[crs1026]

I think they may be hoping that this gets rolled up into VIA's HFR scheme, so that Queen's Park can get away with putting in minimal effort and funding.

That awkward moment when the waiter brings the bill and everyone discreetly freezes, waiting for someone else to reach for it.....

- Paul

 

[dowlingm]

That awkward moment when the waiter brings the bill and everyone discreetly freezes, waiting for someone else to reach for it.....

- Paul

And John Tory says "I've got it, don't worry, the Toronto Taxpayer Card has a great credit limit"

 

[dowlingm]

"CTV News has learned about..." The Liberal Party of Ontario, considering us a friendly outlet, has fed us an advance heads up...

 

[TOareaFan]

And John Tory says "I've got it, don't worry, the Toronto Taxpayer Card has a great credit limit"

My image of Tory is him saying "I got it"....then submitting an expense claim to QP and Ottawa after the fact

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

My image of Tory is him saying "I got it"....then submitting an expense claim to QP and Ottawa after the fact

Something about "lived experience" and "not being able to toll the Gardiner" in that claim.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

I'm now just intrigued as to what possible spin Wynne et al can put on this. The only scheme that makes sense is HFR, or as Paul phrases it, "HxR"...allowing for sections to go above the 110 mph limit for grade crossing sections, which would have to be grade separated under present TC regs. It's no mistake that VIA stated "125 mph" for it's new trainsets, HFR or not.

And that, I suspect, is what it will all come down to. There's just no way for "High Speed" as understood, to be financed by public money.

 

[dowlingm]

Meanwhile the LPO has tossed some fish food into the Urban Toronto tank yelling "dance my pretties, dance!"

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Meanwhile the LPO has tossed some fish food into the Urban Toronto tank yelling "dance my pretties, dance!"

I am not sure if it is more a bunch of piranhas out for blood. Anyways, the whole exercise in the absence of broader signals from the Feds is just bizarre.

AoD

 

[crs1026]

Meanwhile the LPO has tossed some fish food into the Urban Toronto tank yelling "dance my pretties, dance!"

In the UT tank, the fish look at the food, yawn, say "Again? He fed us that last week". And then dance again anyways.

- Paul

 

[crs1026]

Anyways, the whole exercise in the absence of broader signals from the Feds is just bizarre.
AoD

I can't believe that a Liberal QP would deliberately get offside with its friends in Ottawa over this kind of issue. Especially since it begs the question, is VIA in or out? And doubly especially since QP will want to ask Ottawa for some funding. It kind of puts Ottawa on the spot, and potentially embarasses them if Ontario goes it alone - which in a different dynamic would be long overdue, but doesn't mesh with the Wynne-Trudeau teams' mutual back scratching.

Having said that, I am becoming convinced is that the only way to make this actually happen is to not call it HxAnything or make it sound like a megaproject. And don't invite comparisons to things anywhere, especially if they are shiny and sexy. Instead, just fund incremental bits of it until it gradually comes together. Announce the packages as they are launched under a generic "Ontario is moving forward with better public transportation" without saying what it adds up to. Fix Guelph, increase the track speeds west of Georgetown, add sidings and bits of double track, upgrade the signalling, figure out the Bypass. The public will give due credit for each of these and it will generate the required number of photo ops. But don't draw attention to the strategy until it's at least half built..... HxAnything is still too controversial for the rural roots.

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

In the UT tank, the fish look at the food, yawn, say "Again? He fed us that last week". And then dance again anyways.

It's just budget fish flakes, from that big Costco-sized shaker. Same boring flavour as years ago.

Occasionally, they'll sprinkle an extra helping to try to keep fish happy, but the tank is already polluted.

 

[steveintoronto]

Just to add a few more nebulous hints as to how this is presently playing out:

(Global News, London Ontario)
April 19, 2017 6:18 pm

City councillors met with local MPPs Wednesday morning to discuss critical issues surrounding regional transportation and local affordable housing.

The heart of the discussion focused on anticipation of an impending report highlighting a high-speed rail corridor from Toronto to Windsor and surrounding cities.

Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, who was joined by NDP MPPs Peggy Sattler and Teresa Armstrong, and PC MPP Jeff Yurek, said councillor concerns regarding ridership, affordability and environmental impacts are being considered.

“I know what a huge game changer it would be for London,” said Matthews of high speed rail, unclear of what the price tag or timeline for implementing the corridor may be. “It would change our entire economy and I’m enormously supportive of it but we need to make sure it makes sense. What we don’t want to do is build high speed rail that isn’t being used.”

A report by David Collenette, former Ontario transport minister, is set to come out this spring, highlighting the feasibility of implementing high speed rail with a 2014 study citing infrastructure costing upward of $2.5 billion.

Among further transit considerations, Matthews suggested that the 2017 budget being tabled next week is looking to pour billions into transit infrastructure.[...]

http://globalnews.ca/news/3390060/city-councilors-mpps-meet-to-discuss-transit-and-housing-issues/

I've scrolled back, thought this had been posted and linked, but can't find it, so apologies if this is a duplicate:

Amara McLaughlin, CTV Toronto
Published Tuesday, April 25, 2017 10:48PM EDT
Last Updated Tuesday, April 25, 2017 10:50PM EDT

The province is planning to table a proposal for a new high-speed rail line to connect major cities in southern Ontario, a CTV News Toronto investigation has learned.

