Atlantic Canada Regional Transportation Thread - Page 15

Steelcowboy · #**281** Posted **Jan 22, 2015, 4:45 AM**

Well, nothing really official came out today except, for the fact they have appointed a roving manager from Halifax to go around to communities along the line in NS and NB to advise town and city officials about the future plans of the passenger rail in our provinces. A plan is in place and likely could be in motion by April sometime. The added Christmas holiday trains have definitely proved that we need more rail service and he is delivering it!! The Ocean will increase train frequencies during peak holiday times (eg. March break, Easter, summer and Christmas seasons). The rail liners are also a go but no exact start date yet, The daily train from Campbellton to Moncton in the morning and returning in the evening. the Halifax trains will be the same except there will be two return trips and from the sounds of it the Ocean as well so on certain days you'll see 3 trains to and from Halifax. They are really going for the commuter service as oppose to capturing the tourists. VIA is also doing a study of push / pull service (may not apply to our area right away) this is like the GO Transit and AMT commuter trains in Montreal and Toronto... cab car on one end with locomotive controls and the locomotive on the other end. From what he said they may be purchasing 2 sets from Seattle (TALGO trains sets)...this would save time in turning full trains around. Again, stay tuned... (he was saying there was an article in the paper on Wednesday about VIA, I didn't get a chance to see it) If anything else is said that has some substance..i'll pass it forward

Steelcowboy · #**282** Posted **Jan 22, 2015, 4:55 AM**

...oh and a new VIA schedule is coming out soon as well. Once Transport Canada gives CN the green light to increase train speeds. He was saying VIA will be putting their train schedules back to pre 2012 times. A later departure time from Halifax and an earlier arrival time in Montreal, the eastbound train will be given less station times at the stations in NB and NS due to faster track speeds (less slow orders on current speeds) example.. if the zone speed was 50mph for passenger trains, the speed may have been reduced to 30mph for certain mileages. Since all the slow orders have been removed the trains have been waiting at certain stations for up to 20 minutes because it couldn't depart that station due to the schedule...like Bathurst, Miramichi and Moncton.

Ire Narissis · #**283** Posted **Jan 22, 2015, 3:25 PM**

In other news, the naming contest is now open for the Saint John - Digby ferry replacement:

http://www.ferries.ca/naming

Barry Ogden thinks the new name should have "Fundy" in it. I think he should pipe down; we have more than enough "Fundy" stuff already and Bay Ferries is sure to continue branding it "the Fundy Ferry" regardless of its name.

josh_cat_eyes · #**284** Posted **Jan 23, 2015, 11:59 PM**

I can't find the link but Shediac wants to build a new interchange connecting it to highway 15!

NBNYer · #**285** Posted **Jan 24, 2015, 12:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

I can't find the link but Shediac want to build a new interchange connecting it to highway 15!

Yes, this was posted on here a while back. It's on Riverside drive, the overpass is already there, they just need to build the on/off ramps. I don't think there are any immediate plans for it though, unless you have new information.

I can't find the image but it must be online somewhere.

NBNYer · #**286** Posted **Jan 24, 2015, 12:26 AM**

http://www.nbse.ca/media-planning/li...dB-2014-06.pdf

Here you go. You can see they plan on a roundabout on the north side of Veterans Hwy connecting to Breaux-Bridge and Chelsea and Riverside (via a small extension of Miquelon)

josh_cat_eyes · #**287** Posted **Jan 24, 2015, 12:41 AM**

It was in today's Times & Transcript that they want to get it done asap!

NBNYer · #**288** Posted **Jan 24, 2015, 12:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

It was in today's Times & Transcript that they want to get it done asap!

Really? Route 15 is a provincial highway, I wonder if this is part of the new government's infrastructure spending plan?

