Alto - High Speed Rail (Toronto-Quebec City)

[Northern Light]

Investing in Canada’s Future: A Costly Endeavour—Our Analysis of the 2025 Federal Budget

The federal government’s 2025 budget shifts gears to a focus on capital spending, away from the Trudeau-era’s prioritization on social programs. This focus is reflected across a wide range of direct investments through the new Major Projects Office and tax incentives aimed at spurring business...

www.conferenceboard.ca

Not sure if posted. $13 billion for this year towards major projects, including the HSR line. It is unclear how much goes to the HSR specifically, and obviously things can go wrong with the project, but it sure seems to me an indication that the government sees this project as important and worth fast tracking and investing in at a large scale. My opinion is that from a psychological perspective, this project might actually be more important than some others, even if it isn't one of the first out of the gate to protect or build the economy.

• Major Infrastructure and Defence Projects: $13 billion is allocated to fast-track projects including LNG, nuclear, mining, ports, and high-speed rail.

I posted that info over in the Mark Carney thread, in my redux of the Budget.

I won't make ya chase it down.

 

[UrbanAffair]

Thanks. Those are in millions, I take it... thus 4-5 billion over the next 5 years.

 

[hw621]

I posted that info over in the Mark Carney thread, in my redux of the Budget.

I won't make ya chase it down.

View attachment 693462
View attachment 693460

Where is the Mark Carney thread please?

 

[Northern Light]

Where is the Mark Carney thread please?

In the Politics and Diplomacy section.

Here: https://urbantoronto.ca/forum/threads/pm-mark-carneys-canada.41779/page-87

 

[micheal_can]

Why would VIA replace RDCs with loco hauled long-distance on a remote line with minor ridership? Unless you're saying they'll filter Corridor equipment down to that line? But you still are left with higher op-costs in fuel etc.

I mean simply they need to be replaced too.
If you want to continue this,lets go over to the proper thread.

Lack of meaningful Passenger Rail service outside the Quebec-Windsor Corridor

Lack of meaningful Passenger Rail service outside the Quebec-Windsor Corridor As indicated in its title, this thread is dedicated to the discussion of any passenger rail services outside the Quebec-Windsor Corridor, which lost passenger rail service or have it seen reduced to a less-than-daily...

urbantoronto.ca

 

[Thaboss]

That's a lot of money for staff. I wonder if they've used an accounting trick to slide over some of the costs out of the operational budget. And this is nothing.

I'm not sure why they included the VIA and Alto changes, but left out any description, which was provided for the other sections in the table.

Not a trick.

Their budget for staffing, consultants etc. Is less than it was projected to be last year.

Probably could chalk it up to leg. Coming that will skip the need for certain consultants and staffers.

The quicker you can build the less money gets spent on all of the above. Time=money.

The devil will be in the details of whatever leg. Gets passed I'd say

 

[nfitz]

Not a trick.

Their budget for staffing, consultants etc. Is less than it was projected to be last year.

Probably could chalk it up to leg. Coming that will skip the need for certain consultants and staffers.

If they can get themselves out of the federal CEAA, and legislate themselves out of any similar provincial requirements, that could save a LOT of money. It's not like they are building large piers in a waterway that whales swim in - or building causeways through Lake Ontario.

 

[p_xavier]

That surprises me, given the entire township has only grown by 78 people in the last 35 years. And dropped by over 500 in the last 15.

View attachment 693199

Perhaps it's from growth in nearby centres? The closest is Hawkesbury, that has tripled in the last 125 years.

There many people working in Montréal and Ottawa as it's a quick and easy trip by train. The official plan even has ten storey towers and the province paid tens of millions for additional water and waste manangement capacity to handle such volume.

 

[guavadelic]

Alto recently gave an update to Peterborough's City Council.

They say speeds would reach between 300 to 350 km/hr. Project was announced with "speeds of up to 300 km/hour", so I don't know if that's a change.

Once the project is built, Paz said trains will travel at speeds of 300 to 350 kilometres an hour at key points, along dedicated tracks.

They also indicate a frequency of a train every 45 minutes. Not clear if that is the frequency for Peterborough or the overall line.

Paz said to expect trains to arrive at stations every 45 minutes or so, because they will travel so swiftly.

“You don’t need a timetable — just show up, and a train’s going to come,” he said.

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer...cle_47ee945f-4329-538d-9125-901880ec798f.html

 

[chrisw]

Not needing a timetable for 45 min frequency.

 

[Thaboss]

Not needing a timetable for 45 min frequency.

Yea idk about that but it does imply that they're looking less at a via rail - purchase a ticket for a specific time, dynamic pricing model - to a go train, tap on, tap off model.


That would be pretty sick if true.

I do wonder what kind of frequency the line will need at full build out (if we ever get there)

 

[crs1026]

Yea idk about that but it does imply that they're looking less at a via rail - purchase a ticket for a specific time, dynamic pricing model - to a go train, tap on, tap off model (i hope).

One would hope that Alto can manage a mixed reservations-available, but not essential model. Or at least a model that can dynamically assign seats very close to departure time. This is pretty much the world standard.

- Paul

 

[micheal_can]

I am wondering whether that is 24/7, or certain times a day. My guess is certain times a day. Still, even if it is from 6am to midnight,45minutes is not a long wait.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

Why would VIA replace RDCs with loco hauled long-distance on a remote line with minor ridership? Unless you're saying they'll filter Corridor equipment down to that line? But you still are left with higher op-costs in fuel etc.

Corridor equipment wouldn't be any good; they need proper baggage capacity on the line. That's also why they'd have to go loco-hauled; nobody is making suitable DMUs anymore.

 

[just east of the creek]

Perhaps I should have said that too - obviously few in Belleville is driving to Tweed, and no one in Kingston is driving to Sharbot Lake!!! I assume that was mostly a joke.

Gosh driving to Sharbot Lake ... it's an hour at the best of times, and absolutely miserable in bad weather. Of course no one is driving that to catch a train! You'd just drive the 2 hours to Ottawa, or the 2.5 hours to Toronto if you do that.

And I thought moving the train station to the current location was a bad idea! I loved that old station.

Can’t believe the number of posters who are dissing on Sharbot Lake and its future! C’mon, this is about nation building!!