RAIL: Soo to Sudbury daily connect to T.O.

bornagainbiking · #1 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 3:05 AM**

We need a return to regular rail service from the Soo to Sudbury. NOW.... In Europe, they have little two car trains that shuttle between cities like a local bus.
So if there was a local train to cover the 280-300 kms it would take the place of the Greyhound. Why are we so behind Europe.
If you had another connection to say Barrie that hooked up with GO Transit.
Just imagine the elimination of flights and the safer winter travel.

vid · #2 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 4:44 AM**

You young idealist you!

It'll never happen. It should, though. Which is why it won't.

CANAUS · #3 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 5:56 AM**

No, Vid remember, Yes We Can!!

Jamaican-Phoenix · #4 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 11:44 AM**

While Europe is definitely worlds ahead of this continent in terms of public transport, we also have to remember that Europe is a huge landmass that is densely populated and is composed of several very rich nations.

Canada is but ONE nation spread over a large landmass and is sparsely populated.

Windex · #5 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 11:54 AM**

Rail is fantastic, I love it, it should be implemented wherever it's feasible. Playing devil's advocate though, I've taken the bus on the stretch between Sudbury and the Soo a couple times and I don't really remember it being that crowded, certainly not to the point that where it would seem like the train would be a more economical choice than a bus. Then there's the cost of reestablishing infrastructure and working around CP/CN's freight schedule.

That said, the scenery is pretty dramatic up there, I bet a train ride along that route would be worth the ticket price.

bornagainbiking · #6 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 12:36 PM**

Vid, not so young as I retire in 10 yrs, just an optomist.
The bus is OK but has a poor reputation. Also all the bad press from the incident in Manitoba.
The bus is crowded and so impersonal. Especially now with ipods and MP3 players.
You need a car up north and if there was a reliable daily run with just a couple cars and storage people could take a day trip to town for some essentials. Time is not a major factor if you adapt to a slower life.
The towns and villages would be like Europe and have the bakers and butcher.
Yes Europe is more densely populated and according to latest reports their airlines are cheaper than rail so competition is starting to kick in for the airline business.
But is Air the best in poor weather.
I was on a train for the worst cold spell of the century Christmas 82, from Regina to Toronto and the cars were freezing up one at a time but it was fun in the toasty bar car till we run out and had to un to the liquor store in Screiber.
Maybe it is a pipe dream but I love to drive but the novelty is wearing off with car payments, insurance, maintenance, gas and taxes taxes taxes.
Figure out the real cost of a car per month.
This nation was built on rail what happened?
VIA Rail should get some leadership and think of getting more customers Real competition to the airlines and a more comfortable ride.
The Government should put more money into rail NOW. Like a cheap twice Daily Windsor to Quebec City .
If this was considered the auto bailout would be looked at in a different light.

vid · #7 Posted: **Feb 23, 2009, 10:37 PM**

The north shore route is spectacular. VIA had a chance to buy the Kinghorn line between Geraldton and Thunder Bay (the one with the trestle at Pass Lake) but didn't, it is now being dismantled.

Calgary doesn't have rail service either, and it actually has people. :\

ikerrin · #8 Posted: **Feb 24, 2009, 11:58 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

Vid, not so young as I retire in 10 yrs, just an optomist.
The bus is OK but has a poor reputation. Also all the bad press from the incident in Manitoba.

Maybe it is a pipe dream but I love to drive but the novelty is wearing off with car payments, insurance, maintenance, gas and taxes taxes taxes.
Figure out the real cost of a car per month.
This nation was built on rail what happened?
VIA Rail should get some leadership and think of getting more customers Real competition to the airlines and a more comfortable ride.
The Government should put more money into rail NOW. Like a cheap twice Daily Windsor to Quebec City .
If this was considered the auto bailout would be looked at in a different light.

The good people of the Sault do have a vision for Rail:

http://www.sault-canada.com/UserFile...20Services.pdf

If you care passionately about this, you might want to join Transport 2000 and try to organize and agitate for expanded rail service, perhaps by getting the province of Ontario to expand funding for Ontario Northland. There are mayors all along Yonge street (Gravenhurst, Huntsville, etc.) who are trying to get expanded rail service to their towns.

Are you the leader we can follow to a great Ontario rail system?

Rathgrith · #9 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 3:02 AM**

I think the bigger question is...WHY on earth would you want to go to Sault Ste Marie? I mean, everyone who works at St. Marys Paper just gets paid in casino chips on Friday night and then they go on and spend the rest of their weekend at the casino.

ikerrin · #10 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 5:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rathgrith

I think the bigger question is...WHY on earth would you want to go to Sault Ste Marie? I mean, everyone who works at St. Marys Paper just gets paid in casino chips on Friday night and then they go on and spend the rest of their weekend at the casino.

