Just across the lakes, an amazing transformation is underway to a rail system that is already far superior to that which exists on the south side of the lakes. Ontario, population 16 million, has a $50 billion, 20-year fixed-guideway transit expansion plan underway for the province called The Big Move. Most of this is for light-rail, subways, and regional commuter rail, but some is for busways. To put the scale of this investment in perspective, Ohio has 72 percent of Ontario's population. $50 billion x 72% is $36 billion. Can you imagine Ohio investing $36 billion over the next 20 years on busways, light-rail, subways, regional passenger rail? I can't -- not when we're investing less than a single-digit percentage of that, or only $7 million per year right now or $160 million over 20 years (FYI: 1% of $36 billion is $360 million). :-o

 

It's not just limited to Toronto proper. Some of the rail improvements extend as far out as at Niagara Falls, Barrie, and Kitchener.

 

What projects are in The Big Move? See for yourself: http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/bigmove/big_move.aspx

 

See what work is underway:

 

 

Here's some samples...

 

The heart of Toronto's transit system, Union Station. It's the busiest transportation terminal in Canada and getting busier. No surprise, considering 140+ high-rises are under construction right now in Toronto (that's not a typo, folks). So they're expanding Union Station above and below the tracks....

 

 

The new $5 billion Eglington crosstown light-rail line....

 

 

The new Union-Pearson Express train gets rolling soon....

 

 

Elevated tracks into Pearson International Airport are built and awaiting their first trains -- the most expensive one-way ride between an airport and downtown in North America ($27). An opening date hasn't been announced yet, but testing is underway. An announcement should be made soon here:  https://www.facebook.com/UnionPearsonExpressEN

 

 

Rendering of the new GO (Government of Ontario) Train Station in Hamilton. There is already a GO station in downtown Hamilton which will see its four daily round-trip rush-hour-only trains increased to hourly service all day with weekend service too. But this station below will allow GO Train to expand its rush hour service as well as serve the expanded service to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls which is served only by Amtrak now and summer-only GO trains.

 

 

Construction on the Hamilton station (serves a city of a half-million only four hours from Cleveland) has advanced much farther since this picture was taken last summer. GO considered using the old station in the background but it has another user. So they're building this station across the street:

 

 

This is the new Bloor interchange station above the Bloor subway on the new UP Express line, which is also shared by GO Trains to Waterloo (site of a new light-rail line) and Kitchener, plus VIA trains to Kitchener and London (100 miles from Cleveland). Additional tracks are also being laid along this railroad line as these tracks are also used by freight trains, though mostly at night:

 

 

Another major new station, the Clarkson GO Train and Bus station in Mississauga:

 

 

Looks like a road, but its actually a new clearing for a new track along the Lakeshore West GO Train line. This is at the Exhibition Station which is also served by the Harbourfront LRT. New tracks are being added along this line to increase frequency on this diesel commuter rail service on the 40-mile Lakeshore West Line from every 30 minutes off-peak to every 15 minutes peak. As part of this, the entire GO Train Lakeshore line (west and east) will be electrified for $1.7 billion from Hamilton, through Toronto and east to Oshawa:

 

 

The Lakeshore line isn't the only route that GO Train is increasing service to every 15 minutes all day. Ontario is investing $4.9 billion to increase service to 15-minute headways all-day from Toronto Union Station to these stations:

Meadowvale Station on the Milton GO line

+ Mount Pleasant Station on the Kitchener GO line

+ East Gwillimbury Station on the Barrie GO line

+ Richmond Hill Station on the Richmond Hill GO line

+ Mount Joy Station on the Stouffville GO line

 

Here is the newly expanded train layover yard at Richmond Hill for the frequent, all-day train service:

 

 

To read more on how Canada is kicking our rail/transit butt, go to:

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/bigmove/big_move.aspx

Good news from across the lakes. This is a press release, so I'm posting the whole thing....

 

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/909613/improved-via-rail-schedules-more-departures-more-passengers

 

January 23, 2012 2:02 PM

Improved VIA Rail schedules: More departures - More passengers

- Additional Montreal-Ottawa & Ottawa-Toronto departures -

- NEW express trains between Toronto and Ottawa in just 3 hours 57 minutes -

 

MONTREAL, Jan. 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - In response to customer demand, VIA Rail Canada will introduce new schedules in the Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto triangle, effective January 24, 2012. These important changes are expected to attract some 100,000 new passengers annually. The increased ridership will lead to an increase in revenues of several million dollars per year. This will reduce the need for government operating funding, good news for Canadian taxpayers.

 

Passengers on VIA's new Ottawa-Toronto express trains will make the non-stop journey in just three hours and 57 minutes. These new trains will operate every day except Saturday, leaving Toronto and Ottawa in late afternoon.

 

Customers will also have the option of a new late evening departure from Ottawa for Montreal (Sunday through Friday), allowing them to extend their stay in Ottawa beyond the dinner hour. Ottawa-bound travellers from Montreal will also have more end-of-day choices.

 

Passengers travelling from Montreal to Toronto will be offered two new trains, bringing the total number of weekday departures to Toronto to ten.

 

These improvements are made possible by the federal government's major capital investment in VIA. Since 2007, the Government of Canada has invested $923 million in VIA for capital improvement initiatives. Over $400 million of this funding is dedicated to rail infrastructure projects, much of this from the government's Economic Action Plan, investments which will directly benefit Canadians and the country's economy.

 

Over the coming year, VIA expects to complete other major rail infrastructure projects between Toronto and Brockville, allowing the passenger rail service to further improve reliability, and introduce more improvements, such as better trip times and more departures, including additional express trains between Toronto and Montreal. New or improved stations are also set to open later this year in Windsor, Oshawa, Cobourg and Belleville. See viarail.ca/transformingVIA to learn more.

 

More details on the schedule changes are available at http://www.viarail.ca/en/useful-info/customize-your-train-schedule.

