Calgary - Edmonton Corridor High Speed Rail Gets A Boost

[Red]

So you get off in downtown edmonton or calgary by have to go to the big mall or somewhere out in south calgary. You still need a car, don't you? Now you have to rent one so there goes the money savings and then some. I guess you could take a cab, but that's again costing you unnecessary money.

What benefit is there over taking a westjet?

Someone brought Europe as an example of how these trains help. Well, they do there because they have a transit system to support that. Here you need to transfer 3 times just to go across the city and that would take you hours in a non-rush timeslot. We simply don't have the local transit system to make this train an advantage over driving your own car. We'd need to triple or more the amout of buses and c-trains to even come close to europe's transit.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by peter12

How about splitting the money between Edmonton and Calgary and, investing in real public transit for both cities first?

Cutting back on car travel within both cities would take pressure off of road infrastructure and cut back on CO2 emissions in a far more effective manner than a Calgary-Edmonton "monorail" link.

Here's the thing though, I'm certain this would be privately owned, and/or also have some private funding. Someone is going to make a killing off this, unlike public transportation.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Well that's the plan. There is land bought for the project in both downtowns... so yeah. Apparently it would stop in Red Deer only.

I wonder what passes would cost?

I know people who live in London, On and take Via Rail to downtown TO three days a week and work from home the other 2.

I wonder if a link like this would make it viable to live in Red Deer and commute to either Edmonton or Calgary?

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Red

So you get off in downtown edmonton or calgary by have to go to the big mall or somewhere out in south calgary. You still need a car, don't you? Now you have to rent one so there goes the money savings and then some. I guess you could take a cab, but that's again costing you unnecessary money.

What benefit is there over taking a westjet?

Someone brought Europe as an example of how these trains help. Well, they do there because they have a transit system to support that. Here you need to transfer 3 times just to go across the city and that would take you hours in a non-rush timeslot. We simply don't have the local transit system to make this train an advantage over driving your own car. We'd need to triple or more the amout of buses and c-trains to even come close to europe's transit.

Why can't someone pick you up? And downtown in both cities have great connector busses/trains. C-Train anyone? Wow. Extrememly short sighted of you to think that saving an hour of your own personal driving time would be useless. How much more work will you get done when you have an extra hour to spend? Don't have to drive? OMG, the inconvenience of having someone pick you up! Or, *gasp* take the C-Train!

I suppose I should also comment on the WestJet thing. Airports. It would be easier to check in/out of the train. Likely, the total time spent would be roughly the same, though with the train, the majority of that is spent actually travelling instead of preparing to travel. Also, the location of the airports. If I'm an executive and I have a business meeting in Edmonton to go to, I'm going to want to step out of my office tower downtown and onto a train... I don't want to spend 30 minutes getting to an airport and then dealing with the airport. Likewise, when I get off the train, I want to be close to the place I'm going, and don't want to deal with airports. Trains would also have a higher capacity than airplanes. But for those that are closer to the airports, they'll probably still fly.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

With regards to the at-grades that currently exist on Hwy 2 between Calgary and Edmonton, those will be removed since the province is eventually upgrading Hwy 2 to a fully grade-separated freeway. I would assume that the Stelmach support simply means that for the present, any future upgrade plans to Hwy 2 will include right-of-way for the rail. Actually I think a large portion of the rail right-of-way may already be available in the form existing and abandoned CPR lines.

As for the high-speed rail being partially funded privately, that would be an affirmative, as there is already a group of investors who exist out there who have created their own plans regarding the alignment of the railway and is in close connection with Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation.

[tete]

Count me into the "I like it, but I'm doubtful it'll happen" camp.

[Red]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Why can't someone pick you up? And downtown in both cities have great connector busses/trains. C-Train anyone? Wow. Extrememly short sighted of you to think that saving an hour of your own personal driving time would be useless. How much more work will you get done when you have an extra hour to spend? Don't have to drive? OMG, the inconvenience of having someone pick you up! Or, *gasp* take the C-Train!

I suppose I should also comment on the WestJet thing. Airports. It would be easier to check in/out of the train. Likely, the total time spent would be roughly the same, though with the train, the majority of that is spent actually travelling instead of preparing to travel. Also, the location of the airports. If I'm an executive and I have a business meeting in Edmonton to go to, I'm going to want to step out of my office tower downtown and onto a train... I don't want to spend 30 minutes getting to an airport and then dealing with the airport. Likewise, when I get off the train, I want to be close to the place I'm going, and don't want to deal with airports. Trains would also have a higher capacity than airplanes. But for those that are closer to the airports, they'll probably still fly.

But can you really save an hour after you pick up the rental car etc? Pick me ups don't work in the business world and this train is focused on business users.

You're thinking of aunt Edna coming for Thanksgiving in which casy you have a good point. I am thinking of people that travel on business.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Red

But can you really save an hour after you pick up the rental car etc? Pick me ups don't work in the business world and this train is focused on business users.

