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

[micheal_can]

I've never quite understood the rationale for rail between Calgary and Banff. It would shovel more tourists into a town that is horribly overcrowded in the summer as it is. The town is in a National Park so can't expand without the permission of the federal government, and significant expansion would impair the very reason people flock to the area in the first place.

Perhaps to grow Canmore as a bedroom community.

Actually,it may make the area better. We went to Banff in the summer of 2020, during the height of the international tourist block. Even then, finding parking was a challenge. If less cars go to the area, then more transit could be built and it could become a near car free area.

 

[crs1026]

There's not much of a business case for extensions outside the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor. So what happens when the feds inevitably refuse to fund that part?

"Mumble mumble Phase II mumble" would probably work.

But I wonder what the business case for those extensions will look like. I can't imagine any city in Alberta generating more than one or two trains a day.....Lethbridge is the only one where improvements to an existing main line might be possible without too big a spend. Simply extending a couple of Edmonton trains to Lethbridge is all that's required, and possibly no more money to fix the tracks than, say, Washago to North Bay. Banff is a whole mega project, Grande Prairie and Swift Current are pointless, Fort M is a long slow ride to someplace that relies on air.

Let's be honest. This is part of the ridiculous game Smith is playing. She's gutting transit support in Calgary and Edmonton and offering to build a regional rail system instead, to reward her rural base.

So far it isn't costing her anything, yet.

The initial emphasis on connecting the two airports is not wrong, and cross-city lines that achieve that are actually a really good thing. And the Edmonton-Calgary line will sell with the urban Albertans so it's not just a rural tilted pitch. But yeah, I wonder how many rural Albertans are of an age where they remember Dayliner service to their town. I can't imagine that a younger rural demographic would care.

But the whole premise of "We want nifty passenger trains and our own agency like Doug Ford has" is the most unlikely thing for a western premier to announce, especially this one.

- Paul

 

[crs1026]

Here's another report to digest....

Alberta-Montana passenger rail service proposed

A non-profit in Alberta looks to build an international train route, connecting the prairie province and Monta...

chatnewstoday.ca

Report at

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vern-Raincock/publication/379889905_Alberta-Montana_Passenger_Rail_Feasibility_Report/links/661fe82e39e7641c0bd3f05e/Alberta-Montana-Passenger-Rail-Feasibility-Report.pdf?origin=publication_detail&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ

Note the complete absence of a serious effort to quantify revenue, cost, or startup investment.

- Paul

 

[afransen]

Ah yes, a train line to a state that has a population similar to (checks notes) Mississauga?

 

[dowlingm]

Ah yes, a train line to a state that has a population similar to (checks notes) Mississauga?

Who doesn’t want to go to Montana?

 

[lenaitch]

. . . and marry a round American woman and raise rabbits. And she will cook them for me.

Maybe they envision the 'tourist' potential to be Yellowstone's "train station" (which is actually in Idaho and an untested legal concept). One way tickets only.

 

[micheal_can]

Here's another report to digest....

Alberta-Montana passenger rail service proposed

A non-profit in Alberta looks to build an international train route, connecting the prairie province and Monta...

chatnewstoday.ca

Report at

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Vern-Raincock/publication/379889905_Alberta-Montana_Passenger_Rail_Feasibility_Report/links/661fe82e39e7641c0bd3f05e/Alberta-Montana-Passenger-Rail-Feasibility-Report.pdf?origin=publication_detail&_tp=eyJjb250ZXh0Ijp7ImZpcnN0UGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uIiwicGFnZSI6InB1YmxpY2F0aW9uRG93bmxvYWQiLCJwcmV2aW91c1BhZ2UiOiJwdWJsaWNhdGlvbiJ9fQ

Note the complete absence of a serious effort to quantify revenue, cost, or startup investment.

- Paul

Looks like it would connect with the Empire Builder in Shelby Montana. The Empire Builder is a daily train.

While I am all for expanding passenger rail, none of the reasons they give use local reasons. Take the safety aspect. They are correct but do not say how many accidents happen along the route.

I have always wondered whether a line in Alberta going south would make some sense. I guess there is a group out there that think it does.

 

[micheal_can]

Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway

There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

When people ask why I want a daily train to every major city in Canada with rails, it is incidents like this that highlight how dangerous our highways can be.

 

[lenaitch]

Daily trains and divided highways.

The one thing that struck me when I first saw that video was a bunch of commercial vehicles all bunched up. They're suppose to be 60 meters apart (~200').

 

[CapitalSeven]

You say that as though you expect more than 10% of Ontario drivers to obey the laws.

 

[micheal_can]

Daily trains and divided highways.

The one thing that struck me when I first saw that video was a bunch of commercial vehicles all bunched up. They're suppose to be 60 meters apart (~200').

At least with passenger rail, those truckers can keep doing the crazy stuff and people can be safe.

You say that as though you expect more than 10% of Ontario drivers to obey the laws.

Funny thing is, all of those drivers will have their jobs and licenses after this. If a railway employee was part of this mess (engineer, conductor, etc) they would most likely be off work for a month or more.

 

[T3G]

At least with passenger rail, those truckers can keep doing the crazy stuff and people can be safe.

Unless, of course, the train doesn't align with their schedule, or where they live, or they have any other untold number of reasons for driving instead of being on the train.

 

[micheal_can]

Unless, of course, the train doesn't align with their schedule, or where they live, or they have any other untold number of reasons for driving instead of being on the train.

I more mean about what happens to the people operating it.

 

[lenaitch]

You say that as though you expect more than 10% of Ontario drivers to obey the laws.

Ya, fair enough. When it comes to commercial carrier enforcement, it starts with inadequate training and goes downhill from there. The police have a role but it is primarily at the feet of the MTO.

 

[micheal_can]

On Facebook, someone posted about the trains from Montreal to Senneterre and Jonquiere
One simple change that could make a world of difference would be to split them entirely. Still keep the 3 day a week, but instead of running them the same days, run them opposite. So, currently they run M,W,F out of Montreal. Keep one on that schedule, and have the other run T,Th and Sat. This would give a 6 day a week service to
Hervey-Jonction where they currently split.

Another thought along these lines is the return of the Gaspe train. Have it run opposite the Ocean in much the same way. That would give that section from Charny to Matapedia 6 days a week service as well.

I know doing so would add fuel costs and crew costs.What other challenges would doing this bring?