 

Recent performance showing positive trend

 

VIA's latest reported financial results were at the end of its third quarter in 2011, for the period ending September 30. Those results showed significant year-over-year improvements in passenger-miles, revenues and cost recovery. In fact, since 1990, VIA's ridership has grown steadily, and revenues have almost doubled. During the same period, VIA's cost recovery has improved by 79 percent - from 29 cents to 52 cents of revenue per dollar of operating expenses. To view the full quarterly report, go to http://www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail/our-company/quarterly-reports/2011-third-quarter.

 

About VIA Rail Canada

 

As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail Canada's (www.viarail.ca) mandate is to provide efficient, more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation, in the country's two official languages. Every week, VIA operates 503 intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500-kilometre route network. Winner of the 2011 RAC Safety Award, VIA transports over four million passengers annually. Since 2007, the Government has invested nearly one billion dollars in VIA in order to improve and revitalize Canada's rail passenger service for the future. Learn more at viarail.ca/transformingVIA. Follow VIA on Twitter at twitter.com/via_rail. Visit VIA on Facebook at facebook.com/viarailcanada.

 

For further information:

Media contacts:

 

Malcolm Andrews

514 871-6604

[email protected] Michelle Lamarche

514 871-6137

[email protected]

Incredibly revolutionary for North America!!

 

Via Rail Canada eyeing private capital to build passenger-only rail lines to speed trains - a model for USA? http://t.co/EOA1MJpjAZ

Experience Toronto's new Union-Pearson Express....

 

 

 

I hate being "that guy" but Ontario is only 13.6 million, not 16 million.  Meaning, Ohio would be 85% of Ontario's population.

Ontario is also ~ 10 TIMES larger than Ohio!

Toronto’s @UPexpress rail link to start service on June 6 | @globeandmail – http://t.co/TPVZ73e3ur #GTA #GTHA #YYZ #Ontario #Canada #trains

What's that? Toronto's RER program continues moving forward w/15-min, all-day electric service on 5 commuter lines? http://t.co/nldITaO5tX

The Hurontario-Main LRT will bring 23 km of rapid transit to Mississauga and Brampton while benefitting the #GTHA: http://t.co/XTrU3M5mjK

Ontario is also ~ 10 TIMES larger than Ohio!

 

Suggestion: Look up that statistic first before commenting further.

Ontario is also ~ 10 TIMES larger than Ohio!

 

Suggestion: Look up that statistic first before commenting further.

 

By area, Ontario is 9.3x the size of Ohio. However, it only has 10.8% more people. Ohio is far more densely populated on average, and would therefore be far more suitable to transit by this basic measure.

Ah, I see he's referring to physical size, not population.

It probably helps that it's provincial leadership is also in its main city.  I've often said, if The Ohio State University had been founded in Cleveland, we would be Chicago and Columbus would still be grazing cows. 

And by that same token, if Cleveland didn't grow and stayed as Ashtabula West, Columbus would likely be Minneapolis-St. Paul.  These mind-games are irrelevant.

Ah, I see he's referring to physical size, not population.

 

I looked at a map to see it was larger.  I looked it up to say it was a ~ 10X larger.

 

Apology accepted.

Yep, besides this is about Canada. I only used the Ohio population numbers for us to hopefully better appreciate the general awesomeness of Ontario's actions with regards to its investment in rail transit. The context seems to be a sticking point or distraction with some. Instead, look at it for what it is. I hope we can just appreciate Ontario's actions.

Yep, besides this is about Canada. I only used the Ohio population numbers for us to hopefully better appreciate the general awesomeness of Ontario's actions with regards to its investment in rail transit. The context seems to be a sticking point or distraction with some. Instead, look at it for what it is. I hope we can just appreciate Ontario's actions.

 

Yeah, obviously there have been a number of opinions, not sticking points or distractions, some very good before they disappeared.  I can appreciate Ontario's actions, just don't see the need for it here.

Ah, I see he's referring to physical size, not population.

 

I looked at a map to see it was larger.  I looked it up to say it was a ~ 10X larger.

 

Apology accepted.

Yes, but the vast majority of that 10x is sparsely populated

 

 

 

WHAT: Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (LRT) project gets the green light.

 

WHO: Ontario government announced Metrolinx, regional transportation authority, will lead project.

 

WHERE: The Hurontario-Main LRT will bring 26 stops and 23 kilometres of rapid transit connecting Mississauga and Brampton along the Hurontario-Main corridor.

 

WHEN: Construction starts sometime in 2018, and the date for the first riders to get aboard is 2022.

 

HOW MANY: Projected ridership is 35 million by 2031.

 

HOW MUCH: $1.6 billion paid for by Ontario government.

 

+++++

 

New LRT will connect Mississauga and Brampton

BY ANTONELLA ARTUSO, QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF

FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 05:31 PM EDT

 

Ontario is moving ahead with the Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, the province announced Tuesday.

 

Through the Moving Ontario Forward plan, the government says it is investing in priority rapid transit projects that will connect to the GO Transit network and other transit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

 

MORE:

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/21/new-lrt-will-connect-mississauga-and-brampton

So within about five years, after I move to Hamilton, I will be able to take a light-rail train to the GO Station in downtown Hamilton and ride a 90-mph, electrically powered GO Train to newly expanded Toronto Union Station or connect to any of the stations for new/expanded light-rail, streetcar, subway or commuter rail routes along the way....

 

Provincial budget pledges 'rapid transit' for Hamilton - again

Announcement could come within 2 weeks

By Samantha Craggs, CBC News Posted: Apr 23, 2015 4:29 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 23, 2015 8:13 PM ET

 

It was another year, another provincial budget that mentions "rapid transit" for Hamilton. But those for and against light-rail transit (LRT) say Thursday's provincial budget leaves them with more questions than they had yesterday.

 

The provincial budget, presented by Finance Minister Charles Sousa, pledges money for "rapid transit" for Hamilton, which will be funded out of a $16-billion Moving Ontario Forward envelope for the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area.

 

But it didn't mention a specific dollar figure, or the type of rapid transit. And while Minister Steven Del Duca will come to Hamilton soon — one estimate says it could be within two weeks — to discuss transit for Hamilton, some say they've heard it before.