Transport Minister Steven Del Duca will reveal plans at Queen’s Park next month for a new high-speed rail line to ease the burden on Ontario’s increasingly traffic-choked highways.

The Collenette report puts forward a business case for the construction of a high-speed rail link joining Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and Windsor, according to Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“We have his report and we’re going to be putting it out very soon because he makes a business case for that in a phased way and I am a big proponent of getting that done,” Wynne said on Tuesday.

This project is part of the province’s $130 billion budget it plans to spend on infrastructure over the next decade to tackle Ontario's traffic-log.

The report is named after former Transport Minister David Collenette, known as Ontario’s czar of high-speed rail. Collenette was appointed by the Liberal government in 2015 to forge a business case for the bullet train and to manage a stakeholder consultation due to his experience as a top federal Liberal cabinet minister.

This intercity connection from Toronto to Windsor is considered key in developing southern Ontario’s economy, Del Duca explained.

But not all details about the new passenger rail service are clear, he added.

“There are multiple definitions for high-speed rail depending on what you’re looking at,” Del Duca told CTV News Toronto. “Some of what we’re encountering in this part of Ontario, the corridor that we’d be looking at essentially does have some physical restrictions. There are specific recommendations in the report regarding the speed of the trains.”

This is because of geographical limitations along its route, he explained.

It is believed the federal government would provide funding as well for the project. Full details of the proposal will be revealed at Queen’s Park in May.

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-high-speed-rail-line-to-be-tabled-at-queen-s-park-in-may-1.3385172

There are multiple definitions for high-speed rail depending on what you’re looking at,” Del Duca told CTV News Toronto. “Some of what we’re encountering in this part of Ontario, the corridor that we’d be looking at essentially does have some physical restrictions. There are specific recommendations in the report regarding the speed of the trains.”

Sounding more like HxR (HFR Plus) all the time. 125 mph except where not possible.

This is because of geographical limitations along its route, he explained.

And it's appearing to be the northern tier (Georgetown)

It is believed the federal government would provide funding as well for the project. Full details of the proposal will be revealed at Queen’s Park in May.

HFR. The Feds may not be overly joyous about this info being leaked. VIA, for instance, have been *meticulous* in imposing radio-silence on the issue.

I know for a fact that D-S is not agreeing to any media interviews at this time. He has a hand to play, and doesn't need any distractions or misquotes.

And Il Duce had best 'follow the script' or face a lynching. If anyone could blow this, it's him. Hopefully McCuaig has been dispatched back to QP to rein him in.

 

[ssiguy2]

I think Wynne, being the political animal she is, knows that more concrete timelines, route, technology, and speed levels are going to be needed before the next election. London and Windsor have quite a few key battleground seats that could swing an election and she knows that another announcement with no details will bring some hard core scorn and condemnation from SWO and reinforce what many outside Toronto already believe..........that Wynne is the Premier of Toronto.

 

[kEiThZ]

potentially embarasses them if Ontario goes it alone

They'll never go it alone. And the feds aren't interested unless VIA is running on there. That means that this has to be part of VIA HFR eventually.

 

[steveintoronto]

CBC latest on it:

High-speed trains between Toronto and Windsor subject of new report
'A lot of anticipation' for high-speed rail report connecting Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo, London and Windsor
CBC News Posted: Apr 26, 2017 3:01 PM ET Last Updated: Apr 26, 2017 3:03 PM ET

A report that could set out a plan to build high-speed rail between Toronto and Windsor is expected to be presented at Queen's Park in the coming weeks.

Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca will table the document that potentially sets out how passenger rail transport could be improved for the cities along the southern 401 corridor, including Kitchener-Waterloo and London.

"There is a lot of anticipation and excitement ... I am hopeful," Del Duca said.

Details are scarce about the report, which was authored by former federal transport minister David Collenette, but it could contain a business case for the high-speed link, Del Duca explained.

No price tag yet
He said the document contains significant analysis of potential business cases for high-speed rail through much of southern Ontario. But, speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, he refused to confirm whether the Collenette report explicitly provided a viable business case for the service.

Del Duca also wouldn't elaborate on how much a potential high-speed rail link would cost.

"There's planning work, there's design work ... I'm not at a point right now to confirm what a price tag would look like," said the minister, who added he expected to have an update on costs in coming weeks.

Railway consultant Greg Gormick does not expect to see a separate high-speed rail line moving through southwestern Ontario.

"We can't really do high speed rail, we can do higher-speed rail," said Gormick.

He suspects the reason for releasing Collenette's report may be more of a political move, rather than one that genuinely improves transportation.

Railway consultant Greg Gormick doesn't think high-speed will happen here. (CBC)

"I think the government being under the gun with an election approaching, they're going to want some feel-good statements to put out there," added Gormick.

Full details on where and when potential high-speed rail could come to southern Ontario will be available once the Collenette proposal is tabled at Queen's Park.

"I think it's best for the report to speak for itself," said Del Duca, who provided few other concrete details outside of confirming the report's existence.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/winds...o-and-windsor-subject-of-new-report-1.4086792