Discussion should begin in Alberta about High Speed Rail
I love the idea of High Speed Rail (HSR) in certain parts of Canada, including a line from Calgary to Edmonton. Fast, safe, environmentally friendly transportation between populated areas – what’s not to like?
Presently there are several HSR projects in the US either under construction (Dallas-Houston), or proposed (Boston-New York-Philadelphia-Baltimore-Washington). In Canada, several proposals are also being considered connecting cities like Vancouver to US centres like Seattle; or Montreal to New York. Metro Toronto is looking into a shorter line (like what we could use in Alberta), possibly connecting to Hamilton and London.
These trains can reach speeds typically from 250 to 350 km/hr though the world’s fastest HSR train has topped out at 431 km/hr. There are several European or Asian HSR lines that go well over 350 km/hr, most being the more expensive and high tech maglev trains which levitate magnetically between upper and lower tracks thus eliminating friction.
Even a more typical HSR between Calgary and Edmonton would mean passengers could commute between the two largest cities in Alberta in less than an hour, instead of the typical three hour drive through several white knuckle weather patterns along with thousands of QEII crazies.
Read the rest in the Tofield Mercury edition of July 25.