 

MORE:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/news/provincial-budget-pledges-rapid-transit-for-hamilton-again-1.3046267

Wow. It's very impressive what Ontario is doing with its rail system. Well above and beyond what any state in the US is even contemplating, let alone Ohio.

 

It probably helps that it's provincial leadership is also in its main city.  I've often said, if The Ohio State University had been founded in Cleveland, we would be Chicago and Columbus would still be grazing cows.

 

OSU is already located in Ohio's main city.

 

 

 

;)

When it comes to a province or state having a dominant city, Ontario's closest comparison is probably Illinois. Ironically, one of its most populous urbanized areas is just across the river from a much larger city -- Windsor/Detroit, East St. Louis et al/St. Louis.

 

Illinois has traditionally spent a lot of state funds on public transportation and rail (CTA, Bi-State, Metra, Amtrak), their new governor wants to slash state funding for transit/rail and boost spending on roads.

 

So if your state owned an electric utility worth $15 billion and sold a 60% stake in it, how would it spend that $9 billion? Ontario is spending nearly half on light-rail and commuter-rail transit improvements as part of a $130 billion infrastructure investment plan. There's some hitches to it, but I think this investment will pay economic growth dividends in the future...

 

Province unveils $130B infrastructure push in Ontario budget

The finance minister tabled his $131.9-billion spending plan with an $8.5-billion deficit.

By: Robert Benzie Queen's Park Bureau Chief, Published on Thu Apr 23 2015

 

The road to a balanced budget will be lined with transit stops, but there could be some bumps along the way.

 

Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s budget Thursday spelled out a massive 10-year, $130-billion infrastructure push fuelled by supermarket beer sales, a sell-off of Hydro One, and flatlined spending.

 

Saddled with a budget shortfall he hopes to eliminate in 2017-18 — in time for the October 2018 provincial election — Sousa said average annual increases on health and education must be limited to 1.9 per cent and 2 per cent respectively over the next few years.

 

Overall spending on other services — except justice and children and youth services — will be cut by 5.5 per cent, though no public service jobs will be eliminated. Some of the reductions will come from time-limited expenditures such as this summer’s Pan Am Games, which are already funded.

 

Sousa said Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals — re-elected last June with a majority — are “building Ontario up” by finally addressing the need for transit, highways, bridges, waterworks, and hospitals.

 

MORE:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/04/23/province-unveils-130b-infrastructure-push-in-ontario-budget.html

Another rail project funded! A press release.....

 

http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2015/04/ontario-moving-forward-with-finch-west-light-rail-transit-project.html

 

Ontario Moving Forward with Finch West Light Rail Transit Project

Project to Bring 11 km, 18 Stops of Light Rail Transit to Manage Congestion; Improve Economy

April 27, 2015 9:30 A.M.Ministry of Transportation

 

As part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history, the province is moving ahead with the $1.2 billion Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project -- a priority transit investment in the City of Toronto that will bring much-needed rapid transit to communities along Finch Avenue West.

 

The LRT will create 11 new kilometres of rapid transit along Finch West from the new Finch West subway station on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension to Humber College.

 

The project will help transform Finch Avenue West into a vibrant community, accessible to motorists, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians. The LRT service will also move more people, faster through the busy Finch West corridor than the existing bus service.

 

Through the Moving Ontario Forward plan the government is investing in priority rapid transit projects that will connect to the GO Transit network and other transit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). These priority rapid transit projects will increase transit ridership, reduce travel times, manage congestion, connect people to jobs, and improve the economy.

 

On April 16, 2015, Ontario moved ahead with its plan to unlock the value of certain public assets. This will provide the province with approximately $4 billion to build new transit and other priority infrastructure projects through Moving Ontario Forward.

 

Investing more than $130 billion over 10 years in public infrastructure ­-- the largest infrastructure investment in the province's history -- is part of the government's plan for Ontario. The four-part plan is building Ontario up by investing in people's talents and skills, building new public infrastructure like roads and transit, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

 

Quick Facts

 

+ The province’s Moving Ontario Forward plan will make $31.5 billion available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province and is expected to support over 20,000 jobs per year, on average, in construction and related industries.

 

+ Under Moving Ontario Forward, around $16 billion is being allocated to transit and transportation projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), and about $15 billion available for investment in roads, bridges, transit and other critical infrastructure in the rest of the province.

 

+ The environmental assessment (EA) phase for the Finch West LRT was completed in 2010. A separate environmental assessment for the maintenance and storage facility (MSF) for the light rail vehicles will begin soon. The MSF will be located along Finch Avenue West between Norfinch Drive and York Gate Boulevard. Preliminary design and engineering work on the project is ongoing and work is underway to ready the project for procurement.

 

Ontario MOT details electrification plan for GO Transit

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/commuter-regional/ontario-details-go-transit-electrification-plan.html

Hamilton FINALLY got the money!

 

 

Ontario Investing Up to $1 Billion for Light Rail Transit in Hamilton

May 26, 2015  News

 

Ontario will provide up to $1 billion to build a new light rail transit (LRT) line in Hamilton as part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history.

 

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the funding today while in Hamilton. The province will cover 100 per cent of the capital costs of building the LRT, which will help grow the economy, reduce travel times and connect people to jobs and to other transit systems.

 

“Our investment in the Hamilton LRT will help support the exciting revitalization underway in Hamilton,” Kathleen Wynne said in a statement. “We are making record investments across Ontario in infrastructure projects like this to strengthen our economy and quality of life — and lay the groundwork for future prosperity.”

 

MORE:

http://www.hamiltontransit.ca/ontario-investing-up-to-1-billion-for-light-rail-transit-in-hamilton/

http://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2015/05/ontario-investing-up-to-1-billion-for-light-rail-transit-in-hamilton.html

 

News Release

 

Ontario Investing Up to $1 Billion for Light Rail Transit in Hamilton

New LRT Will Help Drive Economic Growth and Improve Quality of Life

May 26, 2015 8:30 A.M.Office of the Premier

Ontario will provide up to $1 billion to build a new light rail transit (LRT) line in Hamilton as part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario's history.

