^Not every decision can or should be made based purely on numbers. Sometimes a decision that doesn't yield the most benefit right away may be great in the long term. Service to K-W is a good example. It may or may not have a good return on investment compared to other projects. But it also puts...

I'd be willing to bet that even at 2 hours and with minimal investment this service will be a success. It seems like every time GO expands their service they meet or exceed their goals. Their is so much demand for commuter rail services all across the GTA and GGH that even service that is of...

First I should say that I have become a fan of the new(ish) Urbantoronto front page. Its great to see highlights of some of the more interesting projects without having to wade through all the pages of the forum. The question I had is whether there is any intention of also including more...

As mentioned before you can still serve smaller cities, either by sidings with stations that are directly on the high speed line or with flying/burrowing junctions that lead to small spur lines where it is desirable to send the line closer or into the city. Trains can skip these stations without...

Smiths Falls gets a lot of Ottawa commuter traffic, so depending on the time of day and train there could be 30 - 40 people using that stop. Usually I would say its about 20 people. I am not sure about Belleville...I haven't been on a Toronto train that has made that stop in a long time. But I...

Maybe there hasn't been enough political will but building HSR in Canada is a much larger and more expensive project. In Europe they can build in increments and open sections of high speed lines bit by bit running trains over classic lines while new lines are being built. In Canada...

The Gotthard base tunnel is a pretty amazing project and could have just as large an impact on rail travel in Europe as the Channel tunnel. It will interesting to see how this changes the network in that region. As for Canada I don't think our lack of engineering skills has really hindered...

It all depends on what speed is meant in HSR. If it is any speed up to 200 km/h then this can achieved on what you might call 'traditional' lines. In other words, no need for broad curves and other measures. If it is greater than 200 km/h (so the speed that TGV or other high speed services...

^I'm not surprised to hear that news. Especially since the the strike, though really it extended a few years before that, transit has been a big issue in this city. The endless line up of buses in the downtown area, delays, and difficulties of expanding for OC Transpo are what is driving the...

To me, that is a hugely important question in deciding what sort of system should be built. If T3 is going to remain for the long term then a PRT with two points of entry would probably make the most sense since both terminals should have the same level of access for the most part. And in this...

If a people mover option is picked, then they should scrap LINK and do it properly, picking something like the PRT system at Heathrow. Connections should be dead simple....no escalators or stairs or elevators....just pods waiting on the other side of the platform as soon as you get off the...

If you look at the report it also shows the difference between a people mover connection and a direct, 2 car heavy rail connection is only $15 million (in 1994 dollars). It still requires the same upgrades to the rest of the corridor whether its to allow for more GO trains or the airport link...

The cost of just the tunnel, plus junctions, fly over/unders, and station is probably $1-$1.5 billion (assuming an already electrified system and the equipment to operate on it). There are a number of alignments that could be considered and it would require more detailed work than just lines on...

I view it all from what I have seen Metrolinx plan and discuss in terms of the next 10 years or so of operation. As his been discussed at length the network needs to be electrified and 15 minute frequencies offered. But that is going to be a slow project, even if it does suddenly gain traction...

Really...whether its a Pearson-Union direct service or people mover to a GO station both solutions are rubbish in their own ways. The Union-Pearson option has been discussed to death but the fact that it only serves downtown (though maybe now a few local stops could be added), is/was...

Here is a quick but useful comparison of the platform area at a modern, European rail station and Union Station. First up is Berlin Hauptbanhof. And now Union. (source: Torontoist Flickr image pool). I think the point I am getting at should be immediately clear. If not, then look at the...

I pretty much agree with Second_in_pie about Summerhill. Useful for a GO midtown line, but thats about it. If there was a rail line that served North York as example, it might be different since that is becoming a rather important destination point in itself. Even then it would be questionable...

I think a lot of it depends on how many passengers would use GO/VIA/an airport link to get to Pearson...and what the split between those services would be. By the time such a station would be in place Pearson will probably have 40 million passengers a year (some projections put it as high as 55...

Don't forget the context in which the suburbs (or at least the iteration we are familiar with) came about. In the 50's and 60's Canada was still very much trapped in between being a British country and developing its own identity (though by the end of the 60's it was far more Canadian than...

I agree. I don't have a problem with that service existing, and haven't suggested it should go away if there is GO direct service (any plans or ideas I had about a direct connection always included that sort of service). I just think its unfortunate that Blue 22 had to come before GO, but I...