Quote:
Originally Posted by Spocket
Is it so "green" that it actually removes pollution from the air ? (Actually , I already know how some people are going to answer that so let me head you off at the pass. If the same people riding this high-speed link took the "regular" train right now for environmental reasons , we wouldn't "need" a high speed line anyway. They don't take the train today because it's faster and cheaper to take a plane or drive themselves. Being "green" takes a back seat to economics and convenience just like it always does)
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Actually yes, it would remove pollution from the air. Every study for HSR, as well as real world experience in Europe, shows that much of the ridership comes from people who currently fly. Whenever a new HSR line opens between two cities, air traffic plummets, and we all know flying is the dirtiest way to travel. People don't switch to the train because they want to be "green", but because the train is faster, more convenient, more comfortable, and more reliable than flying. It would totally transform how people travel in the Corridor, and even where people live. And being green really has nothing to do with it.
Obviously $25 billion is a lot of money, but the line is forecast to make a profit. And for the Montreal-Toronto portion the capital costs are expected to be completely recovered.