High Speed Train Coming?-split from boosting Canada’s military spending"

[Brad Sallows]

This is literally what the design contract is for. You can't answer any of these questions without actually developing a properly detailed proposal. And they can't get those details without actually designing a route, siting stations, look at land assembly, etc. This is not a construction contract. It's a design contract. They will present options to the government at the end, including non-government financing (that's why CDPQ Infra is there), and the government can then decide what they want to go ahead with. Including not building anything.

Rail transit in North America is typically a sh!t-show (cost-wise), and high-speed rail is the worst of the lot. We don't have the population densities the US does, and they produce plenty of bad examples.

 

[ytz]

It’s a fucking bribe to Ontario and Quebec. No more, no less.

Or.... Hear me out. The Feds overtax everyone and this is one way to give back. They also bought and home built a $30+B pipeline to support an economy of 4.5M people. $80B for the HSR catchment combined population of 14M is on par. And just like the pipeline costs will be be recouped over decades.

 

[ytz]

Rail transit in North America is typically a sh!t-show (cost-wise), and high-speed rail is the worst of the lot. We don't have the population densities the US does, and they produce plenty of bad examples.

Good thing we're not following the American example then and literally bought in one of the OGs of High Speed Rail. You need to look up who SNCF and Systra are.

Most of the public is clueless. But Canada is having a weird moment in public transit where the agencies are all bringing in European experts and basically handing over the keys and cheques and simply letting them develop. This is exactly what Metrolinx is doing with GO Rail in Toronto. It's one of the largest rail projects in the continent. It's DeutscheBahn that is leading it. And they are looking to transform GO in something like German S-Bahn or French RER. They can't shut down GO to do this. So it will take a decade to complete. But they've been doing precursor work now for about 10 years.

The government is basically pledging to do exactly the same with VIA. It's not just High Speed Rail. All Corridor services will be handed over to the HSR developer so that there are coordinated services. In essence, today's services will be the equivalent of all stop services and HSR will be their express services.

 

[quadrapiper]

Good thing we're not following the American example then and literally bought in one of the OGs of High Speed Rail. You need to look up who SNCF and Systra are.

Most of the public is clueless. But Canada is having a weird moment in public transit where the agencies are all bringing in European experts and basically handing over the keys and cheques and simply letting them develop. This is exactly what Metrolinx is doing with GO Rail in Toronto. It's one of the largest rail projects in the continent. It's DeutscheBahn that is leading it. And they are looking to transform GO in something like German S-Bahn or French RER. They can't shut down GO to do this. So it will take a decade to complete. But they've been doing precursor work now for about 10 years.

The government is basically pledging to do exactly the same with VIA. It's not just High Speed Rail. All Corridor services will be handed over to the HSR developer so that there are coordinated services. In essence, today's services will be the equivalent of all stop services and HSR will be their express services.

Hope that attitude carries on and makes it across the Rockies!

 

[quadrapiper]

Amen to that. Speaking of semis, the Belgians at one time had freight engines running on their tram lines. You see a number of industrial buildings that have the remnants of tracks leading into the building. An engine would pick up a goods wagon from the shunting yard and deliver it the destination warehouse or factory. Intent was to eliminate truck traffic downtown and to free up road space. Eventually the system was disbanded but struck me as being a good idea in today's pollution conscious world

I think there's some European tram services that run freight/parcel cars, too.

Victoria's ripe for tram/streetcar service. Even an Ogden Point to Store Street tourist hauler would be a good start.

 

[PrairieFella]

Good thing we're not following the American example then and literally bought in one of the OGs of High Speed Rail. You need to look up who SNCF and Systra are.

Most of the public is clueless. But Canada is having a weird moment in public transit where the agencies are all bringing in European experts and basically handing over the keys and cheques and simply letting them develop. This is exactly what Metrolinx is doing with GO Rail in Toronto. It's one of the largest rail projects in the continent. It's DeutscheBahn that is leading it. And they are looking to transform GO in something like German S-Bahn or French RER. They can't shut down GO to do this. So it will take a decade to complete. But they've been doing precursor work now for about 10 years.

The government is basically pledging to do exactly the same with VIA. It's not just High Speed Rail. All Corridor services will be handed over to the HSR developer so that there are coordinated services. In essence, today's services will be the equivalent of all stop services and HSR will be their express services.

God that would be amazing if it was like the S-Bahn. It's so bloody seamless. I rode it in Munich last fall, amazing and convenient service. Following the USA is literally the opposite of what we should be doing, they're basically irredeemably car dependent and its kept that way on purpose.