- Reaction score
- 6,646
- Points
- 1,160
A littlle late to the party but I'll say my piece. Some things have already been covered. I have no dog in the hunt. At my age and location in all likelihood will see it or use it.
Canadian rail companies have great expertise in running railways, but not building them. There hasn't been a significant amount of greenfield railway construction in probably a century. Why wouldn't we tap offshore companies that have actually built HSR? We bemoan the loss of expertise in our shipyards and the accompanying cost inherent in the learning curve knowing (hoping?) that subsequent builds will we faster and cheaper. This is our first and so far only planned HSR (maybe they should have gone ahead with a Calgary-Edmonton project as practice).
For heavy rail, Metrolinx does precious little greenfield development; they mostly expand existing infrastructure. If light rail is any indication, the Eglington Crosstown certainly doesn't highlight their project management expertise. The Junction diamond flyover seems to be a rare success story. Do we want it to run over-budget because of high-priced consultants, or because of home grown inexperience? I suspect that the ALTO project was removed from VIA for the same reason; they don't possess the project management expertise to greenfield several hundred kilometers of new service either, let alone high speed service.
Speaking of cost, does anyone know if the $90Bn is to build HSR, or is typical government accounting which compiles the cost of building, infrastructure, operating costs, salaries and pencils for the next 40 years?
It has been mentioned that CN and CPKC don't do 'nation building'. Regardless of what that is supposed to mean, why would they? Their responsibility is to their shareholders.
VIA's biggest problem is that it exists at the whim and behest of Cabinet. It has no enabling legislation; it's mandate is as broad or shallow as Cabinet says it is on any given day. In the lakeshore corridor, CN is not going to improve VIA service at the expense of its own, and dispatchers will prioritize their trains - why wouldn't they, that's why the money is? I don't know the terms of agreement between CN and VIA, and perhaps there is some capacity for Transport Canada (CTA) to step in as the regulator, but it has shown no interest in doing so. There is an ongoing court battle between CN and VIA over speed restriction imposed on their new Venture equipment because of the 'possibility' of the shorter, lighter equipment not consistently triggering crossing signals. Why this is in the court and not in front of the regulator is beyond me.
I suspect that if CN was directed to improve VIA's access to any significant degree without great big gobs of money thrown at them, it would be in the courts until we are all long dead. They will not willingly constrain their current or future profitability. A few years ago, they were given money to add track to enhance VIAs performance, but it had little net effect.
CN is the landlord and VIA is the tenant. So long as that relationship exists, there is no hope of significant corridor service improvements, let alone something approaching HSR. Both CN and CPKC have absolutely no interest in electrifying their properties.
Canadian rail companies have great expertise in running railways, but not building them. There hasn't been a significant amount of greenfield railway construction in probably a century. Why wouldn't we tap offshore companies that have actually built HSR? We bemoan the loss of expertise in our shipyards and the accompanying cost inherent in the learning curve knowing (hoping?) that subsequent builds will we faster and cheaper. This is our first and so far only planned HSR (maybe they should have gone ahead with a Calgary-Edmonton project as practice).
For heavy rail, Metrolinx does precious little greenfield development; they mostly expand existing infrastructure. If light rail is any indication, the Eglington Crosstown certainly doesn't highlight their project management expertise. The Junction diamond flyover seems to be a rare success story. Do we want it to run over-budget because of high-priced consultants, or because of home grown inexperience? I suspect that the ALTO project was removed from VIA for the same reason; they don't possess the project management expertise to greenfield several hundred kilometers of new service either, let alone high speed service.
Speaking of cost, does anyone know if the $90Bn is to build HSR, or is typical government accounting which compiles the cost of building, infrastructure, operating costs, salaries and pencils for the next 40 years?
It has been mentioned that CN and CPKC don't do 'nation building'. Regardless of what that is supposed to mean, why would they? Their responsibility is to their shareholders.
VIA's biggest problem is that it exists at the whim and behest of Cabinet. It has no enabling legislation; it's mandate is as broad or shallow as Cabinet says it is on any given day. In the lakeshore corridor, CN is not going to improve VIA service at the expense of its own, and dispatchers will prioritize their trains - why wouldn't they, that's why the money is? I don't know the terms of agreement between CN and VIA, and perhaps there is some capacity for Transport Canada (CTA) to step in as the regulator, but it has shown no interest in doing so. There is an ongoing court battle between CN and VIA over speed restriction imposed on their new Venture equipment because of the 'possibility' of the shorter, lighter equipment not consistently triggering crossing signals. Why this is in the court and not in front of the regulator is beyond me.
I suspect that if CN was directed to improve VIA's access to any significant degree without great big gobs of money thrown at them, it would be in the courts until we are all long dead. They will not willingly constrain their current or future profitability. A few years ago, they were given money to add track to enhance VIAs performance, but it had little net effect.
CN is the landlord and VIA is the tenant. So long as that relationship exists, there is no hope of significant corridor service improvements, let alone something approaching HSR. Both CN and CPKC have absolutely no interest in electrifying their properties.
