VIA Rail

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by milomilo

I figured they'd be signalled in both directions. If I'd only seen trains in passing sidings passing on the left a few times I'd have thought it was random or unusual, but it seems like they do it every time, at least on the prairies.

CPR previous double track between Thunder Bay and Portage la Prairie was right hand side but the signalling system was ABS so trains didn’t usually pass one another going the same direction. CNR between Montreal and Sarnia was also generally right hand side. On single track it usually depends on the topography and available space rather than being right handed or left handed.

[GreatTallNorth2]

Federal transport minister will be in London tomorrow to make an announcement regarding rail service in SW Ontario.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/federal-ra...sday-1.5516896

[Truenorth00]

I wouldn't expect much. They hadn't to placate SWO after HFR just focused on the East.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I wouldn't expect much. They hadn't to placate SWO after HFR just focused on the East.

At a minimum I hope they restore service to pre-2012 levels. Ideally I’d like to see more frequent service for Sarnia and Stratford, which have borne the brunt of previous cuts.

Also, about 15 years ago there was a proposal to add a Windsor-Sarnia route that would go from Windsor to London, backtrack to Komoka and then go to Sarnia. It was supposed to use Budd cars. I wonder if that’s still on the table.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

At a minimum I hope they restore service to pre-2012 levels. Ideally I’d like to see more frequent service for Sarnia and Stratford, which have borne the brunt of previous cuts.

Also, about 15 years ago there was a proposal to add a Windsor-Sarnia route that would go from Windsor to London, backtrack to Komoka and then go to Sarnia. It was supposed to use Budd cars. I wonder if that’s still on the table.

Is there a need for this? Are the current/pre 2020 coaches full?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

At a minimum I hope they restore service to pre-2012 levels. Ideally I’d like to see more frequent service for Sarnia and Stratford, which have borne the brunt of previous cuts.

That was probably going to happen with the new fleet anyway. Guess they can make that official.

Mostly, what is really needed is that they fund the studies for HFR West just like $72M spending over three years that developed HFR East. That is what Southwestern Ontarians should be demanding.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

That was probably going to happen with the new fleet anyway. Guess they can make that official.

Mostly, what is really needed is that they fund the studies for HFR West just like $72M spending over three years that developed HFR East. That is what Southwestern Ontarians should be demanding.

As I wrote yesterday on Urban Toronto, I would not expect any announcements regarding changes of frequencies:

Given that the Northern Line operates at only 50% (1 out of 2 daily trains) and the Southern Line at 40% (2 out of 5 daily trains) compared to pre-covid schedules, I highly doubt there will be any additional frequencies announced, as it would simply be an ordinary service resumption, just like VIA has done more than a half-dozen times (June 3rd, 2020 on TOM, July 14th on QMO, September 1st across the Corridor, September 11 on TOM, April 1st, 2021 on Corridor East, May 17th on TOM and June 12th on Corridor East) without any accompanying federal communications. Restoring 85 and 88 and extending it back to Sarnia would be a different thing, but it would be a very suspicious timing and a break with a decade-long tradition of the feds controling VIA's funding while letting VIA figure out what changes in frequencies allow them to stay within the prescribed funding envelope...

However, expanding the study scope of HFR would not require a commitment to anything, while increasing the number of people who's hopes for better intercity rail connections are held hostage by the looming threat of a change of power in Ottawa...

[GreatTallNorth2]

I have no idea what is being announced, but anything that increases passenger rail service in the region is a good thing. Just before the pandemic hit, Caroline Mulroney (Transport Minister for Ontario) came to London to say they were discussing bringing GO trains were being discussed to London.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/ford-gover...ssed-1.4772107

[Innsertnamehere]

Upgrading the rail line through Stratford and Kitchener to offer much improved speeds would be nice for sure - another possibility is restoring the bypass track around Brantford which could likely cut travel speeds further on the existing route for London service.

[Urban_Sky]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Upgrading the rail line through Stratford and Kitchener to offer much improved speeds would be nice for sure - another possibility is restoring the bypass track around Brantford which could likely cut travel speeds further on the existing route for London service.

Couldn't find any link to a livestream of the announcement, which should have just started, but it certainly won't pertain a Brantford Bypass, as it would just bypass Canada's 30th-largest CMA without achieving anything tangible...

[Innsertnamehere]

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-c...n-ontario.html

Basically announcing that they will "investigate improved service in Southwester Ontario" - so nothing much really.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-c...n-ontario.html

Basically announcing that they will "investigate improved service in Southwester Ontario" - so nothing much really.

I expected something boiler plate. But man, they couldn't even say, "We're putting down xyz million dollars for this study."

[GreatTallNorth2]

What a total letdown. You bring the Federal transport minister for that?

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

What a total letdown. You bring the Federal transport minister for that?

LOL. Gotta do some messaging for the campaign.

In any event, there's never been any practical way to go west of Union without getting Metrolinx onboard. And this is finally an acknowledgement of that reality. After the election, I expect VIA will finally sit down Queen's Park and Metrolinx and hammer out a way forward.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

LOL. Gotta do some messaging for the campaign.

In any event, there's never been any practical way to go west of Union without getting Metrolinx onboard. And this is finally an acknowledgement of that reality. After the election, I expect VIA will finally sit down Queen's Park and Metrolinx and hammer out a way forward.

With the loss of Greyhound and the impending sale of the former bus station, there is an opportunity for the VIA station to become more of a regional transportation hub. Especially if GO ever expands that way.

Another thing VIA is going to need to take into account is President Biden's plans for Amtrak, which include a new Detroit-Toronto service which would go through London. So VIA is likely going to be working with both Metrolinx and Amtrak on this.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by manny_santos

With the loss of Greyhound and the impending sale of the former bus station, there is an opportunity for the VIA station to become more of a regional transportation hub. Especially if GO ever expands that way.

It's not VIA's responsibility to build a regional transportation hub for Southwestern Ontario in London. That is for Queen's Park to do.

Originally Posted by manny_santos

Another thing VIA is going to need to take into account is President Biden's plans for Amtrak, which include a new Detroit-Toronto service which would go through London. So VIA is likely going to be working with both Metrolinx and Amtrak on this.

Meh. The American budgetary and legislative process is so convoluted that we won't know for months what exactly is getting funded. And even then it's a handful of Amtrak trains heading north. Really not a big deal to consider or accomodate. Figuring out how to go west of Union and service Pearson with high frequency rail services? That is an actually huge issue that will require deep coordination with Metrolinx.

[Innsertnamehere]

I believe Amtrak is only planning to run one train daily between Toronto and Chicago, similar to how the Maple Leaf operates today. it's not going to need a lot of money spent on it to happen, though any speed improvements on its route would help it's viability, they shouldn't be made *for* it specifically.

[TorontoDrew]

I wonder how much it will cost, porter flights to Chicago are pretty cheap. At least before Covid.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

It's not VIA's responsibility to build a regional transportation hub for Southwestern Ontario in London. That is for Queen's Park to do.

It doesn't need to be VIA; I should have worded that better. I was thinking more of a shared facility in collaboration with Queen's Park where GO could also stop. There are several joint GO-VIA stations already, such as Aldershot.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-c...n-ontario.html

Basically announcing that they will "investigate improved service in Southwester Ontario" - so nothing much really.

Worthless platitudes.