Life on the Rails

[Barrister]

Also, if we're getting new tracks, make GO Great Again (or great for once might be more accurate). It's actually quite a busy route. But as explained (I think in this thread) it's slow.

As I understand it, it's because GO operates on existing rail lines, and has to share track with freight train. 

There's not much you can do about that short of building dedicated lines.  Which is the tremendous promise, and incredible, eye-watering expense, of a high speed rail system - dedicated lines.

[HVC]

Yeah, sorry I meant lay new lines, if we're laying lines. I'm assuming, no doubt ignorantly, that it'd be easier to lay new lines next to existing ones rather then a brand new passageway like they're doing for the Quebec - Ontario line.

[Barrister]

Yeah, sorry I meant lay new lines, if we're laying lines. I'm assuming, no doubt ignorantly, that it'd be easier to lay new lines next to existing ones rather then a brand new passageway like they're doing for the Quebec - Ontario line.

I don't think that's right, actually.

Existing lines are now going right through the middle of dense urban areas.  In order to put down new lines that means you need to widen the rail corridor - which means buying/expropriating a bunch of really expensive land.

If you're just going through a bunch of farmer's fields it's a lot cheaper and easier.

[HVC]

Fair point. Guess I'll never get fast GO trains

[Savonarola]

So, Sav, will be you working more often in Canada in the not so distant future?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/high-speed-rail-canada-1.7365835


Might as well discuss it here instead of the Canada thread, but does anyone outside of China and Japan build maglev high speed trains?

Good find, what jumps out at me in the article is that none of the consortia has a rail signaling company in it.  This will be an enormous infrastructure project and rail signaling may not have even been thought of yet.

There are only 6 Maglev train lines in the world still in operation, all in Asia.  (That place I used to go in Pueblo was intended as a test track for North America Maglev.  Since that never caught on it became a test track for the major freight carriers.)  This will be High Speed Rail; since it will have new track built specifically for the project it can reach up to 300 Kmph.  I think in Canada you can go 200 Kmph on conventional track.

I don't know if Knorr Bremse will have any level of involvement in this; probably someone will use our products.  Alstom is better equipped to deal with a project this size.

[Savonarola]

Fair point. Guess I'll never get fast GO trains

I'm working on it, honestly.   

 

The plan is up to 200 Kmph (300 Kmph wouldn't be realistic in a densely populated city like Toronto); and while there's no plan to build new track there are plans to improve existing track so those speeds can be reached.  The big improvement (at least from my perspective, but I do work for a signaling company) is that the track signaling will be greatly improved; so you can keep high speeds even in areas near crossing and you can run trains much closer together.  The long term plan is to have the trains run much closer together and much faster.

[HVC]

  

[HVC]

Have you considered people with flags and walk-in talkies? We have plenty of immigrants

[Grey Fox]

There's over 40 daily flights between Toronto and Montreal. A high speed train would do quite well with the work commuters.

[viper37]

I think in Canada you can go 200 Kmph on conventional track.

I think they could, if they were not sharing it with CN/CP.

[viper37]

I think Montreal to Toronto makes sense. Quebec City seems more symbolic. I mean I loved going there when I was younger, but I don't know if the numbers are there.  But maybe good for innner province travel,

It's for the politicians and top bureaucrats. And future NHL players. 

[crazy canuck]

I think in Canada you can go 200 Kmph on conventional track.

I think they could, if they were not sharing it with CN/CP.

I think what he means is that is the top possible speed on current track specs, but you are right, I don't think anyone ever reaches that kind of speed.

[viper37]

I don't know if Knorr Bremse will have any level of involvement in this; probably someone will use our products.  Alstom is better equipped to deal with a project this size.

Afaik KB does not have manufacturing capabilities for trains in Canada, only some interior components and signalisation.

[viper37]

I think in Canada you can go 200 Kmph on conventional track.

I think they could, if they were not sharing it with CN/CP.

I think what he means is that is the top possible speed on current track specs, but you are right, I don't think anyone ever reaches that kind of speed.

I know what he means, but I'm trying to remember if there was another technical reason why they couldn't achieve more than 120-140km/h.

Got it:
Speed limit is 95mph for passenger trains:
https://tc.canada.ca/en/rail-transportation/rules/2021-2022/2021-2022/part-ii-track-safety-rules


But my experience has been that they don't reach that speed, since they stop in a lot of villages along the way.

[HVC]

And future NHL players. 

Easy turnaround spot for players that miss their stop at Montreal?