High-speed rail service between Chicago and Quebec.

[Scooterb]

Could be hope for the Michigan Line.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/s ... -rail.html

Windsor-West MP Brian Masse announced Monday he intends to pursue international high-speed rail service between Chicago and Quebec.

"I believe we can make it work all the way to Quebec City," he said a news conference staged in front of the historic Spirit of Windsor steam engine No. 5588.

Masse wrote Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Denis Lebel "urging" the government "to move more decisively to make passenger rail investments a priority in Canada."
Infrastructure exists

'Masse said at the news conference existing infrastructure, such as rails and international tunnels beneath the Detroit River, exist to help jump start the program.

Masse called on Lebel to create a working group of stakeholders, similar to the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council, to examine the possibility of high speed rail in the Chicago-to-Quebec corridor.

Masse said there are approximately 30 million people living in the corridor. He said the service "could be international in reputation."
US on board

Kirk T. Steudle, director, Michigan Department of Transportation, is in favour of the proposed international high speed service.

"Reinstating this service is a priority for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) as part of an expanded seamless rail corridor providing passenger service from Chicago to Montreal," Steudle wrote Masse in July.

In May 2011, the U.S. Federal Railroad Admistration announced Michigan will receive $200 million in federal high-speed rail grants to fund projects in the state.
Costs 'few hundred million'

Masse admitted the cost of such a service is large; "a few hundred million," he said. However, he also said he has no idea what kind of economic boost - if any - high speed rail would provide to the Windsor-Essex region.

Masse admitted the cost of high speed rail are often met with "sticker shock" but touted the environmental, cultural and economical advantages of such a system.

He noted Canada is the only country in the G8 to not have high-speed rail service despite having the fifth-largest rail network in the world.

"It's like we quit working on rail 200 years ago," Masse said.

[Scooterb]

Another Link
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index ... ushes.html

Perhaps the most intriguing news from yesterday’s high-speed rail announcement was Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s suggestion that the next phase for Midwest rail upgrade could involve an international high-speed passenger route through Detroit.

Governor Rick Snyder yesterday agreed that connecting the Detroit-to-Chicago line to Canada’s rail system through Windsor would make sense.

“I would rather have us be in a longer-term circuit that goes Montreal and Toronto to Detroit and Chicago to St. Louis and Kansas City,” said Snyder.

A passenger line to Canada would change Detroit’s place in the rail system, from an end-of-the-line outpost to a crossroad for high-speed rail service from Quebec and Ontario to Chicago, and by extension, St. Louis and Kansas City.

International passenger rail from Detroit is, at least on the U.S. side, a realistic goal because the existing Amtrak route can easily connect to the rail tunnel under the Detroit River.

“It’s more problematic on the Canadian side than on the U.S. side because we’ve got the direct shot to the tunnel today,” said MDOT’s Tim Hester.

Hester adds that, to make the system work, Canada would need to invest in new infrastructure to route passenger trains from the tunnel to Windsor’s VIA rail station.

Windsor Member of Parliament Brian Masse believes Canada should make that happen.

“It’s important from Detroit to Chicago, but what would really benefit Detroit is if we had higher speed rail from basically Quebec City to Chicago,” said Masse. “What you’d be doing then is hooking into to Canada’s two largest provinces. That would really, in my opinion, throw things over the top in terms of trade and tourism.”

High-speed rail wasn’t part of the majority Conservative Party’s budget plan released before Canada’s national election earlier this month, so Masse admits a Detroit-Windsor passenger rail link will be an uphill fight in Ottawa. However, he also thinks the Detroit-to-Chicago line may motivate Canadian officials to make the necessary upgrades.

“This move from Michigan is critical because what it does, it puts pressure on the Canadian government to reciprocate some of the rail infrastructure improvements,” said Masse. “VIA rail is getting about a billion dollars across Canada for upgrades, but it will not increase capacity. It will modernize stations, it will improve the cars, so we already have money allocated to improve the service, but we have yet to see money to actually lower the travel time.”

The Obama Administration awarded a $200 million grant that will allow Michigan to upgrade tracks and make other improvements necessary to allow for high-speed passenger service between Detroit and Chicago. The project is expected to be completed in 2014.

[OwlCaboose2853]

Oh really! Come back, possibility but not quite yet? Hope so!

[TrainWatcher]

And think about it, what depot has never left and is in a PERFECT spot to be turned into a new Union Station?? Why, none other than Michigan Central... its there, it would work. With about several million dollars restoration and track re-installation and what not

[mustangjoe448]

Does anyone know if this did happen if It could also spark some freight trains from Canada as well

[bctrainfan]

Well, there is already huge freight traffic to and from canada.

