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Company pushes for
high-speed rail
reprinted from Red Deer Express (Mark Weber) April 2, 2008
If Alberta High Speed Rail
Inc. has its way, Albertans could be zipping between Calgary and
Edmonton via high speed rail in five years.
Ralph Garrett, vice president of the Calgary-based company spoke at
the Kiwanis meeting this week about the project which could cost
about $1.8 billion.
Talk of high speed rail in Alberta has been going on for years, but
Garrett said the time is now to launch the project.
All that's needed is the province's full support, and he said
Premier Stelmach is enthusiastic about the concept.
Garrett, who just returned from checking out rail systems in Europe,
said passengers could travel from Calgary to Edmonton in just 84
minutes.
He said the line would have the potential of carrying 16,000
passengers each hour. Tracks would cover a width of just 35 metres,
so Garrett said the impact on land-use is minimal.
It's also a boon to the environment, as the trains would be powered
by electricity. The air would then be spared about 150,000 tonnes of
carbon dioxide each year, he said.
The proposed track route, which hasn't been nailed down, could run
west of the QE II highway with a stopover in Red Deer.
"It's all about time. People's time is one of the most precious
things we've got. It's also about productivity. If you've got more
time, you can get more done with your life," he said.
"By bringing in a better transportation system in this province,
we'll be able to attract all kinds of new industry as well," he
said.
As for the price tag, Garrett said the project would largely be
funded by western Canadian investors, but a private-public
partnership would cost the province about $120 million per year.
Garrett said if the province gave the project the green light
tomorrow, the trains could be in operation within five years.
"Is it imminent? I hope so -- we've been working on this long
enough."
Meanwhile, the province is studying results from the High Speed Rail
Market Assessment Study that will help decide if the project is
feasible.
Results from the study could be available within a few weeks, said
Jerry Bellikka, spokesperson for Infrastructure and Transportation.
The province launched the study to get a handle on how many
commuters actually make the Edmonton-Calgary trip each day.
Cameras were installed at three spots along the route to gauge if
drivers were making the entire trek.
Interviews have also been conducted at airports and bus stations to
see if travellers would consider using high-speed rail.
They were also asked if they would take it, how much they would be
willing to pay if they did.
Bellikka said there is a wide range of options when choosing a high
speed rail service and the cost range could go all the way up to $24
billion.
"What we as a government need to look at is whether the growth in
our province over the next 10 to 15 years would justify an expense
like that," he said.
"We're going to see if there is a business case there, and if so,
how would it work."
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