VIA Rail

[crs1026]

PS: I was reminded that CN still owns a good chunk of the Komoka-Windsor line. So any expansion needs to keep that in view.

Likely their interest is in a fairly small volume of traffic to/from Windsor, but whether they would be willing to sell (and retain some measure of operating rights) is anybody's guess.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Not directly VIA-related. That being said...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1565039573415116801

 

[kEiThZ]

There are certainly some things that need to be planned. London needs a better station with a more bus-train hub fuctionality. One wonders if the current location is optimal with respect to London’s transportation planning.

Not just London. I think there's almost no point doing anything West of Union, if air-rail integration can't be done at Pearson. It has to least be built in to a future plan or roughed in.

There's no way to really relieve air traffic without doing that. And both Windsor and London have connections to Pearson that could (in part or whole) be replaced by rail. Detroit too.

 

[Allandale25]

Niagara Region acquires Niagara Falls and St. Catharines Stations from VIA Rail

Niagara Region announced on September 1st. 2022 that it has acquired the historic train stations at St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, along with the surrounding lands, from VIA Rail as part of a si…

ontario.transportaction.ca

 

[Amare]

Niagara Region acquires Niagara Falls and St. Catharines Stations from VIA Rail

Niagara Region announced on September 1st. 2022 that it has acquired the historic train stations at St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, along with the surrounding lands, from VIA Rail as part of a si…

ontario.transportaction.ca

That's good to hear, especially with the Niagara Falls station. It's a complete embarrassment, and I kid you not the couple of times of been through there they didnt even X-Ray my belongings coming from the U.S.

It's night a day when you compare it with the Amtrak Niagara Falls station.

 

[Garuda]

That's good to hear, especially with the Niagara Falls station. It's a complete embarrassment, and I kid you not the couple of times of been through there they didnt even X-Ray my belongings coming from the U.S.

It's night a day when you compare it with the Amtrak Niagara Falls station.

Wether or not your bags get x rayed has nothing to do with who owns the train station.

That’s on the CBSA

 

[Fritter]

It's a complete embarrassment, and I kid you not the couple of times of been through there they didnt even X-Ray my belongings coming from the U.S.

Are you suggesting that your luggage should have been X-ray'd because you were smuggling something into the country and you should have been caught?

 

[Northern Light]

That's good to hear, especially with the Niagara Falls station. It's a complete embarrassment, and I kid you not the couple of times of been through there they didnt even X-Ray my belongings coming from the U.S.

I, for one, don't think your bags (or anyone else's) should be routinely x-rayed when making a train crossing. They aren't when you drive across. The reason for x-raying with planes was the period of time during which hijackings and bombings were moderately prevalent.

I have yet to hear of any attempted hijacking of trains, or any successful bombing of them; I hope and trust that will not change. But we cannot and should not inconvenience thousands of people out of paranoia for a remote risk.

It's night a day when you compare it with the Amtrak Niagara Falls station.

You mean the so-far, White Elephant on the U.S. side that cost obscene sums of money and sees a grand total of 2 trains daily, with the near term prospect of 4?

All for $44M USD in 2010 dollars?

LOL

 

[innsertnamehere]

It's interesting to me that Metrolinx didn't want to take over the stations instead of the Region.

 

[Amare]

Are you suggesting that your luggage should have been X-ray'd because you were smuggling something into the country and you should have been caught?

I am such an amazing, model citizen, I would never! But that train border crossing is a smugglers paradise if it's still functioning the way it was pre-Covid, it's an absolute embarrassment. And we wonder why we have the problems with certain things getting into the country. Guess the CBSA doesnt care much.

I, for one, don't think your bags (or anyone else's) should be routinely x-rayed when making a train crossing. They aren't when you drive across. The reason for x-raying with planes was the period of time during which hijackings and bombings were moderately prevalent.

I have yet to hear of any attempted hijacking of trains, or any successful bombing of them; I hope and trust that will not change. But we cannot and should not inconvenience thousands of people out of paranoia for a remote risk.

I myself am not a fan of the routine X-ray either, but when you drive accross border agents on both sides can still see what's inside a vehicle even without directly X-raying an individual. I'm not aware of this being done with trains that cross the border.

You mean the so-far, White Elephant on the U.S. side that cost obscene sums of money and sees a grand total of 2 trains daily, with the near term prospect of 4?

All for $44M USD in 2010 dollars?

LOL

Yes that's the one, one of my favorite White Elephants! Barely no trains stop there like you mentioned, but it was actually very well done. They should have tossed us a million or two to fix up our ring-a-ding-ding station on our side, at least re-do the ashphalt platforms which are crumbling in every way, shape and form. At least Niagara Region will be able to do something about it now.

 

[Northern Light]

I myself am not a fan of the routine X-ray either, but when you drive accross border agents on both sides can still see what's inside a vehicle even without directly X-raying an individual. I'm not aware of this being done with trains that cross the border.

I have never once had an agent ask me to pop the trunk when crossing the border.

Yes that's the one, one of my favorite White Elephants! Barely no trains stop there like you mentioned, but it was actually very well done. They should have tossed us a million or two to fix up our ring-a-ding-ding station on our side, at least re-do the ashphalt platforms which are crumbling in every way, shape and form. At least Niagara Region will be able to do something about it now.

Niagara Region has big plans for the station. Some of which is detailed above.

 

[Amare]

I have never once had a agent ask me to pop the trunk when crossing the border.

Also because you are an amazing, and model citizen! And also because the infrared and other associated tech didnt pick up anything to cause them to prompt a further search. This is something they employ at the land crossings, but not at the train crossings (as far as I am aware).

Niagara Region has big plans for the station. Some of which is detailed above.

Trust me I am really looking forward to them!

 

[lenaitch]

I have never once had an agent ask me to pop the trunk when crossing the border.

Once, at a backwater crossing, US BPS asked me to open the top box on my m/c, but only glanced at it from his kiosk. To this day I'm not sure why.

Also because you are an amazing, and model citizen! And also because the infrared and other associated tech didnt pick up anything to cause them to prompt a further search. This is something they employ at the land crossings, but not at the train crossings (as far as I am aware).


Trust me I am really looking forward to them!

Do tell how infrared or other tech is deployed at border control points for routine scanning. Infrared would only read the heat emitting from an external surface, which wouldn't be much use from a passing or standing railcar or vehicle and isn't much use if the contraband isn't emitting heat.

Infrared/NVG and other tech are used along border lands for general surveillance and patrol, and x-ray and other scanners are used on individual vehicles at secondary clearance, but I'm not sure why time consuming and intrusive searches or scanning every piece of luggage on a train should be any different that a private vehicle.

 

[kEiThZ]

They x-ray the trunk of your vehicle when crossing. People don't know this?

 

[nfitz]

Once, at a backwater crossing, US BPS asked me to open the top box on my m/c, but only glanced at it from his kiosk. To this day I'm not sure why.

Was there a camera on the gantry that could see in it?