Atlantic Canada Regional Transportation Thread

[Smevo]

Originally Posted by someone123

One basic question I have is how much it costs per km for the actual physical work (not administration) to keep a basic rail line in good working order. My guess would be that it costs very little, such as $5 per person in Cape Breton per year to keep a basic rail line functional, not counting the trains themselves. I could also see governments wasting more than this on red tape.

I think your assumption is correct. The problem is this particular stretch was sold by the previous private owner to a company who wanted to rip up the rails themselves to use in their other rail lines. The subsidy agreement is simply delaying their plan until they can sell to another company or the rail hits a state of disrepair where it publicly palatable to end the subsidy and let them go through with their plan.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Call me crazy but I would like to see Atlantic Canada and New England become a country together. From a transportation perspective, you would almost require better connection with the northern areas (between NB and Maine)
Passenger rail north to Bangor, Saint John and Moncton would be a no brainer as would a extended highway between Calias and Bangor.

[Smevo]

I wouldn't go that far, if only because I don't want to have to pass through customs every time I go home.

[Taeolas]

While that Maritime New England Union would make sense, that ship sailed a couple centuries ago. Or would take a major paradigm shift in the current US/Canadian nations.

That said, better transportation links are needed especially through Maine. A major transportation corridor from Calais to Quebec via Bangor is another thing that should have been done decades ago. But because it doesn't really affect the US economy much, it doesn't have much pressure. (It would be a huge impact to the Canadian economy because it would probably cut a day off of transport from Saint John to the St Lawrence Seaway)

In the mean time on a more realistic scale, SJ-MON-HFX should have twice daily passenger rail service each direction. On the one hand there may not be that much traffic for now; but it is something that would probably grow as the cities continue to grow. (Stops in Truro, Amherst and Sackville would make sense but probably not many other stops). Especially nowadays as there is a push to be greener and to use more mass transit.

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

While that Maritime New England Union would make sense, that ship sailed a couple centuries ago. Or would take a major paradigm shift in the current US/Canadian nations.

That said, better transportation links are needed especially through Maine. A major transportation corridor from Calais to Quebec via Bangor is another thing that should have been done decades ago. But because it doesn't really affect the US economy much, it doesn't have much pressure. (It would be a huge impact to the Canadian economy because it would probably cut a day off of transport from Saint John to the St Lawrence Seaway)

In the mean time on a more realistic scale, SJ-MON-HFX should have twice daily passenger rail service each direction. On the one hand there may not be that much traffic for now; but it is something that would probably grow as the cities continue to grow. (Stops in Truro, Amherst and Sackville would make sense but probably not many other stops). Especially nowadays as there is a push to be greener and to use more mass transit.

I’d love to see a rail line added with a stop at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. If people could take the train directly to the terminal, that would be huge for the airport and it’s connections to the region.

Like it or not, Nova Scotia (and the maritimes in general) are isolated from the rest of the continent so air travel will always be necessary.

In Moncton it’s also time they added a bus route to the airport. There is no excuse why this isn’t already happening.

[Aging Hipster]

Originally Posted by josh_cat_eyes

I’d love to see a rail line added with a stop at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. If people could take the train directly to the terminal, that would be huge for the airport and it’s connections to the region.

Like it or not, Nova Scotia (and the maritimes in general) are isolated from the rest of the continent so air travel will always be necessary.

In Moncton it’s also time they added a bus route to the airport. There is no excuse why this isn’t already happening.

Yes to all of this! Connect all the things!

[josh_cat_eyes]

Originally Posted by Aging Hipster

Yes to all of this! Connect all the things!

Agreed! In Hong Kong one of things that I love that they did with their new airport when it opened 20 something years ago, was they had a downtown train terminal that when directly to the airport. I imagine if someone living in downtown Halifax could just hop on a train and go right to the airport it would encourage more people to live downtown even if they had to use the airport frequently.

[MonctonRad]

I like the idea of Codiac Transpo serving Romeo LeBlanc International Airport, but it should be remembered that since we are a terminating (and not a connecting) airport, most of our flights are either really early in the morning, or very late in the evening when the remainder of the Codiac routes would not be operating. Connections to your neighbourhood bus therefore might not be available. Revisions to the entire Codiac schedule might be necessary.

FWIW, Maritime Bus serves the airport (at least on some of their routes). They stop there on their way into and out of town.

