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Originally Posted by niwell
Neither Ontario or Alberta are broke in the larger context. I don't think the latter has the existing infrastructure or demand to justify HSR though. Calgary-Edmonton just doesn't have the population and the rail would have to be built from scratch.
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I'm pretty sure any HSR trackage would have to be purpose built "from scratch". It certainly needs to be dedicated and dual trackage is a must. HSR needs more precise tolerances in the railbed than standard rail.
It's really a matter of the government figuring out what it's priorities should be. Right now the governments are shoveling billions into our airport infrastructure. If they instead put a portion of this money into HSR, then high speed rail will become a reality.
Again, the true competitor for HSR is local/regional air travel, not the automobile. Personally I think HSR has it all over air travel in terms of safety, convenience, reliability and environmental protection. This is where the government should be turning in terms of future investments. The aviation industry should be reserved for inter-regional and international travel.
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