You're thinking of aunt Edna coming for Thanksgiving in which casy you have a good point. I am thinking of people that travel on business.

And that would be different from an airport how? Not to mention that you're already downtown in Edmonton and can probably walk to where you need to go, if it is indeed a business meeting. But I'll reiterate anyways, how is that different from the airport?

[Red]

Originally Posted by FireFly

And that would be different from an airport how? Not to mention that you're already downtown in Edmonton and can probably walk to where you need to go, if it is indeed a business meeting. But I'll reiterate anyways, how is that different from the airport?

It wouldn't. That's my entire point. Of course we already have the airports so no need to build anything.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Red

It wouldn't. That's my entire point. Of course we already have the airports so no need to build anything.

There are other benefits that support the train over the air. Again, your thinking is rather short-sighted. In addition to the ones already posted, how about the environmental benefits?

[BlackArcher101]

Well, whatever they do, I just hope they don't use bombardier.

[Cerebral]

Any thoughts on how much something like this would cost to ride on a trip up to Edmonton? It sounds like a potentially great idea though, it would definitely unclog the highway a bit and it would help out environmentally as well.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Cerebral

Any thoughts on how much something like this would cost to ride on a trip up to Edmonton? It sounds like a potentially great idea though, it would definitely unclog the highway a bit and it would help out environmentally as well.

I would say $50-$100 per person. More than the bus, less than airfare? I imagine there'd be some sort of frequent traveller options though.

[SaskaBushFire]

How about a double laned high way from Saskatoon to Calgary. Regina has one, we have one to Edmonton... its our turn.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

It would be cool if you could drive your own car onto a railcar, lock it up and go to a passenger car, so rather than a passenger train only it is more like a ferry...Ya I know it won't work but at least you don't have to rent cars all the time.

[HOZ]

I am in the

"Nice Idea BUT it is a white elephant" group.

This kind of project needs a lot of money and a population 3 or 4 times greater than all of Alberta to work and be kind of profitable.

Look at the problems.

1. Where are we going to lay the track?
2. How much would it cost to buy up that land?
3. So politician will have the track running through their constituency in no time. The thing will snake through Alberta and it will become the slowest fast train inthe world.
4. Stations: Where? How? How many? Best place? People will have to drive to the station...might as well drive to Edmonton or Calgary and have the convenience of a car at hand.
5. Airplanes are faster (so far), cheaper, more convenient, getting less noisy, and more fuel effficient.

Money best spent elsewhere.

[HOZ]

Originally Posted by SaskaBushFire

How about a double laned high way from Saskatoon to Calgary. Regina has one, we have one to Edmonton... its our turn.

There is one all the we to Llyod.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by ken0042

For those quoting Europe and Japan, keep in mind our train will be subject to a limit of 200 km/h- simply due to the gaps in the tracks for expansion and contraction.

I know hardly anything about trains.

But, years ago, I think I remember seeing something on TV about a bullet train that used magnetism for propulsion. Is that possible, and do they exist? If so, it seems to me that the train wouldnt actually be touching the track, and therefor the design wouldnt have to accomodate expansion and contraction.

If that is the case, couldnt this train be as fast as any train in the world?

[Red]

Originally Posted by HOZ

I am in the

"Nice Idea BUT it is a white elephant" group.

This kind of project needs a lot of money and a population 3 or 4 times greater than all of Alberta to work and be kind of profitable.

Look at the problems.

1. Where are we going to lay the track?
2. How much would it cost to buy up that land?
3. So politician will have the track running through their constituency in no time. The thing will snake through Alberta and it will become the slowest fast train inthe world.
4. Stations: Where? How? How many? Best place? People will have to drive to the station...might as well drive to Edmonton or Calgary and have the convenience of a car at hand.
5. Airplanes are faster (so far), cheaper, more convenient, getting less noisy, and more fuel effficient.

Money best spent elsewhere.

Great points, especially about getting to the train station. If it's downtown then I need to add 30 minutes of extra driving and add the cost of parking just to get to the train.

A trip to edmonton via a car will cost you $30 and will take 2.5 hours. Why would I spend 30 minutes to drive in to downtown (or an hour via transit) and then spend $18 for parking, take 1 - 1.5 hour trip to edmonton for what $70? where I'll be stuck at the downtown station with no means of transportation?

It just doesn't make sense. That project would never make any money, not in this market where everyone owns a car. Unless the population doubles this will not attract enough people to make it profitable.

About 3 years ago the estimated cost of a ticket was $57. I am sure we wouldn't see that now.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Draug

I know hardly anything about trains.

But, years ago, I think I remember seeing something on TV about a bullet train that used magnetism for propulsion. Is that possible, and do they exist? If so, it seems to me that the train wouldnt actually be touching the track, and therefor the design wouldnt have to accomodate expansion and contraction.

If that is the case, couldnt this train be as fast as any train in the world?

I think magnets are generally just used as breaking systems... At least they are for roller coasters. Jet propulsion and then magnets to stop them.