Liberal Minority Government 2025 - ???

[Czech_pivo]

Oh Im well aware of the convenience. Ive holidayed in Europe a half dozen times or so - Ive never once rented a car. The train is superior in every way for short to medium dostance travel.

Yup, just did the same thing 2 weeks ago in France. Arrived in Toulouse from Montreal-Toronto, took the shuttle from the airport to the train station and got on the train in Toulouse and 2hrs later got off in Montpellier and walk 7mins to my Airbnb. Piece of cake and no stress of having to pick up a rental car and driving to Montpellier after just doing an overnight flight.

 

[ytz]

Nevermind the added benefit of stepping off the train downtown instead of some far flung sub/exurb that takes an extra hour off your time calculation too.

HSR is a slam dunk in the golden horseshoe - Montreal, probably really nice in the Edm - Cal corridor too. This is the actual productuve infrastructure people cry for, I dont get the opposition.

Pretty interesting to see the contrast between yesterday's launch and the culture of "no" on this topic. All from a country literally built and unified around a railroad.

I take inspiration from this:

It's unfortunate that a service that every other G7 country and increasingly even some developing countries have is considered too much of a luxury for Canadians. Bunch of whiners today who can only find reasons not to build something.

By the way, Alberta is leading a provincial study on HSR between Calgary, Edmonton and Banff that should be out any day now. Hopefully the next effort after this.

 

[ytz]

Oh Im well aware of the convenience. Ive holidayed in Europe a half dozen times or so - Ive never once rented a car. The train is superior in every way for short to medium dostance travel.

Don't you know? Canadians are uniquely retarded and can't use trains? Unlike those superior Europoors, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Russians, Turks, Moroccans, Uzbeks, Taiwanese, Thais and Indonesians. Heck, broke ass Egyptians will have theirs done in 2027.

We're a country that has American infrastructure and public services and European salaries. I'm glad that at least Carney understands how messed up that is.

 

[ytz]

You’re surprised that a Separatist doesn’t want a project that will bring people together within Canada to be built?

They threw fits years ago when Montreal-Quebec City wasn't in the first phase after the the project CEO said the best business case was Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal. What they are pushing for here is obvious. They are hoping the project will get scaled back to Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City. Ya know, the Franco part of Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

Nothing would hurt Quebec separatism more than an exponential increase in business and tourism between Ontario and Quebec.

 

[Halifax Tar]

You’re surprised that a Separatist doesn’t want a project that will bring people together within Canada to be built? A project that will bring down barriers between regions, that will create simplicity in travelling from say Montreal to Toronto?
When you travel between Paris and Bordeaux or London and Cardiff or London to Glasgow or Brussels to Munich, etc etc, you simply get to the train station in your home city and stand at the platform into the train arrives. Once there you either walk in the train and find an empty seat and sit down or if assigned seats, you find your seat and sit down. Train leaves, eventually someone comes and checks your ticket and walks away. Train keeps moving, finally your city, your destination comes and you walk off the train down the platform and up into the station. Voila, your done.
Is it that simple to drive from your home city to your destination city 4+hrs away? Is it that simple to get to the airport in your home city, go through security (which the train station has none), walk endless distances to your gate, wait like cattle at the gate to board, arrive in your city and walk endless distances to the baggage claim, find a taxi to your destination?
The travelling by train is easily the most stressful free and easiest experience of the 3 modes of travel.
It’s because of this that a Separatist wouldn’t want it built, it breaks down barriers, it doesn’t keep them up like air travel and car travel does.

What I take from the post is announcements V deliverables.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Pretty interesting to see the contrast between yesterday's launch and the culture of "no" on this topic. All from a country literally built and unified around a railroad.

I take inspiration from this:

It's unfortunate that a service that every other G7 country and increasingly even some developing countries have is considered too much of a luxury for Canadians. Bunch of whiners today who can only find reasons not to build something.

By the way, Alberta is leading a provincial study on HSR between Calgary, Edmonton and Banff that should be out any day now. Hopefully the next effort after this.

It seems to be a Rural vs Urban divide. As I pointed out earlier in this trail of posts,

What I take from the post is announcements V deliverables.

So once shovels are in the ground on HSR you'll be onside with the project, correct?

 

[PrairieFella]

What I take from the post is announcements V deliverables.

You want them to build a railroad in a month? This is moving pretty quick under this government. It was only officially sanctioned by the government after the election.

 

[ytz]

What I take from the post is announcements V deliverables.

