21 December 2007
City Wants to Ride the Fast Train
Calgary Alberta - All aboard. Airdrie, Cochrane, High
River, Okotoks.
All right, it's too soon to book your seats, but in the new year, Calgary and surrounding communities will begin serious discussions
on heavy-rail commuter train service between nearby locales and the city, using mostly existing rail lines.
The chinwag begins at the end of January, as the Calgary Regional Partnership, a group including the city and other local governments,
develop a plan for land use in our area to be completed within a year.
Trains will be considered.
The provincial government, which, along with the feds, will almost certainly have to play a part in putting the commuter trains on
track, are enthusiastic about taking a good, hard look at commuter service, treating it as far more than a trial balloon.
Deputy Premier Ron Stevens, a Calgary Tory MLA speaking on behalf of Premier Ed's government, says this kind of transport
"definitely needs to be considered."
"We're aware of the idea and we think it's intriguing. There is absolutely no doubt we are interested and we want people to talk
to us about what our potential involvement could be," says Ron, who figures something "will be fleshed out pretty
quickly."
"We're excited about it. Using heavy rail sounds like a great idea and is an incredible opportunity for expanding
communities."
Premier Ed's right-hand man knows the awful traffic is in everybody's catalogue of gripes. And the population just keeps
growing.
With this proposal, as opposed to a Calgary-Edmonton high-speed train, much of the infrastructure is already
in place.
Fewer cars on the road is the obvious benefit, but Ron also points to possible future savings in terms of less new construction and
maintenance on existing roads.
"With transportation top of mind with the public, this nicely fits in as a piece," says Ron, who has to drive the nightmare
like the rest of us.
Mark Seland is spokesman for the Canadian Pacific Railway and he says there's already been some chatter about a commuter train to
Calgary from Airdrie, Cochrane, High River, and Okotoks.
There has been some checking out of commuter trains elsewhere - the GO train in Toronto, the West Coast Express in the Vancouver area,
Montreal's AMT - and how a system could be run here.
Mark says CP's tracks could be made available and the railway could run their freight around commuter times.
Some technical advice has already been given on types of cars, where stations and platforms could be located, and necessary upgrades.
The question of cash has not been brought forward yet, or who will own what.
We are not that far along. And the railway has made no commitments besides expertise. But, based on growth projections, Mark says
"in the railway's view, it's a workable idea."
Mayor Bronco is all for ogling the option, as long as nobody thinks any cheques are coming out of the $3.3 billion Calgary scored in
provincial Eddie Money. That coin is marked for the LRT and other projects within city limits.
Still, as for trains...
"Are we looking at it? Are we planning it? Absolutely. I'm open to the idea, if there are partners with money. We'll look at
co-ordinating our service with theirs," says Bronco, who talks about commuters coming in and stopping downtown, at a
station not yet built, a couple blocks south of the now-closed St. Louis Hotel in the East Village, and jumping on the
city LRT.
"It's about moving people and, as you know, I like to see people moving."
In Cochrane, where more than half the population commutes to Calgary, Mayor Truper McBride won this fall by putting commuter trains at
the forefront of his campaign.
He heads up the working group on transportation for the Calgary Regional Partnership.
"This is definitely on the agenda," says Truper, confident the trains will get a good hearing, admitting it will take
provincial and federal dough, but noting both levels of government are talking up greenhouse-gas reductions.
Then there's the gridlock.
"An hour in and an hour out, that's two hours out of your day, as opposed to 15 minutes from downtown Cochrane to downtown
Calgary. It's an easy choice," says the mayor.
And looking north, to Airdrie, Mayor Linda Bruce is just as enthusiastic and sees the trains as something that have to happen. Commuter
buses are nice, but can't cut it.
"I know people in Airdrie would be thrilled," says Linda. "Have you been on the Deerfoot between 6 and 8:30 in the
morning going south?"
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