So, with Obama proposing to build a better rail system in the US, I was thinking about the proposal to build a high speed train between Calgary/Edmonton.
Personally, I think it would be a great idea, especially right now where the economy is a bit slow. It would create quite a few jobs, and another industry that would have to look after the rail system.
I realize that we're already running a deficit, which I don't like, but as soon as oil/gas starts going up again, and Alberta starts turning another surplus, this should be a project we should invest in.
I know I'll be contacting my MLA about it.
As we all know, the QE2 has a lot of cars going back and forth each day, so not only would it be beneficial environmentally, but it would also save people a lot of money.
A win/win all around.
Quote:
The most advanced proposals are in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor in Alberta. The cities are approximately 260 km apart (about 3 hours by car), and are connected by the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.
A study by the Van Horne institute concluded that "high speed rail would bring significant benefits to the Calgary–Edmonton corridor and Alberta as a whole".
The report also stated that the project would "generate between CAD $ 3.7 and $ 6.1 billion in quantifiable benefits". The study considered three options:
Upgrade of an existing Canadian Pacific freight route to allow trains up to 240 km/h using Bombardier's JetTrain, costing approximately $ 1.8 billion.
A new dedicated passenger route, known as the "Green Field" route, also using the Jet Train, and costing approximately $ 2.2 billion.
An electrified version of the Green Field route, using TGV style trains running at 300 km/h, costing approximately $ 3.7 billion.
The report found that there was little incremental benefit in running at 300 km/h rather than 240 km/h, and so recommended the first option.
On September 22, 2006 it was announced the Provincial government was deploying video cameras along a stretch of the Queen Elizabeth Highway to determine just how many cars travel between the three cities.[7]
Some figures quoted for the cost of the project are far larger than the above. For example, Vue Weekly gives the cost as "$ 3 - $ 5 billion".[8]
The Calgary Herald announced on April 18, 2007 that the provincial government had purchased land in downtown Calgary for a possible station or terminal.[9] The provincial government also maintains ownership of the top deck of Edmonton's High Level Bridge so a potential high speed rail line can reach downtown Edmonton.
The Calgary Herald has put on a "special topic section" about the prospect of a high-speed rail in Alberta over the 2007 Thanksgiving long weekend. It is called "On Track: Alberta's Bullet Train Debate."
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_Canada