Railroad Forums
Moderator: Ken V
AgentSkelly wrote:Well if the Niagara Falls Peace Bridge Commission does end up getting the Whirlpool Rapids bridge cut off to rail traffic, I could see pre-clearence being set up at Toronto Union Station.And what about St. Catherines, Grimsby, Aldershot, and Oakville? I am a semi-regular between New York and Aldershot. Every stop on the Canadian side would have to have border clearance facilities for the Maple Leaf. And that would be impossible since you have domestic Canadian travel from the Falls as well....
Silverliner II wrote:I used to be a regular doing Schenectady-Toronto then transfered to GO to Whitby.AgentSkelly wrote:Well if the Niagara Falls Peace Bridge Commission does end up getting the Whirlpool Rapids bridge cut off to rail traffic, I could see pre-clearence being set up at Toronto Union Station.And what about St. Catherines, Grimsby, Aldershot, and Oakville? I am a semi-regular between New York and Aldershot. Every stop on the Canadian side would have to have border clearance facilities for the Maple Leaf. And that would be impossible since you have domestic Canadian travel from the Falls as well....
AgentSkelly wrote:Whoa....I didn't know there was a push to knock rail off the Whirlpool bridge. I guess a reroute would knock both Niagara Falls stops off the route as well. Although if it gains Hamilton as a stop, that eliminates my need to bail at Aldershot and grab a GO bus there...Silverliner II wrote:I used to be a regular doing Schenectady-Toronto then transfered to GO to Whitby.AgentSkelly wrote:Well if the Niagara Falls Peace Bridge Commission does end up getting the Whirlpool Rapids bridge cut off to rail traffic, I could see pre-clearence being set up at Toronto Union Station.And what about St. Catherines, Grimsby, Aldershot, and Oakville? I am a semi-regular between New York and Aldershot. Every stop on the Canadian side would have to have border clearance facilities for the Maple Leaf. And that would be impossible since you have domestic Canadian travel from the Falls as well....
Well, St Catherines and Grimsby wouldn't be accessible if the Maple Leaf had to reroute via the International Rail Bridge at Black Rock.
And yeah, you are right IF VIA still wants to use the Maple Leaf as the 3rd daily to and from Niagara Falls. I'm assuming they will not because two stops will be not possible. Though a stop could be created at Fort Erie and somehow a stop at Hamiltion could be done. If VIA is interested in doing that, Fort Erie could become a shared customs facility setup simular to Vancouver Central Station.
Or we could bring back the Customs Officer Car from the 30s
Ken V wrote:...............The CN freight route over the International Bridge in Ft. Erie to Buffalo diverges from the current VIA/Amtrak route only a couple of miles north of the present day Niagara Falls Ontario station. A backup move into this station may even be practical since VIA already does this to wye the trains which terminate/originate in the Falls today.Here’s a link to a map that shows the possible route from Niagara Falls to the International Bridge at Fort Erie/Buffalo. (The wye that Ken V. mentions is at Clifton)
NS VIA FAN wrote:And I am relieved!Ken V wrote:...............The CN freight route over the International Bridge in Ft. Erie to Buffalo diverges from the current VIA/Amtrak route only a couple of miles north of the present day Niagara Falls Ontario station. A backup move into this station may even be practical since VIA already does this to wye the trains which terminate/originate in the Falls today.Here’s a link to a map that shows the possible route from Niagara Falls to the International Bridge at Fort Erie/Buffalo. (The wye that Ken V. mentions is at Clifton)
http://www.proximityissues.ca/Maps/RAC-2004-Niagara.pdf
http://www.proximityissues.ca/Maps/RAC-2004-ON_sub.pdf
AgentSkelly wrote:So VIA is more likely to do a backup move to get into NFS than Amtrak would?The Maple Leaf is the only train that regularly crosses the bridge today. What Amtrak may wish to do on the U.S. side is another subject. I suppose a backup move to reach the Niagara Falls NY (NFL) station for the Maple Leaf may also be a consideration.
Ken V wrote:That would be a heck of a long backup move....AgentSkelly wrote:So VIA is more likely to do a backup move to get into NFS than Amtrak would?The Maple Leaf is the only train that regularly crosses the bridge today. What Amtrak may wish to do on the U.S. side is another subject. I suppose a backup move to reach the Niagara Falls NY (NFL) station for the Maple Leaf may also be a consideration.
Silverliner II wrote:Thats what I was thinking; to me it doesn't seem worth the effort and instead just add in a stop somewhere else to compensate such as Fort Erie and Hamilton to replace the stops of Niagara Falls and St Catherines.Ken V wrote:That would be a heck of a long backup move....AgentSkelly wrote:So VIA is more likely to do a backup move to get into NFS than Amtrak would?The Maple Leaf is the only train that regularly crosses the bridge today. What Amtrak may wish to do on the U.S. side is another subject. I suppose a backup move to reach the Niagara Falls NY (NFL) station for the Maple Leaf may also be a consideration.
AgentSkelly wrote:And to add, from looking at my CSX timetable, that reroute may cause the Leaf to miss Niagara Falls, NY as well....it would have to go all the way up and back down again...Silverliner II wrote:That would be a heck of a long backup move....Thats what I was thinking; to me it doesn't seem worth the effort and instead just add in a stop somewhere else to compensate such as Fort Erie and Hamilton to replace the stops of Niagara Falls and St Catherines.
AgentSkelly wrote: Thats what I was thinking; to me it doesn't seem worth the effort and instead just add in a stop somewhere else to compensate such as Fort Erie and Hamilton to replace the stops of Niagara Falls and St Catherines.This route would essentially be the same as that used by the PC-TH&B-CP “Dayliner” and later a joint ConRail-VIA train until the Maple Leaf was inaugurated in April 1981. Stop in Hamilton could be at the restored TH&B Station, now the GO Centre.
NS VIA FAN wrote:Excellent! And knowing VIA, they would likely just make stops at Oakville, Aldershot (for connection purposes), Hamilton, Welland, and Fort Erie, then head into Buffalo. Amtrak could have a Thruway bus connection from Niagara Falls, NY for that train quite easily, and VIA simply uses a set of it's own equipment to protect the current 2nd frequency to the Falls via St. Catherines and Grimsby...AgentSkelly wrote: Thats what I was thinking; to me it doesn't seem worth the effort and instead just add in a stop somewhere else to compensate such as Fort Erie and Hamilton to replace the stops of Niagara Falls and St Catherines.This route would essentially be the same as that used by the PC-TH&B-CP “Dayliner” and later a joint ConRail-VIA train until the Maple Leaf was inaugurated in April 1981. Stop in Hamilton could be at the restored TH&B Station, now the GO Centre.
Silverliner II wrote:Well, I thought that would be implied as there's no point to NFN at that point.AgentSkelly wrote:And to add, from looking at my CSX timetable, that reroute may cause the Leaf to miss Niagara Falls, NY as well....it would have to go all the way up and back down again...Silverliner II wrote:That would be a heck of a long backup move....Thats what I was thinking; to me it doesn't seem worth the effort and instead just add in a stop somewhere else to compensate such as Fort Erie and Hamilton to replace the stops of Niagara Falls and St Catherines.
