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So we will have a new Liberal majority government. They have said they are planning to run a short-term $10B deficit to invest in infrastructure. Given that the budget is roughly balanced now, I think a $10B/year infrastructure investment seems like a reasonable guesstimate. On a per capita basis, that could be $150M/year in Waterloo Region -- if funds are distributed evenly. And if the Region can put forward a good proposal.
So what is realistic to propose? LRT stage 2 would be very nice, and it's not funded yet. The challenges are that (1) current ridership numbers make it hard to justify, and (2) the actual spending would be probably two years down the road, and I expect the federal government will be looking for a more short-term economic impact.
What else? How about funding for the intermodal station? That construction could start as soon as next year, if funding can be secured.
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I see the likeliest funding going for GO. Whether it's to add more trains, or speed up the travel time, it lets you get onside with what many local politicians have been asking for, support diverse industry, announce in multiple cities.
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(10-20-2015, 12:49 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: I see the likeliest funding going for GO. Whether it's to add more trains, or speed up the travel time, it lets you get onside with what many local politicians have been asking for, support diverse industry, announce in multiple cities.
GO seems obvious, but the basic purpose of the infrastructure funding is to spur growth, so buying US-made locomotives doesn't help much. The cars are built by Bombardier, so that's better. $200M would buy maybe 50 more cars, but the provincial government would still need to fund the locomotives -- and any deficit in the operations.
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Their platform specifically called for an additional $20 billion for public transit over ten years. LRT (in Surrey) is an example given there.
This might be an opportunity to have Phase II funded.
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Infrastructure doesn't just mean trains - for example, track, station and facility upgrades are also needed and would almost certainly be locally sourced. For the Kitchener corridor, this would be doubling the track west of Georgetown (including new bridge construction); building new stations like Guelph East or Breslau; and building the Baden train yard (and perhaps an attached station).
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Buy and demolish Kent St in Guelph!
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10-20-2015, 07:50 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-20-2015, 07:51 PM by DHLawrence.)
They probably won't need more cars for a while. They're replacing all their cab cars with a new model, so that's five or six trains worth of old-style cab cars that can be redistributed once the new cars have arrived.
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(10-20-2015, 12:49 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: I see the likeliest funding going for GO. Whether it's to add more trains, or speed up the travel time, it lets you get onside with what many local politicians have been asking for, support diverse industry, announce in multiple cities.
I hope this is the case! High speed train to Toronto (stop in Milton, Airport, then downtown) would be a true game changer.
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10-20-2015, 09:18 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-20-2015, 09:19 PM by Canard.)
I too really hope this finally seals the deal for GO RER/Electrification/HSR in several corridors (obviously Kitchener line!), as well as Phase II Light Rail funding for ion.
Literally, I think the meeting will be:
Justin: "So, I like trains..."
Kathleen: "OMG, me too!"
:: high fives ::
...and Ontario wins. 
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Realistically I can't see high-speed rail as the headline item: it's just too expensive, surely well over $10B for just Toronto-Montreal. However ... if the province is actually planning to fund Windsor-Toronto, the feds just might be able to top that up and accelerate the project. Maybe!
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(10-20-2015, 10:49 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
Realistically I can't see high-speed rail as the headline item: it's just too expensive, surely well over $10B for just Toronto-Montreal. However ... if the province is actually planning to fund Windsor-Toronto, the feds just might be able to top that up and accelerate the project. Maybe!
The VIA Rail CEO's strategy for getting that $10B is private financing of rail construction. He's concluded that it's just too hard to get government to spend on high-speed rail.
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(10-20-2015, 10:49 PM)tomh009 Wrote:
Realistically I can't see high-speed rail as the headline item: it's just too expensive, surely well over $10B for just Toronto-Montreal. However ... if the province is actually planning to fund Windsor-Toronto, the feds just might be able to top that up and accelerate the project. Maybe!
I don't know. This just might be the type of legacy project that can define and administration, and with Wynne and Trudeau playing chums... who knows it might just happen.
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It may be in their best interest to fund a Calgary Edmonton route at the same time as a Toronto Montreal route. Just a thought, nothing really to back that.
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Absolutely, 2-for-1 deal on HSR Acela MK. II sets from Bombardier
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(10-21-2015, 06:35 PM)Canard Wrote: Absolutely, 2-for-1 deal on HSR Acela MK. II sets from Bombardier
Nooo... I want European technology not Acela.
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