VIA Rail

[crs1026]

I knew it was the mainline, not that unfamiliar with its limitations given I ride from Hamilton and Kitchener often. But I agree- shocking but impressive they only 'need' a single track with trains every 20 minutes or so (it felt like that, anyway). Obviously they had passing tracks, but still.

I should also note I was impressed with the speed of the line, given it's not 'meant' for it. In retrospect, with some pinpoint infrastructure, I can see how semi-usable passenger service can operate on such shared corridors, albeit with more coordination between CN/whichever public operator. For me, it showed the amount of new infra necessary needn't always be a mountain over a molehill.

If you look at where the single track sections are on the Halton Sub, most are over very deep river valleys (Tansley, Stewarttown, Humber) or smaller waterways (Speyside) where doubling the line would be hugely costly and likely trigger extensive environmental processes.

On a 24-hour basis, the line is still well within the capacity of a properly signalled mixed single/double track line with long passing track sections and favourable track speeds. But it's not designed to handle multiple passenger trains on top of that freight traffic, and the passengers happened to need the line just when CN had its most busy periods in the day. I give CN credit for accommodating VIA both west and east of Union during the recent work blocks on the Lakeshore.

- Paul