Red Star
Active Member
Extending the LRT to Okotoks? Or building a commuter train to Okotoks?
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Calgary Transit
- Thread starter Always_Biking
- Start date
Mr.Wonderful
New Member
IIRC as an interchange station between commuter rail and the C-Train for those not going all the way downtown.
lemongrab
Active Member
IMO LRT makes way more sense than commuter LRT has so much better connectivity - I'd venture as many Okotokers have destinations in southern Calgary as in DT, and the red line connects better to DT anyways. Any time saved by a faster run to
Maybe once there's a train to Lethbridge it makes more sense, but even then I'm not sure that should stop at Okotoks every time. That also prompts an interesting question - where should south line regional stops be within Calgary? I'd say either Chinook or Heritage (Heritage probably more likely based on available space and connections) and and one or both of Anderson/Somerset.
HudsonA08
New Member
Regional rail should not duplicate what the LRT already does. Transfer points at 210 Ave and then downtown and Airport connector and then on to Airdrie and Okotoks I think would maximize usefulness and speed.
darwink
Senior Member
What is old is new again. Bring back the Discotrain!
Infrastructurist
New Member
This is what I think makes the most sense as-well. Having a completely separate line all the way to downtown from airdrie or okotoks makes 0 financial and logical sense lol.
Red Star
Active Member
Makes sense. IIRC the CPR freight line from Calgary to Okotoks is not very busy. I think there are only 3-4 freight trains per day. I don't see why the freight trains couldn't be rescheduled to operate at non-peak rush hour times.
I think a transfer station at 210 Ave. and at Heritage (for connections to MRU and Rocky View Hospital) should be fine.
I'd like to see a battery powered train used as the rolling stock. Battery powered trains are quieter than diesel engines and require easier maintenance. Plus, it's about 50km of track from Okotoks to downtown Calgary. Some of the new battery powered trains have a range of 200-300km.
Stadler FLIRT:
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whatchyyc
Active Member
You'd want the line to continue to downtown, just with additional transfer stations in the south. If you had to dump everyone onto the red line that seems like using up capacity unnecessarily
UrbanWarrior
Senior Member
Once we have a regional transit system, we will definitely need to be looking into one of those pricier options (Compass, etc.). It’s a way better option than paying fares for multiple different modes during transfers. The seamlessness between the GO Train, Subway, and Streetcars in Toronto is pretty great. They also work for the UP Express.
Ooop, I see the discussion has already been had and that I’m likely wrong. Touché!
Ooop, I see the discussion has already been had and that I’m likely wrong. Touché!
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Red Star
Active Member
100%.
I should have been more clear. Stations should be at:
1. Okotoks
2. 210 Ave.
3. Heritage
4. Downtown
I would be nice if they could reuse the old VIA rail station in downtown. It's pretty well an empty station ready to used at the base of the Calgary Tower.
Mr.Wonderful
New Member
Agreed, the train has to go downtown as I'm sure the province is planning to do.
Firstly, the Red Line does not have the capacity to absorb commuter trains full of people heading downtown. C-Trains would be full before even reaching Anderson and 7th Ave is maxed out frequency wise. Secondly, I think in order to get satellite city commuters on to a train instead of driving, it has to be a once seat ride downtown, otherwise it won't be an attractive option to most.
Something I do hope the province considers is through running the commuter lines to add a more central Downtown station, that being the old VIA station at tower center. Okotoks > Grand Central > Tower Center > Cochrane (with stops in between). Not sure what you do with the Airdrie line without adding too much capacity to Cochrane though. I suppose commuting Airdrie - Cochrane via downtown Calgary wouldn't be an attractive option anyway.
darwink
Senior Member
I don't know why the province just hasn't bought the station/associatied parking garage and office building.
Seems to be institutional inertia--but it could also be CPKC not wanting to give up the flexibility of the tracks (the 2019 Banff rail report talked about compensating CPR to move storage). Getting capacity through Inglewood would be even more expensive.
Lack of vision imo. But it might be more optimal than what we think despite everything.
Seems to be institutional inertia--but it could also be CPKC not wanting to give up the flexibility of the tracks (the 2019 Banff rail report talked about compensating CPR to move storage). Getting capacity through Inglewood would be even more expensive.
Lack of vision imo. But it might be more optimal than what we think despite everything.
CalgaryTiger
Senior Member
A spur run to the Calgary Tower platform is a great idea. I'm sure Aspen, with the added foot traffic, would be willing to put in a little money to refurbish the platform and whatever is left of the station.
outoftheice
Active Member
People seem to be forgetting that the province wants to build a Grand Central Station in Victoria Park to boost the development opportunities on lands that the ownership of the Calgary Flames have first rights to and to shuttle people in and out of the brand new arena.
I agree that a downtown station to, you know, actually get people downtown to their jobs makes the most sense and is critical to the success of any sort of regional or inter-city rail. However after seeing the coal mining deals and the health care scandals as well as how the premier seems to love legacy projects, I am absolutely convinced that any provincial rail plan will have all the trains stopping at a big, fancy, Grand Central Station in Victoria Park with forced connections onto the Green Line and we will not be seeing any sort of downtown station proposed.
I agree that a downtown station to, you know, actually get people downtown to their jobs makes the most sense and is critical to the success of any sort of regional or inter-city rail. However after seeing the coal mining deals and the health care scandals as well as how the premier seems to love legacy projects, I am absolutely convinced that any provincial rail plan will have all the trains stopping at a big, fancy, Grand Central Station in Victoria Park with forced connections onto the Green Line and we will not be seeing any sort of downtown station proposed.
darwink
Senior Member
The plan for a station there has existed for a very long time, 20 years at least. You'd have to ask Ed Stelmach who was the minister responsible at the time iirc, why exactly they thought it was necessary.