VIA Rail - Discussion générale ​

[samal90]

The problem is you have to convince people to move away from planes and cars and into trains. That won't happen unless you have a TGV. Period.

Nobody is going to sacrifice a 1hr plane ride for a 4h-4:15h train one, to go from Mtl to TO. It's just not worth it.

Who will take the HFR? the same people using train now. That's it. They need to cut down the travel time to 2.5-3h max. I understand the political/economics issue...but the reality is that unless we have that, we won't see a significant shift of transportation behaviour in the population.

[SameGuy]

I don’t disagree at all.

[SamStar]

9 hours ago, samal90 said:

The problem is you have to convince people to move away from planes and cars and into trains. That won't happen unless you have a TGV. Period.

Nobody is going to sacrifice a 1hr plane ride for a 4h-4:15h train one, to go from Mtl to TO. It's just not worth it.

Who will take the HFR? the same people using train now. That's it. They need to cut down the travel time to 2.5-3h max. I understand the political/economics issue...but the reality is that unless we have that, we won't see a significant shift of transportation behaviour in the population.

Why don't we wait to see and read the supporting HFR studies so we can all discuss about something tangible?

People ride VIA. More people were riding VIA when additional departures were added between Toronto and Ottawa prior to COVID.  

[SameGuy]

Around 5000 people a day rode trains in the Corridor in 2019. Even $4 billion for the “baseline” HFR project is a lottttta money to spend in the hopes that another 5000 people ditch planes, buses and cars to take a ride that’s only marginally quicker than driving — but without the flexibility offered by having a car at both ends. Until gas is priced realistically (or taxed enough to help pay to maintain the roads), it’s an uphill battle to convince people to take the train, even with more departures, fewer delays and increased speeds.

[p_xavier]

8 hours ago, SamStar said:

Why don't we wait to see and read the supporting HFR studies so we can all discuss about something tangible?

People ride VIA. More people were riding VIA when additional departures were added between Toronto and Ottawa prior to COVID.  

En effet, les fins de semaine c'est sold out dans le triangle.  Il manque de capacité. La demande est là mais pas le service.

[SamStar]

10 hours ago, SameGuy said:

Around 5000 people a day rode trains in the Corridor in 2019. Even $4 billion for the “baseline” HFR project is a lottttta money to spend in the hopes that another 5000 people ditch planes, buses and cars to take a ride that’s only marginally quicker than driving.

VIA reports a total 4.7 million passengers in the corridor in 2019. A 5.5% increase from 2018.

This gives about 13 000 passengers per day in the corridor pre COVID.

[SameGuy]

Sorry, I should have clarified: 5000 per day between Montreal and Toronto, the focus of HFR. Spending $4 billion or more — and let’s face it, it will be more — to perhaps double that number really seems illogical when you come right down to it.

[p_xavier]

4 hours ago, SameGuy said:

Sorry, I should have clarified: 5000 per day between Montreal and Toronto, the focus of HFR. Spending $4 billion or more — and let’s face it, it will be more — to perhaps double that number really seems illogical when you come right down to it.

Again, you focus on infrastructure costs too much.  The plan is for VIA HFR to be viable financially so no more subsidy required by the government.

[SameGuy]

You don’t think there are better uses for $5-$10-$15 billion? VIA will never be “financially viable” as long as gasoline is cheap and highways are “free”. People in Europe take the train because it’s fast, reliable and convenient, but also because gas and highway tolls make train travel cheaper than driving. North America subsidizes drivers above all else.

[p_xavier]

2 minutes ago, SameGuy said:

You don’t think there are better uses for $5-$10-$15 billion? VIA will never be “financially viable” as long as gasoline is cheap and highways are “free”. People in Europe take the train because it’s fast, reliable and convenient, but also because gas and highway tolls make train travel cheaper than driving. North America subsidizes drivers above all else.

You just answer yourself with the reasons why it's a good project and must be in place before the costs of carbon pricing goes way up.  Electrification is a way to go. I would also support the end of short flights between YUL, YOW, YYZ and YTZ.