It all started innocently enough. For some reason the last few months I have received several emails asking the whereabouts of Bombardier’s Jet Train. The Bombardier Jet train, with its turbine engines has not been seen since it was on display in Florida in 2003.
Unfortunately, the development and introduction of the Jet Train was during a time when a guy named Bush was president in the USA and another guy named Bush the governor of Florida. Combine that bad luck with a finance minister in Canada who used to own a bus company. The end result was no money was allocated to purchase Bombardier’s Jet Train.
Fast forward a few years and things have changed a whole lot in the USA with pro-rail President Obama investing in and improving existing rail corridors that would suit the Jet Train.
In Canada since the government has no plan for passenger rail it is hard to imagine those in power doing anything proactive like utilizing the Jet Train to improve VIA’s present service. But if the government did invest, the Jet Train would work in a couple corridors in the VIA network.
Why the optimism about the possible return of the Jet Train? Nobody has located its present whereabouts and it has vanished from Bombardier’s website.
Bombardier around the world is having record sales. It started with it’s $761 million China high speed train deal. Now they have signed a $889 million deal in Italy for high speed trains. Add in $1.1 billion in sales to Brazil and Australia you may wonder where the Jet Train fits into Bombardier's plans.
Well reliable sources have suggested that the death of the Bombardier Jet Train may be premature. Personally, I think the climate is right for the return of the Jet Train and it will make a return somewhere in the USA during their period of passenger rail revitalization plans by President Obama. Stay tuned….
Imagine having breakfast in Toronto or Montreal and dinner in Vancouver.
ReplyDeleteImagine bringing over 90% of Canada's population within a single day's journey of each other.
Imagine investing $200bn in something that would completely change the game and catapult Canada from last to first among developed nations.
Imagine proving that a Canadian product is by far the best in the world.
But don't just imagine Zefiro. Bombardier have already done that for us. We just need to have enough self-confidence to buy it.
must get celebs,musicians,stars on board
ReplyDeletecreate songs about travellin on the jet train