Should canada have high-speed rail?
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YJ - Wow, you must be driving a Ferrari! The distance between Windsor and Toronto is around 370 km, and it used to take me around 4 hours, a few minutes more if I stopped for a coffee in London. Now let's see...if you use a conservative average speed of 300 km/hr. for HS Rail, you'd be looking at about 1 hour, 15 minutes. That would leave a difference of 2 hrs. 45 minutes in driving vs. rail times. Some of the newer HS Rail speeds - over 500 km/hr. - could reduce that train time to 45 minutes or less.
The Montreal - Toronto distance is around 540 km. Using the same conservative averrage HS Rail speed of 300 km/hr., you'd be looking at about 1 hr. 50 min. in rail time, vs. somewhere around 6 hours by car (if my memory is still functioning). If you dialed up the speed to the more modern trains that are emerging - again, around 500 km/hr., you'd be looking at a train time on that run of around 1 hour, 10 minutes.
So, the total train time from Windsor to Montreal could be between a bit more than 3 hours at conservative speeds and less than 2 hours (plus a stop time in Toonto). Compared to at least 10 hours by car (and likely more, with stops), that seems to be quite a time saving.
Japan is a small country in area, but it's quite long - from Montreal to South Carolina if you laid it on a North American map - and the people concentration is much like Canada...all in a long skinny line. Their main bullet train line is around 2,500 km long.
I certanily agree with you that 19th century rail in alive and well in Canada today. But high speed? It appears to be worth a look.
Avro, speed is not always the answer.
While I was working, I had to take trips from Toronto to our company's Head Office in Akron, Ohio.
I always preferred to drive, while some of my colleagues chose flying. When I drove - QEW, I90, I271, I77 - I always beat to the Head Office those who flew.
While I was working, I had to take trips from Toronto to our company's Head Office in Akron, Ohio.
I always preferred to drive, while some of my colleagues chose flying. When I drove - QEW, I90, I271, I77 - I always beat to the Head Office those who flew.
Why would it have to do that?
Flights from Toronto to Montreal don't stop in Kingston.
And miraculously enough, lots of people travel to Montreal or Kingston and don't rent cars when they get there.
That is complete horsefeathers. You've obviously never driven it. The Cochihalla hwy, the Hope/Princeton, The Roger's Pass are engineering marvels that any country would be proud of. The no.1 hwy across the prairies is a good road even if it can be a bit monotonous. As is the hwy around the shore of Lake Superior in Ontario.
YJ you should take the drive from Halifax to Port aux Basques. Mind the puddles..:smile::roll:
I have also taken the train up north to my cottage in South River and the time is reduced by train.
High speed train would be even faster.....and blow away any speed done in a car.
Hey YJ - 200 km/hr. is pretty slow for "high speed"...
I don't know if a Kingston stop would work or even be necessary on an express mover like this, but even if it did, the stops on a high speed (at least in Japan) are about 5 minutes...they're pretty organized! And, an electric bullet train would win hands down in a drag race with your car...they accelerate very "briskly." I could figure out the what that stop would do to the average speed, but there's likely an expert out there that could do it better than me...not a dramatic reduction in time though, I'd guess.
The TCH in NB is a fairly nice highway, you can cruise from one end of the province to the other, non stop, at 125km/h, and only have two level crossings of railroad tracks.
"But high speed? It appears to be worth a look."
But who will use it?
Most people would willingly give up a few minutes of travelling time for not having to rely on schedules and for having the freedom to stop whenever they want - or not stopping at all.
And let us not forget: if and when high speed rail becomes popular with travellers, it will also become popular with terrorists. And they don't even have to be on the train. A bridge here and there, a switch moved the wrong way, a brake altered, etc. would be the favourite target of peace-loving, swarthy characters who mostly monitor our airlines presently.
But who will use it?
Most people would willingly give up a few minutes of travelling time for not having to rely on schedules and for having the freedom to stop whenever they want - or not stopping at all.
And let us not forget: if and when high speed rail becomes popular with travellers, it will also become popular with terrorists. And they don't even have to be on the train. A bridge here and there, a switch moved the wrong way, a brake altered, etc. would be the favourite target of peace-loving, swarthy characters who mostly monitor our airlines presently.
