General railway discussions

[smallspy]

What's going on here?

Alstom to become contract operator for LA’s Metrolink - Trains

LOS ANGELES — Alstom will become contract operator of Metrolink commuter rail operations, expanding on the company’s current maintenance role and replacing Amtrak, which has provided Metrolink’s crews since 2010. The initial five-year contract, valued at approximately $515 million, begins Jan...

www.trains.com

We're led to believe that Alstom wants out of operations, and to get back to focusing on manufacturing trains, but they just agreed to a 5 year deal with Metrolink in L.A. to manage their crew/staff.

When have they said this? I can't recall any press releases stating it.

One concern I have is do the frames of these cars support the freight cars that are attached at the back of the train?

The standards for passenger equipment have gotten so stringent in the past 80 years that they are stronger than any freight car built in that time. So yes, they can easily support it.

Dan

 

[Bordercollie]

When have they said this? I can't recall any press releases stating it.


The standards for passenger equipment have gotten so stringent in the past 80 years that they are stronger than any freight car built in that time. So yes, they can easily support it.

Dan

How do they provide HEP to the passenger cars when they come back? Previously there was a generator car, but will they put one loco at each end with one dead in tow providing HEP only?

 

[crs1026]

While the resignation of Chrystia Freeland is the biggest news item today, the contents of the government's economic statement should not be overlooked. The two main items of interest were

- the Hudson Bay Railway receives $43.8M in funding from 2025 to 2027
- creation of the Canada Public Transit Fund, providing $3B in funding beginning in 2026-2027

No mention of VIA Rail Canada, whatsoever.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

While the resignation of Chrystia Freeland is the biggest news item today, the contents of the government's economic statement should not be overlooked.

Its not being, I've given it some attention over in the Federal Politics Thread (Trudeau)

The two main items of interest were

- the Hudson Bay Railway receives $43.8M in funding from 2025 to 2027
- creation of the Canada Public Transit Fund, providing $3B in funding beginning in 2026-2027

No mention of VIA Rail Canada, whatsoever.

- Paul

Disagree on the Public Transit Fund as being material, its a re-announcement. The sum and the dates were previously committed too, and indeed are the source of funding of the new Line 2 Train Order.

 

[Bordercollie]

Its not being, I've given it some attention over in the Federal Politics Thread (Trudeau)



Disagree on the Public Transit Fund as being material, its a re-announcement. The sum and the dates were previously committed too, and indeed are the source of funding of the new Line 2 Train Order.

Of which none of it will matter when the government falls.

 

[micheal_can]

While the resignation of Chrystia Freeland is the biggest news item today, the contents of the government's economic statement should not be overlooked. The two main items of interest were

- the Hudson Bay Railway receives $43.8M in funding from 2025 to 2027
- creation of the Canada Public Transit Fund, providing $3B in funding beginning in 2026-2027

No mention of VIA Rail Canada, whatsoever.

- Paul

The first thing is a good thing and should be in place unless today's mess does not cause an election, or a resignation of JT leading to an election.

The second thing is nice,but most likely will be irrelevant as an election will remove that from happening unless this government gets in.

Not mentioning Via in a way is a good thing. This means the funding for things are already in place, or there is nothing new on the table.

My thinking is anything promised after an election is not something set in place, but more of a carrot to entice voters to vote for them.

 

[nfitz]

Of which none of it will matter when the government falls.

With over 10 months to the election, there'll be significant amounts of this committed.

 

[crs1026]

Of which none of it will matter when the government falls.

I don't see anyone cancelling the fund that gives Toronto new subway cars, or any of the other goodies that this fund will commit for specific municipalities.

Disagree on the Public Transit Fund as being material, its a re-announcement. The sum and the dates were previously committed too, and indeed are the source of funding of the new Line 2 Train Order.

True, this is not new spending, although I believe it is new since the last full budget.

