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^ Not gonna say more about this event.... but... I "identified" my pancakes this morning as I carried the plate to the table. The story of how there got to be pancakes on the plate remains undisclosed. - Paul

It helps to keep the goal in mind. There are peak GO runs whose equipment cycle is only one 30 mile trip inbound in the morning and one 30 mile trip outbound in the evening. One could imagine replacing these runs with batteries because the charge/discharge cycle is viable.... lesser need for...

There are continuing lane closures on Park Lawn. Utility relocation and pre-construction site exploration (core drilling etc) seems to be continuing. I would say things are progressing, in the sense that the preliminaries are getting done. But as noted, there are many steps ahead before we get...

If, as many suspect, there will be a new round of trade negotiations, Canada will need all the leverage it can get. A commitment to give American manufacturers priority in procurement for infrastructure is not beyond possibility. Alternatively, the threat of tariffs that would favour European...

Very much so - although I am not knowledgeable about how much up and down there is along the way, but for example Hedland on the BHP is 1780 ft above sea level, and Schefferville is about the same amount above Sept-Iles. Not a large grade for 200+ miles of line, but the energy requirements will...

I seem to recall Rob Ford being knees deep in that whole conversation. - Paul

I'm surprised that VIA would have renderings available this early in a process which will have a great deal of co-development with vendors. Perhaps some vendor has offered these as an early suggestion, or VIA wanted something in a picture (that says 1,000 words) just to woo doubting...

It looks like the test was the battery engine working against two diesels in dynamic brake mode. Much of the sound was the traction gear and blowers, and the dynamic brakes on the diesels, which are likely identical between the two modes. There's no doubt that a battery loco can "equal a...

Where these do happen, they are now carefully controlled by the C-suite, and require a meeting of minds between head honchos, especially those who mange corporate image, public relations, operations, risk and liability. Going ahead and asking forgiveness afterwards is generally not an option...

Municipal transit people will tell you that every time GO has opened or enlarged a parking garage, ridership on connecting bus routes drops. Free parking is an inappropriate incentive to drive to the GO. With free transfer between municipal bus and GO, the charge for parking doesn't have to be...

I'm very dubious about "bans" for the simple reason that the products are readily available and consequently people will acquire them and try to use them. A "ban" may be easier to enforce at first rather than creating rules around use - since it's easier to intervene around the mere presence of...

I recall that there is a "Phase II" task to extend the double track eastwards from Shantz Crossing. How far it's going I don't know, but possibly the east end switch will not be there forever. A 45 mph switch at the west end near the new Breslau station is not the end of the world, as trains...

A fleet = two or more trains following each other on fairly close headways, such that spacing is a consideration. In this case the peak GO trains running every 15-30 minutes. The old CTC on the Guelph Sub didn't completely automate the function that kept train B from catching up and running...

A bunch of things. Railways not wanting the hassle, accountants using sharper pencils, lawyers taking a far more cautious view of liability, senior executives taking a far more controlling position on local management decisions, availability and cost of labour very different. Somehow I...

In this case, the trains don't even need to ever approach or pass each other (yet). The new signal spacing with a control point or two (the siding) in the middle allows movements to be given "headroom" for switching or through movement at both Kitchener (eastwards) and Guelph (westwards) at the...

Quite true - no direct impact on the service plan, but quite helpful to the people operating and dispatching the current trains. - Paul

Several people have pointed out that Trump is unlikely to directly criticize the current trade deal, as it was negotiated on his watch, so he would be admitting he did a poor job. Nevertheless, the data you presented does give the buy-American faction grounds to argue that the deal must have...

One significant sector to watch is the auto industry. If the US decides to retract that deal, a great deal of cross border shipping (both rail and trucking) is going to change dramatically. - Paul

As well, TC is nervous about passenger on bolted rail - risk of broken bars etc. - Paul

I agree - for a more vanilla HFR, none of this is as critical. It does matter for HSR because if the plan really were to reach 3 hour Toronto-Montreal, the approaches can't have any significant delays that eat up that time.... and even a single 45 mph turnout becomes a significant time waster...