Coast to Coast 2024: Exploring Canada’s Passenger Rail Projects and Progress



As we wrap up 2024, Coast to Coast takes you on an exciting journey through the progress of passenger rail projects across Canada. From Quebec City’s tramway to Vancouver’s SkyTrain expansions, this year has seen incredible developments shaping the future of transit in Canada.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported us this year, including those who shared photos, footage, and insights for this and many other videos. Your contributions make these updates possible!

Special thanks to @tcardinalsirois, @alexjhorner, Ville de Québec, NouvLR, CDPQ Infra, STM, Metrolinx, the City of Edmonton, Marigold Infrastructure Partners, the City of Calgary, and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit.

Be sure to subscribe to Rail Fans Canada for more updates as we look ahead to 2025, which promises even more transformative projects across the country.
—————
Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 Opening
00:42 Quebec City Tramway (Quebec)
01:33 Reseau Express Metropolitain (Montreal)
02:32 Blue Line Extension (Montreal)
03:07 O-Train Stage 2 (Ottawa)
05:14 Scarborough Subway Extension (GTA)
05:54 Yonge North Subway Extension (GTA)
06:25 TTC Line 2 New Trains (GTA)
06:53 Ontario Line (GTA)
07:57 Eglinton Crosstown (GTA)
08:41 Crosstown West (GTA)
09:27 Finch West LRT (GTA)
10:14 Hurontario LRT (GTA)
11:35 Hamilton LRT (GTA)
12:06 GO Expansion (GTA)
13:40 Northlander Passenger Train (Northern Ontario)
14:22 High Frequency Rail
15:03 Valley Line West (Edmonton)
16:04 Metro Line Extension (Edmonton)
16:43 Capital Line South (Edmonton)
17:08 Green Line (Calgary)
18:02 Broadway Subway Project (Vancouver)
19:07 UBC Extension (Vancouver)
19:30 Surrey Langley Skytrain (Vancouver)
20:24 VIA Long-Distance, Remote and Regional Fleet Replacement
21:03 Closing Words
—————
Video by David Bellerive (@DavidBellerive)
—————
Support Rail Fans Canada 🚆
Love our content? Help us keep the rails rolling!
🛍️ Shop: https://store.railfans.ca
💖 Support Us: https://www.railfans.ca/support-us

Join the Community
Chat with fellow rail fans and share your passion:
💬 Discord: https://discord.railfans.ca

Follow Us
Stay updated and join the conversation:
🔵 Bluesky: https://bluesky.railfans.ca
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.railfans.ca

Discover. Ride. Share.
Join the journey today! 🚉

source

44 thoughts on “Coast to Coast 2024: Exploring Canada’s Passenger Rail Projects and Progress”

  1. It is so great to see Canada investing in rail across the country. I'm hoping to see HSR between Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal as well as Calgary/Edmonton, as those are no-brainers; and then hopefully more high-speed rail on the inevitable success of those. Fingers crossed.

    Reply
  2. Slow and steady progress is still better than none… It will be interesting to see if the province really does have a proper rail plan ready this Spring or if that was just bluster just like the ill-fated design of the Green Line through downtown Calgary… A sensible albeit more expensive plan was scrapped for some flakey napkin plan from a MAGA-working nit wit who lucked into being a transportation minister…

    Reply
  3. Every provincial ministries of transportation need to build viaducts full of intercity passenger railway tracks so we can have our own Canadian answer to flixtrains, Ouigo, Brightline, Virgin Trains, you name it. 😮😮

    Reply
  4. Let's forget about a TGVs in Canada. They're a waste of time. Looking towards the 2030s and beyond, levitation trains or perhaps an even more advanced concept should be explored. The use of existing track for a TGV is out of the question as it cannot accommodate high speeds and duch trains require wider track to have a lower centre of gravity. The fastest means of transportation from Toronto to Montreal is currently by plane. Something from downtown to downtown eould be more practical. But again, a who new and different infrastructure would be required.

    Reply
  5. Any updates on whether GO will go with EMUs once electrification is complete? And when electrification will even begin?

    Anyone want to take bets on whether Eglinton & Finch West will open this year? 😂

    Reply
  6. What’s puzzling is that there’s a real obnoxious vocal minority in CA who can’t stop complaining about rail transport, yet even to a US citizen like me there’s plenty to be excited about for the future.🤷‍♂️

    Reply
  7. I sincerely hope that, moving forward ,city or expansion projects DO NOT opt for the Siemens charger equipment. I’m a via rail engineer and the new equipment the govt purchased from Siemens is absolute junk. There is no longevity in its future. It can’t handle the cold and quite frankly I didn’t think I’d ever miss our old GE or GM engines but they are far more reliable that what is supposed to be German engineering.

    Reply
  8. Very interesting video! I would have been great to see something regarding Alberta's rail projects or the revival of VIA's Gaspe service but you can't cover everything. A lot of good information nonetheless!

    Reply
  9. I'll believe in the 2027 target date of western Line 1 O-Train when I actually see it. We've been burned so much in Ottawa that I just have my doubts this system will actually open when promised, which is already late. The line is also pretty much useless as most government jobs can easily be done from home. 99% of a public servant's job can be an email and given that most public servants can't even get a desk in their office buildings, this all makes the system that Ottawa built rendered useless upon delivery. And since transit doesn't actually move people within their neighbourhoods easily to get people to/from shopping and services and is still geared towards work commuting in this city, I just think this has been a major boondoggle that will never be able to justify itself. It's a real shame given Ottawa had a really good transit system when we were using primarily buses but ever since the transition to rail and then the pandemic just made our system here inefficient, unsustainable, and inconvenient. Having bought an EV has been a game-changer for me being able to get where I need to go reliably while limiting my carbon footprint.

    Reply
  10. Let's talk about the Eglington Avenue subway in Toronto…or let's not!
    Meanwhile every time somebody on Vancouver City Council farts they get a new Skytrain line…maybe the Vancouver workers should come to Toronto to finish the job.
    As for VIA-the hijacking of the CP line has taken away the scenic Great Lakes line through Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, while isolating Regina and southern Saskatchewan and restricting the Kicking Horse Pass from Calgary to Vancouver to only the "Rocky Mountaineer" luxury train-again cutting off the BC towns between Calgary and Vancouver.

    Reply

Leave a Comment