The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Chadillaccc]

Obviously downtown portions should have closer station spacing, but outside of that, 1 - 1.4 km is probably perfect. I like the way the C-Train works, and even with the crossings it has 100% priority outside of downtown. The only problem is the downtown portion, though that will be fixed eventually, for the 201 line at least.

[WhipperSnapper]

Just basing it on reports that I believe place station distances at over one kilometre before a supplementary surface route is needed. Obviously, greater distances are more advantageous to commuter based lrts

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Oh okay. Sorry about that, I was doing it just using google maps and memory.

Still less than what I was expecting when I first thought about it, considering how people talk on here. "The C-train only has such a high average speed cause all of the stations are so far apart."... I think not

Stop speed does make a BIG difference, though. In Toronto, the Sheppard Line is much faster than the Bloor-Danforth Line even though the system is the same technology, simply because of stop spacing. LRT vehicles do have an advantage here though as their acceleration is typically faster than with HRT vehicles.

Calgary, Vancouver, as well as Ottawa's system-to-be have higher stop spacing and thus higher speeds than the subways in Toronto and Montreal. That's the because the former group of lines serve as both commuter lines and urban local lines, whereas Toronto & Montreal have functionally separated those purposes with parallel subway & commuter rail systems.

The Confederation Line in Ottawa is projected to have relatively high stop spacing, too. The CBD stations are 500m apart but the rest of the line is 800m or more, going over a kilometre on most gaps. Which is why I'm hopeful that the Confederation Line could potentially have one of the fastest average speeds in the country, what with the fastest top speed (110km/h, which it will achieve on most interstation gaps) plus one of the highest stop spacings.

[mpd618]

For those keeping track, Waterloo Region's ION light rail project is scheduled for groundbreaking on June 27 at its future maintenance facility site. It is also a P3 arrangement, and opening is scheduled for August 2017.

There has been preliminary utility relocation work, etc., but this is the main construction start.

[franktko]

Some stats: In Montreal, there are 69 segments (station to station):

15 are less than 500 m (22%)
36 are less than 750 m (52%)
55 are less than 1 km (80%)

Only 3 segments are more than 1.5 km and two of those are the ones going under the St-Lawrence river between Berri and Longueuil...

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Montreal_Metro_stations#Interstation_Distances)

[YYCguys]

Wondering if Montréal will ever get going on their long talked about Airport rapid transit line. Now that my accommodations for when I stay in the Montréal area are in Pointe Claire, it would be handy to take a quick bus back to the Airport and catch the train there rather than endure the rather lengthy bus/subway ride that is currently what I have to do.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by mpd618

For those keeping track, Waterloo Region's ION light rail project is scheduled for groundbreaking on June 27 at its future maintenance facility site. It is also a P3 arrangement, and opening is scheduled for August 2017.

There has been preliminary utility relocation work, etc., but this is the main construction start.

Go Waterloo! Maybe you'll inspire Hamilton to actually build theirs. The way it's been boing I wouldn't actually be surprised if London and Windsor were woring on their before Hamilton finished though.

[Metro-One]

Here is a pretty sweet update of the Envergreen Line:

Originally Posted by adrianroam95

I've taken a few photos of the progress of construction in the Burquitlam area; all images were captured today (May 29th, 2014). You can click each photo to view it at full resolution.

North Road and Foster Ave. looking south:


North Road and Foster Ave. looking north:


North Road and Cottonwood Ave:







Burquitlam Station:






Uneven height of column-top pads (just north of Burquitlam Station):


Clarke Road and Como Lake Ave:


Guideway erected thus far as of May 29th 2014:

[ssiguy]

The Evergreen Line is coming along nicely. Someone from Vancouver should show Toronto how to quickly built true rapid transit via elevation as Toronto is bound and determined to tunnel so as not to block the view of Walmarts, gas station, and Timmys.