[L'homard]

I've never understood folks' zeal for a bus to the airport.
This is perhaps because I don't travel much for the past 20 years.
The part that I don't get is..... Why? Why take the bus? Do people really spend all that money on the plane ticket, but use the bus to save $20 or $30 in cab fare?
I'm a poor senior citizen as are most of my friends but no one I know is going to be waiting at the bus stop, luggage in hand, to get to their flight to Dominica. Or Montreal for that matter.
I'm not trying to be an ass here. I just wonder what I'm missing since so many people hold the exact opposite opinion from mine.

[J81]

Originally Posted by JHikka

No reason...New Brunswick Southern Railway totally didn't just let Fredericton's train station rot away for decades until public pressure led to refurbishment or anything like that.

Do you mean the McAdam train station? Frederictons station has been gone for decades.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by J81

Do you mean the McAdam train station? Frederictons station has been gone for decades.

No I suspect the Fredericton Train Station on York.

The Tracks were gone for decades, but the Station was still there. I think it was protected as a heritage building, but it and the land was owned by the Irvings who did absolutely nothing to maintain the building.

About a decade ago, public pressure finally got to the point where something was done, and the building was restored and the ANBL store was built next to it, leading to what we have now.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

No I suspect the Fredericton Train Station on York.

The Tracks were gone for decades, but the Station was still there. I think it was protected as a heritage building, but it and the land was owned by the Irvings who did absolutely nothing to maintain the building.

About a decade ago, public pressure finally got to the point where something was done, and the building was restored and the ANBL store was built next to it, leading to what we have now.

Yes. It was left to rot, as is standard.

[PEI highway guy]

This is slightly dated, however, I saw this on the NB transportation re the extension of the Campobell ferry. websitehttps://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/dti/news/news_release.2022.09.0544.html


ws Release
Transportation and Infrastructure
Campobello Island ferry service extension
29 September 2022
CAMPOBELLO ISLAND (GNB) – Due to COVID-19 restrictions at United States border crossings, the provincial government will continue to subsidize the Campobello Island ferry service on a month-to-month basis to maintain this transportation link for island residents.

“The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure understands the importance of extending Campobello Island ferry services temporarily, and on an as-needed basis,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jill Green. “This enables Campobello residents to move freely, to and from the island, without added restriction.”

While Campobello Island has a permanent transportation link – the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge – it is connected to the mainland at Lubec, Maine. As a result, a round trip to other parts of Canada requires crossing the border four times (two times each way) and amounts to about 150 kilometres of travel.

Since Jan. 22, the United States has required non-residents entering that country via land ports of entry and ferry terminals to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.

The seasonal ferry service has been extended since the onset of the pandemic. It will continue operating four days per week, weather permitting, at the regular offseason service levels.

The current schedule is available online.

[MonctonRad]

Feds were in Moncton the other day for an announcement at the VIA station:

Feds confirm Via Rail will replace entire fleet of trains, no clarity on fixing N.B. tracks
Transport minister reiterates modernization plan; transport advocate says tracks should come first
Rhythm Rathi · CBC News · Posted: Jul 11, 2024 6:14 PM ADT | Last Updated: July 11
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-b...rail-1.7260958

Pretty meaningless news conference. While they confirmed the entire rail fleet in the country will be replaced (not just those trains serving the corridor routes), they refused to give a time line.

When quizzed by reporters after the announcement about the deplorable state of the Bathurst sub, and how this has placed a 50 km/hr speed limit on that section, they made no commitment to repair and upgrading that section. They were also non committal regarding any new Maritimes routes (like Moncton-Saint John).

[Nashe]

I've always wanted to ride the train a significant distance, just to for the experience. But then I realize it's slower than car travel and more expensive than air travel and decide that that ship has sailed (wow, what a bad place for that metaphor?). Plus my only train trip has been London to Paris so that likely has ruined any eastern-Canadian experience.

[sailor734]

Seems like a pretty normal Liberal (or any federal government to be fair) announcement. Long on hype short on details. "We're going to buy some great stuff.....not sure what we'll be buying..... or when we'll be buying it.....or what it's going to cost....but it'll be great!"

Any significant expenditure on passenger rail equipment would seem foolish to me without dealing with the issues of track condition/speed limits and freight trains having priority.