Renewed passenger rail service between Banff and Calgary?

[Flames0910]

The. Train. Will. Never. Happen. It's just talk.

Lol I think it's plainly going the other way. Politicians and business leaders are still being cautious but you can see the stars beginning to align. There's no shortage of things that could derail (sorry not sorry) this project but so far everyone is saying all the right things.

Will be fun to revisit this debate in 5-10 years anyway

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Lol I think it's plainly going the other way. Politicians and business leaders are still being cautious but you can see the stars beginning to align. There's no shortage of things that could derail (sorry not sorry) this project but so far everyone is saying all the right things.

Will be fun to revisit this debate in 5-10 years anyway

If it does happen, I have no doubt it will be at a minimum 3 to 4 times the estimated cost we're hearing right now. (especially with the idea floated about having hydrogen fuel cell powered trains.)

I'll also guess that the government subsidy on an ongoing basis is going to be huge to keep the cost of a trip even close to affordable.

There is no way it can happen with the current estimated budget. No way in hell. All I envision are a very few people lining their pockets while the taxpayers pay many billions.

[powderjunkie]

If they did end up twinning the line, I'd want any gov't funding to include a MUP running parrallel. We are very close to having Calgary and Cochrane connected; Cochrane to Canmore is the big missing link (1A shoulders don''t look too bad, but it's too busy to be comfortable for most people).

Cranston to Banff entirely on dedicated MUP. And then on to Lake Louise on a pretty decent 1A.

Imagine taking a train to Banff and cycling home slightly downhill with the wind at your back! Pitstop for ice cream in Cochrane.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

If they did end up twinning the line, I'd want any gov't funding to include a MUP running parrallel. We are very close to having Calgary and Cochrane connected; Cochrane to Canmore is the big missing link (1A shoulders don''t look too bad, but it's too busy to be comfortable for most people).

Cranston to Banff entirely on dedicated MUP. And then on to Lake Louise on a pretty decent 1A.

Imagine taking a train to Banff and cycling home slightly downhill with the wind at your back! Pitstop for ice cream in Cochrane.

How much right of way do you think CPR is going to hand over? That'll never happen as part of this project.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

If it does happen, I have no doubt it will be at a minimum 3 to 4 times the estimated cost we're hearing right now. (especially with the idea floated about having hydrogen fuel cell powered trains.)

I'll also guess that the government subsidy on an ongoing basis is going to be huge to keep the cost of a trip even close to affordable.

There is no way it can happen with the current estimated budget. No way in hell. All I envision are a very few people lining their pockets while the taxpayers pay many billions.

Expect a contract to be signed with urgency as all involved parties know if the NDP are elected in 2023, they will do their best to cancel it. Contract will likely have a hefty cancellation payout to the other parties involved, especially the Waterous'. Hell, they probably don't even want the line, but are just trying to cram this in for the sweet sweet payout at the other end of the tunnel. A boondoggle of a contract that the NDP will be stuck with that makes the tank cars contract look like nothing.

What I don't get is if the Alberta gov are giving a ton of cash yearly for operational budget, who then will be profiting off of it? They say risk of shortfalls is covered by the investors (not Alb Gov) but if Alb Gov is giving up the yearly ops.... what risk is there to the investors anyways?

[Flames0910]

Expect a contract to be signed with urgency as all involved parties know if the NDP are elected in 2023, they will do their best to cancel it. Contract will likely have a hefty cancellation payout to the other parties involved, especially the Waterous'. Hell, they probably don't even want the line, but are just trying to cram this in for the sweet sweet payout at the other end of the tunnel. A boondoggle of a contract that the NDP will be stuck with that makes the tank cars contract look like nothing.

I'm hopeful the NDP will cancel coal leases in the eastern slopes but if this project is approved by all the appropriate regulating bodies, and signed onto by the province, feds, first nations and municipalities... why are you assuming the NDP would cancel a rail infrastructure project? Does Notley secretly hate trains or something? Will she cancel it out of spite unless they paint the trains orange? The notion that the Waterous family would propose this project, get all the necessary approvals, and then structure it just for a cancellation payout in the event that the party that they have voted and fundraised against gets elected is... beyond absurd.

If they did end up twinning the line, I'd want any gov't funding to include a MUP running parrallel. We are very close to having Calgary and Cochrane connected; Cochrane to Canmore is the big missing link (1A shoulders don''t look too bad, but it's too busy to be comfortable for most people).