The thing I was looking for was how a high end HSR proposal might play. And a new long distance fleet. I can't see any government adding those costs to a $61B deficit. There will undoubtedly be a sharp pencil applied to a lot of things, before very long.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

I don't see anyone cancelling the fund that gives Toronto new subway cars, or any of the other goodies that this fund will commit for specific municipalities.



True, this is not new spending, although I believe it is new since the last full budget.

The thing I was looking for was how a high end HSR proposal might play. And a new long distance fleet. I can't see any government adding those costs to a $61B deficit. There will undoubtedly be a sharp pencil applied to a lot of things, before very long.

- Paul

If the cheque has been written then it's safe. Is the funding has been promised but not delivered then it can be cancelled.

Also they can still cancel the funding after, it's just that there will be a penalty for cancelling whatever bids that have been submitted/approved. Or only a portion of the subway order will be delivered.

Remember we are building cross town that was cancelled twenty years after they started digging and then cancelled the project. So just because the funding has been committed and the construction has begun doesn't make it safe.

I think it was Wisconsin that ordered talgo sets for a rail project and the new government cancelled it even though the trains were already built. These trains are now in Nigeria.

 

[Urban Sky]

I think it was Wisconsin that ordered talgo sets for a rail project and the new government cancelled it even though the trains were already built. These trains are now in Nigeria.

Correct.

Wisconsin trainsets​

In 2009, after receiving federal funding for a proposed high-speed rail corridor, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation signed an agreement with Talgo to build two 14-car trainsets to re-equip the Hiawatha route. As part of the agreement, Talgo built a factory in Wisconsin to produce the cars. However, the purchase agreement was cancelled in 2012 after a new state governor was elected in 2010, who had campaigned against the high-speed rail project. The completed trainsets were initially stored at the Talgo factory, until the trainsets were moved to Amtrak's Beech Grove facility in 2014.

Michigan DOT was interested the trainsets for operation on the Michigan Services routes in 2014, but ultimately declined to purchase them. After the derailment on the Point Defiance Bypass in December 2017 destroyed one of the Talgo Series VI trainsets used on the Cascades route, Amtrak and Washington State Department of Transport (WSDOT) expressed interest in acquiring the two trainsets for temporary usage, and they were moved back to Talgo's facility in Wisconsin in 2019 for outfitting.

Amtrak Talgo Series 8 - CPTDB Wiki

cptdb.ca

 

[Bordercollie]

Correct.

Amtrak Talgo Series 8 - CPTDB Wiki

cptdb.ca

Anyway my point is that even if signed in ink stuff can get cancelled.

Such as building the Ontario line in streetcar tunnels that where cancelled in the 90's on queen st.

Now with PP's unpopularity in the house it's unlikely that he will get support from any party to support his government if he wins a minority allowing the other parties to work against him.
Another outcome is that JT steps down and they find an interim leader who will work with the BLOC and NDP to avoid an election likely for about 6-12 months since nobody really wants an election.

The NDP likely don't want PP to get elected because he plans to repeal the progress they made with the Dental and pharmacare programs.

The bloc also don't want an election because they cannot afford it. And they have refused to work with PP saying that he is a sleeze ball

If JT doesn't step down they could formulate a new budget that will get enough votes to pass without an election.

The only outcome where PP will benefit is if he wins a majority. Now given that he is ahead in the polls it's possible, but he doesn't have a real platform. He's just anti JT everything. Which is great but axing the carbon tax sounds great but how will we protect the environment? There isn't a clear plan here.

So a lot can change during an election campaign. Plus he doesn't have security clearance so how would he be the prime minister?

Sorry for the rant. Just wanted to lay it out to say that even though funding has been approved or committed and shovels are in the ground, things can still be canceled as history has shown time and again.

 

[micheal_can]

Anyway my point is that even if signed in ink stuff can get cancelled.

Such as building the Ontario line in streetcar tunnels that where cancelled in the 90's on queen st.

Now with PP's unpopularity in the house it's unlikely that he will get support from any party to support his government if he wins a minority allowing the other parties to work against him.
Another outcome is that JT steps down and they find an interim leader who will work with the BLOC and NDP to avoid an election likely for about 6-12 months since nobody really wants an election.

