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

[Bruce Monkhouse]

We know.....

Believe me. You should get a NASCAR style jacket with all the companies you support. At least get paid for that shilling.

MOD POST
Seriously Lad, you're putting yourself on the ramp. Maybe take a break before you're forced to take a break.

Even with gentle persuasion via PM from a fellow Mod, some attempt at correction from myself, you are still tossing out insults at anyone who tries to engage with you. It's getting tiring...
Bruce
army.ca staff

 

[Brad Sallows]

We know.....

Believe me. You should get a NASCAR style jacket with all the companies you support. At least get paid for that shilling.

One man's shilling is another's enthusiastic HSR promotion. Where are you going to stitch on your first patch?

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

One man's shilling is another's enthusiastic HSR promotion. Where are you going to stitch on your first patch?

Please let this go....

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Know what? It's time for a topic rest.
12 hour lock in place.

EDIT: now unlocked, let's keep it civil or it'll just be permalocked.
Thank you,
Bruce

 

[mariomike]

HSR investment sounds like the old itch. Want to get there fast, but don't want to pay for the ride.

At the end of my VIA rides, I remember my father saying, "I wish we had another hundred miles."

Of course, he was getting paid by the mile. But, I feel the same way as a paying passenger.

Even though VIA's On Time Performance is somewhat lacking. We just put the credit in our VIA Preference Points towards our next trip.

 

[captloadie]

One of the key pieces to European success with their HSR is that there also exists strong intra-city public transportation which becomes an extension to the intercity HSR. The stations also arrive in areas of the city that allow either easy access to city public transit, or you come out into the city core. Toronto and Montreal have this covered, I'm not familiar enough about where the station is in QC. But Ottawa? Horrible transit system that only seams to get worse instead of better while adding new capabilities like the O-train. At least they had the forethought to run the O-train to the station. But dollars to donuts the HSP station will be somewhere inconvenient and not served by transit.

And for a lot of the Via stations along the Ottawa-Toronto corridor? My memory for most are that they are away from the city centres, but it has been awhile since I took that route.

 

[mariomike]

And for a lot of the Via stations along the Ottawa-Toronto corridor? My memory for most are that they are away from the city centres, but it has been awhile since took that route.

For reference to the discussion,

Train Schedule: Toronto - Kingston - Ottawa | VIA Rail

Do you want to know the train times for your destination? Discover our train schedules to Toronto - Kingston - Ottawa.

www.viarail.ca

 

[Altair]

One of the key pieces to European success with their HSR is that there also exists strong intra-city public transportation which becomes an extension to the intercity HSR. The stations also arrive in areas of the city that allow either easy access to city public transit, or you come out into the city core. Toronto and Montreal have this covered, I'm not familiar enough about where the station is in QC. But Ottawa? Horrible transit system that only seams to get worse instead of better while adding new capabilities like the O-train. At least they had the forethought to run the O-train to the station. But dollars to donuts the HSP station will be somewhere inconvenient and not served by transit.

And for a lot of the Via stations along the Ottawa-Toronto corridor? My memory for most are that they are away from the city centres, but it has been awhile since I took that route.

Did ALTO decide between Union station and the VIA rail station yet?

Union station is right downtown in ottawa, close to the O-train and bus routes

 

[captloadie]

Did ALTO decide between Union station and the VIA rail station yet?

Union station is right downtown in ottawa, close to the O-train and bus routes

I'm sure the NCC will somehow get involved and forbid it from going anywhere useful, so probably not downtown.

 

[YZT580]

Did ALTO decide between Union station and the VIA rail station yet?

Union station is right downtown in ottawa, close to the O-train and bus routes

sorry I don't consider that downtown. It was, long time ago, right opposite the Fairview. Now that was downtown

 

[dapaterson]

The prime downtown Ottawa station is currently the temporary Senate.

 

[Altair]

The prime downtown Ottawa station is currently the temporary Senate.

I think the logic is the Senate will be back in their actual building by the time the HSR project begins.

I think that would be a great choice, hop on a train in Montreal or Toronto, get dropped off a stones throw from Parliament.

 

[lenaitch]

Doesn't matter who owns the land, and to be fair, its a difference without a distinction, for all intents and purposes CN controls the land regardless of who owns it.

And regardless of who owns it, TC can decide who gets ROW. But going against CN would be like going against the golden goose of Canadian companies and the company that could grind the economy to a halt if it so chose.

