O-Train

Our current O-Train is deisel powered. It runs on current existing tracks, therefore it can go anywhere that existing tracks go. Electrical Trains must have overhead wires, poles, substations and powerstations to run them. Although they could run on existing lines, the City planners are setting rules to ensure this does not happen:

specifying the wire height for overhead collector wire cannot be higher than 20'
and stipulating that the new trains cannot share or cross any existing rail lines at the same grade

Because of these rules, two entire new tracks will have to be laid for the entire width and breadth of the line (they want totally parallel lines so that the trains going different directions run on their own tracks). Plus, since they are not allowed to intersect existing tracks, bridges will have to be built throughout the entire network. What will this do to the city skyline? Well, for instance, at Junction and Brookfield road, instead of digging 14' to get the necessary clearance, the plan has the train soaring 25 feet high.. (so that's looking into the second or third floor windows of surrounding houses).

Because of these arbitrary rules, the cost of this light rail system is skyrocketing astronomically. The last count was $750 million.

It turns out that these rules are one of the reasons why they don't want to build the Maintenance Yard on the Walkley site... because then they'd have to build a connection to the lines (two sets of tracks too). The current tracks that are being used by the O-Train are not going to be allowed.

So. Why the rules? Why make such an expensive plan? Here's the speculation:

Higher price tag means more money thrown in from Federal and Provincial coffers ($200 million each at last count)
The higher the price the more affordable the good old fashioned buses look, so that the whole project gets scraped?
They start the work, then cancel it because of the cost, but keep the money from the Feds and Province?
Do our city planners have a narrow insular bus-line mentality and can't develop a cost-effective alternative?

It would be interesting to find out what the real reason is for the City's design... Only, they haven't shown the whole design to us, and they're certainly not explaining it. But they're going out to tender!

Note: Electrical trains are cleaner than diesel trains... but, you need new substations and powerstations to run them. Mayor Chiarelli said that we can just add an new generator to an existing water falls plant. Investigation by Transport 2000 people has shown that this is plant is already operating at capacity and they can't add an new generator. Which means that the power will have to come from somewhere. Which means that the province will not be able to shut down the coal powered electric generator plants. Which means maybe it is cleaner to run diesel trains?