Dieter wrote:Can you imagine the problems with catenary in the winter just between Kingston and Quebec City alone??
IMHO, given the weather in that area (including most of Canada) you're best off relying on a diesel locomotive rather than supporting an electrical system, dealing with ice, tangled pantographs.......
Sure they manage in Europe, but think about how that ice storm a few years back in Montreal would have effected an electrical system on the railway? Electrification is a scary thought.
Dieter/
If the NSB in Norway, the SJ in Sveden, the VR in Finland and last but not least the RZD in Russia and Siberai can handle this, it will be also possible for the CN in Canada...
Ice storms which destroy power lines we have also in Germany (last winter parts of the Münsterland hadn't electricity for about a week, but electric trains started operation again after a few hours....) but it effected catenary only if trees under the ice or snow loading fall on the catenary...
Cut away trees in summer (as in Germany done befor privatisation...) solves the problem.
A catenary is'nt compare to power transmission lines which concerns susceptibility for winter weather....