MonctonRad · #**289** Posted **Jan 25, 2015, 3:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelcowboy

Well, nothing really official came out today except, for the fact they have appointed a roving manager from Halifax to go around to communities along the line in NS and NB to advise town and city officials about the future plans of the passenger rail in our provinces. A plan is in place and likely could be in motion by April sometime. The added Christmas holiday trains have definitely proved that we need more rail service and he is delivering it!! The Ocean will increase train frequencies during peak holiday times (eg. March break, Easter, summer and Christmas seasons). The rail liners are also a go but no exact start date yet, The daily train from Campbellton to Moncton in the morning and returning in the evening. the Halifax trains will be the same except there will be two return trips and from the sounds of it the Ocean as well so on certain days you'll see 3 trains to and from Halifax. They are really going for the commuter service as oppose to capturing the tourists. VIA is also doing a study of push / pull service (may not apply to our area right away) this is like the GO Transit and AMT commuter trains in Montreal and Toronto... cab car on one end with locomotive controls and the locomotive on the other end. From what he said they may be purchasing 2 sets from Seattle (TALGO trains sets)...this would save time in turning full trains around. Again, stay tuned... (he was saying there was an article in the paper on Wednesday about VIA, I didn't get a chance to see it) If anything else is said that has some substance..i'll pass it forward

So, if you are correct, there could be as many as five passenger trains per day through the Moncton VIA station.

- Ocean (Moncton - Montreal)
- Ocean (Moncton - Halifax)
- rail liner (Moncton - Halifax) x2
- rail liner (Moncton - Campbellton) x1

This will be just like the good old days in the 1970's! This is pretty much what I had hoped for in terms of passenger rail service in the Maritimes (except for a Moncton - Saint John run). I still think there is potential for this as well. Somebody should start whispering in the VIA president's ear........

magee_b · #**290** Posted **Jan 25, 2015, 4:44 PM**

Definitely excited to see how this pans out. It would mark a massive change in the transportation scene in NB & NS - It would indeed be great to get Saint John back on a run too!

I don't know the logistics or how fast the ocean currently runs, but once it gets going it would be great to get the speeds up - say a 90mph (~145 km/h) average, which would really make a Saint John - Moncton - Halifax route attractive. One can dream.....

Steelcowboy · #**291** Posted **Jan 28, 2015, 3:20 PM**

I think someone may have already spoken into his ear MonctonRad

He wants to rebuild VIA Rail, he did say this: not exact quote of course-- VIA can't just start big, the rail company has to grow again in small steps. He would like to take over tracks that CN may have no use for or build new lines along existing lines for exclusive use for VIA trains, a good example is on the CN Kingston Subdivision from Port Hope east towards Belleville, CN and VIA added a 3rd main track and although both companies use it..it makes it easy to move freight trains to the inside track and allow VIA trains to use the outside tracks for station stops. It gives the CN rail traffic controllers an alternative track to by pass the slower moving freight trains. His main concern for this is on the "CANADIAN" route as that train takes a big hit in delays all the time.
Also note, VIA and CN CEO's are good friends and he is well aware of the money spent on the lines in NB, including Saint John...he has spoken to MLA's in Fredericton basically saying when possible, use the VIA train when going to Montreal, promote it at the provincial level..lobby for the train back. Although Fredericton is off the rail maps but, Fredericton Jct and McGivney are possible stops in the future, especially of the train moves onto the Napadogan sub (Edmundston - Moncton line). Again, let's wait and see if any development happens on this, if I hear anymore reliable news, I will pass it on. Hopefully they make it public on their intentions soon.

ghYHZ · #**292** Posted **Feb 4, 2015, 8:50 AM**

The Ocean will be faster by an hour effective Feb 18.

Times at Montreal remain the same but the Ocean will now depart Halifax an hour later (12 noon) and arrive an hour earlier (1735)

This is due to the track upgrades on the Newcastle Subdivision and they have also removed the half-hour dwell time from the schedule.....just waiting at Matapedia the Ocean once needed when it combined with the Chaleur there.

And VIA has appointed a manager for Eastern Canada:

http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-r...a-new-general-

Regarding the extra Christmas Oceans the above article says......"Although this initiative did not generate the expected results, we still have the intention of repeating the experience during other peak periods" (so hopefully some additional Oceans next summer)

Ire Narissis · #**293** Posted **Jun 2, 2015, 4:21 PM**

The Bay Ferries website is showing its first hint of being updated to reflect the new ferry.

If you visit the http://www.ferries.ca/ homepage, the 'getaways' link now has a photo of the Fundy Rose.

Still all Princess of Acadia in the Digby ferry sub-page, but I'll bet the marketing department has a new page ready to go when the changeover happens.

MonctonRad · #**294** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 5:42 PM**

This story is generating considerable chatter in the Canada section. I thought I would post this here too. It looks like VIA is really serious about service expansion in the Maritimes, using Moncton as a hub and connection point. This serves as confirmation of the rumour that SteelCowboy first brought up earlier this year.

