Would you take the train from Banff to #YYC if rail service were revived?

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Sounds from this thread like most of CP is on board with it.

Oh, that other 'CP'. Yeah, I wonder what the long-term prospects are of that rail route. I believe right now coal is the most heavily rail-transported commodity in Canada, followed by wheat and then petroleum. And with coal usage expected to fall heavily over the next decade, that could open up some track space, depending on whether any pipelines are built. Are there any restrictions about shipping petroleum products through the national parks?

Consumer goods, intermodal freight, lumber, vehicles from Asia, potash, fertilizer, etc, etc. With a drop in coal, there is no shortage of goods that would and could take it's place. It's actually pretty amazing that a country like ours is served by only a single track from west to east. (Plus CN on the northern route). The CP mainline pre dates the Parks and they can transport what they like on their right of way.

There is little room for interlining and I would expect a Banff train to spend a fair amount of time on sidings waiting for a train to pass.

It would be nice to skip the stress of white knuckle drives on big snow days though.

[peter12]

Yeah. Definitely.

[troutman]

I would like train right to the gondola at Sunshine.

[Frequitude]

I would definitely use it for skiing if I could conveniently get to a base.

[Northendzone]

to me the pluses are:

- saves wear and tear on your vehicle
- trains have a certain romanticism
- it would be nice to see the ride from a different persepctive
- would be nice to take the train to lake louise as it is a very long drive from the deep SE

Minuses are:

- have to drive to get to train station, would imagine they would charge for parking
- you would ahve to keep your business on time to meet the train shedule
- would you be able to transport outdoor gear (bikes, climbing stuff etc)
- as mentioned elsehwere, what about transportation when you get to Banff

do you include a stop at Canmore? i'd imagine that all things being equal, taking the train would be more time versus driving.

PArking in Banff in the summer on a weekend can be a real excercise in frustration.

[para transit fellow]

It is a nice idea but I don't see it being feasible.

Without everyday high ridership it is going to need a major subsidy. Is ViaRail (i.e.: federal government) is going to be able to subsidize this route on top of the rest of the routes they have to subsidize ($300 million/ yr)? I think the schedule will be too infrequent to get people out of their cars. I also think the high fare will also deter people from frequent use.

Back of the napkin estimation of costs:
Commuter rail is like $500 - $600/hr for operating costs whether the train is loaded or not. Let's say a 4 to 5 hour trip to Lake Louise plus another hour for crew to bring train to platform/ move off platform to park. Then repeat for home trip.

Packing 70-90 folks (sardine style) into a rail diesel unit, I see minimum passenger fares of $50 person round trip (assuming 2 units and 150 passengers all the way to lake louise). A family of 4 going skiing will be at least $200 -- assuming heavy loads. but not everyone will get up extra early to

As a comparison, the new Pearson Airport to Union Station train is about $30 one way and is travelling with 90% of the seats empty.

I'm sure there are many other cost/benefit assessments available but I don't predict great repeated usage and see strong potential for "white elephant" status.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by para transit fellow

Back of the napkin estimation of costs:
Commuter rail is like $500 - $600/hr for operating costs whether the train is loaded or not. Let's say a 4 to 5 hour trip to Lake Louise plus another hour for crew to bring train to platform/ move off platform to park. Then repeat for home trip.

Ignoring the rest of your analysis, if a 180km drive takes 4-5 hours you won't have to worry about economics because no one is going to use it.

But I completely agree it probably would be uneconomical. I might take it once just to say I had but I really don't see anyone using it on the regular. Louise is what a 1:15 from the west side of the city?

[Weitz]

Honestly, unless its highspeed no locals will use it. Maybe once just to say you did.

[cam_wmh]

Could it displace local commuter traffic?

I know many Banff residents, with cars, that leave them behind to bus to the two big ski hills (work & play). The parking on weekend warrior days is insane, and with the Buses getting the right of way, it's quicker.

Can it drop off passengers in Louise? Near Charleston, or the Post? Obviously not the old station. That would be awesome.

Originally Posted by RinkRat

The cp line through there is one of the more scenic but not really until after Banff, spiral tunnel and all. That being said Hunter Harrison the CEO would fight it tooth and nail.

Why would he fight it? Would it displace other business?

[Frequitude]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

Could it displace local commuter traffic?

I know many Banff residents, with cars, that leave them behind to bus to the two big ski hills (work & play). The parking on weekend warrior days is insane, and with the Buses getting the right of way, it's quicker.

Can it drop off passengers in Louise? Near Charleston, or the Post? Obviously not the old station. That would be awesome.

Why would he fight it? Would it displace other business?

The guy is a freak for network efficiency and would not tolerate anything on his lines that would impact it.