I think the best plan might be to have VIA move troops from base to base. Build them dedicated rail to do so. This would fall under defense spending, the 1.5 percent of GDP that goes to infrastructure. 1.5 percent a year of a 2.4 trillion dollar economy is 36b a year. Allocate a lot of that to VIA and build in stages.

Oh, I know. It was more of a thought bubble.

If the Canadian government thought rail had a military/strategic value it wouldn't have allowed railways to abandon lines near bases. Quite frankly, trying to put that genie back in the bottle would be a waste of money better spent elsewhere.

 

[lenaitch]

Did ALTO decide between Union station and the VIA rail station yet?

Union station is right downtown in ottawa, close to the O-train and bus routes

I'm not aware that anything has advanced to that stage. From what I remember about Ottawa, anything other than the current VIA station (or vicinity) would entail tearing up a lot of Ottawa or a tunnel - both expensive. Keep in mind that the first phase is supposed to be Ottawa-Montreal. How they enter Montreal, considering that the long range plan is to continue on to Quebec City, will be interesting. Any attempt to go downtown then back out to the north shore has a mountain in the way, and VIA gave away the existing tunnel.

Everyone assumes that the Toronto terminus will be Union station but people are now starting to talk about capacity concerns. Every single GO train passes through that station as well as the under-construction Ontario Line (downtown relief line).

 

[YZT580]

Oh, I know. It was more of a thought bubble.

If the Canadian government thought rail had a military/strategic value it wouldn't have allowed railways to abandon lines near bases.

I think it is more of a reflection on the value placed on the military itself. The only railway vehicles commemorating our military are in HO guage.

 

[YZT580]

I'm not aware that anything has advanced to that stage. From what I remember about Ottawa, anything other than the current VIA station (or vicinity) would entail tearing up a lot of Ottawa or a tunnel - both expensive. Keep in mind that the first phase is supposed to be Ottawa-Montreal. How they enter Montreal, considering that the long range plan is to continue on to Quebec City, will be interesting. Any attempt to go downtown then back out to the north shore has a mountain in the way, and VIA gave away the existing tunnel.

Everyone assumes that the Toronto terminus will be Union station but people are now starting to talk about capacity concerns. Every single GO train passes through that station as well as the under-construction Ontario Line (downtown relief line).

There is the old CP station that is currently serving as an LCBO. Maybe using that line would be better

 

[Altair]

I'm not aware that anything has advanced to that stage. From what I remember about Ottawa, anything other than the current VIA station (or vicinity) would entail tearing up a lot of Ottawa or a tunnel - both expensive. Keep in mind that the first phase is supposed to be Ottawa-Montreal. How they enter Montreal, considering that the long range plan is to continue on to Quebec City, will be interesting. Any attempt to go downtown then back out to the north shore has a mountain in the way, and VIA gave away the existing tunnel.

Everyone assumes that the Toronto terminus will be Union station but people are now starting to talk about capacity concerns. Every single GO train passes through that station as well as the under-construction Ontario Line (downtown relief line).

The money allocated is 60-90b

I assume the 90b is for if they go with the more expensive options, tunnelling in Ottawa and Montreal.

My thoughts are if you're going to do this, do it right, no half measures.

Dropping people off a stones throw from Parliament, Chateau Laurier, Rideau center, byward market, and the Rogers center is way better than Tremblay road which is near...well, there's a baseball stadium. A small baseball stadium.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

In Montreal, the current HSR ROW does not go to the central station, downtown, but rather on the North side of the mountain. They are talking about swinging South to the central station but that would require digging a new tunnel under the mountain. However, a station North of the mountain works anyway because it would colocate with one of the REM station that would connect you to downtown in less than ten minutes and the main airport at Dorval (I will never get myself to call it the P. E. T. airport) in less than fifteen.

And Altair, isn't the baseball stadium abandoned?

 

[Altair]

In Montreal, the current HSR ROW does not go to the central station, downtown, but rather on the North side of the mountain. They are talking about swinging South to the central station but that would require digging a new tunnel under the mountain. However, a station North of the mountain works anyway because it would colocate with one of the REM station that would connect you to downtown in less than ten minutes and the main airport at Dorval (I will never get myself to call it the P. E. T. airport) in less than fifteen.

And Altair, isn't the baseball stadium abandoned?

Ottawa Titans - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org