A new report on High Speed Rail tells us yet again that their is an extreme need to invest in High Speed Rail, for not only the environmental aspects, but also economic.
The study talked about how in many countries high speed rail has reduced emissions, because if you run your transportation by energy that is renewable over fossil fuels you are reducing the emissions to transport goods and people as well. In fact the study states that High Speed Rail is 14 times less carbon intensive than car and 15 times less carbon intensive then airplanes. The proof of this is easily found in Spain a High Speed Rail train between Madrid and Seville reduced emissions by more then 48,000 tonnes of CO2.
On the economic aspect High Speed Rail has been proven to be very profitable and helps in tourism as it makes it easier to travel from one metropolitan city to another metropolitan city. In Lille France high Speed Rail helped to dramatically increase tourism in the city.
It's time to get rid of the studies and start building! It's so stupid that we should wait any longer to join the rest of the developed world.
"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." A Liberal-supporting, environmentalist blog. We blog according to our opinions, not those of the party or government. Free speech must win and that's why we have this blog. The views of two Montrealers and a Libertarian.
Canada is BIG. Really Big. Like Bigger than big. Madrid to Seville is about 500 kilometres. Toronto to Montreal is the about the same. Other than that corridor is there another place in Canada where there is anything close to the urban densities of Europe or Japan? It seems to me that this is not a "national" priority but rather a Toronto-Montreal priority. That certainly fits with what is left of the Liberal base but it's hardly something anyone else wants to fund.
ReplyDeleteA root was proposed by a private company in Alberta between Calgary and Edmonton and also between Seattle (Washington) and Vancouver.
ReplyDeletethis may not be a national priority considering Atlantic Canada and most of the Prairies would be left out, but some federal spending is needed to help specific cities with their own problems. different cities in Canada get different projects, and that is fine. As long as no area is ignored I don't see the probelm.
There is much possibility out west in the Amtrak Cascades corridor to Vancouver and Calgary-Edmonton.
ReplyDeleteIn other places, better rail service is needed.