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CBBarnett said:
Fall Service Update is here: https://www.calgarytransit.com/news/fall-service-changes-2024.html

A few notable ones, particularly a new Route 26 - Sarcee Trail Crosstown that goes between Tuscany and Westbrook LRT Stations. Frequency is quite low so seems like a trial, but would be one to watch. Essentially, it's the first service to connect the SW and NW that doesn't route through Crowchild or Downtown.

View attachment 589587


A bit disappointed in the trip length (~45 minutes) for anyone going end-to-end as it's not competitive to driving (15 minutes), but it's that balance between providing service along the way or operating a true express shuttle. Another issues that's painfully obvious with this kind of route is that buses need to leave the high-speed roads to access the bus bays at the Red Line, the result is circuitous and winding routes to get to the LRT, and not able to take advantage of the expressway fully which cars can easily. A way for a bus to quickly get to Tuscany station from Crowchild and back onto Crowchild again would save significant time.

As for other changes - not clear. Transit's change log system is opaque so it tells us things have changed but not necessarily if that change is good, bad or neutral. Take these key MAX routes for example:

View attachment 589588
Confusingly, I think MAX Orange isn't different than today - but the definitions of "evening" are not provided. So no changes?

304, 306 and 307 all seem to be modest service improvements. The strategy does seem to make these MAX routes a bit of a stable back-bone - not quite at 15 minute all week service, but slowly getting there.

Overall not an overly exciting updated, but seems to have a few incremental improvements.
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45 minutes from Tuscany to Westbrook is rough. It's almost faster to take the C-train from Tuscany to downtown, transfer to the Blue line and then ride to Westbrook.
 
Red Star said:
45 minutes from Tuscany to Westbrook is rough. It's almost faster to take the C-train from Tuscany to downtown, transfer to the Blue line and then ride to Westbrook.
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I think the way to think about it (or at least how Calgary Transit seems to be thinking about it) is the Crosstown is just the name, most people aren't imagined to go end to end. This route's value is picking people up in the middle and dropping them at the stations on the Red or Blue line. For people in the middle, this trip would be a bit faster than any current alternative I think.

I don't know if I buy it but I guess we will see... I think Calgary Transit has a ton of routes where the terminal stops or a few key stops vastly outweigh the importance of the milk run to pick people up. The system has tons of random detours that slow down the majority of trips just to improve service coverage. Hopefully with the Route Ahead plan and a general direction to switch to more frequency to coverage, some of these painful, uncompetitive delays will be ironed out.
 
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CBBarnett said:
I think the way to think about it (or at least how Calgary Transit seems to be thinking about it) is the Crosstown is just the name, most people aren't imagined to go end to end. This route's value is picking people up in the middle and dropping them at the stations on the Red or Blue line. For people in the middle, this trip would be a bit faster than any current alternative I think.
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Exactly what I was thinking - I believe a lot of the ridership is expected to come from Bowness riders going to Westbrook Mall (a connection that has been desired by locals for many years now) and Tuscany riders going to the shopping area on Tuscany Boulevard (or the other shopping area on Nose Hill Drive).

On a different note, this signup features another long-overdue change that I think is worth noting: the 115 extension to North Pointe. North Pointe riders get a 1-seat ride to the Beacon Hill shopping centre, Rocky Ridge YMCA and Tuscany Station; and Sage Hill/Evanston/Livingston/Carrington riders get some relief from their overcrowded or otherwise-ineffective feeder services.
 
financialpost.com

Lirion/Plenary Announce Restructuring of Calgary Airport - Banff Passenger Rail Project Proposal: If the Province Develops Airport to Downtown Regional Rail and Grand Central Station, Liricon/Plenary will Develop and Build CABR from Grand Central Sta

The Province recently announced plans to advance development of a seamless, express passenger train service from the Airport terminal to downtown and a “Grand Centr…
financialpost.com financialpost.com
well, i dont know what that means.... but seems like there is some progress in it, even seems slow
 
zzkwilliamcanada said:
financialpost.com

Lirion/Plenary Announce Restructuring of Calgary Airport - Banff Passenger Rail Project Proposal: If the Province Develops Airport to Downtown Regional Rail and Grand Central Station, Liricon/Plenary will Develop and Build CABR from Grand Central Sta

The Province recently announced plans to advance development of a seamless, express passenger train service from the Airport terminal to downtown and a “Grand Centr…
financialpost.com financialpost.com
well, i dont know what that means.... but seems like there is some progress in it, even seems slow
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"The updated approach supports the Province’s recently announced plans for the Province to advance development and to potentially build and operate an express passenger train service from the airport terminal to downtown and a “Grand Central Station” in the Rivers District. Specifically, should the Province decide to build the track from the terminal to downtown and Grand Central Station, and provide track access for three CABR trains per hour from the airport terminal to Grand Central Station, then Liricon/Plenary will develop and build the track from Grand Central Station to Banff and operate CABR at no cost to the Province."

Here's what I think is the most important part of the article. If the province builds the track (20KM), they'll run three trains an hour into downtown. They'll also build the track from GCS to Banff (130km).

