I think freight priority over passenger is the perfect analogy for where we find ourselves today; the systems are wholly subservient to capital

This is the overall issue with Via rail (and interestingly enough, Amtrak). Canada theoretically mandates that passenger rail traffic has priority for rail segments under contention, and freight must sit on the siding. This is by statute. However, rail companies often/always say "lol fuck off" and go anyways, arguing either the train length exceeds the siding length or essentially "we're already here".

The result is Via rail (and Amtrak) service is literally always late, almost always because of freight traffic. Until they actually start enforcing passenger rail priority (or building dedicated passenger rail lines like adult countries) I don't see how rail transit can possibly become viable in North America.

Yeah same in the Maritimes. Going from Halifax to Montréal, aside from the expense, is brutally slow along one track in New Brunswick because CN haven't maintained the tracks. Because they don't move freight anymore, from what I understand.