Alto - High Speed Rail (Toronto-Quebec City)

[kEiThZ]

The base service plan modeled was hourly, but with departures up to every 30 minutes as demand warrants. According to Alto reps.

Though, if you map the 30 trains, per direction between Montreal and Toronto quoted in the article, you get 30 minute departures on a 15-hour span of service (6am-9pm)

The additional runs to get to 72, presumably are Montreal-QC, and/or partial corridor runs.

Weird to have express service and 30 min frequencies. The trains would have to pass each other. All to save 30-40 mins? Doesn't make sense.

But we're a decade out from seeing a real schedule so whatever.

 

[chrisw]

Weird to have express service and 30 min frequencies. The trains would have to pass each other. All to save 30-40 mins? Doesn't make sense.

But we're a decade out from seeing a real schedule so whatever.

Who's to say the express service will be able to save more than 30 mins?

 

[legoswmonkey]

The trains would have to pass each other.

With total control over the design of (most of) the trackage I think it's reasonable to expect some third passing tracks especially near Peterborough and Trois-Rivieres stations.

 

[crs1026]

In the context of Alto, I don't read "express" to mean "non-stop", any more than I would consider a conventional VIA corridor train that adds a stop at only Belleville to be a "local" train. Lots of creative ways to schedule such that speed and separation are maintained and midpoints get some service. Too early to say much, I suspect that even the Alto team is only speaking in broad terms just yet.

- Paul

 

[ComptoirGeneral]

When HSR is built, there will be a strong case to close YTZ. And I say this as somebody who has defended YTZ continuously for decades on this forum.

Not really? Out of the 46 Porter departures from YTZ tomorrow morning, 17 of them are to YUL, YOW, or YQB, equalling about 36%. While that number sounds significant, there is also every reason to believe that Porter and AC will increase the number of transborder flights now that US pre-clearance is mere weeks from opening.

Not to mention all of the smaller communities that rely on YTZ for flights in and out, many of which are not serviced by AC or YYZ.

I can definitely see a future where someone travelling from communities like YAM or YQT will fly AC to YTZ then connect to ALTO onwards.

 

[micheal_can]

Not really? Out of the 46 Porter departures from YTZ tomorrow morning, 17 of them are to YUL, YOW, or YQB, equalling about 36%. While that number sounds significant, there is also every reason to believe that Porter and AC will increase the number of transborder flights now that US pre-clearance is mere weeks from opening.

Not to mention all of the smaller communities that rely on YTZ for flights in and out, many of which are not serviced by AC or YYZ.

I can definitely see a future where someone travelling from communities like YAM or YQT will fly AC to YTZ then connect to ALTO onwards.

Both of those airports have flights to Pearson. How easy is it to get from the Island to Union vs YYZ to Union? And YQT also flies to Ottawa direct.

 

[chrisw]

Both of those airports have flights to Pearson. How easy is it to get from the Island to Union vs YYZ to Union? And YQT also flies to Ottawa direct.

There's a free shuttle to union, while the UP costs $9.25.

 

[McGillicuddy]

Is it not slightly premature to be guessing about the last-mile and transfer arrangements that traveller might be making on an as-yet-unplanned service 40 years from now?

 

[kEiThZ]

Not really? Out of the 46 Porter departures from YTZ tomorrow morning, 17 of them are to YUL, YOW, or YQB, equalling about 36%. While that number sounds significant, there is also every reason to believe that Porter and AC will increase the number of transborder flights now that US pre-clearance is mere weeks from opening.

Not to mention all of the smaller communities that rely on YTZ for flights in and out, many of which are not serviced by AC or YYZ.

I can definitely see a future where someone travelling from communities like YAM or YQT will fly AC to YTZ then connect to ALTO onwards.

Every single destination that YTZ serves in the US can or is currently being served from YYZ. Accommodating the passengers moved by 78 seat Q400s is easy. Make those YYZ flights on larger aircraft. 321s instead of 320s. Some of the touristy destinations can go back to widebody service.

This probably won't help air fares to those destinations. But it absolutely helps the city develop the waterfront. And that's a decent tradeoff that wasn't worthwhile before HSR put a lid on airfare to Ottawa and Montreal.

And in the future? The can get on Alto at the Pearson Airport station.

 

[ear2ear]

There's a free shuttle to union, while the UP costs $9.25.

Anecdotal, but as a downtown/east end resident and frequent flyer, I'll still take the UP-YYZ over flying out of YTZ any day (but admittedly the YTZ routes rarely serve my needs).