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Cl PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, January 16, 1990 -- 11 Association president vows the struggle will continue to get it back Passengers bitter over loss Fons RCS MAZoNKow sk] The sign held by Port Perry resident Dave Lester pretty well sums up the feelings ex- pressed by VIA passengers last Friday night. At far left is Paul Pagnuelo, president of the Toronto/Havelock Passenger Association. The conductors are Al Hogan and Doug Stan- den. Mr. Pagnuelo sald the Passenger Association has just begun the fight to get a train back on the ralls. (see story) Allen's Siding Products Lp. REACH INDUSTRIAL PARK NEW SERVICES: Shingles - Asphalt Roof - 15 Year Onduline - Spanish Style Roof - Lifetime TO BEAT THE SPRING INCREASES ... BOOK NOW FOR SPRING DELIVERY! AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS c/w STEEL SIDING & ROOFS POLE BARN or COMMERCIAL ALUMINUM & VINYL WINDOWS -- tilt for easy cleaning -- install in existing frames -- Casement Bay, Bow Side Sliders " and many more styles. 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Still others sit quietly by themselves in window seats, oblivious to the on-going party, just staring through the win- dows into the black night out- side, talking quietly to the per- son in the next seat, or just lost in their thoughts on this bitter- sweet night for Canadian trains. Doug Standen is a busy man. He's the chief conductor on this 132-seat train, and this night, he's talking to everybody, posing for photos, and giving in- terviews to the many media reps on board. Doug has spent 39 years working the railways, and for- tunately for him, he has enou, seniority that he won't among the nearly 3,000 VIA workers who found themselves out of ajobon Monday morning. This was his last trip on a passenger run. For the next two years until he retires, he'll be working the freights. He was there the last time the VIA train was cut, and says he doesn't think he'll see the train back on therails. "I feel pretty sad. I really enjoy working with the passen- gers. Ienjoy my work," he says. Frank Baxter of Port Perry has been commuting on this train for almost a decade. Seeing the service cut for the second time, he says simply "it's really unfortunate." Like all the other regulars, he had to find alternate ways this week to get to work in To- ronto. "T guess I'll be taking the GO from Whitby." He's bitter that when the service was restored back in '84 on the "use it or lose it" slogan, VIA didn't do much in the way of PR or advertising to let the public know the Havelock- Toronto line exists. It's a complaint voiced by- many of the passengers Friday night. The service was doomed almost from the start, due to ne- glect. Jennifer Morris of Peterbo- rough has been riding this train for the last four years. On Monday morning, she e 120 KM (one ry of the Environment in down- "- town Toronto. She's angry and bitter about the cut in the VIA service and blames the federal govern- ment." "I'm just another voter with one vote, but I will never vote PC again." r moving from Ottawa four years ago, she chose to live near Peterborough because the commuter service to Toronto was available. She won't give up her job in the city and refuses to sell her house to move closer to her work. So, she's faced with the long drive each day, fighting the traffic, another car added to the already grid-locked highways in and around Toronto. Ms. Morris says she not op- of VIA train timistic at all that the rail ser- vice will be restored. Despite efforts by the Pas- senger Association to have the private sector (Bombardier) take over the commuter line (and others) she says "if that happens, great, but I'm going to wait and see." She notes the (uncon- firmed) rumour making the rounds among the passengers that Friday night that VIA has sold the aging Budd cars (circa. 1958) to Mexioo. Paul Pagnuelo is the presi- dent of the Toronto/Havelock Passenger Association, and he's been in the thick of the battle to keep this train on the tracks. The Little Britain resident who works in downown Toronto for a large bank, spent a lot of time on the last trip giving in- terviews to the media. And he posed for photos with a cardboard display: a VIA train chopped in half, the victim of the federal axe. Dave Lester of Port Perry is another member of the Associa- tion. He's especially bitter to see the train disappear. In fact, he said he plans to put his new home in Port Perry up for sale and move closer to Toronto to cut his commuting time. He blames both the federal and provincial governments. "There was no dialogue be- tween them, no chance for GO Transit to get involved. I had hoped they might have worked a bit closer on this," he says quietly. As for the Bombardier op- tion, he thinks itis realistic, but worries that once the train goes off the rails for any length of time, the ridership base will de- cline. A couple of minutes past 7:30, the train comes to a haltin Peterborough. This is the end of the line for virtually all the passengers that evening. They say their yes to Doug Standen and Al Hogan. ere are more pictures to be taken on the platform, hand- shakes, pats on the back. Suddenly the near empty train starts to move out, head- ing on the final leg to Havelock beneath a large, yellow moon hanginglowin the winter sky. The conductors wave from the steps of moving train, and it's gone. = be The passengers linger for only a few more minutes in the cold night, before most t across the street to the bright lights of the Holiday Inn where the wake will be held and where many will stay over. is reporter finds himself . alone on the platform, peering into a dark, nearly empty park- ing lot for his ride back to Port Perry. After the warmth of the train, the conversations with many of the passengers, the platform is suddenly very cold and very deserted. He wonders if people will ever stand here again to catch a train. The station-house, with its flaking paint on red brick looks deserted, and certainly has seen better days. The doors are locked. At the far end of the plat- form is a small glass kiosk with six wooden chairs and a pay phone. Fumbling for a quarter to (Turn to page 17)