 

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the funding today while in Hamilton. The province will cover 100 per cent of the capital costs of building the LRT, which will help grow the economy, reduce travel times and connect people to jobs and to other transit systems.

 

New, modern light rail vehicles on tracks separated from regular traffic will offer speedy service from McMaster University through downtown Hamilton to Queenston Circle. The LRT will connect directly to the new West Harbour GO Station, which is now under construction, and protect for a future, high-order pedestrian connection to the Hamilton Centre GO Station. The LRT will ultimately extend to Eastgate Square. Procurement for the LRT will start in 2017, with construction starting in 2019.

 

In the 2015 Budget, the government committed to investing in rapid transit in Hamilton as part of the Moving Ontario Forward plan. Through this plan, Ontario will invest $31.5 billion over 10 years in public transit, transportation and other priority infrastructure projects across the province. The Hamilton LRT project aligns with the government's priority of investing in rapid transit projects that will connect to GO Transit and other transit systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

 

The Premier also announced an additional expansion of transit service in Hamilton. The province will extend GO rail service on the Lakeshore West line from the West Harbour GO Station at James Street North to a new GO station at Centennial Parkway in eastern Hamilton. Construction is expected to begin in 2017, with completion in 2019.

 

Investing in priority transit infrastructure is part of the government's plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people's talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario's history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

 

Quick Facts

Construction is currently underway to build the new West Harbour GO Station to be open in time for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

To ensure that every region in the province benefits fairly from Moving Ontario Forward, the government is allocating dedicated funds to the GTHA and outside the GTHA based on their relative shares of the population using census data from Statistics Canada.

The Moving Ontario Forward plan is expected to support more than 20,000 jobs per year, on average, in construction and related industries over the next 10 years.

Over the next 10 years, weekly trips across the GO rail network will grow from about 1,500 trips to nearly 6,000. The government is working with its agency Metrolinx to bring Regional Express Rail service to the GO rail network.

Additional Resources

In June, we're consulting on 5 coordinated transit studies: RER, SmartTrack, Relief Line, Scarb Subway, Yonge Relief http://t.co/pmdH7R9y7s

Via Rail CEO Pushes For Expansion Amid 'Renaissance Of Train Culture In Canada'

By Alexandra Posadzki, The Canadian Press

Posted: 06/04/2015 2:29 pm EDT Updated: 06/05/2015 8:59 am EDT

 

TORONTO - The chief executive of Via Rail says it's a good time to expand passenger rail service in Canada by building dedicated tracks and increasing the frequency of its trains.

 

"There is a renaissance and an emergence of a train culture in Canada," Yves Desjardins-Siciliano said at a luncheon held in Toronto by the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.

 

Demographic factors such as the pro-environment values of millennials, the growing number of seniors with mobility issues and an influx of immigrants from countries where train culture is prevalent make it a good time to boost passenger service, Desjardins-Siciliano said Thursday.

 

"Young Canadians — millennials — have a green heart," he said.

 

Via Rail hopes to raise $3 billion from private investors in order to build dedicated passenger tracks between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

 

The company says the long-standing practice of sharing infrastructure with freight trains has hurt its ridership, which has been eroding in recent years.

 

MORE:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/06/05/via-rail-ceo-says--demogr_n_7513370.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

Apparently the above article was sourced from the G&M:

 

RAC ‏@RailCanada  6h6 hours ago

ICYMI: VIA Rail looks to private investment for $3-billion dedicated track plan http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/via-rail-looks-to-private-investment-for-3-billion-dedicated-track-plan/article24814969/ … #passenger #rail #travel

Cool fact:  Small town guy in a big city, Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers) wrote this song to acquaint himself with the Toronto East-West line.

 

Jun 02, 2015  | Vote0  0

GO Transit improvements announced for Lakeshore West line

Etobicoke Guardian

 

GO Transit’s Lakeshore West line will undergo a number of improvements to “increase transit ridership, reduce travel times, manage congestion, connect people to jobs, and improve the local economy,” Ontario’s minister of transportation announced Tuesday.

 

“We’re committed to making transit a better experience for customers and building necessary infrastructure now and for the future,” Minster Steven Del Duca said in a statement, noting that Ontario will be adding 127 roomier new GO train cars to its rail fleet over the next two years.

 

“GO customers will benefit from these new train cars and people using the Lakeshore West GO corridor will benefit from more train trips and a new layover facility.”

 

Here in Etobicoke, improvements will include the building of that new layover facility near the Mimico GO Station, which is being constructed to meet the growing storage needs that come with increasing service levels.

 

The new facility will provide storage and maintenance for up to six 12-car GO trains, and will complement service improvements under the broader Regional Express Rail initiative, including faster, more frequent GO rail service, with electrification on core segments of the GO rail network service.

 

On the Lakeshore West line, this will mean:

 

- 15-minute two-way, all-day service, seven days a week between Burlington and Union Station

 

- 60-minute two-way, all-day service, seven days a week between Hamilton GO Centre and Union Station

 

- 15-minute peak-direction, peak-period service between Hamilton GO Centre and Union Station from Monday to Friday

 

- 30-minute peak-direction service between West Harbour Station (formerly James Street North Station) and Union Station from Monday to Friday

 

- Electrified service between Burlington and Union Station

 

MORE:

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/5657419-go-transit-improvements-announced-for-lakeshore-west-line/

And it's keeps on keepin' on....

 

VIA Rail Expanding Service In Sarnia

By Jake Jeffrey on June 17, 2015 3:27pm@heresjake

 

VIA Rail Canada plans to increase passenger service to four trains a day in and out of Sarnia next year.

 

The service will be a mix of a traditional train between Sarnia and Toronto and two-car commuter trains running between Windsor, London and Sarnia.

 

President Yves Desjardins-Siciliano made the announcement Wednesday afternoon at a Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

 

He says the new trains will continue to make stops in rural parts of the county with the plan to accommodate, students, seniors and the business class. The Toronto bound train out of Sarnia will use the south tracks from London to Toronto, reducing travel time by about an hour.

