[roger1818]

How expensive is double track vs single track ? Is it mainly the grade-separations and/or the tighter areas that need a wider ROW that become more expensive? Or is it just the cost of laying down the track itself?

I wouldn't dismiss the cost of rail, ties, ballast, labour, and equipment to lay it. There is also the ongoing maintenance costs. The track needs to be regularly inspected to ensure it is within tolerance set for the class of track (the higher the class the more frequent the inspections) and if it is deficient, fix the issue(s). There is a reason why CP downgraded the Winchester Sub from double track to single track. Also, there is a reason CP has let the Havelock sub degrade to Class 1 (with a top speed of 10 mph for freight) even though that means it takes 12 hours (each way) to travel the approximately 140 km to Havelock. If you think about it, the 24 hour round trip is 3, 8 hour shifts. If you multiply that by 3 trips a week, you get 9 shifts a week. That is likely hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in labour alone (not to mention equipment utilization), much of which could be saved by maintaining it at a higher class. CP obviously knows that and the cost of maintaining it to a higher standard would be even higher. Imagine the cost of maintaining significantly more track to Class 6 instead.

This is why I beleive CP will have no issues selling the Havelock sub to VIA (though I have no doubt they will negotiate a hard bargain) because VIA will pay to upgrade it, allowing CP to do the trip in an hour or two instead (they would likely choose not to run at top speed), saving CP hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, while providing better service to their customers.

 

[2transpo]

VIA Rail Canada Fights to Keep Public from Seeing their Flawed $4 Billion High Frequency Rail Business Plan

VIA Rail Canada Fights to Keep Public from Seeing their Flawed $4 Billion High Frequency Rail Business Plan

www.highspeedrailcanada.com

This made me laugh today.

 

[DirectionNorth]

VIA Rail Canada Fights to Keep Public from Seeing their Flawed $4 Billion High Frequency Rail Business Plan

VIA Rail Canada Fights to Keep Public from Seeing their Flawed $4 Billion High Frequency Rail Business Plan

www.highspeedrailcanada.com

lol

Also on this website: "HIGH SPEED RAIL CANADA is the only national educational resource on high speed rail, trains, past studies and current information."

The allegations about secrecy are not true. I found this in about 10 seconds:
2002 VIAFast Study

Fares change, stations change, and all of those details can be set and changed on a whim.

I agree that it's a step down from the 1970s, when the companies used their own rail (so less freight interference). The problem is that there's no public appetite for spending billions on HSR, as the article advocates for. If that plan came out, you would probably be at the front of the line to rally against it. This is the best way to test out a plan that allows for future upgrading, with VIA owning the entire line.

 

[roger1818]

Also on this website: "HIGH SPEED RAIL CANADA is the only national educational resource on high speed rail, trains, past studies and current information."

That line alone makes me beleive this to be a fake website that is designed to spread lies and misinformation.

 

[kEiThZ]

Paul Lanagan unfortunately jumped the shark and went from advocate to troll a long time ago. And he is particularly bugged by HFR because he sees it as killing his HSR dreams. The rest of us see HFR as a start.

 

[nfitz]

The rest of us see HFR as a start.

Many inside the industry see it as a white elephant waiting to happen.

Perhaps they can add the long-awaited Via Rail stop at Mirabel airport!

 

[crs1026]

Paul Lanagan unfortunately jumped the shark and went from advocate to troll a long time ago. And he is particularly bugged by HFR because he sees it as killing his HSR dreams. The rest of us see HFR as a start.

I'm on record as saying HFR isn't perfect....but despite my reservations I'm more worried that his brand of advocacy will leave us with nothing.

- Paul

 

[roger1818]

I'm on record as saying HFR isn't perfect....but despite my reservations I'm more worried that his brand of advocacy will leave us with nothing.

- Paul

Agreed. His brand of advocacy is if we can't have HSR we should cancel passenger trains in Canada.

 

[MisterF]

Many inside the industry see it as a white elephant waiting to happen.

Perhaps they can add the long-awaited Via Rail stop at Mirabel airport!

Who specifically are these "many"? Sources please.

 

[kEiThZ]

Many inside the industry see it as a white elephant waiting to happen.

What else do your imaginary friends say?

I get that you don't think it's a good project. But why the need to make up imaginary support for your position?

We don't even really have much of a passenger rail industry in Canada. So what industry insiders are commenting on this?

 

[kEiThZ]

Agreed. His brand of advocacy is if we can't have HSR we should cancel passenger trains in Canada.

It's not just him. Like I said, Reece Martin is like this too. And they've convinced themselves that the only reason we haven't built HSR is because nobody in Canada is advocating enough. They handwave away all political minutiae involved. That helps them monetize their schtick. But it's ignorant public policy. And on this front, it sucks because Paul Lanagan gets invited on mainstream media for interviews on any rail proposal.

 

[Allandale25]

 

[lenaitch]

Perhaps re-positioning equipment back out west?

 

[nfitz]

What else do your imaginary friends say?

I get that you don't think it's a good project. But why the need to make up imaginary support for your position?

You said that the rest of us see the HFR proposal as a start. As there are others than him who think it's going to cost more and under-deliver, then you are incorrect about the rest of us.

Please remain civil even if others here disagree with what you've said.

 

[EnviroTO]

We don't even really have much of a passenger rail industry in Canada. So what industry insiders are commenting on this?

All the top executives at all the long distance passenger rail companies in Canada, except for VIA who supports HFR.

Wait, are you suggesting that investing massive amounts of federal money on true high-speed rail in a place that doesn't really have a proven existing "train oriented culture", like Europe and Japan prior to them building HSR, on a route that will primarily serve a single province might not get political support? How are we going to prove a pent up demand? I guess maybe we might create schedule and frequency competitive to other modes and see what happens. Did VIA think of anything that might help to show a pent up demand? They should think of something like that so we have a chance of getting HSR some day.