RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:German railway buys 30 HS trains for $1.1 billion @ Siemens!Also, once in place, air can't compete with high speed rail on cost - TGV for example has much much lower variable costs than air travel - once the dedicated right of way is in place and you bought the rolling stock, the variable cost is minimal. This is why you see SNCF have different prices for different people (very cheap for retired and youth French citizens) - they're maximizing revenue and passenger load while leveraging their strength - variable cost.
It boggles the mind how easily they blew hundreds of billions in a few months for COVID and yet haven't been able to come up with a dozens of billions of infrastructure money for close to 50 years (the first major study of high speed rail between Montreal and Toronto was done in 1977 I believe).
flamingogold wrote: Toronto to Montreal flying is not a 1 hour commute. Add in all the pre and post fly time to make the journey (travel to/from airport, security, baggage check/claim, taxing to the gate, deboarding). High speed trains work wornderfully for 500 km routes. I have done it and know which I would take easily if presented a choice.
stockitnow wrote: High speed train between Paris and London takes about 2.5 hours and the train carries 750 pax. Distance between TO and MTL is bit more and Air Canada and Westjet fly between them about 400pax in bit over an hour every hour ( pre covid). Would you want to take 2.5 hour trip and travel with 750pax or complete it in over an hour with 200 pax? You might be okay giving your tax money to build a slower means of travel between 2 cites but i dont. Future is hybrid electric planes. What works globally doesn't mean it will work here. Thats a very naive way of thinking. Have you ever traveled on VIA its horrible.
bicente wrote: That's your opinion but I think it is the futur . Did you ever wonder why the rest of the world is doing it an we aren't? Just because our govts don't want it doesnt mean it's no good . Highspeed rail and subways are the futur and we let the best innovators be bought out ... I have travelled a little and let me tell you commercial flying is getting to be combersome at best , long lines , no more carrying luggages allowed and too expensive, this covid with its social distancing makes a private cabin on a train look like a vacation on it's own ... I just think we are making a mistake selling off the BT division .. that's my opinion ... GLTA
stockitnow wrote: Air Canada has nothing to do with lobby or any other airlines. No one wants to take 6 hour train trip between MTL and TO. Building high speed train is not going to work either as all little municipalities in between TO and MTL will want train stop at their city and with multiple stops the advantage of high speed rail is gone. Cost of building high speed train will be too high. It will be in billions and you will still not be as quick as commercial flight. Long distance rail travel in North America is not practical.
clubhouse19 wrote: Bicente
All true but for sure aircanada and the such are likely lobbying quite heavily agains that since their lucrative market in canada are betwee major centers especially between TO and MTL.
We are like the states when it comes to that...common sense just doesn't make any sense when the politiccians
are subservient to established industry
bicente wrote: Canada and especially Quebec should be enjoying the best train/subway systems in the world , we should have be able to travel through all of Canada at record speed annd times
BUT NO
instead we let the company beg for money , give the best contracts out to competition , and eventually leave... we eat our own ... the family finally realized our govts have no balls and wont stand up to the corrupt WTO... we played by the rules and got beat up ... alot of blame goes to the bomber but the govts have their part of the blame ...once the bomber sells BT our next train/tram/subway projects will cost a fortune ...we could have been the greatest electric mass transit guru .... we will only see the impact once we no longer have leverage in the negotiations with the bomber in the mix ... we truly do not really apprehend what we are losing ... I hope I am wrong , but I believe we will regret losing the BT division... GLTA
stockitnow wrote: German railway company buying from German rail manufacturer. Something bombardier cant enjoy as much here. More reason to sell to the French and get out. Rail is very big in Europe let the French and German fight it out. Bombardier has no chance of making inroads on Europe now.