Quote:
Originally Posted by surferguy
If the train has stops in Cochrane a huge contingent would be commuting traffic back and forth during the week. Heck even add a small percentage for Canmore depending on how long the ride would be.
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With stops at Cochrane, Canmore, and Banff, Downtown Calgary, and the airport, it would be foolish to think of the train as having only one single purpose. Multi-purpose would be the way to go. Commuter, Tourist, heck, even just an airport to downtown connection would add value beyond just getting tourists to Banff.
The real value of the train, though, is in the land surrounding it. Get a good spot downtown for a central station, and bam, that spot is a high value mall. People talk about the cost of the downtown station, as if it doesn't have incidental value itself. Do you really think that the station is only paid for by ticket sales for the train itself, and only that?? There would be no additional commerce there paying for the rent?? A station in Cochrane would increase the value of the land around Cochrane. If you built a station near open, undeveloped land, that land becomes incredibly valuable, that increase alone paying for a significant portion, if not most, of the line. Why do you think the guy who owns the Banff station wants to put this idea forward??? Cause that's where he will make the most money. This isn't a surprising thing - that's what the majority of the value of the Florida Panthers is. Real Estate. Same with Calgary Next. Heck, that's how the CP Rail line was first built, way way back.
Once a downtown station is built, well then, the Calgary-Edmonton bullet train makes a whole lot more financial sense - a major cost has been removed. So would a commuter train to Okotoks, or Strathmore, or Airdrie. The problem is, we are only valuing each of these items as single use, single purpose things. As if there is no other use other than getting tourists to Banff. Of course if you only consider that, it's a bit rocky in terms of financing and value.