High Speed Rail: London - Kitchener-Waterloo - Pearson Airport - Toronto

[lead82]

The problem is that people DO use the non-corridor routes. The northern routes are mandated by the federal government to provide transportation to remote northern communities that would be infeasible to service using airplane service. In the grand scheme of things those routes are not a huge burden. If VIA can fix the Corridor routes and start making a profit, then that profit could be used to remove the subsidies of the northern and trans-continental routes. I think VIA needs to expand its service inside the corridor. The problem now is not necessarily slow service (although that's a problem), the problem is the low service frequency.

If VIA has good service, it could even compete with GO for express service from places like Aldershot, Brampton, Kitchener, Niagara Falls/St. Catherines. A few trains a day wont do. The more frequency the better utilization of it's trains and staff, and the lower the ticket prices can go.

 

[kEiThZ]

That tiny 3% of all the track is being held back by truly excellent and fast service due to having to subsidize these non-corridor routes.

Ditch every single train outside The Corridor and create a world class train system.

Quotes likes these only come from people who don't leave Southern Ontario/GTHA. The day VIA becomes Corridor focused is the day VIA closes up shop. Why would an MP from Manitoba vote for continuing funding for VIA funding when VIA only serves 1-2 provinces? This is the reality of federation politics. If you want things addressed with any priority start at the lowest level of government you can. If you isn't a priority, wait for the feds.

Moreover, TKL will not get a substantial federal contribution if it isn't part of a larger VIA corridor covering Quebec to Windsor completely. And I wouldn't blame federal politicians for not supporting it. Their job isn't to build commuter lines in Southern Ontario. If they do, it's a bonus, not a mandated action. On the other hand, a national rail network falls in the feds mandate and TKL as part of the larger TOM HFR makes sense.

 

[kEiThZ]

If VIA can fix the Corridor routes and start making a profit, then that profit could be used to remove the subsidies of the northern and trans-continental routes.

Exactly. Far better that VIA's eventual HFR profits go towards rail subsidies elsewhere than private sector profits.

The problem now is not necessarily slow service (although that's a problem), the problem is the low service frequency.

It's a little bit of both. VIA is barely time competitive with buses on some routes. And definitely not price competitive. And the schedule is crap. HFR should address all that in a one shot.

If VIA has good service, it could even compete with GO for express service from places like Aldershot, Brampton, Kitchener, Niagara Falls/St. Catherines. A few trains a day wont do. The more frequency the better utilization of it's trains and staff, and the lower the ticket prices can go.

There needs to some rationalization in stops when HFR is built. For example, maybe Brampton gets cut and instead every HFR train now stops in Malton to service the airport. Maybe the Southern mainline is left to GO which now runs Toronto-London and Toronto-Niagara all stop trains on there. They'll have to work out some kind of cost and revenue sharing agreement too, since they'll be some market overlap.

 

[mdrejhon]

From the London Free Press:

Upgrades would outpace high-speed rail
http://www.lfpress.com/2017/01/06/upgrades-would-outpace-high-speed-rail

This topic, originally posted by alexanderglista in VIA, straddles VIA/HFR, HSR, GO RER.

This good opinion article treats HSR potentially as a distant goal of co-operative incremental upgrades, much as we all already presume (although the article does not specifically mention so, there are many examples that straddle the equation, like the Freight Bypass and electrification.

The article also apparently mentions the Collenette HSR report is coming this year, rather than November of last year.

 

[jje1000]

The article also apparently mentions the Collenette HSR report is coming this year, rather than November of last year.

I like the vague "This year".

My gut feeling is that HSR will not survive the election in any form recognizable as HSR, and we will need to be content with simply more GO Train service.

 

[steveintoronto]

I like the vague "This year".

My gut feeling is that HSR will not survive the election in any form recognizable as HSR

The fact that there is *no* mention on the press radar that I can find indicates that it has crashed. Other than the article linked prior, the only one that keeps coming up as the most recent is:
Ontario government wants high-speed rail proposal by October, MP says

Some mentions are for "November". I'm amazed someone in the press doesn't phone up Collenette and ask "Whazzup?" Maybe Collenette is shacked up with Waldo?

http://www.playbuzz.com/cameronplank10/can-you-find-waldo-in-all-these-pictures

 

[crs1026]

Oh, he's definitely out there, still taking measurements.....

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

That's definitely a CN freight car. I hope Waldo's making measurements for the Bypass. Baby steps first.

 

[ssiguy2]

KEiThZ...............you state my comment about cancelling all VIA services outside The Corridor could only be proposed by someone who never gets out of Sothern Ontario. In case you hadn't noticed, I live in Vancouver but I know a complete waste of funds when I see one. There is a limited amount of money for both VIA's infrastructure and operation costs so the money should go to where it's needed which doesn't include anything outside The Corridor except in perhaps the summer high season.

The problem with HFR is that it uses almost all current track and route. That is not a bad thing but using existing infrastructure except that it means that the stations would remain the same. In other words, the HFR will still be forced to stop at every little place it does now. The current London/Toronto could build bypasses to allow VIA to negotiate around freight but if it still has to stop at every little place it will make little difference in the speed.

High Speed rail was promised to London and they can get it at relatively little cost. A few main bypasses and faster diesel trains and they could still run the entire 180km in about 70 minutes if VIA used a business model instead of a political one. New trains with Win/Lon/Tor non-stop would offer HFR and HSR at a mere fraction of the cost traditional HSR and VIA refuses to provide the service to the people who actually use it then they should allow a private operator to do it.

 

[TOareaFan]

For fun, I sent this yesterday to two cabinet ministers who are, normally, pretty active on twitter. As yet no reply.

https://twitter.com/TOareaFan/status/818505621238648832

If you have a twitter account....and are so inclined.....feel free to send a similar tweet (or just quote retweet mine) and maybe (not holding breath) they will respond to someone.

 

[jje1000]

Directly contacting them via ministry email is another solution.

Of course, you could also always send Mr. Collenette an email as well.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

For fun, I sent this yesterday to two cabinet ministers who are, normally, pretty active on twitter. As yet no reply.

https://twitter.com/TOareaFan/status/818505621238648832

If you have a twitter account....and are so inclined.....feel free to send a similar tweet (or just quote retweet mine) and maybe (not holding breath) they will respond to someone.

Honestly the possibility of getting an answer via twitter is almost zero. "They" are active so long as the message is outgoing.

Directly contacting them via ministry email is another solution.

Of course, you could also always send Mr. Collenette an email as well.

Letter or call them up. Email is disposable as far as communication is concerned.

AoD

 

[mdrejhon]

Honestly the possibility of getting an answer via twitter is almost zero. "They" are active so long as the message is outgoing.

I find municipal Twitter accounts more reliable in getting a response.

Moreso Hamilton than Toronto. I typically get responses from my Hamilton City councillors, including mayor Fred, if I ask a direct question to them on an issue (at least on things they're not bound by NDA's on, etc).

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I find municipal Twitter accounts more reliable in getting a response.
Moreso Hamilton than Toronto. I typically get responses from my Hamilton City councillors, including mayor Fred, if I ask a direct question to them on an issue (at least on things they're not bound by NDA's on, etc).

Probably - and some councillors/staffers are better than others at it. Good luck getting anything from Norm, for example.

AoD

 

[TOareaFan]

Honestly the possibility of getting an answer via twitter is almost zero. "They" are active so long as the message is outgoing.

actually, politicians will happily respond on twitter....if what you are tweeting to them is along the lines of "geez, you are doing a swell job with 'X' "