Calgary - Edmonton Vacuum Tube train proposal

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

In theory an Edmontonian could get to the mountains faster going from vacuum train to car/bus in yyc than driving there directly.

It's funny but also points out why we need to smother this thing in the cradle, along with the other myriad of reasons.

Yeah, but Calgarians can go see a river valley similar to ones in most cities, view Soviet style architecture, and and shop at 5 Aldo stores in one mall.

[MarchHare]

Elon Musk recently admitted that the Hyperloop was a fraud all along just to stop California's public investment in high-speed rail. I'm sure this company is totally legit and not at all an investment scam, though. Anyone know if the owners/executives at this TransPod company have any ties to the UCP?

Musk admitted to his biographer Ashlee Vance that Hyperloop was all about trying to get legislators to cancel plans for high-speed rail in California—even though he had no plans to build it.

https://time.com/6203815/elon-musk-f...naire-visions/

[timun]

...using groundbreaking technology based on a new field of physics called "veillance flux."

Spoiler!

Seems a little sus...

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Knut

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/cana...rain-1.6051975



This is the CEO I am guessing

How dare you sully the good name of Lyle Lanley by making that comparison.

Sure, his monorail fell apart, but at least he built it. This snake oil will never get that far.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Clearly this would benefit Edmonton more than Calgary.

Originally Posted by djsFlames

In theory an Edmontonian could get to the mountains faster going from vacuum train to car/bus in yyc than driving there directly.

It might also specifically benefit Calgary MLAs.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Yeah, but Calgarians can go see a river valley similar to ones in most cities, view Soviet style architecture, and and shop at 5 Aldo stores in one mall.

I kind of want to see the bibliotank so I can laugh hysterically at it.

If you ever needed architectural street comedy in your life, Edmonton is the place to go.

[You Need a Thneed]

Because Monorails / Maglev have taken off in so many places around the world!

Let’s build one that’s even more complicated.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Because Monorails / Maglev have taken off in so many places around the world!

Only when things go very, very wrong.

[Hi-Psi]

If there was ever going to be a Hyperloop or something similar, there would be one in Ontario before there would be one in Alberta.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Hi-Psi

If there was ever going to be a Hyperloop or something similar, there would be one in Ontario before there would be one in Alberta.

I mean, these things end up going where a government with money to burn wants to make a statement. So in many ways Alberta is more likely than Ontario.

But even with that factor I think I'd rather be the 3rd or 4th getting built not the first.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I mean, these things end up going where a government with money to burn wants to make a statement.

That statement:

"If pipelines are safe for people, then surely they're safe for hydrocarbons!"

[calf]

Originally Posted by SebC

That statement:

"If pipelines are safe for people, then surely they're safe for hydrocarbons!"

Think of the issues if it started to leak Edmontonians

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by blankall

Only $18 billion. The government seems to have that kind of money lying around. I guess theoretically Alberta will have about $4 billion dollar surplus this year. There are worse options than using it on an infrastructure project.

The project might be more useful in the London to Montreal area. Not sure how many people actually even travel between Edmonton and Calgary.

I do think this would be pretty cool. Maybe worth taking a loss on (with heavy federal backing that is) just to try it out, and the Alberta corridor is a solid test subject.

Budget surplus aside, this thing has never been built or even field tested, so its all hypothetical and untested, so yeah, 18 billion seems wildly optimistic, plus we've seen what construction budgets mean.

I would assume that the power requirements to propel a train crammed with people through a vacuum tube multiple times a day is going to be large.

There are some low speed examples, but no high speed ones built from what I understand.

Just reading articles, for a high speed one like we're talking about it was calculated at a cost of $100 million per km. China seems to think they can build one for 18 million per km, but we all know about how honest the Chinese are when they talk about something like this.

Even at a theoretical cost above which is $30,000,000,000. And that's with a much lower worker salary level in China or India

https://newatlas.com/terraspan-vacuu...ra-fast/23267/

What would people be willing to pay to take this thing between Calgary and Edmonton. I mean the cost to fly from Calgary to Edmonton is what $250 bones. What would people be willing to pay to take a train.

Double? Triple?

So lets say $750.00. Just to defray a theoretical $18 billion dollar cost would require 24,000,000 paying passengers, and that's not including defraying ongoing costs.

And would people pay that much regularly when a flight to Edmonton is 50 minutes, versus what 13 minutes by train?

If we were talking a tube to connect Calgary to Toronto where you could be in Toronto in an hour as opposed to what 8? Maybe but the cost at a 100 mil a km would be 400 billion.

They're talking about this because it sounds cool, not because its something that should be built.

[agulati]

On a semi-related note, I’d rather there be more of a focus towards high speed rail in Alberta. Be it Calgary-Edmonton or Calgary-Banff.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

And would people pay that much regularly when a flight to Edmonton is 50 minutes, versus what 13 minutes by train?

I go to Edmonton sometimes, and never fly, because between getting to the airport for check-in, security, flying, and then cab from Leduc to Edmonton it isn't much if any faster than driving.

I agree this isn't very plausible, but I think a standard high speed rail corridor would be great. Ideally Edmonton-Calgary-Banff. But knowing politicians we'd probably get. Calgary-Airdrie-Red Deer-Leduc-Edmonton. And a separate line from a different part of Calgary with stops in Cochrane, Morley, and Canmore before you get to Banff.

[Ozy_Flame]

I agree with bizaro86. Flying between Calgary and Edmonton makes zero sense. It's just as long and more expensive to do so. You basically only do that if its covered or you have some sort of flight coupon. I had to do the commute almost every 1-2 weeks for years. Far easier to hop in a car and drive.

HSR is probably the most realistic option, and would still garner overwhelming support as long as there is a financially viable plan to do so. And having it continue on to Banff National Park is a huge win for the province (and heck, why not to Jasper from Edmonton too, maybe in partnership with the RME) .

Imagine having to go to either town and taking the HSR option on a cold Winter evening. That would be fantastic instead of driving.

[GP_Matt]

I don't think for a minute that this will get built but so far no one has mentioned the funding source. From what I have heard, the proponents are targeting the Canada Infrastructure Bank for funding. I could see them getting a decent "loan" to study this and create some slightly more detailed plans. Then proclaim that it isn't cost effective and walk away from the loan. The CIB mission is to kickstart investment and this could fit that definition.
High speed rail in the corridor has been studied extensively and they can't get past the fact that not enough people will be willing to pay for the trip at a breakeven cost.

[para transit fellow]

The hyperloop is dead for real this time

Hyperloop One, formerly Virgin Hyperloop, is reportedly selling off its assets, laying off its remaining workers, and preparing to shut down by the end of 2023. It was a dream too impossible for this world.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/...sing-elon-musk

[Locke]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

The hyperloop is dead for real this time

Hyperloop One, formerly Virgin Hyperloop, is reportedly selling off its assets, laying off its remaining workers, and preparing to shut down by the end of 2023. It was a dream too impossible for this world.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/21/...sing-elon-musk

It had assets and workers?

[Bigtime]

I for one am shocked, SHOCKED that this happened.