 

MORE:

http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2015/06/17/via-rail-expanding-service-for-sarnia/

Yep, it's opening 4 days early! More rail transit goodness coming to Hamilton...

 

GO Transit ‏@GOtransit  35m35 minutes ago

Big news for #HamOnt riders - our new West Harbour GO Station opens for service on July 9! http://ow.ly/ODLD2  GO Transit added,

Ontario MOT details electrification plan for GO Transit

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/passenger/commuter-regional/ontario-details-go-transit-electrification-plan.htmlPrior to electrification,

 

interesting quote:

GO plans to significantly improve service on the affected lines to essentially the all-day level. The agency will thus become, in effect, a regional rapid transit service, transforming from its original traditional role as primarily a rush hour commuter service, with off peak service on the busiest line, the Lakeshore Line.

Once upon a time, GO Transit wanted to be that regional rapid transit system with trains as frequent as every 3-6 minutes! But trains every 15 minutes all day on seven routes out of Toronto Union Station is still pretty impressive. I'm writing an article for a Chicago-based rail publication as there is some Windy City jealousy of what Ontario is doing (especially as Illinois' governor wants to gut rail and transit funding)!

^For some reason our older American commuter rail systems can't break out of the rigid, old-time commuter railroad mindset, even in those rare situations where there's a system brimming with regional rapid transit potential (hello Philadelphia!)... It looks like brand new, though initially small, but electrified Denver will be the sole American commuter rail with 15-minute, daytime intervals.  Toronto is already very good, but will become a transit beast once it electrifies its Regional Express Rail network.

A concept we're working on. Love to get some feedback. Much research went into this, so this is the broad brush of the research done thus far. And that's MayDay[/member]'s Cleveland skyline picture below. How should credit be displayed in a final version? Viewers can click on the image to see larger versions....

 

Cleveland-Toronto boat-HSR LABELED by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

cleveland-toronto ferry-rail promo1 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

cleveland-toronto ferry-rail promo2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

In Hamilton....

 

Metrolinx ‏@Metrolinx  3m3 minutes ago

Bruce McCuaig and @StevenDelDuca are at the new West Harbour GO Station this morning. The station opens on July 9th.

 

 

Metrolinx ‏@Metrolinx  Jun 24

With GO RER we are embarking on a massive 10-year project to transform the GO rail network: http://bit.ly/1FktWwK 

First train arrives at #hamont West Harbour GO:

http://t.co/SBxwJgNu5t

They need to "GO" change their logo first.

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=index&crtr.page=5&nid=1013749

 

The Government of Canada and VIA Rail Canada announce major improvements

July 31, 2015 – Ottawa – Transport Canada

 

The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, and Mr. Yves Desjardins-Siciliano,President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail), announced today a significant investment to increase the safety and efficiency of VIA Rail’s Ottawa-Montreal rail corridor for travelers.

 

The Government of Canada is investing $102 million over a two-year period to support several infrastructure projects. These projects aim to increase the reliability of the service by reducing delays for users while at the same time improving the safety and accessibility of VIA Rail’s Ottawa-Montreal corridor service.

 

Quick Facts

 

+ This funding follows Prime Minister Harper’s $5.8 billion announcement for investments in infrastructure, in November 2014.

+ Once the projects are completed, travel time between Ottawa and Montreal will improve as these infrastructure improvements will reduce delays.

+ It is estimated that these infrastructure projects will create more than 2,000 jobs, over the next two years.

+ VIA Rail´s mandate is to offer a national passenger rail transportation service that is safe, secure, efficient, reliable, and environmentally sustainable, and that meets the needs of travellers in Canada.

+ The Government of Canada provides more than $300 million in annual funding to support VIA’s operations.

 

Quotes

 

“The Government of Canada is pleased to provide VIA Rail with funding to improve its Ottawa-Montreal rail corridor infrastructure. This investment will keep our rail transportation system safe and efficient for VIA’s Rail customers.”

The Honourable Lisa Raitt

Minister of Transport

 

“Thanks to this new funding, VIA Rail will be able to provide a safer, more reliable and comfortable service between Ottawa and Montreal through upgraded infrastructure and enhanced facilities at our Ottawa station. In addition, we are pleased to be able to add four frequencies (2 return trips) between the two cities in 2017 as a result of the Government of Canada’s investment.”

Yves Desjardins-Siciliano

President and Chief Executive Officer, VIA Rail Canada

 

Associated Links

 

News release – Federal Infrastructure – November 24, 2014 http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/11/24/federal-infrastructure

Backgrounder – VIA Rail’s Federal Infrastructure Initiative – July 31, 2015

 

_____________

 

 

http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=2&nid=1013689

 

VIA Rail's Federal Infrastructure Initiative

 

As part of the $5.8 billion in infrastructure spending announced by Prime Minister Harper, $102 million new funding will go to VIA Rail for several projects to improve the safety and efficiency of the Ottawa-Montreal corridor. The investment will be made over two fiscal years (2015-16 and 2016-17). Projects to be funded include:

 

+ Enable the Renaissance car fleet for use on the Ottawa-Montreal line and thus, provide customers with a consistent level of service west of Montreal while replacing older equipment. This fleet will also enhance the accessibility service for travelers in wheelchairs and/or with service animals‎.

+ Upgrade tracks and bridges between Montreal and the Ottawa area.

+ Build new track siding and make changes to the turnout to allow more fluid movement of trains in the Barrhaven area (Ottawa).

+ Repair Alexandria piers and abutments to avoid the risk of compromising the structural capacity of the bridge and to ensure the safe passage of freight and passenger trains.

+ Upgrade centralized traffic control signals to improve the efficiency and safety of operations.

+ Upgrade signal systems to improve reliability, efficiency and safety of operations.

+ Repair Ottawa Station infrastructure (main electrical power supply and distribution), and build high level platforms to improve customer safety, travel experience, and accessibility, as well as eliminate some delays.

+ Repair rail bridges in the Ottawa area.

+ Replace culverts between Ottawa and Montreal to ensure structural integrity.

+ Change/upgrade mechanical & electrical systems at the Ottawa Station to safely keep the trains ready to go without having to run a generator.

