"In June of 2012, Via Rail management announced cutbacks in both employment and train frequency. Earlier that year, the Government of Canada announced (through its omnibus budget bill) another round of cutbacks in Via Rail's public funding. The cutbacks by the Harper Conservatives threaten the viability of passenger rail in Canada. This paper will catalogue the cutbacks, put them in historical and international context and then sketch a possible future for rail passenger renewal in Canada. We believe that the decline of passenger rail is neither desirable nor inevitable. We think it's time for a fresh approach to the funding and organization of Via Rail. The revitalization of passenger rail will require leadership from government, vision from management and cooperation from the employees who actually move people"--