They always try to run longer trains, it just has a fun sude effect. It means less crews and less trains to keep track of. Thats why we had the challenger and the big boy, more power for longer trains.

Yeah, that sounds familiar - I think I’ve heard something similar, though I have no idea where.

Thwy run those longer trains on days when ther isn’t a scheduled VIA train too.

I don’t think it’s specifically done to screw VIA, even if that is one of the results.

Freight companies already do the same thing in the US and are unfortunately completely within their rights to do so