The Calgary Next pitch was serious for a select few as well, but at the same time, dead in the water.
A fairly good telltale sign that a plan isn't serious is when you release a plan that has a partner (the city) needing to spend well more than a billion dollars, and you haven't even talked to them before releasing the plans.
To this day, I have no idea how literally everyone work on the CalgaryNext plan wasn't fired that same day.
How many people fly between Edmonton and Calgary per day? A high speed train would be less hassle and maybe faster end to end. I just took the train from Montreal to Halifax and the boarding process was a joy…no security, no lines, no rush, just board. 23 hour trip wasn’t exactly high speed but that wasn’t to point of doing it.
The final mile problem is no worse than landing at an airport, probably better provided there is adequate parking and access to car rental if needed. We stepped off the train, waited 5 min for bags and we’re in an Uber 3 minutes later.
Highly unlikely Alberta would follow France’s lead and ban short haul flights though.
The biggest issue, as others have said, is that no matter how much we might want rail our cities and lifestyles are not conducive to it.
How many people fly between Edmonton and Calgary per day? A high speed train would be less hassle and maybe faster end to end. I just took the train from Montreal to Halifax and the boarding process was a joy…no security, no lines, no rush, just board. 23 hour trip wasn’t exactly high speed but that wasn’t to point of doing it.
The final mile problem is no worse than landing at an airport, probably better provided there is adequate parking and access to car rental if needed. We stepped off the train, waited 5 min for bags and we’re in an Uber 3 minutes later.
Highly unlikely Alberta would follow France’s lead and ban short haul flights though.
The biggest issue, as others have said, is that no matter how much we might want rail our cities and lifestyles are not conducive to it.
Is stealing an idea from the Chunnel an option?
Load vehicles onto the train so you have it when you get off?
__________________
Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Corporal Jean-Marc H. BECHARD, 6 Aug 1993
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
Just ignore me...I'm in a mood today.
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Load vehicles onto the train so you have it when you get off?
Then there is no point. Adding a lane to the highway is significantly cheaper than putting in passenger rail service. It would also be cheaper and faster for people to just drive rather than take the train car ferry.
The reason it works for the channel is it's too damn long for a bridge, so their only competition is slow ass boats.
Last edited by Bill Bumface; 04-30-2024 at 02:17 PM.
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Then there is no point. Adding a lane to the highway is significantly cheaper than putting in passenger rail service. It would also be cheaper for people to just drive rather than take the train car ferry.
The reason it works for the channel is it's too damn long for a bridge, so their only competition is slow ass boats.
I'm not married to the idea, I'm just trying to figure out a way to make this announcement useful
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
How many people fly between Edmonton and Calgary per day? A high speed train would be less hassle and maybe faster end to end. I just took the train from Montreal to Halifax and the boarding process was a joy…no security, no lines, no rush, just board. 23 hour trip wasn’t exactly high speed but that wasn’t to point of doing it.
The final mile problem is no worse than landing at an airport, probably better provided there is adequate parking and access to car rental if needed. We stepped off the train, waited 5 min for bags and we’re in an Uber 3 minutes later.
Highly unlikely Alberta would follow France’s lead and ban short haul flights though.
The biggest issue, as others have said, is that no matter how much we might want rail our cities and lifestyles are not conducive to it.
Whatever the number is I would hazard a guess and say a large percentage are connecting to a flight headed elsewhere or coming off a flight and connecting to YYC (or more likely YEG).
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Why do people here keep saying this is to appease rural voters? Airdrie and okotoks aren't rural. They're suburbs or bedroom communities. It's not like a farmer from Vulcan is going to think, man, what I've always been missing is a train to get to the city.
Agreed. She doesn’t need to do anything to keep the rural vote. Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks, and the outer Calgary ridings are our version of Ontario’s 905. Win these suburban voters and you win the province.
The day she won the leadership her campaign manager apparently wrote Peigan (or whatever that riding is) on the whiteboard as the target demographic. Hence the pre-election $$ handouts only for families (and seniors).
Whatever the number is I would hazard a guess and say a large percentage are connecting to a flight headed elsewhere or coming off a flight and connecting to YYC (or more likely YEG).
Imagine a 350 km/h train that went from Calgary to Banff or Calgary to Edmonton (core to core with stops at the airports and Red Deer)? It would be transformative if it wasn't too expensive.
* Calgary City Centre to Edmonton City Centre in 45 minutes (airport to airport in 35 minutes)
* Calgary City Centre to Banff Springs Hotel in 25 minutes
* Red Deer to Calgary or Edmonton in 25 minutes
Won't happen, I'm sure. But it would be pretty amazing. I've been to places like Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark. The trains just make it so easy to get anywhere. Really wish we had that.
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You do have to buffer those times a bit. The HS trains I've taken are slower until they leave the city, there is acceleration and deceleration time as well. But perhaps a bit over an hour Edm to Cgy.
I'm doubtful on the numbers for your Banff train as well, no way are they getting a track straight enough for 350km/h. I suspect even half that speed would be a challenge. Here are some sample curve radii for various speeds, you can see how a radius 7km is needed for 350km/h.
You do have to buffer those times a bit. The HS trains I've taken are slower until they leave the city, there is acceleration and deceleration time as well. But perhaps a bit over an hour Edm to Cgy.
I'm doubtful on the numbers for your Banff train as well, no way are they getting a track straight enough for 350km/h. I suspect even half that speed would be a challenge. Here are some sample curve radii for various speeds, you can see how a radius 7km is needed for 350km/h.
Then there is no point. Adding a lane to the highway is significantly cheaper than putting in passenger rail service. It would also be cheaper and faster for people to just drive rather than take the train car ferry.
The reason it works for the channel is it's too damn long for a bridge, so their only competition is slow ass boats.
I would do it. I hate highway driving. I'd rather sit in a cabin drinking a coffee and watching the countryside go by and then have my car to get around at the end. Ok, I wouldn't watch the countryside go by, I'd be reading Calgarypuck but that's something I couldn't do while driving. I'd also be flipping fuel cost into a rail ticket.
You do have to buffer those times a bit. The HS trains I've taken are slower until they leave the city, there is acceleration and deceleration time as well. But perhaps a bit over an hour Edm to Cgy.
I'm doubtful on the numbers for your Banff train as well, no way are they getting a track straight enough for 350km/h. I suspect even half that speed would be a challenge. Here are some sample curve radii for various speeds, you can see how a radius 7km is needed for 350km/h.
Hmm. How about armed goons at the train station to prevent scumbags from entering?
That's Government spending I can get behind
How about they get given, unbeknownst to them, tickets to the Jasper train instead. They look like Edm-Cgy tickets but the track # is actually the other track. Problem solved.
