Mr. Speaker, VIA Rail, is an independent federal crown corporation. It is responsible for the safety of its operation and its passengers. This includes ensuring, to the best of its ability, that the track and infrastructure on which it depends is safe and reliable.
VIA Rail suspended service along the Gaspé Peninsula because safety inspections undertaken by the Province of Quebec revealed that the tracks and signalling on this rail line did not meet standards for safe passenger rail operations. The rail line is owned by a private company. It is the rail line owner, not VIA Rail, that is responsible for repairing the tracks and signalling and ensuring safety for operations.
It is important to note that the rail line in the Gaspé Peninsula is entirely within the province of Quebec and is provincially regulated, so the safety regime of Quebec must be followed. The Government of Quebec will therefore review any work that has been undertaken to ensure that it meets provincial rail safety standards. Once the provincial government approves the repairs, VIA Rail will determine whether the track and signalling are safe to resume its operations on the line. VIA is responsible for ensuring that it has the appropriate staff and resources in place to provide safe and efficient rail service.
Given the rail line is solely within the borders of Quebec, any public funding for infrastructure repairs and upgrades for this line would be a provincial responsibility. Nevertheless, our government has taken action and has provided funding for upgrades to this line in the past. In 2007, our government provided a one-time contribution of nearly $18 million to the municipalities in the Gaspé region to allow them to acquire the rail line and to make repairs to bring the rail line back into a state of good repair.
Aside from that, our government provides VIA Rail with a significant operating subsidy to support a national network of passenger rail services. In 2013-14, this subsidy was $305 million. Over the past seven years, our government has provided VIA Rail with more than $1 billion in capital funding to upgrade infrastructure and equipment such as tracks, bridges, stations, locomotives, and rail cars.
Our government supports a passenger railway network that meets the needs of today's travellers, while supporting the efficient use of taxpayer dollars. VIA must work to ensure it is not a burden to taxpayers. It is very concerned that it is, at this time, also posting significant losses.