Quote:
Originally Posted by scooby074
If the will was there, what kind of timeline would we be looking at for a reasonable LRT system in HRM?
I know Ottawa's system (Confed line) has been in planning for years, but at least one report had it substantially finished for 2017-2018 with construction just beginning in earnest now. And there is a significant tunnel involved.
Could HRM have a useable system in 5 years if the politicians pushed for it considering it being at street level with no tunnels in the core, and running on existing ROW's in the suburbs?
OCTranspo's O-Train for example, was finished in short time by using existing ROW and for a low cost of $21 million.
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Yes, but there would be huge technological limitations to work around. Might be cheaper to build a tunnel rather than an incredibly limited surface network (needs FRA compliance unless new tracks built in the rail cut). Would be hard to get a vehicle that can do corners, hills, with FRA compliance and be compatible for street running). Street running requires lots of utility relocation too for reliabilty and weight bearing reasons.
A minimal but useful system could be a terminal right under the Law Courts near the ferry terminal. 1.5 km of tunnel plus a small terminal connecting to the existing rail line using FRA compliant rail diesel cars (like the airport rail link in Toronto). Create a focus area for a pulse network at an existing hub. Without any infrastructure outide the tunnel and terminal you're likely already in the $200 million range.
There really isn't a great option that doesn't involve big compromises.