Big ambitions in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
https://novaporte.ca/rail/
That's a lot of work that needs to be done.
I guess it's no coincidence that CN is reacquiring an interest in the Cape Bretton line, as reported in today's NewsWire:
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/cn-acquires-stake-in-gws-cape-breton-central-nova-scotia-railway/
Yes! It was that NewsWire article that made me think there had to be something up on the east end of that line if CN was making such a move. Thinking about the expansions of the Port of Halifax and Port St John in the general vicinity, I started noodling around and stumbled and bumbled upon Novaporte.
Ironically, this move actually likely sounded the death knell for the Sydney Subdivision. Most are saying this does not include the Sydney Subdivision and the province is agitating that its done with its subsidy to protect the line from abandonment. CBC
Given the glut of port cacity on the east coast of better ports like Montreal, Saint John and Halifax, there will likely never be the need for a port of Sydney, and the loss of a rail line completely closes the door for it.
I understand the utility of Prince Rupert, since most containers come from Asia to North America. I don't understand where the traffic for Sydney would be coming from. Is it Asian traffic coming via the Indian Ocean and Suez Canal or is it Asian traffic via the Panama Canal? If it's the latter, it's probably the least convenient east coast port, other than Halifax and maybe Saint John, NB.
One summer season, many moons ago, VIA Rail ran trains out to Sydney. Lovely place but even then down on its fortunes. I wish them the best but don't see much coming of this. I hope I'm wrong.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
The information on the Novaporte website shows a diagram being closest to Amsterdam and the Strait of Gibraltar and being only six miles from the Great Circle shipping route.
It sounds like it will be a play for goods from India and that part of south Asia.
With the money they want to spend on the actual port facilities, it seems like if they could actually pull that off, the railroad restoration and rebuild to 40 mph will probably be the smallest part of the project. It seems like the province is supportive of the project.
This link is from the Novaporte home page - scroll down and there is a simple diagram of their purported advantage.
https://novaporte.ca/
Of course, none of their proposal occurs without capital investments in the multiple 10-digits. They need to come up with that before one container is landed in their proposed facility.
This page describes their vision for the port.
https://novaporte.ca/port/
With new container expansion work at: Halafax, NS; St John, NB; and Montreal, PQ, do they really need more capacity?
D.Carleton One summer season, many moons ago, VIA Rail ran trains out to Sydney. Lovely place but even then down on its fortunes. I wish them the best but don't see much coming of this. I hope I'm wrong.
I rode that train in 2001. It was set up by VIA as a tour train. It seems like it was about a 12 hour ride from Halifax to Sydney, with a return the next day. The trip ran once a week, using equipment off the Ocean that was idle between the thrice weekly schedule. It had an impressive bridge at the Grand Narrows of Bras d'Or Lake. A study showed that it would cost $12 million to bring the bridge back to minimum 10 mph operation and much more for faster speeds.
Upon further reflection, if they do need to restore the rail line to Sydney, CN would certainly have more financial horsepower to do so, as well as significant influence with the governing apparatus in Ottawa.
Here are the coordinates of the proposed Novaporte development:
(46.1690994, -60.2221755)
Copy and paste them into Google and they will take you right there.
Large cruise ships call at that harbor.
https://www.sydneyport.ca/gallery
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