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

[nfitz]

He voted against all cost of living adjustments, any support for natives or the environment, basic income, tougher punishment for domestic violence repeat offenders, I can keep going.

Votes - Pierre Poilievre - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada

Votes - Pierre Poilievre - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada

www.ourcommons.ca

I don't know why you think the next PM will be male. Freeland is currently the front-runner to be the next PM. And I don't know what PP's voting record has to do with anything!

Either way, the two leading front-runners are more fiscally conservative; HFR is dead.

 

[micheal_can]

I don't know why you think the next PM will be male. Freeland is currently the front-runner to be the next PM. And I don't know what PP's voting record has to do with anything!

Either way, the two leading front-runners are more fiscally conservative; HFR is dead.

But is Via still alive?

 

[crs1026]

Either way, the two leading front-runners are more fiscally conservative; HFR is dead.

I take all the speculation in this forum with a grain of salt. Someone's view may play out as predicted.... but a broken clock is right twice a day, and all this speculation is just that.

Actually, I am glad to see us reach the point (ie the actual runup to an election) where the parties will actually have to take a position on the topic.

Let the debate (the real one) begin !

- Paul

 

[C_Johnson_1995]

I take all the speculation in this forum with a grain of salt. Someone's view may play out as predicted.... but a broken clock is right twice a day, and all this speculation is just that.

Actually, I am glad to see us reach the point (ie the actual runup to an election) where the parties will actually have to take a position on the topic.

Let the debate (the real one) begin !

- Paul

I don't think any party will take an active stance on HFR. Very few people outside of forums like this actually know it exists and given other ongoing issues, most would likely not care. The easiest thing to do will probably be to say nothing and quietly wind down HFR and I expect this is the most likely outcome.

 

[dowlingm]

Charlevoix: Out to St. Anne de Beaupre *might* be within a commuter shed but that sounds like a city/province issue. Outside of that it gets pretty rural pretty quickly. Other than your train-from-everywhere-to-everywhere mantra, I don't (and apparently nobody else) see an economic base for passenger service.
On that note, depending on which website you read, either the tourist train or the whole line has be shut down, which would seem strange since their are/were active customers still on the line.

The Charlevoix service terminated on the edge of Quebec City, so as not to butt heads with CN traffic. A VIA-operated service (on a contract basis with the Province paying, and also having responsibility for securing suitable rolling stock such as from Exo surplus) would be able to navigate the port railway and provide direct connections to the rest of the network. However, the long run success of that would presumably rely on local municipalities along the line having housing-friendly policies.

 

[crs1026]

I don't think any party will take an active stance on HFR. Very few people outside of forums like this actually know it exists and given other ongoing issues, most would likely not care. The easiest thing to do will probably be to say nothing and quietly wind down HFR and I expect this is the most likely outcome.

It will be more prominent than that. The Liberals will want to take credit for bringing the plan this far (yeah i know, they haven't been all that speedy, but this is electioneering...) and may be willing to promote it in some way (short of a spending blowout) - if not to solve a need, but at least to differentiate themselves from the Cons on willingness to invest on infra, and also on being more green. And woo voters with nice things (the Liberal way, with or without JT).
And if they didn't, the NDP and Greens would seize on it as a Liberal promise unfulfilled.... and point to all the money spent in study, and try to drag out all the data that the government has collected to date and show that the Liberals have been dithering. And because it fits their platform. And - see nice things, above.
How the Cons respond will be interesting The jury is out, personally I wonder if they might offer some de minimus investment in the CN corridor on the premise that they can promise improved trains (doesnt matter if that has validity) at a fraction of the cost. I seriously doubt they will duck the issue altogether.
And even if they did duck, as incoming government they would face the lobbying by the consortia who have built proposals. I bet those business interests (which consist not only of the consortia, but all the trickle down businesses that hope to land sub contracts) seed many all-candidate meetings with questions. Businesses don't owe Pierre any loyalty when their own self interest lies with the project. Same with Conservative candidates in ridings along the corridor, for that matter.
The good news in my view is, the debate is no longer escapable for any of the parties. That's a lot of progress since 2015, even if no shovels have hit the ground.

- Paul

 

[lenaitch]

The Charlevoix service terminated on the edge of Quebec City, so as not to butt heads with CN traffic. A VIA-operated service (on a contract basis with the Province paying, and also having responsibility for securing suitable rolling stock such as from Exo surplus) would be able to navigate the port railway and provide direct connections to the rest of the network. However, the long run success of that would presumably rely on local municipalities along the line having housing-friendly policies.

I get the sense that most of the growth in the Greater Quebec City area, and hence the more suitable areas for commuter service, in whatever form, is to the north, west and across the river.

 

[micheal_can]

The Charlevoix service terminated on the edge of Quebec City, so as not to butt heads with CN traffic. A VIA-operated service (on a contract basis with the Province paying, and also having responsibility for securing suitable rolling stock such as from Exo surplus) would be able to navigate the port railway and provide direct connections to the rest of the network. However, the long run success of that would presumably rely on local municipalities along the line having housing-friendly policies.

The challenge would be to figure out a way for it also to be somewhat what it was, a way for tourists to access certain places like the ski area. You would almost need it to go both ways in the mornings and evenings.