The NDP likely don't want PP to get elected because he plans to repeal the progress they made with the Dental and pharmacare programs.

The bloc also don't want an election because they cannot afford it. And they have refused to work with PP saying that he is a sleeze ball

If JT doesn't step down they could formulate a new budget that will get enough votes to pass without an election.

The only outcome where PP will benefit is if he wins a majority. Now given that he is ahead in the polls it's possible, but he doesn't have a real platform. He's just anti JT everything. Which is great but axing the carbon tax sounds great but how will we protect the environment? There isn't a clear plan here.

So a lot can change during an election campaign. Plus he doesn't have security clearance so how would he be the prime minister?

Sorry for the rant. Just wanted to lay it out to say that even though funding has been approved or committed and shovels are in the ground, things can still be canceled as history has shown time and again.

The Eglinton line also is one of those boondoggles. It was originally started in the 1990s. We are in 2024,and it may finally open next year. It was originally going to be a subway, but was canceled by Mike Harris and his 'Common Sense Revolution'.

The question is not whether it will happen or not, but whether there is political capital to be spent on it or not. Traffic in Toronto is so comical, NHL teams are walking to the ACC(Or whatever it is called now...) So, transit that can move the traffic along better in Toronto may have the political capital to be spent on it.

 

[Bordercollie]

The Eglinton line also is one of those boondoggles. It was originally started in the 1990s. We are in 2024,and it may finally open next year. It was originally going to be a subway, but was canceled by Mike Harris and his 'Common Sense Revolution'.

The question is not whether it will happen or not, but whether there is political capital to be spent on it or not. Traffic in Toronto is so comical, NHL teams are walking to the ACC(Or whatever it is called now...) So, transit that can move the traffic along better in Toronto may have the political capital to be spent on it.

The concervative support base is not In urban areas or in Quebec or BC. It's typically the prairies, AB and the inter urban areas(fringe) of the cities such as Pickering to Kingston, Oakville to Niagara falls. But not in the center. So his appeal will be to those areas. He doesn't need to please Toronto and pay for new subways or build high speed rail connecting Toronto to Montreal because it won't win him the election.

He needs to appeal to rich people and farmers in the prairies more than the average joe in Toronto.

 

[micheal_can]

The concervative support base is not In urban areas or in Quebec or BC. It's typically the prairies, AB and the inter urban areas(fringe) of the cities such as Pickering to Kingston, Oakville to Niagara falls. But not in the center. So his appeal will be to those areas. He doesn't need to please Toronto and pay for new subways or build high speed rail connecting Toronto to Montreal because it won't win him the election.

He needs to appeal to rich people and farmers in the prairies more than the average joe in Toronto.

The recent by elections show that he could gain support in the large cities. If he wants a majority ,the cities are in play,. Since they are in play, watch how he will give them something. If he doesn't want a majority, then the cities are out, and his job will be that much harder.

Ironically,there is a good chance my riding will go blue. So, HSR to my door?

 

[crs1026]

The concervative support base is not In urban areas or in Quebec or BC. It's typically the prairies, AB and the inter urban areas(fringe) of the cities such as Pickering to Kingston, Oakville to Niagara falls. But not in the center. So his appeal will be to those areas. He doesn't need to please Toronto and pay for new subways or build high speed rail connecting Toronto to Montreal because it won't win him the election.

He needs to appeal to rich people and farmers in the prairies more than the average joe in Toronto.

It may seem that simple now, but there are certainly many caucus members from Ontario and even some from the Maritimes. And there are provincial premiers. All of these could be quite pesky if they see themselves excluded from the benefits of a new government.
So I do think that while there might be considerable change in many things, an incoming government would have to find balance that plays to these interests and not rubbing their noses in a change in priorities.
A fund that has promised subway cars for Toronto (which are needed to equip a signature project of a Conservative Premier) seems pretty safe.

- Paul