They're also asking the province to resolve the CPKC rail corridor downtown pinch point... Wherever that is?

15 Trains per hour with three being CABR's. 15 Trains per hour seems like a lot!

They even lay out stepping stones for the Province to hit so they don't lose their infrastructure bank funding:

"By updating its Proposal at this time, the Province can consider it, as well as other private and public sector proposals, as part of the Rail Master Plan Study which the Province announced in May 2024. Upon the completion of the Rail Master Plan Study, expected in April 2025, should the CABR route be of interest to the Province, it will then be able to evaluate the updated Proposal relative to other private or public sector options for the CABR route. Assuming the Province conducts that evaluation in May 2025, and a private sector option is selected, then the Province can proceed to negotiate a project development agreement (PDA) with a selected proponent in June 2025. Should the Province select Liricon/Plenary’s updated Proposal at that time, then by signing a (PDA) with Liricon/Plenary by July 2025, the Province will secure the Canada Infrastructure Bank financing required for the updated Proposal prior to the federal election, expected in October 2025. Without CIB financing, the Liricon/Plenary Proposal for CABR will be terminated."
 
CalgaryTiger said:
"The updated approach supports the Province’s recently announced plans for the Province to advance development and to potentially build and operate an express passenger train service from the airport terminal to downtown and a “Grand Central Station” in the Rivers District. Specifically, should the Province decide to build the track from the terminal to downtown and Grand Central Station, and provide track access for three CABR trains per hour from the airport terminal to Grand Central Station, then Liricon/Plenary will develop and build the track from Grand Central Station to Banff and operate CABR at no cost to the Province."

Here's what I think is the most important part of the article. If the province builds the track (20KM), they'll run three trains an hour into downtown. They'll also build the track from GCS to Banff (130km).

They're also asking the province to resolve the CPKC rail corridor downtown pinch point... Wherever that is?

15 Trains per hour with three being CABR's. 15 Trains per hour seems like a lot!

They even lay out stepping stones for the Province to hit so they don't lose their infrastructure bank funding:

"By updating its Proposal at this time, the Province can consider it, as well as other private and public sector proposals, as part of the Rail Master Plan Study which the Province announced in May 2024. Upon the completion of the Rail Master Plan Study, expected in April 2025, should the CABR route be of interest to the Province, it will then be able to evaluate the updated Proposal relative to other private or public sector options for the CABR route. Assuming the Province conducts that evaluation in May 2025, and a private sector option is selected, then the Province can proceed to negotiate a project development agreement (PDA) with a selected proponent in June 2025. Should the Province select Liricon/Plenary’s updated Proposal at that time, then by signing a (PDA) with Liricon/Plenary by July 2025, the Province will secure the Canada Infrastructure Bank financing required for the updated Proposal prior to the federal election, expected in October 2025. Without CIB financing, the Liricon/Plenary Proposal for CABR will be terminated."
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Why is all this information being provided like this via a press release?

Everything these guys do seems unusual - they always seem to have a strange mix of being too detailed while also not providing enough details if that makes sense. Put another way, they seem to release publicly stuff at a level of detail that is really only applicable to an audience that isn't the general public.

But I guess building a train is pretty unusual in this province so there's no standard process here.
 
MichaelS said:
I am guessing all of it.
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There's single track on the east side of downtown over the Bow River in Inglewood, and also west of 14st.

I assume this is a weird way of saying the province should build a second rail bridge over the Bow? Agree, it's such a strange press release.
 
zagox said:
There's single track on the east side of downtown over the Bow River in Inglewood, and also west of 14st.

I assume this is a weird way of saying the province should build a second rail bridge over the Bow? Agree, it's such a strange press release.
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Yeah that's where my head goes, I am expecting articles about this to say something like:

"Success of Province's regional rail plans hinge on downtown alignment and second Bow River bridge, advocates say"

not:

"Lirion/Plenary Announce Restructuring of Calgary Airport - Banff Passenger Rail Project Proposal: If the Province Develops Airport to Downtown Regional Rail and Grand Central Station, Liricon/Plenary will Develop and Build CABR from Grand Central Station to Banff and Operate CABR at No Cost to Province"

Also, just noticed that "Liricon" is spelled wrong on the first word of the title of press release 😐. Again - so many details! But missing some basic context and copy editing....
 
There's nothing wrong with using tower centre as a stop, but there's not much growth room there if the province is planning something bigger.

Something like YYC/Centre/Banff could work for a quick win, but when commuter/regional rail and HSR to Edm get added, I think it'd be tough to accommodate there along with the CP freight traffic.

Not without going above or below ground. And if a LRT tunnel is too tough to do..
 
Their release mentions the airport train stops at a Beltline station as well a few times so there should be another option to board downtown outside of the Grand Central station in East Village. It will just be a 20 minute wait for a Liricon train instead of a 4 (!) minute wait for a province train from the Grand Central station if going out to the airport. On that note, surely running a train every 4 minutes as mentioned is way more regular than what this service would need to start out with?
 
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