Quote:
Originally Posted by Taeolas
Right, whihc is part of the reason I didn't really include BC as one of the areas that really needs PAX expansion (though it could probably stand its own system too; I'm just less familiar with it).
But there are areas of the country that could/should have systems that don't because we're stuck in this "Can't Do" mentality.
Even the "The population isn't there to support it" feels weak to me, since a lot of the rail networks that do exist started at much smaller population levels and grew from there. We need to be planting seeds where the growth seems to be there. (Note I am NOT proposing anything like a rail link between Yellowknife and Whitehorse; but for areas that are growing it should be done).
Alberta makes sense; hell it's got one of the only other HSR potential routes in the country too, and is way past due for a proper Pax rail network in general.
The Maritimes are in a similar situation. SJ to Halifax is about a growing 1.5M population area, and while it isn't flat, the topography isn't too bad for setting up (or expanding) the existing rail network.
Crosslinking across the prairies is a bit of a stretch due to distances, but it's also more topologically favourable to do at least.
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I don’t think any country that isn’t the Soviet Union would build dedicated passenger service East-West across the Prairies. Winnipeg to Calgary is about the distance from London to Krakow.
The Maritimes doesn’t have any useful unused lines and nobody is going to kick all the freight going to the ports off of the rails, so basically a new railway is needed and I don’t think any country would build a new railway to connect two sub-million cities 400+ km apart.
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