Rail: Ontario-Quebec High Speed Rail Study

[wyliepoon]

The Tokaido Shinkansen currently has about156m passengers per year, on ALL of it's services (Nozomi + Kodama+Hikari). I don't see California, with all of it's free highways, approaching that kind of ridership in the next century.

I've read that the Tokaido Shinkansen carries more passengers than all other HSR networks combined (Wikipedia). It's probably not fair to compare California, or any part of North America, with such a rail-centric country.

It would probably be cheaper for us to buy second hand cars from the SNCF or JR Central.

Time to put in a bid for the '0' Series trains of JR West. The world's first commercial HSR trains are being retired over the next two months.

 

[rbt]

However, if suddenly the three most important potential HSR corridors in North America (Quebec-Windsor, Northeastern seaboard, and California) all began planning and construction at roughly the same time then a company like Bombardier probably would find it in their best interest too open a North American plant to construct them (assuming all the corridors where going to buy their equipment from them). In a situation like that then it might make sense to offer Bombardier some help in setting up shop in Oshawa.

If this occurred the plant would be located in the united states somewhere. They have much stricter rules on US content (60%?) for public transit vehicles than we do on Canadian content.

In fact, just the single order from California will be enough to have a factory built in the US somewhere due to content regulations, possibly with a much higher project cost as a result.

 

[borgo100]

Ontario and Quebec push speedy train link

Nov 11, 2008 04:30 AM
Richard Brennan
Ottawa Bureau


OTTAWA–Ontario and Quebec say the federal government should back a multi-billion-dollar high-speed train link from Windsor to Quebec City to create jobs and a lasting legacy for a country struggling with hard economic times.

"It's more than just an infrastructure project. It's visionary in nature," Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said yesterday. "I'm hoping that we can turn this (economic) crisis into an opportunity to actually act as a catalyst to move this project along," he told reporters.

The premiers and territorial leaders were in Ottawa to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the economy and to discuss ways to create jobs, especially in areas hard hit by manufacturing job losses.

"They could send a powerful signal by saying the fast train project between Quebec City ... and Windsor is going to happen," Quebec Premier Jean Charest said yesterday of a proposed high-speed train that could get travellers from Toronto to Montreal in less than 2 1/2 hours.

"I am of the conviction that this is a project that must be carried out ... it's an excellent project and the time is all the more important because of traffic problems and from an environmental perspective," Charest said.

Both McGuinty and Charest raised the long-discussed project with Harper, who said he would wait to see the results of the latest study to be commissioned.

"I could see the wheels spinning as the Prime Minister considered this. One of the things that this time calls for are just a few visionary projects that speak to our continuing investment in and hope associated with the promise of our future," McGuinty said.

The 1,150-kilometre route has been studied many times over the decades. In 1995 the estimated cost was $18.3 billion, and, when adjusted for inflation, the cost today would be almost $25 billion.

Charest and McGuinty, along with the federal government, announced in January another high-speed rail study, with each government throwing in $1 million to hire a consultant to review the previous reports and come up with something that meets today's needs.

 

[Dilla]

^ source?

 

[nfitz]

Today's Star. Page A17

 

[borgo100]

Yep it's from the star my apologizes

 

[hkric88]

I dunno.. this actually sounds kinda.. promising..

 

[Automation Gallery]

I dunno.. this actually sounds kinda.. promising..

It always has for the past 20 years.Its time that 3 levels of goverment put their money where their mouths are and proceed with this project.Were falling way back almost to par with undeveloped world countries in our rail infastructure.

 

[ShonTron]

They've got it all wrong. We should be going light rail to build sustainable commuities and make sure no one has to travel far to a rail stop. There's plenty of priority cities, like Windsor, Chatham, Ingersoll, Brantford, Peterborough, Oshawa, Belleville, Brockville, Cornwall and so on that need the attention. Additionally, we could spend money blowing on expensive megaprojects like High Speed Rail, which we know Canada can't afford, but light rail allows us to serve many more cities in need. Has anyone been to Welland or Smith's Falls or Owen Sound lately? They need to be included too!

Light rail is the solution to all urban problems, don't you know.

 

[Dan416]

^ At first I couldn't tell if you were being tongue-in-cheek or not.

 

[kendrew]

Quick question for everybody, does anyone know where I can find the advantages and disadvantages of different high speed rail technologies (TGV, shinkansen, ICE)?

 

[RedRocket191]

Quick question for everybody, does anyone know where I can find the advantages and disadvantages of different high speed rail technologies (TGV, shinkansen, ICE)?

I'm not even sure you can call them technologies... Each one is built to the particular nation's needs and capabilities, so an apples-to-apples comparison would be very hard. I think it's best to think of each one as a marketing name rather than a separate technology.

 

[kEiThZ]

As much as I believe in the potential of HSR, I do wonder if that's the best way to spend 25 billion....that could buy a lot of urban transit and seriously reduce GHG and up productivity....I'd love to see some study comparing the return on local transit vs. HSR.

 

[Chuck]

25 billion dollars? Travel times would decrease at least 10% using the existing rolling stock if fewer trains made all 10 or so stops between Toronto and the next major city. Also, forget the new engines - another 20% decrease could be achieved if straighter tracks dedicated solely for use by passenger trains were built. Consider that a train operating non stop at the current max speed of 160 km/hr would reach Montreal only 3 hours after leaving Toronto. That may be enough to hold us over for a few more years.

 

[kendrew]

I'm not even sure you can call them technologies... Each one is built to the particular nation's needs and capabilities, so an apples-to-apples comparison would be very hard. I think it's best to think of each one as a marketing name rather than a separate technology.

I need to give a presentation on the advantages and disadvantages of each different product I guess, and how they would work for Canada. That's why I was asking...