What do you guys think about the proposed high speed train along the QE2 connecting from Calgary to Edmonton and to Fort McMurray? Are you for it or against it?
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High speed train along QE2
What do you guys think about the proposed high speed train along the QE2 connecting from Calgary to Edmonton and to Fort McMurray? Are you for it or against it?
Banned
For it. There is always events in edmonton i want to attend but driving for 3 hours sucks.
Registered User
When is this propsed train supposed to be built by?
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Im for it. Everytime i went to Fort McMurray i hated the ride up there, Especially along highway 63
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this has been kicked around as an idea for over a decade...I'll believe it when I actually see the construction start...and even then I'll probably have my doubts
Originally posted by HeavyD
you know you are making the right decision if Toma opposes it.
Beyond Bully
The drive to Edmonton sucks. It's a straight road, I feel like I'm going to pass out at the wheel. Speeding makes you more alert, until you run into an RCMP and get fucked.
BTW, How much to build? Who's going to pay for it? And will enough people actually use it?
It should make for a quick ride though. Speeds up to 300kms/hour!
I am user #49Originally posted by rage2
Shit, there's only 49 users here, I doubt we'll even break 100
Superbanned
+1Originally posted by Go4Long
this has been kicked around as an idea for over a decade...I'll believe it when I actually see the construction start...and even then I'll probably have my doubts
Banned
It depends on the speed and price for me. Some plans were 150km/hour. If they were to charge 50 bucks a trip for that, I would rather just drive.
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I'm for it, if they do it right. High speed (300km) trains that will get you there in an hour/ hour and a half..... Would really change the way people view travelling to cities. Concerts in Edmonton or Calgary would be easier to attend, especially if each city aligned public transit with the new rail line. Not to mention, the great development opportunities the train would offer (both for bedroom communities and areas located near/next treminals). Why stop at Calgary? Run it through Cochrane and out to Canmore and Banff (pipe dream)!
It's a great idea.
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Would be a great addition to Alberta. I always want to fall asleep at the wheel on the way to and from Edmonton.
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i have no reason to ever go to edmonton, i could care less.
sig deleted by moderator, because they are useless
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2 tier ticketing system, cheap for calgarians, more expensive for edmontonians. Only makes sense, noone wants to go to Edmonton, but everyone wants to go to Calgary, so might as well take advantage and level it out with ticket pricing haha j/k
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Personally , I'm against it being built .
It'll be our next political slush fund , allowing politicians to secretly charge up untold millions , if not billions of dollars to it , all in the name of ' progress ' ( ie. , Albertas version of Ontarios Nuclear Power fiasco ) .
The cost of constructing this line would be huge compared to the few needed to pay and maintain the thing . How many of you on this board are willing to pay $ 100- 150 or more per ticket for a 45 minute ride to Edmonton ? Then you get there and do what , hop on a bus ? Take a taxi around , or are you lucky to have friends/family who are willing to chauffer you around ? Totally impractical except for a very few select folks , yet it will cost huge amounts of tax dollars that could be wayyy better spent on things like new LRT lines for both cities , or for other much needed infustructure and or it's replacement ( ie. Crowchild over the Bow interchange ) .
For those who argue or whine about how boring the ride is now , or how you hate driving the QEll now , why don't you fly ? Several flights leave daily for Edmonton , and it's not super expensive , yet way faster then the train would ever be .
Anyway , this is a great example of how certain groups ' massage ' the media to make headway for their personal agendas . The reality though is that once a project like this starts , it'll take generation to pay for it and it'll always take money away from other projects that are more practical and beneficial .
My 2 ...
Registered User
i cant imagine it being anywhere close to cheap enough for people to want ot use it. trains typically cost 1/3 more than buses at a minimum. this means the train could be up to 135 per fare on a standard rate. who is going to pay that much consistently enough to make the train a viable option? it works in europe because of a lack of cars and terrible city driving. 2 things ed/cal dont have an issue with (despite what you may think)
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Originally posted by robpark
I'm for it, if they do it right. High speed (300km) trains that will get you there in an hour/ hour and a half..... Would really change the way people view travelling to cities. Concerts in Edmonton or Calgary would be easier to attend, especially if each city aligned public transit with the new rail line. Not to mention, the great development opportunities the train would offer (both for bedroom communities and areas located near/next treminals). Why stop at Calgary? Run it through Cochrane and out to Canmore and Banff (pipe dream)!
It's a great idea.
I disagree . There is already a alternative to go to Edmonton , and it's way quicker then the train would ever be . Flying . We're not opening up the west here , only adding a train link between three cities .
Also , look at the price . A concert in Edmonton would put you back , with the price of the ticket , what , $300 , or $ 400 ?? How many folks are willing to pay that much ? Thousands ? A few hundred people maybe ?
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I think the biggest factor would be the ticket price.
If the round trip was reasonable ($50 - $75) I could see myself taking the family up to the West-Ed for a Sunday shopping trip. Maybe even a few football games.
If the ticket price is $100 or more, I don't think I would bother. I'm guessing that a lot of people that work in Ft. Mac would ride the train if it was there.
"Masked Bandit is a gateway drug for frugal spending." - Unknown303
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They should also put a connector to Cochrane, Canmore, Banff (maybe Sunshine turn-off, too) and Lake Louise.
Taking the train skiing would be much nicer then having to drive
Originally posted by 89coupe
I do get great service there, especially when I mention my name, haha.
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if its 135, i would think the price would be pretty equivilant with flying if you hit a seat saleOriginally posted by hjr
i cant imagine it being anywhere close to cheap enough for people to want ot use it. trains typically cost 1/3 more than buses at a minimum. this means the train could be up to 135 per fare on a standard rate. who is going to pay that much consistently enough to make the train a viable option? it works in europe because of a lack of cars and terrible city driving. 2 things ed/cal dont have an issue with (despite what you may think)
sig deleted by moderator, because they are useless
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This is a 30 year old daydream.
It goes back to when empty Dayliners were doing Darwin duty at level crossings between Calgary and Edmonton.
Nobody rode the Dayliner enough to keep it alive, just as many would use a bullet train.
Until the ownership and operation of a personal vehicle becomes too much to handle for most people, there won't be enough buy in for a project like this to succeed in this province.
Registered User
Flying isn't really that much faster if you take into account that the Edmonton airport is miles outside of the city.Originally posted by blueToy
I disagree . There is already a alternative to go to Edmonton , and it's way quicker then the train would ever be . Flying . We're not opening up the west here , only adding a train link between three cities .
Also , look at the price . A concert in Edmonton would put you back , with the price of the ticket , what , $300 , or $ 400 ?? How many folks are willing to pay that much ? Thousands ? A few hundred people maybe ?
Flying was also seen as an unviable option for major carriers, not to mention the environmental impact and needless increases in airport traffic.
The biggest problem with the train is price. If it was cheap enough it would be extremely popular, but I can't see this province going with a subsidized provincial train link to be perfectly honest.
The other which has been brought up is the underdeveloped public transit in Calgary and Edmonton. Sure you can take the train up, but then it gets tough to get around. Calgary is much better set up for it simply because our main attractions are on the LRT lines (and we have the better downtown). But most of the stuff that goes on in Edmonton is out of the way.
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