Quote:
Originally Posted by roger1818
What other destinations do you think could have sufficient demand for rail service? Lethbridge is only slightly larger than Red Deer and hardly justifiable as a destination. They might be able to run trains to Banff and Lake Louise, but demand would be very seasonal and hard to justify.
Buses would be a better option, and having those integrated with a rail service could create some synergy to drive demand for both.
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It's not really that I don't think Calgary - Edmonton would be a viable service, I think it would be given time and significant investment. I just think there may be smaller investments we could make that would be politically easier and would have a faster return. Starting from zero and building a good passenger rail line between the two cities would require massive investment and could end up being a political issue, guaranteeing it ends up being delayed and even more controversial.
We haven't seen many good numbers on any of this, but my guess is that a Banff - Calgary line and a Calgary - Airdrie line would require the smallest amount of investment for a good return, although it would still be a lot of money. If we can build something like that, and it's successful, incrementally adding to it will be a much easier sell, IMO.
I agree with hipster duck too that if we're to do this, it should be pushed by Alberta or it will never happen. And that makes sense anyway, it's wholly within the province.