General railway discussions

[micheal_can]

It depends on what is being discussed. Some are talking about pax/commuter rail from Pembroke to Ottawa. In that regard, the former CP and CN routes are only proximate at Pembroke. South of that they diverge significantly. At some magic point, trying to knit together a bunch of abandoned (some very long abandoned) rights-of-way becomes greenfielding. Even north/west of Pembroke, the lines diverge.

OpenRailwayMap

OpenRailwayMap - An OpenStreetMap-based project for creating a map of the world's railway infrastructure.

www.openrailwaymap.org

There are several lines from Arnprior to choose from, but, if it is intact, the one that goes from Arnprior to Renfrew and then to Pembroke would be the best choice from connecting places that should have a station.How intact the ROW and what is needed to ensure it is continuous, I do not know.

In terms of restored through service in the Ottawa Valley, the lack of need or freight service, including military movements, has already been demonstrated by the lines being abandoned. Without freight revenue, they/it would be a passenger route and I defy anybody to demonstrate how it would be financially feasible, even with public money. In all of the GO network, other than double tracking, how much virgin track have they laid? LSE? A doodlebug service between Pembroke and Ottawa hardly compares.

They could try to sell it as a way of bringing good paying jobs. Politicians love those photo ops. This is why a bus service run by the province would be best to start something.

Off topic but CF retention and recruit issues has multiple facets; housing costs in some locations being one. Another is spousal employment. The logic that transportation expansion (rail, road, etc.) and increased housing demand being a path to reduced hosing prices goes against just about everything history has shown.

If I was posted to PET and my wife wanted to work in Ottawa, that would be good for the marriage. Another scenario is people who work at NDHQ could live out there. The CAF could even build PMQs and help relieve the housing shortage.

Taking over private, for-profit bus companies would be a public policy decision. Actually, with deregulation, the government could simply start operating a bus line and just drive them out of business (that'll be good for votes).

I don't think it should surprise anyone that GO/Metrolinx is mandated to serve the GTA/GTHA/GGHA. If some government had proposed to fund a pan-provincial transit authority in 1967 they would have been laughed out of office. As an actual service provided, not just a policy or regulatory body, what should its bounds be? Maybe they should venture into Ottawa (it seems they couldn't do worse than the city) but I'm not sure if a single agency consisting of isolated service pockets is particularly efficient. Given the massive size of Ottawa, how much of the transit in the area is inter-jurisdictional.

Maybe a new agency within the MTO is created for the Ottawa area. Or, GO/Metrolinx's mandate is changed to cover all commuter service within the province. They do have the expertise.

 

[Krypto98]

That is it. I understood some cars existed, but had never seen . Striking. Perhaps they too were waiting for Metrolynx to let them into the city.

The equipment is deadheading back to Illinois via the York/Halton/Dundas sub. They ran the executives a few days ago to Montreal,

 

[Allandale25]

This rail bridge in Vancouver caught fire.

Doesn't look like it's really used that much based on the northside aerial and there's still a connection on the east side.

Richmond railway bridge fire extinguished, air quality bulletin ended - BC | Globalnews.ca

A decommissioned rail crossing over the Fraser River caught fire on Thursday evening, producing billowing smoke seen across the region.

globalnews.ca

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/large-fire-breaks-out-near-oak-street-bridge-in-richmond-b-c-1.7242238

Photos: Historic trestle bridge goes up in flames

The Oak Street Bridge is open again on Friday morning.

www.richmond-news.com

 

[lenaitch]

This rail bridge in Vancouver caught fire.

Doesn't look like it's really used that much based on the northside aerial and there's still a connection on the east side.

View attachment 574443

Richmond railway bridge fire extinguished, air quality bulletin ended - BC | Globalnews.ca

A decommissioned rail crossing over the Fraser River caught fire on Thursday evening, producing billowing smoke seen across the region.

globalnews.ca

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/large-fire-breaks-out-near-oak-street-bridge-in-richmond-b-c-1.7242238

Photos: Historic trestle bridge goes up in flames

The Oak Street Bridge is open again on Friday morning.

www.richmond-news.com

According to a CPKC comment on the fire, the trestle has been out of service since 2022.

 

[Allandale25]

This rail bridge in Vancouver caught fire.

Doesn't look like it's really used that much based on the northside aerial and there's still a connection on the east side.

View attachment 574443

Richmond railway bridge fire extinguished, air quality bulletin ended - BC | Globalnews.ca

A decommissioned rail crossing over the Fraser River caught fire on Thursday evening, producing billowing smoke seen across the region.

globalnews.ca

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/large-fire-breaks-out-near-oak-street-bridge-in-richmond-b-c-1.7242238

Photos: Historic trestle bridge goes up in flames

The Oak Street Bridge is open again on Friday morning.

www.richmond-news.com

More history on the bridge here: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/marpole-rail-trestle-bridge-part-of-richmond-history

 

[nfitz]

I seem to remember reading that you don't pre-clear both customs and immigration in Vancouver (only one, but I can't remember which), and that is why the train still needs to stop at the boarder, just for less time. There were plans to change this, but I don't know if this ever happened.

I don't know about southbound (why wouldn't they just clear at the Vancouver train station?) but northbound, the Amtrak staff does a passport check when you board, and they just submit this to Canada customs. Perhaps if they need to remove someone they stop, but I don't remember my train stopping; if it did it was very brief. The main clearance is at Vancouver station, where you line up, like when you arrive at an airport.

 

[roger1818]

I don't know about southbound (why wouldn't they just clear at the Vancouver train station?) but northbound, the Amtrak staff does a passport check when you board, and they just submit this to Canada customs. Perhaps if they need to remove someone they stop, but I don't remember my train stopping; if it did it was very brief. The main clearance is at Vancouver station, where you line up, like when you arrive at an airport.

I was referring to pre-clearance into the USA, not post-travel, arriving into Canada. I can't find an official reference, but according to this post on Quora:

On the Cascades between Vancouver and Seattle/Portland, most border formalities take place at Vancouver's Pacific Central Station. Northbound there is no stop at the border. Canadian Immigration and Customs inspections take place upon arrival at Pacific Central Station. Southbound, US Immigration inspection takes place in Pacific Central Station prior to boarding in a Preclearance-lite. The train stops next to the Peace Arch Border Station in Blaine, WA and US Customs performs its inspection on US soil by walking through the train.

EDIT: Here is an article from The Urbanist in Nov. 2019, which says the same thing. It does indicate that Amtrak was hoping to remove the need to stop, but I suspect that was delayed with COVID.

When departing from Vancouver, passengers receive partial inspections by CBP and Canadian agents at Pacific Central Station. This allows them to then enter a secured area and board the train. Again, without stopping in the Canadian frontier, the train proceeds to the United States. However, the train stops at Peace Arch in Blaine (in the United States) so that armed CBP officers can search the train, again inspect passengers, and then collect their customs declaration forms. This process typically takes about 10 minutes, but requires the train to make a full stop while it is carried out.

 

[Allandale25]