High-speed Montreal to New York

[MasonJar]

Here's the story:

http://travelcanada.sympatico.msn.c...=5&showbyline=False&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc

Why would this be considered a priority? Is there a lot of travel between Montreal and New York? I know that Montreal used to have a booming financial centre, but I thought it had declined somewhat from its former days.

(Interesting aside - Montreal was the financial powerhouse that was home to many of the leading figures in the construction of Canada's railways.)

Andrew

 

[CN1]

There's lots of travel back-and-forth between the two cities, but I don't think we will see a high speed link anytime soon. Too much politics ops:

 

[Dave Flinn]

As a resident of New York state (but not NYC), I have not seen nor heard of this down here. There has been, and continues to be, talk of high speed rail in New York state; but this is the first mention I have heard of specifically a monorail, and crossing the border. I don't know how it is "downstate", but in "upstate" New York, I think there would be more interest in a high speed route between Toronto and, say, Albany than between Montreal and NYC. Oh well, probably nothing will come of any of it, at least not in our lifetimes.

 

[siderod]

While it COULD happen, in theory, i don't see why they'd bother...
High speed usually needs dedicated ROW and equipment, so big money is involved. I don't see it happening, because the governments involved wouldn't make back what they invested for a long time, and there are places where high-speed or commuter rail could be put to better use.

And Dave, where does it say Monorail?
AR

 

[Dave Flinn]

Maybe I misread something; but I thought I saw monorail mentioned.

 

[Oroka]

I read somewhere last year that they are planning a highspeed line between Toronto/Montreal, and maybe Ottawa.

 

[MasonJar]

Oroka,

That plan has been kicked around since at least the CN/CP passenger days... In fact, some of the steam-powered passenger trains used to run faster than VIA does today...!


Andrew

 

[Yard Goat]

While it is probably true that steam-hauled passenger trains did hit higher top speeds than modern VIA trains, average speeds were mostly slower and trains tended to make more stops. The fastest runs between Montreal and Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and Ottawa and Toronto all take less time today than did the fastest CN or CP trains over the same routes in steam days.

It would be possible to achieve even higher speeds on more or less the same track infrastructure if the federal government gave VIA the budget to invest in technology like the Swedish X2000 that demoed in eastern Canada a decade ago, or a Bombardier/Alstom solution, but there is zero political will to do that at the moment.

A good network might see a north-south Montreal-New York high speed line, an east-west line from Detroit to Buffalo via the recently abandoned CASO route, a Toronto-Buffalo-Albany line tying into the Montreal-New York line, and a Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal route. Done right, such a system would kill off a lot of regional air traffic between these cities.

(the other) Andrew

 

[siderod]

If VIA could afford to invest in the JetTrain, a demo from BBD, i think they could take traffic from the airlines...i may be biased, but if i could sit in a comfortable JetTrain seat for 5 hours, or a cramped aircraft for an hour, i'd take the train!

The JetTrain has been tested, and on existing rail, it can hit 120MPH! Current max on the Dorval Corridor is 90, VIA's F40's are limited to 95 and the P42's are geared for 110, but limited to 95.

AR