conv.

All stories
MoreQuiet 4d · day 4

Canada's 'Railway City' seeks passenger rail revival despite infrastructure hurdles

St. Thomas, Ontario and other communities face massive obstacles restoring passenger rail after decades of decline and track removal.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 3d ago7 pieces7 likes & upvotes MastodonRedditGoogle News

What to know

  • Canada is investing billions in passenger rail expansion, but decades of track removal and infrastructure decay have left communities facing a fundamentally different network than what existed before.
  • Physical barriers include torn-up tracks, lost rail corridors, and a surviving network now optimized for freight rather than passengers.
  • Competitive disadvantage: in a geographically dispersed country, cars, buses, and planes offer faster and often cheaper travel alternatives for most distances.
some voices

Passenger rail failed because cars, planes, and buses are faster and cheaper for Canadian distances and settlement patterns.

  • “The biggest reason passenger rail service died in Canada is because regardless of the connections it still took a long time to get anywhere… It's mainly about convenience, and train service just isn't convenient in the age of the Car and…”

    Jeffgoldbum · Reddit ↗
some voices

Canada's car-centric culture diverges from European practice and represents a policy choice that can be reversed with proper investment.

  • “Canada's abandonment of pasenger rail and adoption of car culture puts it out of step with the EU.”

    TimFinnerty · Mastodon ↗

St. Thomas, Ontario Community seeking rail revivalCanadian government Rail expansion funder

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage postscomments

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 20, 9 AM; 7 pieces over 4 days (2 articles · 4 posts · 1 comment) Sep 20, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 4 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 6 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 8 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Google News 1, Reddit 1Sep 20, 10 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 comment — Reddit 1Sep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 2 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 4 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — quietSep 20, 6 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 8 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 10 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 12 AM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 2 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 4 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Sep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 1
Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:01 AM ET
  1. 1

    CBC reports on obstacles to Canadian passenger rail revival

    CBC News publishes analysis of Canada's effort to expand passenger rail after decades of decline, examining how St. Thomas, Ontario—historically a 'Railway City'—and other communities face infrastructure challenges in restoring service. The report notes that torn-up tracks, lost corridors, and a network now oriented toward freight present significant barriers to reviving passenger rail.

    “Canada is spending billions to expand passenger rail after decades of decline, but torn-up tracks, lost corridors and a surviving network built around freight means communities trying to bring trains back face a very different railway than the one they lost.”
    — CBC News · source
    1. 1 outlet In Canada's 'Railway City' the tracks end in the grass. Why a passenger rail revival isn't so simple

      first by CBC, 3d ago

      1 more headline

    • The biggest reason passenger rail service died in Canada is because regardless of the connections it still took a long time to get anywhere. Saskatoon to Edmonton takes 10 hours by the existing train connection, Costs around $180 Its 5 hours by Car, 6 hours by Bus, Under $150 for both. Its 1 and a half hours by passenger plane, and again $180 is…

      Jeffgoldbumr/canada3d agoview on r/canada ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 3 posts in this stretch
    • TimFinnerty@toot.io

      Apropos being more European, # Canada 's abandonment of pasenger # rail and adoption of # car culture puts it out of step with the # EU . Canada's 'Railway City' wants ... https://www. cbc.ca/news/canada/st-thomas-o ntario-passenger-rail-canada-9.7346675

      TimFinnerty@toot.ioMastodon3d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    • jockr@mastodon.social

      Canada's 'Railway City' wants passenger trains back. Like much of the country, it's not so simple | CBC News https://www. cbc.ca/news/canada/st-thomas-o ntario-passenger-rail-canada-9.7346675

      jockr@mastodon.socialMastodon3d agoview on Mastodon ↗
    all of them →

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 3 · verbatim