+ Replace bolted rail with continuous welded rail in the Beachburg, Alexandria and Smith Falls subdivisions and other track upgrades within the city limits of Ottawa.

 

July 2015

Port Stanley is the most likely destination for any cross-lake ferry service from Cleveland. For the first time in years, the port at Port Stanley will be reconnected to London and the national railway network with this small project. I'm also told the track south of St. Thomas (which is limited to 15 mph will also be upgraded)....

 

 

With restoration of missing rail link in St. Thomas, tourist trains to London are being touted

By Jennifer Bieman, St. Thomas Times-Journal

Thursday, July 30, 2015 10:13:45 EDT AM

 

A new batch of federal funding is putting the much talked about L&PS Railway Corridor redevelopment back on track.

 

The city is receiving $166,667 from the feds to reconnect the L&PS tracks to the CN Rail line north of Kains St. and create trails and parkland along the route. The estimated $600,000 build opens up the possibility of tourist trains operating between Port Stanley, St. Thomas and London – welcomed news for Elgin-Middlesex-London MP Joe Preston.

 

“Connecting the railway back to the L&PS line to London was significant to us. We're rail-locked here for our recreational railway,” said Preston. “Connecting it to the line so that others can come and visit us by rail and we can visit others is fantastic.”

 

The city secured the funding through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program – a federal initiative launched to celebrate the country's 150th anniversary in 2017. Over the next two years, the feds will invest $150 million in significant local projects across the country.

 

MORE:

http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/2015/07/30/with-restoration-of-missing-rail-link-in-st-thomas-tourist-trains-to-london-are-being-touted

 

Georgetown South is an immense project. Metrolinx is turning a sleepy rail line into 4- to 8-track-wide rail corridor, complete with electrification. When done, it will look more like the Northeast Corridor. Metrolinx acquired CN Weston Sub from Georgetown-Toronto and is pretty much done with the $1.2 billion project. The federal government is providing $55 million of that -- the rest is all coming from the Province of Ontario. Could you imagine the State of Ohio providing $1.145 million for a single railroad project? And that doesn't count the remaining $50 BILLION of The Big Move 25-year program, or Ontario's infrastructure program for the rest of the province that includes broad support for a $2.5 billion high-speed rail line to Kitchener and London that will benefit from this Georgetown South Corridor major improvement.

 

This corridor is used by GO Transit's Kitchener Line regional trains, VIA Rail Canada's passenger trains to London and SW Ontario, CN freight trains and, most recently, Union-Pearson Express trains running every 15 minutes. Trains on this and other Metrolinx corridors will be converted from diesel power to electricity from overhead wires as part of a $5 billion GTHA electrification project.

 

The beauty of this project is that was designed so trains could run at 100+ mph and more tracks could be added. In fact, at the southern end the rail corridor was lowered below Strachan Avenue at Liberty Village, just west of downtown. The Liberty Village underpass project features an 8-track-wide underpass although fewer tracks than that are there right now. Let's orient ourselves first from the Bathurst bridge over where the lines to Georgetown/Kitchener and Burlington-Hamilton diverge alongside the massive City Place development in 2009:

Toronto-Bathurst-eastview-2009-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Another view from 2009:

Toronto-Bathurst-eastview-2009 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Compared to May 2015:

Toronto-Bathurst-eastview-2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Looking in the opposite direction (west) from the Bathurst bridge in 2015, the Burlington/Hamilton line diverges to the left and the Georgetown/Kitchener line to the right. You can see the tracks starting to drop to go into the Liberty Village underpass:

Toronto-Bathurst-westview-2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

In 2011, the tracks were still at-grade through Liberty Village along Douro Street and the Strachan Avenue crossing:

Metrolinx-WestonSub-8track-underpass-StrachanAve-Aug2011 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

First you see it, now you don't. Tracks are there, just 25-30 feet below street level now (May 2015):

Metrolinx-WestonSub-8track-underpass-StrachanAve-May2015-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Mid-excavation of the Strachan underpass, south trench, in February 2014:

 

Nearing the end of construction, north trench, in April 2104:

 

What that project area now looks like from the air, with room for 8 tracks but only 6 now:

Metrolinx-WestonSub-8track-underpass-StrachanAve-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Traveling NW up the Georgetown South corridor is this station at Bloor Street, below which is the east-west Bloor-Danforth subway that carries some 200,000 people a day or almost as many passengers as all of the transit systems in Northeast Ohio combined. This station on the Georgetown South Corridor was expanded so that GO Transit regional trains and the new Union-Pearson Express trains could stop here. It was also designed for future expansion so more tracks could be added, including for high-speed trains from Kitchener, London and Windsor although the soon-to-be electrified tracks should be able to handle them for the time being and at 100+ speeds:

GeorgetownSouth-BloorStation-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

We travel a little ways up the mainline to arrive at the single-largest project in the Georgetown South Corridor -- Toronto West, or simply The Junction. This is where Canadian Pacific's busy east-west line across the north side of downtown Toronto crosses the Weston Sub at grade. I visited Toronto in June 1986 after my first year at Kent State and, among other places, stopped by The Junction hoping to catch a VIA train of self-propelled Rail Diesel Cars on one of the Kitchener locals. This one was running a little late, for it waited for a CP piggyback train (or as we call them today, an intermodal freight). Here, the Kitchener local crosses over the first set of diamonds for southbound CN interchange trains to turn west on CP and is about to hit the diamonds for the double-track CP main behind me. You can see a crossing tower in the distance for a man to operate the grade crossing gates and signals for the CN-CP interchange track. I don't remember if it was staffed that day...

