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Commuter & Regional Rail

Daveography

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Mayor pitches commuter rail line for southwest Edmonton
Mayor Don Iveson pitched yet another rail line in a year-end interview with Postmedia, this one aimed at relieving congestion in Edmonton’s southwest and serving a future town centre in the annexation lands.

The line could use parts of the old Canadian Pacific track and a diesel engine to start, with only two to four stops between Grandin or Old Strathcona and the Edmonton International Airport, said Iveson.

It’s not the first rail priority, but Edmonton should start planning for it now, he said.

“As Canadian Pacific starts to back out of Old Strathcona, it’s going to be critical for us to hold on to that right-of-way … for medium-term regional rail.”

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/mayor-pitches-commuter-rail-line-for-southwest-edmonton
 
Great idea, and something I've thought about quite a bit. Let me see if I can make a mock-up of what I'd like to see and post it.
 
Here's what I would like to see. Commuter rail lines are the thicker lines. The line to the airport and further south would use the High Level Bridge. Everything else is pretty self explanatory except for two lines.

rail-network-edmonton.png


I would like to see the Metro Line extended southwest to Windermere, and eventually to Devon.

And the Energy Line is completely different than what the city is proposing. It would start at Churchill station (You might need to close 102 Ave to traffic completely for a block and have a third platform). It would head west to 107 St sharing the tracks with the Valley Line. Then it would go south down 107 St past the Legislature, and down into Rossdale. You would need to build a low bridge across the river beside Walterdale Bridge. Then it would climb uphill where Fort Hill is now. It would jog over to 107 Street, and then go down Whyte Ave. Then at Bonnie Doon, it would head north to 98 Ave and make its way over to Sherwood Park.

Any ideas? :)
 
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Yes they would. Hopefully with their own tracks, or at least double tracking as much as possible. It would be exciting if we could have a model similar to GO Transit working here with regional buses and commuter rail... Oh how I dream.

I wonder what your thoughts are on my reworked Energy Line? The only two downsides I see are the frequency gap between Churchill and Holyrood on the Valley Line, and the fact that Sherwood Park commuters would have to transfer at Holyrood to go downtown or take the train all the way down Whyte Ave. I just think the city's plan to have the Valley and Energy lines interwoven a bit confusing.
 
@chrisvazquez7 My main concern with building up commuter lines would be how they may encourage development too far from the city proper. They may be needed someday as those places grow more organically, though, and other growth areas begin to run out.

The interchange at Holyrood would be problematic as it is just a "Neighbourhood Stop" and will not at all be equipped to handle large volumes of people transferring lines (especially since they would have to cross the tracks to switch directions).

I'm interested to see what the city's central connector will look like at the open house on Wednesday. I'll only be able to drop in briefly though as it's the same night at the Holyrood Gardens open house.
 
Iveson to make setting aside land for train to airport a priority in 2018
eia-tower-aug-28-15.jpg

Edmonton International Airport's eight-storey Central Tower.
Edmonton International Airport, Credit

It’s far off in the future, however getting dibs on a train route to the Edmonton International Airport will see its first step in the new year, according to the city’s mayor.

Mayor Don Iveson said in his annual year-end interview with 630 CHED that he plans to set the ball rolling for a commuter rail line by tabling a high-level route in both the city’s municipal development plan and the transportation master plan.

Iveson said a third line is needed in addition to the Capital Line that will eventually move south to Heritage Valley, and the Valley Line that is set to open in Mill Woods in 2020.

“It’s still in this high-level phase,” he said. “As CP [Rail] abandons the rail yard and the rail right-of-way from Strathcona towards the south and begins to look towards redevelopment to that site, we will put up our hands in due course and say, ‘Protect that right-of-way, it may have a future civic purpose.'”

https://globalnews.ca/news/3934312/...land-for-train-to-airport-a-priority-in-2018/
 
You mean like this? From this thread.

Here's what I would like to see. Commuter rail lines are the thicker lines. The line to the airport and further south would use the High Level Bridge. Everything else is pretty self explanatory except for two lines.

View attachment 95061

I would like to see the Metro Line extended southwest to Windermere, and eventually to Devon.

And the Energy Line is completely different than what the city is proposing. It would start at Churchill station (You might need to close 102 Ave to traffic completely for a block and have a third platform). It would head west to 107 St sharing the tracks with the Valley Line. Then it would go south down 107 St past the Legislature, and down into Rossdale. You would need to build a low bridge across the river beside Walterdale Bridge. Then it would climb uphill where Fort Hill is now. It would jog over to 107 Street, and then go down Whyte Ave. Then at Bonnie Doon, it would head north to 98 Ave and make its way over to Sherwood Park.

Any ideas? :)

Since I made this map I would probably change some things. Maybe I’ll get the chance to update it soon.
 
@chrisvazquez7 I really like the map you made! I think that even though the metro area is definitely growing very well, I think we will need at least a metro population of 1.75 mil to 2 mil to support a commuter rail. I still think that the city should start making plans for it, but the system will most likely not be built for another decade and a half. And by that time, Edmonton would have a considerably larger population, obviously.
 

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