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VIA Rail

OttawaGoTrain said:
Sorry for being off topic in a Toronto forum. I've got a question about VIA rights of way/GO trains in Ottawa and this forum looks like it might be able to help with an answer.

Is there any possibility of Ottawa starting a shuttle between the main Ottawa VIA station and the Fallowfield Station?
The city has just announced that the transit budget is being cut and that we're not going to get the LRT extension to Barrhaven because they can't afford it. Could they instead just run a simple shuttle between the two Ottawa stations? This wouldn't be as good, but it would be a cheap way of improving transit downtown. I'm thinking something like the Trillium line but even cheaper because you don't even need to built stations or passing lanes. It doesn't seem too hard to schedule a 30 minute service around the VIA departures to Toronto/Montreal, so the only investment needed would be another 2 trains like the ones already running on the Trillium Line.

Is this even legally possible? Who would be responsible, could the city do this, or would it have to be GO/Metrolinx or even the provincial/federal governments?
Click to expand...

Short answer, it would most likely not be a Via thing. It could be either a GO or OC Transpo run thing. Alternatively, Via could stopping both directions,
 
OttawaGoTrain said:
Sorry for being off topic in a Toronto forum. I've got a question about VIA rights of way/GO trains in Ottawa and this forum looks like it might be able to help with an answer.

Is there any possibility of Ottawa starting a shuttle between the main Ottawa VIA station and the Fallowfield Station?
The city has just announced that the transit budget is being cut and that we're not going to get the LRT extension to Barrhaven because they can't afford it. Could they instead just run a simple shuttle between the two Ottawa stations? This wouldn't be as good, but it would be a cheap way of improving transit downtown. I'm thinking something like the Trillium line but even cheaper because you don't even need to built stations or passing lanes. It doesn't seem too hard to schedule a 30 minute service around the VIA departures to Toronto/Montreal, so the only investment needed would be another 2 trains like the ones already running on the Trillium Line.

Is this even legally possible? Who would be responsible, could the city do this, or would it have to be GO/Metrolinx or even the provincial/federal governments?
Click to expand...
I think this is legally plausible, because OC Transpo could apply for the same exemption they used for the Trillium Line, and it would likely be granted since the line is owned by Via, hardly sees any freight trains, and OC Transpo's Stadler Flirt trains are a model which is FRA compliant in the U.S.

However the reason it wouldn't work in the immediate future is that there is not sufficient capacity to run a reliable service. The line only has a single track between the stations with one intermediate siding. If everything ran on time that would be sufficient but this is Via so eastbound trains will arrive at effectively random times and will be prioritized since Via owns the railway.

If the Federal government had used their preliminary HFR funding to upgrade the line between Ottawa and Fallowfield stations, (adding a second platform at Fallowfield, double tracking the line and increasing track speeds) your suggestion would be totally plausible.
 
It would make a LOT of sense as an addon to HFR, but the other thing about Barhaven is that a further extension of the Trillium Line also has a lot going for it.

In either case, the version that tempts me would be redirecting the airport trains to the VIA station, ideally with a couple location stations (I'm thinking Billings Bridge from day 1, adding Riverside later on a diversion to the current station).
 
reaperexpress said:
I think this is legally plausible, because OC Transpo could apply for the same exemption they used for the Trillium Line, and it would likely be granted since the line is owned by Via, hardly sees any freight trains, and OC Transpo's Stadler Flirt trains are a model which is FRA compliant in the U.S.
Click to expand...
I don’t think this (in absence of a train control system installed for all trains) would get you around the requirement that you’d need two drivers, which just makes frequent service on such low-density corridors prohibitively expensive to operate…
 
Urban Sky said:
I don’t think this (in absence of a train control system installed for all trains) would get you around the requirement that you’d need two drivers, which just makes frequent service on such low-density corridors prohibitively expensive to operate…
Click to expand...
Very good point. Adding an additional O-Train line certainly wouldn't be a cost-savings, so it doesn't achieve the stated goal of accommodating the newly reduced budget.
 
lenaitch said:
Probably a detour for track work. According to some posters here it's been happening for a while.
Click to expand...
Confirmed for this weekend, so Bala Sub north to Doncaster and then York Sub east to Durham/Liverpool Junction…
IMG_3060.jpeg
 
Is there a reason the trains don't stop both directions at that station? Changing that could give that added option as a trial for something more.
 
Urban Sky said:
Is there any discussion here where you are capable of following what is discussed? Seriously, we can’t dumb everything down here until even you understand it, especially if you never read what you respond to…
Click to expand...
What is being discussed is adding another service within Ottawa. Fallowfield is not a stop from Toronto to Ottawa.Changing that could show whether more service is warranted.

So,yes, dumb that down.
 
OttawaGoTrain said:
Sorry for being off topic in a Toronto forum. I've got a question about VIA rights of way/GO trains in Ottawa and this forum looks like it might be able to help with an answer.

Is there any possibility of Ottawa starting a shuttle between the main Ottawa VIA station and the Fallowfield Station?
The city has just announced that the transit budget is being cut and that we're not going to get the LRT extension to Barrhaven because they can't afford it. Could they instead just run a simple shuttle between the two Ottawa stations? This wouldn't be as good, but it would be a cheap way of improving transit downtown. I'm thinking something like the Trillium line but even cheaper because you don't even need to built stations or passing lanes. It doesn't seem too hard to schedule a 30 minute service around the VIA departures to Toronto/Montreal, so the only investment needed would be another 2 trains like the ones already running on the Trillium Line.

Is this even legally possible? Who would be responsible, could the city do this, or would it have to be GO/Metrolinx or even the provincial/federal governments?
Click to expand...

Urban Sky said:
Yes, you also misunderstood that. Now please find a family member or friend who can help you read through the last few posts and patiently explain everything which was written there in a language you understand. But please stop wasting our time spamming this thread just because you are unwilling or unable to read…

Thank you!
Click to expand...

"Is this even legally possible? Who would be responsible, could the city do this, or would it have to be GO/Metrolinx or even the provincial/federal governments?"

Is there another federal passenger operator I am not aware of?
 
I hate to make an on-topic post.

I remain puzzled why VIA can't come to a better arrangement with CN to have priority usage over the third track between Toronto and Montreal. (either negotiated or federally-imposed)

I'm puzzled why parts of CN's mainline are only 1 track, but they require use of the third mainline track in other places.
 
Last edited:
nfitz said:
I hate to make an on-topic post.

I remain puzzled why VIA can't come to a better arrangement with CN to have priority usage over the third track. (either negotiated or federally-imposed)

I'm puzzled why parts of CN's mainline are only 1 track, but they require use of the third mainline track in other places.
Click to expand...
CP is the same throughout Canada.
 
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