YukonJack;1211235 said:
I guess that's why nobody flies between Toronto and Montreal, or Toronto and Ottawa.
The trains aren't empty in Europe and Japan.
So why would they be here?
Any last straws you'd like to hang onto?:lol:
Give me a TBM and I'll get you to MTL in 2 hrs with a half hour stop in Ottawa. Terrorist and weather free by the way.
"How fast do you drive?"
petros, I would be lying if I said that I obey the posted speed limit.
However, I go with the flow, and on the 401, anywhere between Windor and the Quebec border is about 130km/h. More once in qQuebec on Route 20. And I usually drive untill my tank is emty, abouit 650 kms.
So, Windsor-Montreal about five hours.
petros, I would be lying if I said that I obey the posted speed limit.
However, I go with the flow, and on the 401, anywhere between Windor and the Quebec border is about 130km/h. More once in qQuebec on Route 20. And I usually drive untill my tank is emty, abouit 650 kms.
So, Windsor-Montreal about five hours.
Who would use it? Yes, that is the likely the most important question of all. Who, and how many...
Well, let's see - for sure, a lot of business people would. We have an incredible number of people that move back and forth on those corridors (Montreal-Toronto, Toronto-Windsor) for business meetings of all sorts. And they will go for time savings every time. I used to be one of them, and I even used the VIA "service" from time to time, although it wasn't for the time savings. Reason I did it? So that I wouldn't be burned out by the time I got to the meeting...driving on the 401 isn't a relaxing experience at the best of times, but in the winter, or with heavy traffic, it's not a picnic. Flying for short distances like that is a pain in the butt, especially these days.
Tourists. Sure, there are lots of people who are visiting those areas every year that would take advantage of a service like that. It's a fast and easy way to get from centre to centre.
People who don't drive. You see this more in Toronto than any other place in Canada, but a lot of people don't drive and don't even have a car. If they want to go to Montreal or Windsor, they have a choice of snail train, air, or bus.
People who drive. I'm sure there are many that would take the trip instead of driving their own car just for the sake of avoiding hassles...that 401 stretch between London and Windsor has had some nasty accidents, and I am sure there are many that would simply rather avoid it. Ditto for the Montreal leg...it's not a pleasant drive, with all the truck traffic at all times of the day and night.
Those are just a few thoughts on it...
juan, opined:
"That is complete horsefeathers. You've obviously never driven it. The Cochihalla hwy, the Hope/Princeton, The Roger's Pass are engineering marvels that any country would be proud of. The no.1 hwy across the prairies is a good road even if it can be a bit monotonous. As is the hwy around the shore of Lake Superior in Ontario.
YJ you should take the drive from Halifax to Port aux Basques. Mind the puddles.."
Yes, I've driven the grossly overpriced Cochohilla. It is comparable to the absolutely FREE I90, I80 and I70 (all through the Rockies) in the united States.
I've driven the Rogers Pass, the Kicking Horse Pass, the Kooteney Pass, the Anarchist Pass as well as highways in Quebec, pretty much all the highways in Ontatio, the Atlantic Provinces and Newfoundland.
So, please be careful about who is spreading horse feathers.
"That is complete horsefeathers. You've obviously never driven it. The Cochihalla hwy, the Hope/Princeton, The Roger's Pass are engineering marvels that any country would be proud of. The no.1 hwy across the prairies is a good road even if it can be a bit monotonous. As is the hwy around the shore of Lake Superior in Ontario.
YJ you should take the drive from Halifax to Port aux Basques. Mind the puddles.."
Yes, I've driven the grossly overpriced Cochohilla. It is comparable to the absolutely FREE I90, I80 and I70 (all through the Rockies) in the united States.
I've driven the Rogers Pass, the Kicking Horse Pass, the Kooteney Pass, the Anarchist Pass as well as highways in Quebec, pretty much all the highways in Ontatio, the Atlantic Provinces and Newfoundland.
So, please be careful about who is spreading horse feathers.