[AARR]

Does anyone know if this did happen if It could also spark some freight trains from Canada as well

Lie bctrainfan said there is already a lot of traffic between Canada and the US so I do not think this will increase freight traffic.

[OwlCaboose2853]

Does anyone know if this did happen if It could also spark some freight trains from Canada as well

Lie bctrainfan said there is already a lot of traffic between Canada and the US so I do not think this will increase freight traffic.

CN Rail operated trains on the same tracks and CP Rail also offered limited service.

The Corridor VIA Rail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_(Via_Rail)
The Corridor service area has the heaviest passenger train frequency in Canada, with 36 Via trains traversing the route daily. About 67% of Via's revenue comes from Corridor routes. Windsor, Ontario railway station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor,_O ... ay_station Toronto-Windsor via London (4 times daily)

[telus6429]

I know this sounds sad, being someone who lives in Windsor and enjoys the railroad scene, but this will never happen, unless the PPP works for both sides... as of right now Public Private Partnership program is having huge issues in the Michigan Government, and this would be a big part of the funds that are needed for the program. from being someone who has seen many reports over the years for border items, that involves any type of transportation would require a great deal of money, and both Private Companies & governments needs to put forward lots of cash. Right now the Canadian side of the DRIC is all funded and ready to go, with part funding for the American Side, but the Michigan Government has put things on hold, due to lots of issues they do not under stand about PPP that has been used in Canada for years and works great (and used in lots of other areas in the USA but don't tell Michigan that, as they don't believe it). If the High-Speed Rail Corridor were to be built, it would have to be a totally new rail company, with Joint venture between Amtrak & VIA Rail. This company would have to have not only a Chicago to Quebec City line, but also a Chicago to New York via Canada (kinda like the CASO Style back in the day). The service would cost at least 100 Billion Dollars just to start and needs all new Customs & Border Services items build in the Windsor/Detroit area (and also if the train would go to New York as 1 of the small reports are listed). These items would stir up the economy lots in this area, but all the equipment, tracks, areas would have to be basically built from the ground up, with complete lines with only over and under passes. The Canadian government was already talking closing 50% of its road crossings from Toronto to Montreal, and another 35% from Toronto to Windsor and making them as over or underpasses to help eliminate this issue, but they need 100% for the whole route. The same goes for the Route from Detroit to Chicago, with 100% of its grade crossings closed. I know that they are testing new road crossing in Michigan to help eliminate the potential of cars going around the gates, but still doesn't stop trucks and other big vehicles.

In short, if anything of this sorts were to start between Canada and the USA, you need to have PPP issues settled in some of the areas, clauses that equipment & material get sourced from in Canada or the USA, and also you have a willingness to expand routes from just 1 route to 2 routes to make it more viable.

Another route that would do good is a Toronto to New York Route at High speeds, as the trip is almost a 12 hour day now and needs to be speed up....

[justalurker66]

I know this sounds sad, being someone who lives in Windsor and enjoys the railroad scene, but this will never happen,

I agree, especially in a manner that the rest of the world would define "High-speed rail".

The same goes for the Route from Detroit to Chicago, with 100% of its grade crossings closed. I know that they are testing new road crossing in Michigan to help eliminate the potential of cars going around the gates, but still doesn't stop trucks and other big vehicles.

The improvements to Amtrak will allow what we call "higher speed rail" ... not what would be considered HSR on a international comparison but just higher speed than the typical long distance intercity passenger train in the US.

With the current condition of the line to Detroit "higher speed rail" is years away at best. Even if one works out all the issues with customs, equipment ownership and management to allow a train to cross the border it won't be HSR in the US. Once you factor in customs and the length of the journey one might as well hop on a plane to do Chicago to Montreal or Quebec.

VIA's service to Windsor and Sarnia works well leaving it up to the passenger to cross the border on their own time - not as part of the railroad's schedule. "Higher speed rail" from Detroit would be a connection people could make on their own (once it exists) with the challenge of clearing customs in time to catch the next leg left up to the passenger instead of delaying a Detroit to Chicago or Windsor to Quebec train because of a problem with the other railroad.

BTW: How much demand is there? How far into Canada from Windsor do people actually want to go to Chicago where a plane trip would not be easier (even with theoretical Canadian HSR, US higher speed rail connection as an option)? Are there enough people desiring to make that journey to make the investment worthwhile?