I'm loving this discussion and I think that its great that one of the councillors from HRM is reading this. So I really want to kick this discussion up a notch and get a discussion going.
First, I hate to kybosh someone's thoughts, but someone123 - LRT doesn't work in rail. I have friends with Calgary Transit and they couldn't use the CP rail because the trains are usually powered with a 3rd rail (on the side) for power, or in the case of Calgary Transit, overheard power lines. Plus the gauge of track is different. But, I'm going to post something seperately about LRT - because i don't think it should be discounted - just not with regular rail.
So when I was doing my degree, I did had to do a regional planning exercise and I was the transportation guy - the issues I figured out with rail were mainly that it didn't get you into the downtown. So in order for rail to work, three things had to be achieved (IMO):
1) Commuting time had to be more competative than auto (so 40 minutes or less);
2) The cost had to reasonable in terms of other forms of transit and the cost to park downtown (so slightly higher than say a regular bus, but not astronomical);
3) Provide a seemless connection into downtown (either through a direct route or by no more than 1 connection) that allowed quick changes - so off the train, to a bus and to your destination without waiting; and
4) Didn't incomber CN's trains (since they owned the line).
So then you have to look at what are the major employers on the Peninsula: Downtown office towers, the universities and the hospitals. So your focus should be mainly on getting people from the train to these three places. The first step of that plan is happening now - with the free downtown bus route proposed. That can be one piece of the puzzle, so the train comes in but instead of just one bus being there, there are several - incase one gets full. But there is a seemless connection. Then have another route going from the train station to the universities and hospitals. So say up south street, left @ South Park, Right onto Inglis, then right onto Robie, and end just behind the QE on summer street by the Museum. The return route would be similar during the PM rush. So, if you get on in Bedford - you'd get off at the Train Station, jump on the Hospital University Bus, get off and go to work.
As to the route; that's where I get really 'pie in the sky'. Yes a route to Bedford is important, but what would be the stopping points? Well obviously the Via station (lets call it Waterfront or Central Station - something interesting), Mumford (could be another connection point to the hospitals/university), but the big one for me is Bayers Road. Bayers Road is where the Chester Spur is and has huge potential. This is where I get (probably) controversial - I think you'd need to expropriate the Superstore and here is why: I don't think you limit rail to Bedford. The burbs are growing, so use the chester spur too. So Bayers Road could be the point where both lines come together and then go downtown - so you'd have double service from the Waterfront to Bayers Road, but then each line would go in it's seperate ways from there. Plus, if you build a huge station there - you could sell back the remaining land to Superstore under the catch that they build higher density there - so they can have their store, but towers have to be above it. That could then spur more office growth at the Village and some of the small apts on Desmond could grow up (say 5 stories).
So from there, you have a stop at Rockingham (for the Mount); then Chinatown (since there is talk of high density there), Mill Cove and then Downsview.
I look at an expropriation behind the mall - so that you could build a terminal off the mainline there. Then you could add more offices there, plus Downsview could be a spur point for another line (I'll mention in a minute). Then the last station could be at Windsor Junction (near Cobequid Road) with potential expansion out to the airport.
But why limit service to Bedford? The chester spur is a great example of treating rail at the bottom of the barrel for priority; but that could still be used. More political will would be needed in order to widen the rail right of way for a double line, but could be done - you'd need to expropriate. But setup a double line that goes from Bayers Road, up under the NW Arm drive (maybe put a station there?), then into Bayer's Lake (put a station there), Timberlea and out to Tantallon. As part of taking land to make the ROW wider, you could make it wide enough for the rail beds and then still keep the walking trail, but keep it well fenced off and seperated? This could capture people out that way better than the bus would and wouldn't have the same delays due to traffic.
And what about Dartmouth? Well - use the spur line to Dartmouth - so you catch it at Downsview, then it spurs off into the business park - maybe put it near the ferry terminal i've suggested for Burnside, at the Yacht Club and then take land and eventually connect it to the line that runs along the harbour edge into DT Dartmouth? So you could have a stop at Shannon Park and then at the Ferry Terminals for DT Dartmouth and then Woodside?
Why limit the route to just one place? The problem with my thoughts is that you'll have to negotiate or take land - which is never easy or fun. So there would have to be a lot of political will - but the benefits could be great; because you could build higher density, transit oriented development all around each station - allowing older neighbourhoods to grow again.
The other issue would be the trains - the 24 cars in Moncton is a good start, but no where near enough. Now you could buy BUDD built rail cars that weren't powered and connect them to these self powered trains to get more capacity - that would work. But you'd ultimately need more modern cars to expand.
The other catch will be car traffic for bus connections. A seemless connection at the train station is great; but if you are always going to miss the train coming home in the PM - not so good. Not sure how to resolve that one, but it would be an obsticle - but could also be a great asset. You could run the trains for the typical AM/PM commutes and then during festivals and big concerts/events. Plus, at certain locations (Mill Cove, Chinatown, Burnside) it could be an intermodal system - Rail, Bus and Ferry perhaps?
I'd love to hear people's thoughts on my concept - it's what got me an A for my regional planning project eheh.
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) and move operations to somwhere else, which would free up that land for a large mixed-use development, which could include a commuter rail station. The elimination of the seaport would also give a lot more flexibility in when these trains could operate, only sharing the rail cut with VIA Rail rather than VIA aswell as CN.
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