www.guelphtribune.ca/trib...22411.html
Toronto Train Plan on Track
Doug Hallett, Guelph
(Jul 18, 2006)
A detailed study on improving rail passenger service to and from Toronto along a track that goes through Guelph has concluded that it's feasible at "reasonable" cost.
"The purpose is to provide an attractive alternative to the auto for long-distance travel," says transportation planning engineer Rajan Philips, who wrote a staff report on the study for last night's city council meeting.
The $40,000 study, done by a consulting firm hired by the North Mainline Municipal Alliance, sets out a business case for using self-propelled "diesel multiple units" (DMUs) rather than standard commuter trains for improved passenger rail service in southwestern Ontario.
The alliance was formed in 2003 to lobby the provincial and federal governments to fund improvements to the North Mainline tracks to allow better commuter and intercity rail passenger services. It includes the mayors of Guelph, Halton Hills, Kitchener, Waterloo, Stratford, St. Marys and London and the chair of Waterloo Region.
Activities include an obstacle course, a health and safety fashion show to promote safety in the workplace, and a barbecue to allow students to network, a news release said.
The centre links employers and youth and provides information on Government of Canada programs and services to help with summer employment, it said. Last year, it helped more than 600 postsecondary and secondary students find jobs.
For information, call 519-767-2559.
"Passenger rail service in the North Mainline is strong between Union (Station in Toronto) and Georgetown for commuter trips, and it is possible to move this Georgetown anchor point further west to a location between Guelph and Kitchener," says a report done for the alliance.
"A new western terminus for commuter services is suggested at or near Breslau, which with reasonable and committed track and signalling improvements" could provide an 80-minute commute into Toronto from there, it says.
The consultant doesn't favour using conventional GO equipment - a standard train set with one locomotive and several bi-level cars - west of Georgetown.
Instead, for flexibility to better meet the needs of southwestern Ontario travellers, it's proposed that smaller DMUs be used west of Georgetown. Passengers would transfer at Georgetown to GO trains using cross-platform connections.
The proposal would initially see four more trains to Toronto in the morning and four more back from Toronto in the afternoon on weekdays, in addition to the VIA trains that already go through Guelph. One of the four DMUs would go on to Stratford, St. Marys and London, while the others would stop at Breslau, at least initially.
As many of the 80-passenger DMUs as needed could be connected together, with two-unit trains proposed at the start.
Philips said a lot of people from this area drive now to Milton to catch the GO train, and many of these commuters would use the new service. The improved service would also benefit university students and others, and help reduce congestion on highways.
"It could happen any time," Philips said of the proposed service, with the next step being to begin to lobby the provincial and federal governments. The provinces now fund commuter rail services in Canada, while the federal government funds intercity rail service.
The refurbished DMUs being looked at are light rail cars made in New Brunswick that are similar to ones used now in Calgary and similar to what Waterloo Region is considering to link Elora with Cambridge. Costing $2 million each, they are "attractive in price and usability," Philips said.
DMUs could also be used to connect Cambridge to GO trains at Milton through Morriston.
A terminal at Breslau would avoid the delays of trains slowing down through Kitchener. People could drive there to park and ride, and buses and vans could also bring people in from points west, north and south to the trains, which would stop in Guelph.
Currently, CN's North Mainline "is characterized by old track that significantly reduces allowable train speeds, reduces ride comfort and lacks modern traffic control technology," says Philips' report to council.
It's proposed that improvements to the North Mainline be done in stages, with the 45-km stretch from Georgetown to Breslau done first at an estimated cost of $19 million. It would cost $17 to make improvements in a second stage to Stratford, and $22 million in a third stage to London, for a total of $58 million. Capital costs for buying the trains are estimated at $20 million.
"Revenue is more difficult to predict and would likely grow over time and through staging of services," the report says. The revenue range is estimated at $5.4 million to $10.8 million a year, with initial annual operating costs estimated at $3.5 million.
"The proposed rail service strategy is feasible at reasonable capital and operating costs," the consultants concluded.
The consultant's study addresses only infrastructure improvements required west of Georgetown.
Improvements are also needed east of Georgetown, but these have already been identified as part of rail expansion within the Greater Toronto Area, Philips said.
The consultant's report has been discussed with officials from GO Transit, the provincial Ministry of Transport, VIA Rail, CN Rail and Goderich Exeter Railway, which runs daily freight trains along the corridor.
No assessment has been done as to who should operate the new service. However, GO Transit officials have indicated that if they were to run it, they would prefer to use their own equipment rather than DMUs, the report notes.
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And the editoral view from the Guelph paper...
www.guelphtribune.ca/trib...22502.html
Train Travel Has Pluses
(Jul 18, 2006)
It's fitting that a new city report on improving rail service between Guelph and Toronto using self-propelled diesel multiple units on the old CN North Mainline track comes just in time for smog season.
The proposed new western terminus at or near Breslau could provide an 80-minute commute to Toronto from there. The phased $58-million plan (plus $20 million to buy trains) would bring four more morning trains to Toronto and four more afternoon trains back. One of them would go on as far as London.
Any news about any new passenger rail service will be good news to area commuters. In past years, the province and VIA Rail have been quick to cut service and slow to respond to lobbying for reinstatement. It seemed to be a Catch-22 argument. Commuters who worked in or near Toronto argued there was no ridership because the train didn't leave Guelph early enough to allow inner-city commute time to work. Train officials at GO Transit and VIA argued that they weren't providing the service because there wasn't enough ridership. While daily commuters were the most vocal, rail users also called for better service for everything from day trips to medical appointments.
Meanwhile, calls for action by lobbyists pleading for less congestion on roads and better air quality seemed to be unheeded, other than official acknowledgement that this was a desirable goal. As for warnings about the limited supply of gas and oil, when was the last time the average person or politician acknowledged this as a problem to be reckoned with here and now?
The long-awaited report deserves serious consideration and, if feasible, strong political will.
The ISSUE
Train to, from Toronto
Our VIEW
Less congestion, better air quality