Via Rail talking new routes between Halifax, Moncton, Campbellton
Moncton to Halifax, Campbellton to Moncton route would run first thing in the morning, return in the evening
CBC News Posted: Nov 09, 2015 9:12 PM AT Last Updated: Nov 09, 2015 9:12 PM AT

Via Rail is considering launching new regional routes to service Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and in particular, a route between Moncton and Halifax.

Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, Via Rail's president, says the new routes allow for tailored regional needs while maintaining its Ocean route between Halifax and Montreal.

"We appointed a general manager who is a local native of Halifax, Susan Williams, back in January," said Desjardins-Siciliano.

"And so through her, understanding the market, we've been able to develop a plan for the regional markets."

The proposals are being considered for next year. He says a Moncton to Halifax route would run first thing in the morning and return in the evening.

In New Brunswick, a new route would service points between Campbellton and Moncton, also in the morning and evening.

The "long haul" Ocean route would continue three days a week, he says.

full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...cton-1.3311659

So, with this service expansion, the Moncton VIA station will see 2-3 arrivals and 2-3 departures per day rather than single train service only three days per week. That'll be a considerable service expansion!!!

Mattyyy · #**295** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 6:02 PM**

That would be an incredible addition for local rail service - I also hope they consider daily service to Saint John & Fredericton.

Any recent news on the work that is ongoing at the 11/15 interchange? Haven't been out that way for a few months and I'm curious of the ongoing work. Any pictures?

Taeolas · #**296** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 6:10 PM**

Service to Saint John shouldn't be too difficult. As pointed out in the Canadian section, they would need to build a station, but the track is already there (just need access to it). A good 5-10 year plan target.

The daily Halifax service is great, and I hope it won't be long until they consider expanding it to 2 daily trains to Halifax at least, so you could go in either direction in the morning or evening.

Freddy service is a much longer term plan; 15-20 years minimum (but reality effectively never), since they would need to get the track back up.

Part of me does wonder if it might be worth it for Via to get into the bus industry. Take over Maritime Bus to service the areas that don't have access to tracks. In the end it's probably best to keep them separate due to the political red tape. Maritime Bus seems to be doing well, and seems willing to work to provide good links to other networks, so this should work well for them.

JHikka · #**297** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 7:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taeolas

Service to Saint John shouldn't be too difficult. As pointed out in the Canadian section, they would need to build a station, but the track is already there (just need access to it). A good 5-10 year plan target.

Might as well copy-paste this post over here for the sake of continuity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

If someone was smart they would recommend building a new station on the site of the old station. Eat up some of Harbour Station's parking lot because, shockingly, there's a brand new parking garage across the street from where the new train station would be. Voila.

I should note that everyone complains about said parking garage being empty all the time, so reducing Harbour Station's parking and creating long-term parking options for train users (in the garage) should be an absolute no-brainer for the City.

MonctonRad · #**298** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 7:39 PM**

Sounds like the perfect place to put a passenger station in SJ (if service eventually gets expanded down there too).

Question - In Moncton Maritime Bus uses the VIA station as their terminal, so there are lots of opportunities to create cross connections between rail and bus service. Where is the Maritime Bus station in SJ? Maybe Maritime Bus and VIA could go halves on a new combined terminal downtown........

magee_b · #**299** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 7:40 PM**

If the service was extended to Saint John they could simply expand or share the current Maritime Bus terminal (old VIA rail terminal). Imagine, an actual inter-modal passenger transportation hub?! I'll believe it when I see it, but the expansion of regional rail along the current route is an important first step.

Edit: @MonctonRad - I see we were thinking along the same lines... And once the new "Events Centre" in Moncton is complete, could be a great opportunity to do some interesting rail trip promotions for hockey games and other events, with both major arenas being next door to train/bus stations. Again, i'll believe it when I see it, but the opportunities are definitely there!

MonctonRad · #**300** Posted **Nov 10, 2015, 7:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by magee_b

If the service was extended to Saint John they could simply expand or share the current Maritime Bus terminal (old VIA rail terminal). Imagine, an actual inter-modal passenger transportation hub?! I'll believe it when I see it, but the expansion of regional rail along the current route is an important first step.

Looks like we did concurrent posts.

Seriously, Maritime Bus and VIA should cooperate as much as possible. Think coordinated schedules and combined ticketing. The possibilities could be quite compelling.