VIA RDCs from Kitchener_WestToronto-June1986-KJPrendergast by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Today, The Junction of Toronto West looks very different. This $500 million grade separate project widened the Georgetown South Corridor to four tracks and submerged them below the CP mainline and the CN-CP interchange track as well as local streets. Here a schematic of what it looked like before:

 

Here is a schematic of the project site upon completion:

 

The connecting track at the bottom of this image is a different interchange track than the CN-CP freight connection. Instead it's for GO Transit commuter trains to/from Milton to reach Toronto Union Station. This grade separation project is so large that it cannot be easily seen in just one image, so I divided it into three starting from the southeast and moving northwest:

Metrolinx-WestTorontoJuction-May2015-3 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

In this view you can see the newly four-tracked Georgetown South line ducking under the east-west double-tracked CP mainline, as well as the CN-CP interchange track. In my 1986 view, the crossing guard's tower would have been in the upper-left part of this image if it still stood today:

Metrolinx-WestTorontoJuction-May2015-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

And finally, the NW part of The Junction:

Metrolinx-WestTorontoJuction-May2015-1 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

One of two new trenches, each with two tracks, under the Toronto West junction with CP. One track was placed in this trench but not yet tamped in May 2014 with another track coming:

 

In 2014, work crews were putting the finishing touches on a new viaduct over Humber Road/Black Creek Drive and the stream Black Creek, next to Weston Road. This four-track, passenger-only viaduct is next to a single-track bridge for CN freight trains:

GO Transit-Toronto-Weston-n-Humber-roads-June2014 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

A sunny 2015 view of the same area:

GO Transit-Toronto-Weston-n-Humber-roads-April2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

This view from 2009 looking east on Denison Road shows a remnant of old Toronto few associate with Toronto of today. I remember Toronto in the 1980s having its share of shabby-looking, run-down neighborhoods with a quite few nice areas in between and of course a glittering downtown. And the CN Weston Sub was a creaky, weed-choked rail line that had seen better days. In this view from 2009, this would be about the last time anyone would probably think of this railroad corridor in such derisive terms:

GO Transit-Toronto-DenisonCrossing-before-June2009 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

In June 2012, a half-dozen homes were demolished on the left/north side of Denison and construction was about to get underway on this underpass. The goal is to get rid of all road-rail and rail-rail at-grade crossings on this line in preparation for high-frequency, high-speed passenger rail service:

GO Transit-Toronto-DenisonCrossing-during-June2012 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Aerial eastern-facing view from May 2015 of the construction project on the Denison underpass:

GO Transit-Toronto-DenisonCrossing-during-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

A short distance northwest up Metrolinx's Georgetown South Corridor is Weston Station. This is a major expansion of the former station that was located just west of here (see next picture) with more and longer platforms, new walkways, and more tracks that can be expanded further with more tracks. This is also only one of three intermediate station stops for the Union-Pearson Express between Union Station and Pearson International Airport. The others are Bloor (seen earlier) and Etobicoke-North:

GO Transit-Toronto-WestonStation-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Next comes the Weston Tunnel. This huge project involve depressing the passenger tracks of the railroad right of way below street level to remove the at-grade crossings of John, King and Church streets and to reduce noise impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods from the large increase in passenger train traffic. This August 2011 view looks east from John Street, the easternmost of the three streets under which the railroad tunneled, at the then-tiny Weston GO Transit station (compare with the prior image). The overall railroad right of way was wide, meaning that few structures had to be demolished to turn this 3-track section into a 5- to 7-track-wide rail corridor through here:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-before-JohnStE-Aug2011-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

This is a view looking east from Church Street (the westernmost of the three roads under which the Weston Tunnel was built) in 2009:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-before-Aug2011-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Same view five years later, or June 2014. The house at right is gone and the railroad is yet to be capped with a concrete lid. A temporary two-track bypass around the project is along the north side of the four-track-wide passenger tunnel, although only three passenger tracks are in the tunnel now. Another track can be added to accommodate more trains, including the high-speed trains from London:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-during-June2014-3 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Another 2009 view from Church Street, looking west on the Georgetown South Corridor:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-before-Aug2011 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Five years later:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-during-June2014 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

This is the two-track bypass of the Weston Tunnel construction area. One track is being retained through here for infrequent CN freight trains to head north on CN's Mactier Sub:

GO Transit-Weston Tunnel-during-June2014-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

GO Transit commuter train bypasses the construction zone on tracks relocated out of the way of the construction work:

 

An aerial of the Weston Tunnel construction area from May 2015. In America, we wouldn't depress the railroad to eliminate three street crossings. If we'd do anything, we would demolish part of the neighborhood to put the streets below the railroad, similar to what was done at the Denison underpass farther up in this posting. The Weston Tunnel is a $189 million sub-project, if not more when all phases are considered (not including electrification). And it's not even the biggest sub-project on the Georgetown South Corridor improvement program (The Junction, shown earlier, is more than twice as large).

Metrolinx-WestonTunnel-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Continuing on more westward, the Georgetown South Corridor crosses over the Humber River valley and the Weston Golf & Country Club. When Canadian National owned this line, this was just a single-track bridge. Work was already underway in 2012 to widen it:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridge-May2012-Original by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

In 2013, you could never imagine this single-track railroad would grow up in just two years to become the grand-daddy four-track mainline it is today! And soon it will mature further with electrification, all-day/both-way GO Transit commuter trains, and the addition of high-speed trains from London:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridge-March2013-EastView by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Note that the railroad ties of the old bridge were directly connected to the steel bridge deck below. This restricts train speed to no more than 90 mph because, if the bridge deck settles or shifts, it directly impacts the alignment of the railroad crossties and thus the rails go out of alignment too. A deviation in rail alignment of more than 1/16th of an inch will definitely be felt by passengers on a train traveling at better than 90 mph, so this bridge deck is not sufficient for high-speed trains. And since it is only single track, it's insufficient for more frequent trains:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridge-July2012-Original by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

A better solution is to construct "trays" for the track and its bed of gravel called ballast. This is called a ballasted bridge deck and its allows for the bridge to settle and shift while causing less deviation in the ballast and rails. There will always be some shifting, but it is less dramatic with a ballasted bridge deck and it can be more easily and quickly repaired by tamping the ballast rather having to structurally alter the bridge:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridgeMay2014-2 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Construction progress of the Humber River bridge in May 2014:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridgeMay2014 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Crews were putting the finishing touches on the Humber River bridge in May 2015:

