Alto High Speed Rail

[sm4012]

I think that we should start thinking like the capital city of a G7 Nation and bring the high-speed rail downtown. It makes plenty of sense to bring it back to Union Station. It would be amazing for the city and help tremendously with revitalizing downtown. Stepping out of the station right into the heart of Ottawa, with most of our premier attractions just steps away would be quite the experience for a tourist and would boost our international profile considerably.

 

[casscadia]

You could probably make an underground connection to the Rideau O-train station from Union station. I am extraordinarily doubtful they will use Union station but I would love it if they did. Guess we all need to make a big fuss at all of the consultation meetings and online surveys about our preference!

 

[sm4012]

You could probably make an underground connection to the Rideau O-train station from Union station. I am extraordinarily doubtful they will use Union station but I would love it if they did. Guess we all need to make a big fuss at all of the consultation meetings and online surveys about our preference!

Yes, I was just thinking about the possibility of a tunnel to the station, or at least the mall itself. We all need to do our civic duty and yell about how beneficial it'd be! Why should Toronto and Montreal get all of the fun things for insane cost haha

 

[hoggytime]

Folks on SSP are poo pooing the idea of bringing it to Union big time. I can't understand it. A quick spur to the centre from the mainline would be exactly how HSR enters most European cities. It's not going to slow things down by any measure, and will actually speed up the journey to where most people want to be compared to landing at Tremblay and hopping on the O-Train.

 

[jay2028]

Folks on SSP are poo pooing the idea of bringing it to Union big time. I can't understand it. A quick spur to the centre from the mainline would be exactly how HSR enters most European cities. It's not going to slow things down by any measure, and will actually speed up the journey to where most people want to be compared to landing at Tremblay and hopping on the O-Train.

I think it would be great.

 

[hoggytime]

Here is an idea with very little tunnelling. Cut and cover the platform in front of the convention centre, make a big public plaza there. Run the tracks above ground where Colonel By is now, connect Colonel By to Mann for cars, run the tracks under the old bridge land planned for Nicholas, some minor tunnelling at Hurdman for the spur. Seems pretty damned simple, epic, and inexpensive to me considering the value it would offer.

 

[sm4012]

I like the idea a lot, makes for a pretty scenic entry into the city proper. I hope it would maintain pedestrian access from the uOttawa station/Laurier rd to the canal. I'd assume the trains would be moving quite slowly and obviously nowhere near as frequently as the current cars so I can't imagine it being an issue, but I can't say I know too much on how these sort of things are designed lol.

 

[hoggytime]

Also, the underpass at Rideau with a loop in the public plaza could be the pickup/dropoff area. It has excellent highway access, and aside from Rideau Centre shipping/receiving and Westin access, it would have very little use with that section of Colonel By closed. Additionally, it offers protection from the elements. The loop itself could have mobility impaired stops directly adjacent to the station.

Another benefit of this arrangement is that traffic is split between three access points, reducing bottlenecks. The front door for your average pedestrian and tourist, an underground O-Train connection, and the back entrance for local coaches, STO, Taxi/Uber, and Pickup/Dropoff.

Red : Tunnel
Blue : Above Grade
Orange : Bridge
Green : Road Realignment

 

[J.OT13]

You could probably make an underground connection to the Rideau O-train station from Union station. I am extraordinarily doubtful they will use Union station but I would love it if they did. Guess we all need to make a big fuss at all of the consultation meetings and online surveys about our preference!

An underground network in that area has been mused in the past, back in the early 90s by the NCC and in the late 2000s when the new Convention Centre was proposed. Would connect the Convention Centre, Union and the NAC. Could throw in a link to Rideau Station as well. Add the STO loop at the front door and we have a transit hub.

 

[hoggytime]

One of the most unambitious critiques I have read on SSP and elsewhere about Union is that the train shouldn't have to divert to deliver passengers to Union off the mainline. Let's look at how HSR diverts to the core of a few European cities off the mainlines and compare it to a potential tiny 3km spur into Union.
HSR in RED

Madrid:

Paris:

'

Leipzig:

Frankfurt:

Barcelona:

Naples:

 

[J.OT13]

Yeah, it's really not that much of a "detour". Even Montreal it looks like the train will travel from Laval to Montreal and then run back through Laval, which is a far longer "detour", and I'm all for it (though I think we could do without the Laval Station, the only suburban station along the HSR).

I think people still imagine the diesel locomotives that have to slowwwwwwly back out of the station to get back to the main tracks, not realizing that modern electric trains have cabs at both ends.

 

[Catenary]

I'm surprised we haven't seen a proposal to tunnel out and continue across the Alexandra bridge, considering they seem to want to have tracks on the Quebec side of the river further east. I don't think it's particularly feasible, but I would have thought it would come up for discussion by now.

 

[J.OT13]

Here's the routing they are looking at. It stays in Ontario until Hawkesbury.

 

[misterg]

One of the most unambitious critiques I have read on SSP and elsewhere about Union is that the train shouldn't have to divert to deliver passengers to Union off the mainline. Let's look at how HSR diverts to the core of a few European cities off the mainlines and compare it to a potential tiny 3km spur into Union.
HSR in RED

Madrid:
View attachment 709832

Paris:
View attachment 709833'

Leipzig:
View attachment 709834

Frankfurt:
View attachment 709835

Barcelona:
View attachment 709836

Naples:
View attachment 709837

Yeah this is a good point it's so common. Btw what site are you using here?

 

[sm4012]

One of the most unambitious critiques I have read on SSP and elsewhere about Union is that the train shouldn't have to divert to deliver passengers to Union off the mainline. Let's look at how HSR diverts to the core of a few European cities off the mainlines and compare it to a potential tiny 3km spur into Union.
HSR in RED

Madrid:
View attachment 709832

Paris:
View attachment 709833'

Leipzig:
View attachment 709834

Frankfurt:
View attachment 709835

Barcelona:
View attachment 709836

Naples:
View attachment 709837

I think it's just an Ottawa mentality to always strive for mediocrity and never really try anything new or ambitious. I feel hopeful enough that the people building this thing will realize the benefits of going to Union on a spur, but I would not be shocked if they go for something just meh.