Hi-speed rail

[bornagainbiking]

High-speed rail is a type of rail transport that operates significantly faster than traditional rail traffic, using an integrated system of specialized rolling stock and dedicated tracks. The first such system began operations in Japan in 1964 and was widely known as the bullet train. High-speed trains normally operate on standard gauge tracks of continuously welded rail on grade separated right-of-way that incorporates a large turning radius in its design.
Since 1964 many countries in addition to Japan have developed high-speed rail to connect major cities (e.g. China, France, Germany, Italy, ROC (Taiwan), Turkey, South Korea and Spain). As of 2012 the maximum commercial speed on most high-speed rail lines was about 300 km/h (185 mph).
While high-speed rail is usually designed for passenger travel, some high-speed systems also offer freight service. For instance, the French mail service La Poste owns a few special TGV trains for carrying postal freight.

Maybe someone should get serious about a Quebec City to Windsor line?

To start a Toronto-Ottawa line and free passes to MP/MPP and Senators to cut s
Down on travel claims!

[Beedok]

I still wonder if one would be feasible for Hamilton to Toronto, or if too many stops would be needed.

[MolsonExport]

Quebec City-->Trois Rivieres-->Montreal-->Dorval (PET) Airport-->Ottawa-->Kingston-->Oshawa-->Downtown Toronto-->Mississauga (or Pearson Airport)-->Hamilton/Aldershot-->KW-->London-->Windsor (and vice versa).

With a few express trains that go from Mtl-->Ott-->Tor (and vice versa)

Build it. Now.

[eternallyme]

How do we find the money when:

1) The Ontario and Quebec governments are deeply in debt and deficit

2) The federal government would take a serious hit in funding it when the western and eastern provinces would not get even a tiny piece of the pie - it would be seen as highly unfair

Is there a private investor willing to at least put forward a large chunk of the bill? I could see the province of Ontario getting involved, although I would make it a special tax that exempts Northern Ontario.

[haljackey]

All I have to contribute is this:

• Video Link

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

How do we find the money when:

1) The Ontario and Quebec governments are deeply in debt and deficit

2) The federal government would take a serious hit in funding it when the western and eastern provinces would not get even a tiny piece of the pie - it would be seen as highly unfair

Is there a private investor willing to at least put forward a large chunk of the bill? I could see the province of Ontario getting involved, although I would make it a special tax that exempts Northern Ontario.

They seemed to find the money ($13 billion) to prop up GM and Chrysler.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

...

2) The federal government would take a serious hit in funding it when the western and eastern provinces would not get even a tiny piece of the pie - it would be seen as highly unfair

It really frustrates me when people look at the geographic matter rather than the demographic matter. Is it really unfair to give high-speed rail to the industrial and populous mega region known as the Quebec-Windsor Corridor? This corridor contains over 18 million Canadians. That's more than half the total population of the country.

NOT building it because you're afraid of upsetting a minority of Canadians elsewhere is unfair to the majority of Canadians who live within the corridor.

Also, there's what MolsonExport said:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

They seemed to find the money ($13 billion) to prop up GM and Chrysler.

[Chadillaccc]

That video is hilarious! Love it.

In response to JamaicanPhoenix's comment, I don't know if it would upset the majority of the ROC. If anything, having a line operational in Ont/Que might create a stronger case for the construction of one in AB. Also, just to correct, the Windsor - Quebec corridor is about 20 million people now. By the time it would be built, the region would probably be about 22 million people. In Alberta, the CGY/EDM corridor is about 3 million and 1/3 the length of Windsor/QC, and there's really no telling how large it will grow to by the time we have HSR online.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

In response to JamaicanPhoenix's comment, I don't know if it would upset the majority of the ROC.

Maybe, maybe not. It just really frustrates me when I do hear people from elsewhere in Canada complain along the lines of "Ontario and Quebec get all the attention! Wah!" Yeah, of course they do. They contain over half the total population and since people are responsible for votes, politicians will campaign where the votes are.

If anything, having a line operational in Ont/Que might create a stronger case for the construction of one in AB.

God, I hope so. We really need HSR in Canada.

In Alberta, the CGY/EDM corridor is about 3 million and 1/3 the length of Windsor/QC, and there's really no telling how large it will grow to by the time we have HSR online.

Who knows, but it would be a great investment for Alberta. Chances are that likely growth will come to/from Red Deer, and maybe to Lethbridge in the future. If Saskatchewan keeps growing, then we might see a Regina-Saskatoon HSR line in the decades to come.

[Chadillaccc]

If they built an HSR in Alberta, Red Deer would be one of the three cities connected to the original line, there is absolutely no reason why it wouldn't be as it is a metro of 110 000 people directly between the two metros over 1 million. Lethbridge seems like the logical first extension of the line(if a line ever happens), given its fast growth and healthy diverse economy(very little, if any oil-industry jobs in the city), but Fort McMurray could also be a candidate as they are projected to grow to over 130 000 permanent residents by census 2031.


I think most people understand why politicians focus on Ont/Que so much, it's mostly just ignoramuses that cry about it. However, so much of the economy is concentrated in the west with such a significantly smaller population, so extra attention is required.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

If they built an HSR in Alberta, Red Deer would be one of the three cities connected to the original line, there is absolutely no reason why it wouldn't be as it is a metro of 110 000 people directly between the two metros over 1 million. Lethbridge seems like the logical first extension of the line(if a line ever happens), given its fast growth and healthy diverse economy(very little, if any oil-industry jobs in the city), but Fort McMurray could also be a candidate as they are projected to grow to over 130 000 permanent residents by census 2031.

Isn't Fort McMurray really far away from Edmonton?

I think most people understand why politicians focus on Ont/Que so much, it's mostly just ignoramuses that cry about it. However, so much of the economy is concentrated in the west with such a significantly smaller population, so extra attention is required.

I suppose that's mostly fair, but the Canadian economy isn't just about oil. It's a significant chunk, but not as significant as Westerners and the current government like to imagine.

[Beedok]

Unclassified transactions are the 2nd largest chunk? I hope those are more innocent than they sound!

[GoTrans]

The Via Rail / OC Transpo tragedy this week is an example of why we don't have high speed rail in Canada. The track speed is authorized for 100 mph ( rightly or wrongly ) but the speed cannot be attained safely and we saw what happened at 47 mph. The federal government who is responsible for railways due their interprovincial nature does not provide adequate funding for grade separatations that would allow trains to achieve that speed and bring Canada into the 20th century instead we are stuck in the 19th century. In the case of the Ottawa example the city balked at separating rail traffic from road traffic due to costs. I don't know how much if any money would have been provided by the federal government but clearly the city felt it wasn't sufficient. We also have local politicians who exhibit NIMBYISM to the greatest degree becuase they want trains to go slow in their neighbourhood but could careless about other cities enroute. Clearly all levels of government and to a certain extent the railways themselves have to come to the table to improve this situation on Via lines and major freight lines but the ultimate responsibility resides with the provincial and federal governments.