Metrolinx-GeorgetownSouth-HumberRiverBridge-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Next up the line, the Etobicoke-North station is much less impressive than the other stations hosting both GO Transit regional transit and U-P Express trains. I can see this station becoming the Pearson airport station on London-Kitchener-Toronto high-speed trains as it is the first opportunity to the connect with the U-P Express service:

GeorgetownSouth-EtobicokeNorth-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

Lastly, here's where the U-P Express tracks (opened for service in May) to Pearson International Airport turn south away from the Georgetown South Corridor and head into the airport (off the bottom of the image). The Georgetown South Corridor continues west where more improvements to stations, grade crossing separations, new and wider bridges and more. And now that Metrolinx has purchased the line from Georgetown to Kitchener, expect it to see more improvements to expand GO Transit service to all-day, both-way train services, not just the current rush-hour GO Trains and the infrequent VIA trains:

GeorgetownSouth-UPExpressJct-May2015 by Ken Prendergast, on Flickr

 

And this is just one part of the overall Big Move that Ontario is undertaking for the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area, which is just one part of the Moving Ontario Forward infrastructure program which SW Ontario communities are tapping for the London-Toronto high-speed rail improvements because they are tired of seeing Toronto get all the rail and transit money!

9/2/2015

Rail News: Financials

VIA Rail Canada reports 5.2 percent revenue increase in 2Q

 

VIA Rail Canada Inc.'s revenue in the second quarter of 2015 came in at $72.3 million (in Canadian dollars), marking a 5.2 percent increase compared with the same period last year.

 

At the same time, quarterly operating expenses decreased by 3.3 percent to $138.4 million, while ridership fell 0.1 percent to 912,900 passengers compared with 912,400 passengers in second-quarter 2014.

 

"Our revenues increased compared to last year, showing that our efforts are yielding results. Despite our success in this area, on-time performance continues to deteriorate due to increased freight traffic on third-party owned railways," said President and Chief Executive Officer Yves Desjardins-Siciliano in a press release. "We continue to look for creative ways to improve services within these limitations, in cooperation with our infrastructure partners."

 

MORE:

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/financials/news/VIA-Rail-Canada-reports-52-percent-revenue-increase-in-2Q--45616

 

Georgetown South is an immense project...

 

Very detailed update of this huge project! One question. Maybe it was answered in your post but I didn't see it. That section where the tunnel is being built under the 3 roads. What is going on top of the tunnel? Will it be a cap that is strong enough to build on top of? Or a long, narrow park maybe?

 

Very detailed update of this huge project! One question. Maybe it was answered in your post but I didn't see it. That section where the tunnel is being built under the 3 roads. What is going on top of the tunnel? Will it be a cap that is strong enough to build on top of? Or a long, narrow park maybe?

 

No, I should have mentioned it. They don't have a use announced yet, but per the project website "...the tunnel cover is being designed to accommodate a green space and/or recreational public use to be maintained by a third party, such as the City of Toronto or the Toronto Catholic District School Board."

http://www.gotransit.com/gts/en/project/weston.aspx

 

The reason why they mentioned the Toronto Catholic District School Board is because the St. John the Evangelist Church and School are located next to the tunnel.

It's amazing this small country (pop. 35 million total over a land mass larger than the USA) is building all this electric passenger rail, including HSR, and we here in the USA are only in the infancy of planning such ... California seems the farthest in the lead, but conservatives are fighting Cali’s plans just as are conservatives fighting the private HSR investors in Texas... As MSNBC's Chris Matthews has  asked: why can't we have HSR in the USA when it's being built all around the world (even in South Africa).  Matthews further laments that we in the USA don't seem capable of constructing hardly any major public works project these days because of all the partisan bickering, including fixing the worn out infrastructure that currently exists...  Re the latter, I actually heard a conservative radio host actually comment that talk of infrastructure is just the Left trying to win contracts for their union buddies.  Oy!... but that's another story entirely.

 

It's amazing this small country (pop. 35 million total over a land mass larger than the USA) is building all this electric passenger rail, including HSR, and we here in the USA are only in the infancy of planning such ... California seems the farthest in the lead, but conservatives are fighting Cali’s plans just as are conservatives fighting the private HSR investors in Texas... As MSNBC's Chris Matthews has  asked: why can't we have HSR in the USA when it's being built all around the world (even in South Africa).  Matthews further laments that we in the USA don't seem capable of constructing hardly any major public works project these days because of all the partisan bickering, including fixing the worn out infrastructure that currently exists...  Re the latter, I actually heard a conservative radio host actually comment that talk of infrastructure is just the Left trying to win contracts for their union buddies.  Oy!... but that's another story entirely.

 

 

It's all pork unless it's for their home districts, where bridges and highways to nowhere are the norm....

What I've found interesting is the response in the rest of SW Ontario to the new rail projects emerging in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton/Kitchener area. The response isn't "let Toronto have their budget-busting choo-choos." Instead, folks in London, St. Thomas, Windsor, Sarnia and Niagara are wondering "Where's ours?" Granted, the province isn't going to spend $16 billion for rail in SW Ontario. But they are pledging billions for infrastructure, including roads, rails and transit. That includes serious interest in the London-Kitchener-Pearson-Toronto high-speed line. And much of that infrastructure is already being provided by the $1.2 billion Georgetown South project as well as the $5 billion GO Transit RER systemwide electrification.

 

The cost for extending that high-speed rail infrastructure to London is relatively small -- about $2.5 billion. It's a lot of money, but being 1 hour from downtown Toronto and 45 minutes from Pearson International would change London's economy forever. And by putting that rail line into London, it's now only 23 miles from the north shore of Lake Erie and the principal rail transload site on the north shore of Lake Erie -- a publicly accessible right of way into America, most likely by way of Cleveland given its population and desire to be a significant international port city again.

Could we imagine Akron having 24-hour bus service to Hopkins or Dayton with 24-hour service to CVG??

 

New GO Service from Hamilton to Pearson Airport starts today. #HamOnt http://t.co/oSCK61lx6P http://t.co/3q3D9HpgKC