I had one of my best vacations near the Sault. Its a nice little city and the National Park north of the city is amazing. The sandy beaches and ability to walk out 500 meters with the water rising only to your waist makes it a hidden gem in the country.

bornagainbiking · #11 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 11:43 AM**

I guess like wine to live in the Soo is an aquired taste. There are about 85,000 off and on there. You have most what you need and the States just across the river.
I've been to Ottawa and really liked it. Funny there, you have Quebec across your river (another country) haha
Your main industry is government workers or office types.
Like Ottawa we are surrounded by the outdoors and we can go swimming in 20 mins or fishing at the locks in 10 and park at the mall free.
Hockey is packed and only JrA but a fraction of the price and free parking.
No traffic jams or morning commute. You can walk from one side of the main city the other in under an hour.
It would be like living in the Gatenque (sp) 24/7.

Jamaican-Phoenix · #12 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 11:51 AM**

I've read up a bit on Sault-Ste Marie, and it sounds better than the place I'm stuck in right now.

BTW, I am in North Bay. Decent little city though, all things considered.

vid · #13 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 1:08 PM**

North Bay is Ontario's San Francisco.

Not sure if that is complimenting North Bay or insulting San Francisco, but I've said it. Thunder Bay is umm.. I guess Northern Ontario's Chicago, but without the interestingness.

jeremy_haak · #14 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 1:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

North Bay is Ontario's San Francisco.

Not sure if that is complimenting North Bay or insulting San Francisco, but I've said it. Thunder Bay is umm.. I guess Northern Ontario's Chicago, but without the interestingness.

Old Fort William is quite interesting, and hiking up the Sleeping Giant is definitely worthwhile (at least while you're on top, I recall the hike itself being agonizingly long).

vid · #15 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 1:46 PM**

I've never been to the Sleeping Giant itself, and I've been to the Fort William Historical Park (they bitch if you say 'old') only a couple times.

Silver Islet has a bit of a Newfie vibe to it. Probably the most expensive place to live up here, lots of neat houses clinging to rocks. I've been there a lot. Never been into the actual park though.

We have a lot of bars.

Does that count? If South Cumberland/Red River keeps going the direction it's going we'll be rivaling George Street soon.

ikerrin · #16 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 2:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

North Bay is Ontario's San Francisco.

Not sure if that is complimenting North Bay or insulting San Francisco, but I've said it. Thunder Bay is umm.. I guess Northern Ontario's Chicago, but without the interestingness.

Sorry to Quibble Vid, but I think Hamilton is Ontario's Chicago. Thunder Bay could be our Cleveland.

vid · #17 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 2:49 PM**

I was referring to Northern Ontario, not Ontario as a whole. Toronto is Ontario's Chicago, Hamilton is the Cleveland and Thunder Bay is the Gary.

(While Hamilton being Gary would be more geographically appropriate, I feel that Thunder Bay is more deserving of such a shameful title.

)

SlickFranky · #18 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 2:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ikerrin

Sorry to Quibble Vid, but I think Hamilton is Ontario's Chicago. Thunder Bay could be our Cleveland.

Hamilton: Ontario's Hoboken. Or maybe Milwaukee?
(jk Hamilton...we're still cool?)

I do like the idea of those little 1-2 car trains without locomotives. They would be great to connect our smaller cities/towns and relatively inexpensive. It's too bad car ownership is roughly 100% in those smaller centers. I'm pretty sure a service like this would fail miserably.

Rathgrith · #19 Posted: **Feb 25, 2009, 3:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bornagainbiking

I guess like wine to live in the Soo is an aquired taste. There are about 85,000 off and on there. You have most what you need and the States just across the river.
I've been to Ottawa and really liked it. Funny there, you have Quebec across your river (another country) haha
Your main industry is government workers or office types.
Like Ottawa we are surrounded by the outdoors and we can go swimming in 20 mins or fishing at the locks in 10 and park at the mall free.
Hockey is packed and only JrA but a fraction of the price and free parking.
No traffic jams or morning commute. You can walk from one side of the main city the other in under an hour.
It would be like living in the Gatenque (sp) 24/7.

I'm actually from a small town called Haliburton. Which I return to quite frequently. I love it but I could never live there full time. (yea lowest per captia income in Ontario! AND John Tory is trying to be our next MPP!) I only live in Ottawa for school now and I can attest that it can be very politically correct and boring. Which is probably why I might move in the near future to another city.

The other beach I like going to is Pancake Bay. Less rocks and less douche bags from Toronto to piss you off (i.e. Wasaga Beach)

Anyways, back to Trains, Here's a pick of Bombardier Talbot Talent:

Wikipedia
Ottawa has three of them but their are for intra-city travel.

More of these running around the countryside would be nice. But I think the focus should be on improving service from Toronto to North Bay and Sudbury first. Like, building extra track so that Ontario Northland trains don't have to stop and wait for freight trains to pass.

ikerrin · #20 Posted: **Feb 26, 2009, 3:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by vid

I was referring to Northern Ontario, not Ontario as a whole. Toronto is Ontario's Chicago, Hamilton is the Cleveland and Thunder Bay is the Gary.

(While Hamilton being Gary would be more geographically appropriate, I feel that Thunder Bay is more deserving of such a shameful title.

)

I'm sure that Gary doesn't have nice telephone operators who will answer your call at 2 am and send a guy out to fix it on a Sunday. Gary should be so lucky to be America's North Bay.