HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Transportation & Infrastructure


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #21  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 3:37 AM
Hali87 Hali87 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 4,465
I can't see true "commuter" rail between Windsor and Halifax being very useful or cost-effective. I'm not too familiar with the R&H railway itself though, does the line pass through/near Sackville? That could be a game changer.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #22  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 5:03 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Planet earth
Posts: 3,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hali87 View Post
I can't see true "commuter" rail between Windsor and Halifax being very useful or cost-effective. I'm not too familiar with the R&H railway itself though, does the line pass through/near Sackville? That could be a game changer.
The line 'begins' at Windsor Junction (as a stub from the Bedford Sub) and then goes through upper Sackville and then generally meanders through the valley roughly along the 101 (give or take) and I think ends in Wolfville? Or does it go as far as Kentville?

I can't see it being economical either given the population - unless someone builds a huge subidivision and makes Windsor an even bigger bedroom for HRM.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #23  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 11:27 AM
Waye Mason's Avatar
Waye Mason Waye Mason is offline
opinionated so and so
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Halifax, NS
Posts: 721
I looked for the video from the last train on the line, but couldn't find it. It was from a bridge and looked down as the train went past, and you could see the rail ties were all rotten and barely there. I heard the speed limit on the track was 20kph or less because of condition. If one wanted to run passenger rail out there, you would need to spend millions and millions to get it up to a decent condition.

That said - probably the only place that makes sense to run passenger rail is King's County to Halifax, wealthiest county to capital city. The Truro Sydney line is compelling, when Via killed it I remember it has 65,000 users a year, so 3-6 million bucks in revenue in todays dollars/rates.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #24  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 11:54 AM
MonctonRad's Avatar
MonctonRad MonctonRad is offline
Wildcats Rule!!
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Moncton NB
Posts: 34,342
At the very least, the ROW should be maintained (not sold) and contingencies made to allow it's reconversion to rail at some point in the future. Commuter rail to the upper Annapolis Valley might be quite viable in 40-50 years time.....
__________________
Go 'Cats Go
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #25  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 1:47 PM
scooby074 scooby074 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 497
Anything that keeps it as a going concern and away from the darn "trail makers" is good in my books.

Once it becomes trail, it will never go back to its proper use.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #26  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 4:56 PM
W.Sobchak's Avatar
W.Sobchak W.Sobchak is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 116
What is the cost to turn a rail line into a walking trail? I read on here that the cost to put a rail line in is $1m/km. If people want to convert rail beds into utility trails they should pay the difference.
__________________
"Am I the only one around here who gives shit about the rules?"
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #27  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2013, 7:19 PM
IanWatson IanWatson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,220
Quote:
Originally Posted by halifaxboyns View Post
and I think ends in Wolfville? Or does it go as far as Kentville?
They stop on the west end of Wolfville. Within Wolfville I believe the owner of the railway is actually considering developing residential and commercial uses in the ROW. On the east side of Kentville the ROW has been converted to a trail, in downtown Kentville a road has been built on top of the ROW and the station converted to a visitor centre, and west of Kentville all the way to Digby the ROW is a trail (with a few missing sections).

There used to be Dayliner service from the Valley to Halifax, but with the construction and then twinning of the 101 it lost popularity and was folded. To be honest, I think it will be a long time before commuter rail between the Valley and Halifax is viable again. Population in the Valley is expected to be fairly slow growing (if at all) for the forseeable future, and the number of people commuting now just wouldn't support it. Mind you, a commuter service would surely encourage more commuters, but that's kind of a chicken and egg thing; you need commuters to justify the rail, but you need the rail to justify enough people choosing the commuter lifestyle.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #28  
Old Posted Apr 13, 2013, 1:05 AM
scooby074 scooby074 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 497
Quote:
Originally Posted by W.Sobchak View Post
What is the cost to turn a rail line into a walking trail? I read on here that the cost to put a rail line in is $1m/km. If people want to convert rail beds into utility trails they should pay the difference.
Id doesnt cost that much to make it a trail. Basically just rip up the rails and grade any issues plus make any bridges pedestrian friendly.

A million a mile is what I heard for building new railbed. That's a heck of a lot more than a walking path.

Problem is, once these railbeds are turned into trails, the greenies will NEVER give them back. Best to not go down that road at all. Assuming in the future, commuter rail becomes a reality, now government or the commuter rail company has to try and renegotiate for new ROW's. Can you imagine what a nightmare that would be? NIMBY's as far as the eye can see.

Best thing is to let the existing ROW overgrow and/or be used as an unofficial trail if the trains stop. Once it's signed over, it's gone for good.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #29  
Old Posted Apr 13, 2013, 9:14 AM
ILoveHalifax ILoveHalifax is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Palm Beach Gardens FL
Posts: 1,059
If we wanted to add rail in the future could it not be added down the median of the freeways? It would be less disruptive to local communities, essentially no at level crossings.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #30  
Old Posted Apr 13, 2013, 4:37 PM
Keith P.'s Avatar
Keith P. Keith P. is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 7,964
Quote:
Originally Posted by ILoveHalifax View Post
If we wanted to add rail in the future could it not be added down the median of the freeways? It would be less disruptive to local communities, essentially no at level crossings.
We don't have very many freeways, much less ones with medians. Most of them are former 2-lane cartpaths from the 1940s widened to 4 lanes with separation by jersey barriers.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #31  
Old Posted Apr 13, 2013, 6:12 PM
scooby074 scooby074 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 497
Not to mention new ROW construction in Halifax would be particularly hard and expensive with all the rock. Practically every foot would have to be blasted.

Running down the centre of a divided highway would put the trains too close to vehicles I believe. As I understand it there needs to be a set distance or some sort of rigid divider between trains and vehicles depending on the class of train.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #32  
Old Posted Apr 14, 2013, 5:37 PM
W.Sobchak's Avatar
W.Sobchak W.Sobchak is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 116
Scoob I think my point was lost, if those who want the rail bed converted to a trail they should have the pay the difference between the cost of the ripping up and grooming, and the initial amount of what it cost to have the rail line put there in the first place. So if it cost say $5m to put in a 5k rail line, and it cost say 250k to make it a trail, then those petitioning to have the trail should pay the $4.75m difference. I'm tired of lazy economic choices we have been making and listening to in this province.
__________________
"Am I the only one around here who gives shit about the rules?"
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #33  
Old Posted Apr 14, 2013, 5:54 PM
scooby074 scooby074 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 497
Quote:
Originally Posted by W.Sobchak View Post
Scoob I think my point was lost, if those who want the rail bed converted to a trail they should have the pay the difference between the cost of the ripping up and grooming, and the initial amount of what it cost to have the rail line put there in the first place. So if it cost say $5m to put in a 5k rail line, and it cost say 250k to make it a trail, then those petitioning to have the trail should pay the $4.75m difference. I'm tired of lazy economic choices we have been making and listening to in this province.
I like that idea
Reply With Quote
     
     
End
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Transportation & Infrastructure
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 7:12 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.