Canada Slow on High Speed Rail

Here is the interview with Amanda Lang and High Speed Rail Canada Founder Paul Langan on the CBC Lang and O'Leary program.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/Lang+%26+O%27Leary+Exchange/ID/2479800267/

Kathleen Wynne says Ontario high speed rail possible in a decade

CBC News- Despite no set timeline or allotted funding, a high-speed rail link between London, Kitchener, Pearson International Airport and downtown Toronto is possible in a decade, says Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

"Yes it is, that's what the engineers and experts have said is possible and that's why the minister of transportation has talked about that time frame, that decade," Wynne said in an interview with Craig Norris on The Morning Edition Tuesday.

Wynne's comments are the first the Liberal government has made on high speed rail since the election on June 12, and come a day after the Liberals tabled their budget in the Ontario legislature.

VIA RAIL Refuses to Release Uncensored 14 Year Old VIA Fast 2000 Study

Well when a study is over 14 years old you would think the information included might be a tad outdated and an uncensored version of the study would be available. Well not in the land of VIA RAIL.

High Speed Rail Canada spent the big $5.00 fee to ask for the uncensored study through a Freedom of Information Request. Well we are getting our money back! Seems the "condfidential commercial financial information" included in the VIAFast 2000 study is still too sensitive for the public to see is a joke for sure.

To read the VIA letter see below. To read the heavily censored study CLICK HERE.

Get High-Speed Rail Policy On Tracks

Joseph Soares - The Government of Canada does not have a high-speed rail (HSR) policy. Surely it's time it considered one.

Clearly the Government of Canada doesn't have an HSR policy, but surely it's time it did the minimum? A basic and badly-needed step would be to lay the policy and political tracks for a future ''blue sky'' proposal regarding high-speed rail.

Lisa Raitt, Canada's Minister of Transport, could commission a discussion on high-speed rail, a generous round table of national and international experts, including policy experts, elected officials, public servants, and/or potential investors -- surely she would obtain some useful and actionable advice. Considering the Minister's background, she may be the smartest person around that table. This is why she should be all over this. Read the full story.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/joseph-soares/high-speed-rail-policy_b_5571267.html

ENVISIONING A CULTURAL SHIFT – PASSENGER RAIL IN CANADA

Why in Canada do we live in a cultural abyss when it comes to having a modern passenger rail service?
I was trying to remember when I last had hope that Canada would modernize its passenger rail service and join the rest of the world.

In 2000, I was excited when VIA Rail purchased 139 of the Alstom-built Nightstar passenger rail cars.1 These were originally built for an overnight train service between the UK and the mainland. Pro-rail federal Transport Minister David Collenette announced the “Renaissance (the new name for Nightstar equipment) of Passenger Rail in Canada,” which represented a $402 million influx of money for VIA.

In my community it meant the addition of a second morning train into Toronto and the refurbishment of the historic railway station in Kitchener.

Around 2002 VIA also announced it was purchasing a new General Electric Locomotive for its fleet. I went to the press conference in Toronto that was promoting the new locomotives.

Sadly, the Renaissance funding was short-lived. The new Liberal government, under anti-passenger rail Prime Minister Paul Martin, slashed further funding to the Renaissance thereby ending the dreams of passenger rail renewal.

Not since 1967 when the Turbo Train was introduced by Canadian National Railways has there been excitement about what modern passenger rail service could be. Listening to the original press conference from 1967 you get a real sense that Canadian National wanted modern passenger rail to be part of Canada’s future. 2

Failed Liberal candidate Serge Lavoie vows to hold party to promise of high-speed rail

ST. THOMAS - He’ll still keep his red Liberal hat close by, but after last Thursday’s provincial vote in which he finished third in Elgin-Middlesex-London, he has donned his SWEA ball cap and is ready to go to bat for Southwestern Ontario.

And a top priority likely will have him adding a classic, blue-striped engineer’s hat to his collection.

As president of the Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) — a partnership of local governments, educators, and the public and private sector players whose mandate is to boost the region’s economy — he plans to get in the face of the Liberal government to live up to their promise of high-speed passenger rail service to London — what he calls a “game-changer” for the region.

http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/2014/06/18/failed-liberal-candidate-serge-lavoie-vows-to-hold-liberals-to-promise-of-high-speed-rail

New High Speed Rail College in England

Wish I was going to school here!. Four towns and cities across England have been shortlisted to become home to a new national college to train engineers working on the HS2 rail link.

Either Derby, Doncaster, Birmingham or Manchester will host the National College for High Speed Rail, the government has announced. It will work alongside several smaller training centres across the country, a Department for Business, Innovation and Skills spokesman said. READ MORE

Niagara Falls NY New "International" Passenger Rail Station Being Built

As our federal government slowly allows the demise of cross boarder rail service, (Windsor/Detroit, Sarnia/PortHuron, Fort Erie/Buffalo RIP) the city of Niagara Falls New York is building a brand new international passenger rail terminal. WATCH VIDEO

It is hopeful this station will improve the local area and get increased passenger rail service. Currently only one train the Maple Leaf travels through the area and that trains is notoriously slow taking a minimum of 9 hours.

On the USA side track infrastructure improvements are being made and more are being planned.

On the Canadian side the federal government is definitely not on board. In 2012, the Harper Tories cut Niagara Falls VIA Rail service down to one train.

A recent article on the obstacles in place preventing GO Rail service from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Toronto highlights some of same the issues that VIA Rail/Amtrak would have if they ever decided to increase rail service.

Congratulations to Niagara Falls NY for having vision to move forward with improved passenger rail service. It it tragic that our Canadian Prime Minister Harper is not on board with your vision.

CBC Kitchener and Transit Guru Slam London-Toronto High Speed Rail Study -Without Seeing the Study!

Recently CBC's Kitchener Andrea Bellemore and Toronto Transit Guru Steve Munro both slammed Minister Glen Murray and the Ontario Liberal plan to modernize passenger rail through London, Stratford, Kitchener, Toronto. CBC, MUNRO

HIGH SPEED RAIL CANADA posts 2014 Alberta High Speed Rail Feasibility Study

The Alberta government should not invest in a high-speed rail link between Calgary and Edmonton at this time, according to a new feasibility report released Friday.