 

[ownthesky]

I don't think any party will take an active stance on HFR. Very few people outside of forums like this actually know it exists and given other ongoing issues, most would likely not care. The easiest thing to do will probably be to say nothing and quietly wind down HFR and I expect this is the most likely outcome.

I think few people know that support for high speed rail is part of the official Conservative Party platform adopted two years ago at the 2023 party convention. I’m skeptical that a PP government will support such a large infrastructure project, but I’m hopeful.

 

[micheal_can]

I think few people know that support for high speed rail is part of the official Conservative Party platform adopted two years ago at the 2023 party convention. I’m skeptical that a PP government will support such a large infrastructure project, but I’m hopeful.

The only saving grace for HSR in ON and QC is the fact that AB wants it too. So, if he wants to give it to AB, he will lose the next election if he does not also give it to ON and QC. HSR is not dead, but it may not progress much for the next 4 years.

 

[guavadelic]

It will be more prominent than that. The Liberals will want to take credit for bringing the plan this far (yeah i know, they haven't been all that speedy, but this is electioneering...) and may be willing to promote it in some way (short of a spending blowout) - if not to solve a need, but at least to differentiate themselves from the Cons on willingness to invest on infra, and also on being more green. And woo voters with nice things (the Liberal way, with or without JT).
And if they didn't, the NDP and Greens would seize on it as a Liberal promise unfulfilled.... and point to all the money spent in study, and try to drag out all the data that the government has collected to date and show that the Liberals have been dithering. And because it fits their platform. And - see nice things, above.
How the Cons respond will be interesting The jury is out, personally I wonder if they might offer some de minimus investment in the CN corridor on the premise that they can promise improved trains (doesnt matter if that has validity) at a fraction of the cost. I seriously doubt they will duck the issue altogether.
And even if they did duck, as incoming government they would face the lobbying by the consortia who have built proposals. I bet those business interests (which consist not only of the consortia, but all the trickle down businesses that hope to land sub contracts) seed many all-candidate meetings with questions. Businesses don't owe Pierre any loyalty when their own self interest lies with the project. Same with Conservative candidates in ridings along the corridor, for that matter.
The good news in my view is, the debate is no longer escapable for any of the parties. That's a lot of progress since 2015, even if no shovels have hit the ground.

- Paul

Also the leadership of VIA HFR has spent a good deal of time visiting and lobbying cities and the various Chamber of Commences' along the corridor promoting the project. That along with the enthusiasm of Quebec in wanting this constructed will likely ensure it doesn't completely fall off the map.

The parties will be forced make their HxR positions known during the election campaign.

 

[micheal_can]

Also the leadership of VIA HFR has spent a good deal of time visiting and lobbying cities and the various Chamber of Commences' along the corridor promoting the project. That along with the enthusiasm of Quebec in wanting this constructed will likely ensure it doesn't completely fall of the map.

The parties will be forced make their HxR positions known during the election campaign.

The question is how vague is enough to make it look committed, but not actually commit to anything?

 

[ssiguy2]

The only saving grace for HSR in ON and QC is the fact that AB wants it too. So, if he wants to give it to AB, he will lose the next election if he does not also give it to ON and QC. HSR is not dead, but it may not progress much for the next 4 years.

This is exactly what I said a few pages back. Ottawa could not give Alberta any funds for the Cal/Edm HSR Corridor without promising similar level funds per-km to Quebec City to Windsor. Note I said to Windsor as the Tories are about to get a whole slew more ridings in SWO including in the cities of Windsor & London and those voters and MPs they represent won't let him forget it and SWO will also get a Cabinet post unlike Trudeau who gave the GTAH 14 Cabinet posts and yet none west of Hamilton.

Danielle Smith has been a hardcore supporter of PP and she will expect payback thru things like HSR and PP would know such a commitment would automatically mean money for the Corridor. Surprising that supposedly GHG loving, redneck, pro-oil Smith maybe the best hope environmentalists in the Corridor have for HSR,

 

[micheal_can]

This is exactly what I said a few pages back. Ottawa could not give Alberta any funds for the Cal/Edm HSR Corridor without promising similar level funds per-km to Quebec City to Windsor. Note I said to Windsor as the Tories are about to get a whole slew more ridings in SWO including in the cities of Windsor & London and those voters and MPs they represent won't let him forget it and SWO will also get a Cabinet post unlike Trudeau who gave the GTAH 14 Cabinet posts and yet none west of Hamilton.

Danielle Smith has been a hardcore supporter of PP and she will expect payback thru things like HSR and PP would know such a commitment would automatically mean money for the Corridor. Surprising that supposedly GHG loving, redneck, pro-oil Smith maybe the best hope environmentalists in the Corridor have for HSR,

I could see him allowing phases in each. So, Ottawa - Montreal and Banff - Calgary are most likely the first phases. It checks the boxes, but only just.

 

[micheal_can]

How full should a train be?
How full should a train be to warrant adding more frequency?

In the last few years, the peak Canadian bed accommodations have been filling up tot he point of it being a challenge to book it short notice. In an ideal world, Via would have extra equipment they could add to the already long train to allow more to ride. In an ideal world, the demand may be enough that more times a week are warranted. With a full train, we do not know how many people would ride it.

My hope is providing the LDF replacement goes through, we get enough to not just replace the existing fleet, but enough to add service during peak periods. I know how the existing tender was written, it does not speak to that.