Just got back from vacation today and I saw this thread! RR, I read your blog post on this a week or two ago and I have to admit I kind of skimmed through it and missed a lot of information. Now that I've read it through, I'm amazed at the detail that's gone into this RailOntario thing. I guess it should be expected, and I'm sure that what looks like really small distances would actually be a pretty touch walk, but I'm really surprised at how much rail there is and used to be! To have a rail network like this, along with better coordination to allow for more efficient freight rail movement and an electrified system for passengers would just be awesome.
Actually, I'm getting giddy just thinking about HSR running from Quebec to Windsor/Detroit while speeding across farmland at 300 km/h, along with little EMUs branching out from big cities, connecting every town with quick service that beats using a car, running at 10-30 minute frequencies. And every morning, factories would send out a couple of railcars instead of a fleet of trucks to deliver their goods to larger cities and ports on the great lakes. Northern Ontario would undoubtedly have to be serviced by trains like VIA or ONR has right now, but at much better frequencies, and in the end providing a much faster and more comfortable service than a car would.
Of course, maybe it's just rail nostalgia, or maybe wanting to take a train from Union Station to Thunder Bay in January, with fresh snow on the tracks and a 6 or 7 hour trip. Obviously, it could also be wanting to see a High Speed train run across farm fields from Toronto to London. Then again, seeing little EMUs running all about Southern Ontario would be cool as well! Hm, I guess that there are a lot of reasons I support a huge integrated passenger rail network!
After what would undoubtedly be a rather large capital cost involving constructing stations and other infrastructure to service rail, electrifying the entire southern Ontario portion at least, adding track to allow for dedicated HSR, local and freight lines, and totally rebuilding or constructing track that has gone into disrepair or needs to be shifted. The government would then have to provide subsidies (right now they seem to be allergic to subsidies) but after a decade or two, the system will definitely be used enough for it to recover a fair bit of cost through fares.
This whole huge rail thing is definitely possible, even in our current car-based mindset, and I sure hope it happens soon. There are plenty of other places in Canada it could work, and where I would love to see it happen. Quebec, BC and Atlantic Canada definitely come to mind, and I guess the Federal Government would have to oversee the rail network as a whole.
Really though, this would be great. I'm sure that there would be an enormous cost, but it would be 100% worth it. Sorry for reviving what seems to be a kind of old thread but I couldn't resist sharing