I know people are just noticing this now. But this is more than just announcements. The consortium was awarded a design contract a year ago. One of the team members is SNCF who built the TGV in France. The reason that consultations have started (and why opposition is growing) is because expropriation starts this Fall. And they've said they'll start getting shovels in the ground in 2029 but some preparatory works next year. So people who haven't been tracking for years are suddenly finding out that this is kind of imminent.

 

[Halifax Tar]

So once shovels are in the ground on HSR you'll be onside with the project, correct?

You want them to build a railroad in a month? This is moving pretty quick under this government. It was only officially sanctioned by the government after the election.

Why do you think I'm opposed to this ? I don't have a dog in the fight, I suppose my tax dollars but meh.

As the BQ leader says, its been announced 3 times.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I know people are just noticing this now. But this is more than just announcements. The consortium was awarded a design contract a year ago. One of the team members is SNCF who built the TGV in France. The reason that consultations have started (and why opposition is growing) is because expropriation starts this Fall. And they've said they'll start getting shovels in the ground in 2029 but some preparatory works next year. So people who haven't been tracking for years are suddenly finding out that this is kind of imminent.

I'm really glad you're excited and I hope it all comes true, this time.

 

[ytz]

I'm really glad you're excited and I hope it all comes true, this time.

Cautiously frustrated is more accurate.

This kinda means I have to vote LPC till this thing is past the point of no return. Cause otherwise it's the party of "no" to everything but pipelines.

I'm not sure how the politics of this is so messed up. The craziest part in that polling above is that the Green Party is 1% lower on net support than the CPC.

 

[ytz]

It seems to be a Rural vs Urban divide.

Meh. That's only true in Eastern Ontario. I don't think random farmer in the Prairies cares that much. And polling above shows that. Every part of the country supports this. Even though they aren't close to Ontario. I think the general public is mostly ahead of the politicians on this. And just a reminder this poll was commissioned and paid for by a group opposed to the project:

https://www.altno.ca/_files/ugd/f1a60d_f91a3f0ada144cb981f03a0da603e347.pdf

Their new spin that 25% strongly supporting is weak. Despite that being higher than the total opposition. And despite overall support at 62%.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Cautiously frustrated is more accurate.

This kinda means I have to vote LPC till this thing is past the point of no return. Cause otherwise it's the party of "no" to everything but pipelines.

I'm not sure how the politics of this is so messed up. The craziest part in that polling above is that the Green Party is 1% lower on net support than the CPC.

Ya I dont understand the CPCs resistance to this.

IMHO becoming the party of "No" is not going to win any election. What the CPC need to do is hold the LPCs feet to the fire on deliverables.

If I were PP I would have said: "This is the third time your Gov has announced this since 2015. Exactly when will we see actual physical progress Mr. Prime minister ? Canadians deserve fast and reliable means of travel, not announcements".

 

[Czech_pivo]

Why do you think I'm opposed to this ? I don't have a dog in the fight, I suppose my tax dollars but meh.

As the BQ leader says, its been announced 3 times.

Fair point.

 

[lenaitch]

It seems to be a Rural vs Urban divide.

Writ large. A bunch of the proposed routing goes through Randy Hillier/landowner right country. Southern/lakeshores communities want it there but southern farmers do not. Go figure.

if you can get the time down to 4 hrs between Toronto and Ottawa you will beat Air Canada and Pearson travel times. 4 Hours doesn't require HSR. Fast, yes but 100 mph is within normal trackage standards so no new standards are required. Hell, they were up to close to 85 40 years ago on the Lakeshore run. If you were to twin the Lakeshore CP line so that one is dedicated passenger with train passage occuring at scheduled station stops you would eliminate most delays. Give CP a property tax break and you will quickly get them on side.

I think a lot of the degradation in timing was caused by both railways introducing longer trains.

This high-speed project grew out of a high-frequency proposal that looking very similar in design. I agree that it could largely be done on the current CN lakeshore alignment, but the proponents wanted to be completely divorced from being a tenant, among other reasons.

I'm not sure if the CP right-of-way is wide enough to be twinned west of Smith's Falls, or if it is suitable for even 100 mph. I don't know if the level of precision exists to allow two-way operations using one track. If there is any kind of frequency, one passenger/technical/crossing/ wildlife related incident and everything goes all to hell.

Property taxes are a municipal/provincial issue and I'm not sure company-specific tax treatments are legal or constitutionally defensible. Then there's the whole electrification issue which neither railroads are keen about.

 

[ytz]

Ya I dont understand the CPCs resistance to this.

Pretty obvious to me. They have no vision for the country beyond pipelines and tax cuts.