That would be amazing but I think this is probably the project with the better chance of success:
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/phase-one...iled-1.5687846

[powderjunkie]

The Calgary to Cochrane part is already pretty close (and is largely parrallel to the CP tracks along Glenbow Ranch)



Keith is being developed into Rockland Park, and Haskayne Park is nearly done (if not already done) - IIRC access remains a bit of an issue with a small stretch of private owner(s).

Then it's just a matter of a bridge to the new SE area of Cochrane (and another rail crossing, though there is already one level crossing in Glenbow Ranch that isn't an issue).


Cochrane to Canmore is totally empty without any realistic plan to connect AFAIK.

[cam_wmh]

Considering all the Pathletes in Springbank, if Canmore to Calgary gets a paved bike route, the yuppy, skin tights, will be in droves.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Considering all the Pathletes in Springbank, if Canmore to Calgary gets a paved bike route, the yuppy, skin tights, will be in droves.

Do we have to be so dismissive towards other people's hobbies?

[you&me]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Do we have to be so dismissive towards other people's hobbies?

Yes. The things I choose to do are awesome, and everyone else that does those things differently, or chooses something different entirely, is a poseur.

From my perspective, it would be nice if a pathway captured some of the road biker audience (even if they're poseurs) and kept them from meandering into traffic. All. Summer. Long.

[Bigtime]

Keeps the pathletes off the city pathways too, blowing by everyone without so much as a bell or call out and treating it like the Tour de France. Where are they right now? Oh that's right, down in their basements on zwift while the true, dare I say godlike warriors of the bike are still riding.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Keeps the pathletes off the city pathways too, blowing by everyone without so much as a bell or call out and treating it like the Tour de France. Where are they right now? Oh that's right, down in their basements on zwift while the true, dare I say godlike warriors of the bike are still riding.

You guys and all the skids with DUIs riding their ten speeds around the industrial park are the true heroes.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Sliver

You guys and all the skids with DUIs riding their ten speeds around the industrial park are the true heroes.

Special shoutout to the dude with the 2-stroke motor on his bike.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Not sure if you guys have ever worked in the mountains, but the people do it to experience living in the mountains. That's what they get out of it. The actual jobs suck, but the perk is the mountain access and the only reason people work there. No, nobody is going to serve tables at Earl's in Banff, but live in Altadore in Calgary. That's preposterous. They'd just wait tables at the Earl's down the street and save themselves a brutal commute each way.

Exactly. And that’s one of the charms of visiting the mountain parks - the lifties are Australians doing their world tour thing, the bartenders are mountain-bikers, and the waitresses are Quebecers who rock climb when they’re off work. And they all live in co-housing and have chlamydia.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Flames0910

I'm hopeful the NDP will cancel coal leases in the eastern slopes but if this project is approved by all the appropriate regulating bodies, and signed onto by the province, feds, first nations and municipalities... why are you assuming the NDP would cancel a rail infrastructure project? Does Notley secretly hate trains or something? Will she cancel it out of spite unless they paint the trains orange? The notion that the Waterous family would propose this project, get all the necessary approvals, and then structure it just for a cancellation payout in the event that the party that they have voted and fundraised against gets elected is... beyond absurd.

You're right it is absurd, they are likely not doing this just to get a payout. But if the NDP don't think it fits their goals, why would they not consider cancelling? (Note, I have no idea where they stand on the train line). Have you not seen the #### government parties are doing now? Cancelling out of spite is basically the modus operandi these days, it's not completely far fetched. The only hope is that the NDP still have a sensible head on their shoulders and use an ounce of logic to reach a decision.

It's also not far fetched to assume any deal the UCP will enter is somehow dirty and biased towards some private donors, based on how they already act.

Thank god the CIB is involved, so it's not just up to private equity firms and the Alberta government.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by flames0910

do we have to be so dismissive towards other people's hobbies?

10000000%

[powderjunkie]

I don't know anything about railway construction (aside from the OG days when the train would literally bring the supplies to the progressing end of the track), but I presume there would be something of a parrallel access road given the other line would be active.

Just pave that road at the end of it. Ideally a bit wider than a typical MUP so we spandexers can really fly.

[rohara66]

This project will get appealed into oblivion... not gonna happen.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by rohara66

This project will get appealed into oblivion... not gonna happen.

By who?


Maybe it's been established earlier in the thread, but is the idea that each track would be one directional and shared by CP/passenger? Or would line one be freight and the other passenger?

(maybe a few of the bridges remain single?)

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Considering all the Pathletes in Springbank, if Canmore to Calgary gets a paved bike route, the yuppy, skin tights, will be in droves.

Whenever I drive by the outdoor rink i always laugh at the idiots who think they're Gretzky, what a bunch of losers