Liberals to boost rail from Toronto to Quebec City
The Liberals have announced plans for new high frequency rail lines from Toronto to Quebec City. The idea is to have new lines separating freight from passenger trains.
Update: I’m seeing a fair bit of cynicism about this idea.
Anyway, Daily Hive has the layout of proposed stops which makes this look more like a milk train.
walkerp 13:17 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
It’s a big start. I get the cynicism but it’s also really annoying. Just making the train slightly faster than driving will be a huge difference. Having dedicated tracks means there won’t be any unscheduled stops for freight trains to pass, which is super annoying and happens almost always. Also, not all runs will do the milk runs, so there will be faster trains that stop just at Kingston and Dorval for example, between TO and MTL.
Yes we are probably heading into an election, so the Liberals could well abandon it if they win, but I think this one feels more solid and realistic this time. It’s a big win for the government because it makes the people happy and they get to give out tons of pork.
Blork 17:03 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
I like the idea! Lots to think about, but the first thing that comes to mind is the decade of misfired rhetoric we’re about to endure as people constantly confuse “high frequency” with “high speed.”
…and even among those who know the difference, many will cling to that “200 kph” line. I guarantee you that the HFR train will rarely hit 200, and when it does it will be for short bursts. Part of the problem is the shaky old track bed, although the proposal also says there will be a significant amount of new tracks put down. (And hopefully the re-used track beds will be reconditioned and new tracks laid down in some sections.) There’s also the problem of literally hundreds of level crossings that are not equipped to have a 200 kph train ripping through them.
But aside from that, bring it on!
Ephraim 17:26 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
Can we hire the Chinese company that builds their elevated high speed rail to put in the Montreal to Toronto corridor (skipping Ottawa) and end almost all the plane traffic between the two cities with 0 carbon emission electrical bullet trains? Ah, perchance to dream…
Joey 17:26 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
A quick enough Mtl-Tor train that runs often enough could compete with AC and Porter (did Porter survive the pandemic?) for business travel. If the door-to-door travel time is comparable, the arrival time is reliable and trains depart and arrive often enough (hello, evenings), Via might actually succeed. If the train becomes as convenient as flying, why not take the comfort of being on the ground (where you can more easily work or relax)? Will we ever achieve such a passenger rail system? This doesn’t sound like it, at least not yet. Miss a flight to TO? Hop on the one leaving in 30 minutes. Miss your train – you’re SOL.
Train > driving if you’re willing to be car-less at your destination. For a lot of families that’s, sadly, a non-starter. Why pay for multiple train tickets only to arrive somewhere and rent a car?
John B 18:52 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
Evenings would be amazing. I met a friend who was in Ottawa for a conference for dinner, in Ottawa, before the pandemic. Even then there was no train leaving Ottawa to get back after 4 PM, so I took the bus. Now there’s not even a bus.
If the government doesn’t want even the bike eco-warriors to cave and buy cars there needs to be some sort of intercity travel outside of the hours of 8-4.
Daniel D 20:47 on 2021-07-06 Permalink
I read this interesting article recently which compares high speed rail in three countries: https://pedestrianobservations.com/2021/05/30/the-different-national-traditions-of-building-high-speed-rail/
Tldr; The Japanese Shinkansen operates frequently like a long-distance metro, the French TGV less frequently akin to an airline and the German ICE like regional rail.
I could see Canada’s network being more like the TGV, aimed at replacing air travel, although it would be great if they aimed for the turn-up-and-go service you see in Japan. I’m not even sure the fact they won’t be high speed really matters so long as trains are reliable, punctual and faster than the existing routes.
It turns out passengers are OK with their journeys being slightly longer so long as they know when and trust their train will arrive, and can guarantee it’ll get them to their destination on time (there’s a good podcast on this and the wider topic of behavioural science and transit for anyone interested: https://castro.fm/episode/LJnEGo)
ant6n 00:39 on 2021-07-08 Permalink
Daniel: Canada is not building hsr, so none of these comparisons are apt. Actually, one could make a comparison to Germany, anno 1979. While Japan already had their shinkansen, and France was developing their tgv, Germany back then was still trying to get people in board trains with their 200kph network of”Intercity” trains, with the new slogan “every hour, every class”. Canada’s hfr concept is similar – run often,but kinda slow. In 1991, Germany finally introduced 250kph hsr service.
So in 2030, Canada will be about 50 years behind Germany, which in turn was about 10-20 years behind Japan/France. Good job.
I wonder how the north shore line in Quebec will work with the REM, with the whole mont royal tunnel sharing problem.
Blork 10:27 on 2021-07-08 Permalink
Internet archaeologists of the future will note how quickly the HFR/HSR confusion entered into this discussion, exactly as predicted.