Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion II

[madog222]

For construction of OMC4, specially tying into the service tracks, Expo Line trains will be single tracking between Braid and Lougheed for the next two years starting in February.

Service to Production Way from Waterfront reduced to every 12 min.


Image from Translink https://buzzer.translink.ca/?p=74807

Expo Line service pattern change at Sapperton Station and Braid Station starting February 10. Please follow signs to ensure you're boarding from the correct platform.

Customers travelling on Expo Line to Production Way-University and Lougheed Town Centre stations from Columbia Station should plan for an extra 12 minutes of travel time. Some transfers may be required at Braid Station to continue towards Production Way-University Station.


Frequency daily until 9:30 PM:

Expo Line trains between Waterfront Station and Braid Station will operate every 6 minutes.

Expo Line trains to and from Production Way station will operate every 12 minutes.


After 9:30 PM Expo Line trains to and from Production Way station will operate every 12 minutes. Trains will no longer terminate at Braid Station.


Expo Line trains between Waterfront Station and King George Station will operate at regular frequency on all days.

Millennium Line and Canada Line are unaffected.

This construction is excepted to last approx. 2 years.

https://www.translink.ca/alerts

• Video Link

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by madog222

-Trains going to Waterfront from Braid and Sapperton stations may arrive on either platform.

This just sounds like a huge pain in the 🞵🞵🞵. Braid and Sapperton are both side platforms, so imagine heading up to your expected inbound platform, looking at the arrival sign, seeing the next train is on the other platform, then having to walk down and walk back up. You might even miss your train.

[madog222]

There are wayfinding screens saying which platform the next few trains will be on.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Better than nothing, but still not enough for some people. I've had to redirect sign-blind friends and family who've almost gone the wrong way a few times... and this is when the platforms work normally.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Better than nothing, but still not enough for some people. I've had to redirect sign-blind friends and family who've almost gone the wrong way a few times... and this is when the platforms work normally.

No reason they couldn't do station announcements as well.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Heh, except they don't listen to those either; the crappy speakers don't help. Basically anything above a brain-dead basic "this platform goes this way, that platform goes that way" configuration will raise the amount of mistakes.

[madog222]

The platform would be indicted in Google Maps or anything else using Translink's API. I don't know how well those apps work with screen readers.

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

No reason they couldn't do station announcements as well.

They would need to be almost continuous to be effective.


For those who are simply inattentive they have put up brightly colored surrounds around the screens.


https://buzzer.translink.ca/2024/01/expo...y-temporarily-changing-for-construction/

[ilikeredheads]

never underestimate the stupid.

You can plaster signs everywhere and play announcements whenever a train arrives and people will find a way to not pay attention, get on the wrong train, and then still blame translink for it.

[Mac Write]

How about blocking off the platform that won't be used at each station? and if it is going to be single tracked for 2-years why not setup the single track and add platform extensions so all door boarding for both stations?

[mcj]

Originally Posted by chowhou

This just sounds like a huge pain in the 🞵🞵🞵. Braid and Sapperton are both side platforms, so imagine heading up to your expected inbound platform, looking at the arrival sign, seeing the next train is on the other platform, then having to walk down and walk back up. You might even miss your train.

With Sapperton you actually head down from an overhead mezzanine. Not really that hard to switch platforms, the escalators are much shorter than the typical station.

[madog222]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

How about blocking off the platform that won't be used at each station? and if it is going to be single tracked for 2-years why not setup the single track and add platform extensions so all door boarding for both stations?

Both platforms will be used.


I'm guessing the Braid terminating trains will use the inbound platforms and the Production Way terminating trains will use the outbound platforms.
The video does say using either platform during peak periods. This probably means only the outbound platform will be used off peak, though off peak may mean after 9:30pm in this case.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by mcj

With Sapperton you actually head down from an overhead mezzanine. Not really that hard to switch platforms, the escalators are much shorter than the typical station.

It's not "hard" but it's a friction point that just plain 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵. It's like missing your connection at a bus stop and you have to wait 10 more minutes. Easy to do, but do you really want to?

[dpogue]

For some additional context, the first phase of work being done is to convert the existing pocket track between Braid and Lougheed from a simple 2-switch pocket to a full 6-switch pocket to facilitate moving trains in and out of the new OMC. This involves adding one switch to the existing inbound track, and 2 switches within the pocket itself. There will be multiple switches added to the outbound track to connect to both the pocket and the new OMC yard.

The routing of trains single-tracking between Braid and Lougheed will change at some point during this work when they move from adding switch on the inbound to the outbound.

[Mac Write]

If single tracking for X months then they should add the temp platform extensions so both platforms can be used to load and unload.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

If single tracking for X months then they should add the temp platform extensions so both platforms can be used to load and unload.

i doubt thats feasible without a major construction project.

[officedweller]

Sapperton has a steel structure down the middle between the tracks so you can't have carriage access from the other side.
Braid doesn't, but extending the platform over one of the tracks assumes that the second track would never be used during the period.

Originally Posted by dpogue

For some additional context, the first phase of work being done is to convert the existing pocket track between Braid and Lougheed from a simple 2-switch pocket to a full 6-switch pocket to facilitate moving trains in and out of the new OMC. This involves adding one switch to the existing inbound track, and 2 switches within the pocket itself. There will be multiple switches added to the outbound track to connect to both the pocket and the new OMC yard.

The routing of trains single-tracking between Braid and Lougheed will change at some point during this work when they move from adding switch on the inbound to the outbound.

For reference:


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sapper...4d-122.8894176!16zL20vMDVzcDJ3?entry=ttu

Strange switch placement near Sapperton?


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sapper...4d-122.8894176!16zL20vMDVzcDJ3?entry=ttu

[mcj]

These are some of the least busy stations on the entire network (#40 and #45 in 2022) with less than 6000 daily boardings combined, a handful of people going up the wrong staircase is a non-issue and doesn't come close to warranting temporary modifications that would add cost that could be better spent elsewhere. Fun fact, Templeton station on the Canada line sees more traffic than Sapperton does.

[mattropolis]

Two years to install a couple switches?

[madog222]

They need to build and tie in an adjacent guideway.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by mcj

Fun fact, Templeton station on the Canada line sees more traffic than Sapperton does.

More outlet shoppers than sick people!