[TownGuy]

Is maintenance more of an issue with elevated rail compared to a tunnel? I look at the Gardiner in Toronto which is a maintenance nightmare. Obviously a good deal of that is from road salt which rail could avoid and in Vancouver's case it gets neither as hot or cold as Toronto does so it would take less of a beating that way. But still 30-50 years what kind of shape will these concrete structures be in?

[caltrane74]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

The Evergreen Line is coming along nicely. Someone from Vancouver should show Toronto how to quickly built true rapid transit via elevation as Toronto is bound and determined to tunnel so as not to block the view of Walmarts, gas station, and Timmys.

Each city should just do what they want to do. Toronto likes to build rapid transit underground, and vancouver likes to build it above ground. No harm, no foul. Let's not forget though that Toronto, intiated the Vancouver Technology first with the Scarborough Rapid Transit, and we are also building street level transit on Eglinton in Scarborough. Hopefully Toronto will also lead by example in converting suburban commuter rail into urban-metro rail along electfied lines as well. (also above ground)

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Is maintenance more of an issue with elevated rail compared to a tunnel? I look at the Gardiner in Toronto which is a maintenance nightmare. Obviously a good deal of that is from road salt which rail could avoid and in Vancouver's case it gets neither as hot or cold as Toronto does so it would take less of a beating that way. But still 30-50 years what kind of shape will these concrete structures be in?

The concrete on the Scarborough Rapid Transit seems to be fine.

The Gardiner Expressway concrete from what I have heard, had an issue from the start. That is why it is falling apart. They did not use the right type or mixture or something.

[SFUVancouver]

Originally Posted by TownGuy

Is maintenance more of an issue with elevated rail compared to a tunnel? I look at the Gardiner in Toronto which is a maintenance nightmare. Obviously a good deal of that is from road salt which rail could avoid and in Vancouver's case it gets neither as hot or cold as Toronto does so it would take less of a beating that way. But still 30-50 years what kind of shape will these concrete structures be in?

To the best of my knowledge, the elevated concrete guideways of the SkyTrain Expo Line, the oldest of the three lines, is in fine shape as they approach 30 years of life and they were built with a 70-year design life before major rehabilitation is necessary. They've already replaced the tracks, upgraded the communications lines to permit even more precise automated operation, and replaced switches, third rails, and activator plates as needed, all as part of routine preventative maintenance. The guideways are post-tensioned segmented concrete box girders, so it's a proven technology designed for bridges that are permanently exposed to the elements and experience continuous variation in loads. We're in a climate that is mostly free of a freeze-thaw cycle and the guideways have ample drainage to shed rainwater, plus because the trains on the Expo and Millennium Lines (and the under-construction Evergreen Line) use linear induction motors for their motive power, there is no need to add any sand or substances for grip (nor does the Canada Line).

[Martin Mtl]

Azur first try out during the weekend (at night)

Source: STM

[GreaterMontréal]

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

Azur first try out during the weekend (at night)

Source: STM

• Video Link

[caltrane74]

Union Station Train Shed Update by Sean Marshall over at UT



Lots more pictures over on the main page here

[Chadillaccc]

That Union train shed atrium is taking a long ass time. Anyone know why? They've had the steel structure up for what seems like at least a year and a half.

[matt602]

Typical government funded construction work, I'm guessing. There's also several different parts to the project as a whole, including the extra platform at Union subway station so they're probably trying to do all of it together.

[caltrane74]

Union is basically 3 construction jobs in one.

1. Rebuilding the train shed
2. Building a brand new concourse (with retail/mall), under the existing concourse (which itself is under the trainshed), which will effectively double the capacity of the station
3. building a new train platform for the Yonge Subway at Union Station on the southend platform which will connect to the new underground concourse at the commuter station.

[GlassCity]

Does anybody have an accurate map of Ottawa's Transitway system, ideally with stops? I like to draw out city's mass transit systems on google* and I have been having the hardest time doing Ottawa. Information I've found on wikipedia or the agency's website itself has been either out of date or too hard to follow for somebody who has absolutely no knowledge of how Ottawa is laid out. Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it!

*I love that I can admit to this on here and it's not weird.