, our government in 2013-14 provided VIA with $305 million, a significant amount of funding, in order to operate and maintain its network.
In addition, our government is making unprecedented capital investments in VIA to allow it to make important improvements in order to modernize its operations. Our government has made available over $1 billion in capital funding over the past seven years to upgrade and modernize portions of VIA's rail network as well as many of its railcars. It has also invested in information systems to introduce e-ticketing; intermodal ticketing with airlines, commuter rail, and bus companies; on-board Wi-Fi; and upgrades to its website in order to better serve customers.
Our government also provides support for other passenger rail services. We provide funding to two passenger railways owned and operated by first nations, one in northern Quebec and one in northern Manitoba. This funding allows those private companies to provide service to remote communities that have few alternative means of transportation.
All told, this is a substantial amount of funding. That said, these services also have to be provided in a way that supports the efficient use of taxpayer dollars, as we have said on previous occasions.
Maybe the member does not find that satisfying, but VIA Rail is in fact a crown corporation that operates at arm's length from the government. This means that the government does not in fact operate the railway. It does not get involved in day-to-day operations.
VIA Rail, then, is ultimately responsible for making business decisions on its operations, including how best to manage its costs to reduce its reliance on federal taxpayers while meeting its objective to operate a national rail system that is both safe and efficient. That is why VIA Rail has to continuously assess its markets and operations in order to decide how best to provide the most economically efficient service to passengers.
As the same time, our government has invested and will continue to invest in passenger rail in a fiscally responsible manner.