Confederation Line (Stage 1) | In Service 1.0

[Kitchissippi]

I think they just want to have these stations defined as exterior spaces to get away from certain building code issues that can raise costs. Things like sprinklers and enclosed fire escape routes come to mind.

[Radster]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Nice to see some up-to-date renders. Not sure I understand the logic of leaving platforms mostly uncovered.

Where do you see the passenger platforms mostly uncovered? They look mostly covered to me, with the tracks being fully exposed. Yes its an outdoor environment, yet they all have overhead protection from rain/snow, but yes wind will still blow a bit of rain and snow onto the platforms at times, no big deal IMO.

[GoTrans]

Originally Posted by Radster

Where do you see the passenger platforms mostly uncovered? They look mostly covered to me, with the tracks being fully exposed. Yes its an outdoor environment, yet they all have overhead protection from rain/snow, but yes wind will still blow a bit of rain and snow onto the platforms at times, no big deal IMO.

In the renderings, the whole platform length is not covered. There are even gaps in the roof covering near the centre of the stations. These stations are not built for winter climates or even wet climates but appear more suited to southern California. Once again instead of doing it right the first time, we cheaped out and will have to renovate later on.

[Kitchissippi]

It seems like the roofless/shelterless part is mostly at the extremities of the stations. The tactic if you want a seat on rainy days would be to go for the end cars.

[dominatorp1]

I was at Hurdman today, the old station is completely demolished now. I would of attached a photo of it, if I could only figure out how to do that.....

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by dominatorp1

I was at Hurdman today, the old station is completely demolished now. I would of attached a photo of it, if I could only figure out how to do that.....

You can't attach a photo direct to this forum. You can however upload it to an image hosting website and post the link here via the <img> html tags. I usually use Imgur. It's free, no account necessary, and super easy/quick.

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by dominatorp1

I was at Hurdman today, the old station is completely demolished now. I would of attached a photo of it, if I could only figure out how to do that.....

And I found the "test" threads/subgroups very helpful for experimenting with how to do that...

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=15

[Kitchissippi]

I guess they've started the assembly of the trains? The website has "Vehicle" now highlighted as in progress.

They've also posted this video animating road header activity:
• Video Link

[Kitchissippi]

With Lyon, Parliament and Rideau having been started this year, aren't we technically ahead of schedule? Quite a bit of Pimisi seems to be put in place with the bridge construction, too. It will be interesting with the forecast of a mild winter if they get lot more done than they expect.

[Buggys]

It would be a big win for the consortium if Confederation Line becomes operational in time for 2017's confederation commemoration celebrations.

I would think they're trying hard to make that ideal timeline, while only promising the original (longer) deadline publically.

[Horus]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

With Lyon, Parliament and Rideau having been started this year, aren't we technically ahead of schedule? Quite a bit of Pimisi seems to be put in place with the bridge construction, too. It will be interesting with the forecast of a mild winter if they get lot more done than they expect.

I don't recall if this had been mentioned before, but I'm going to assume that with the Tremblay - Blair section being completed first that there will be operational testing taking place in early 2017. Any chance that they could consider opening Blair-Hurdman operationally in early 2017? Would there be any benefit to do that? Just thinking out loud.

[eternallyme]

September 3, 2017 might be a good goal to aim at now? That would be the start of the Fall 2017 schedule.

[CanadaGoose]

No July 1st 2017, or there's no point.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by CyrusKafaiwu

No July 1st 2017, or there's no point.

Although I appreciate the sentiment of that, unless the line can actually be opened a few weeks earlier and then hold it's "Grand Opening" on Canada Day, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. The issue isn't the line itself, but rather all of the bus connections, which are infinely more complex than running trains back and forth on a single line and can't easily be tested before the switch occurs. Opening the Confederation Line will be a massive change, and I can only imagine the number of "New Hurdman" level disasters that await in the first few days of operation, as both passengers and drivers figure things out.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Catenary

Although I appreciate the sentiment of that, unless the line can actually be opened a few weeks earlier and then hold it's "Grand Opening" on Canada Day, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. The issue isn't the line itself, but rather all of the bus connections, which are infinely more complex than running trains back and forth on a single line and can't easily be tested before the switch occurs. Opening the Confederation Line will be a massive change, and I can only imagine the number of "New Hurdman" level disasters that await in the first few days of operation, as both passengers and drivers figure things out.

Of course you are right, it can be no later than June 1, 2017 or you might as well wait until the originally planned opening date.

It is really a pity that the original planning hadn't considered the importance of 2017 as an event year and that the early planning had not been accelerated with that in mind. They didn't move very fast in the early years of this project. I am really concerned that this city's transit system, in a state of total reconstruction, is a disaster waiting to happen in 2017 and our city's image will be greatly embarrassed. I am old enough to remember Expo 67 and somehow they got the new highways and subway open in Montreal in time for the big event. Even in Ottawa, they got the Queensway, Colonel By Drive and the Ottawa River Parkway all completed for 1967 celebrations. But we won't be so lucky in 2017.

I also remember back to the year when Kate and William came to Ottawa for Canada Day, and OC Transpo was a disaster area. I remember one poor elderly soul who had been waiting for over 2 hours for a bus and none could accommodate him. And with no more Transitways into downtown in 2017, how will we move the party-goers? Maybe the best thing to happen would be to have rain on everybody's parade, I mean literally.

[eternallyme]

There are four service changes a year, in April, June, August/September and December. In order to facilitate all the connections, they would have to do the changes then, and set them up carefully.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Catenary

Although I appreciate the sentiment of that, unless the line can actually be opened a few weeks earlier and then hold it's "Grand Opening" on Canada Day, that sounds like a recipe for disaster. The issue isn't the line itself, but rather all of the bus connections, which are infinely more complex than running trains back and forth on a single line and can't easily be tested before the switch occurs. Opening the Confederation Line will be a massive change, and I can only imagine the number of "New Hurdman" level disasters that await in the first few days of operation, as both passengers and drivers figure things out.

For a soft opening there's no reason why they can't operate it in redundancy to the current bus routes to ease transition. I can even see them opening the line for free rides on an loose schedule as part of the testing. To read between the lines on the CL site: "Major parts of the Confederation Line will be complete in time for the major celebrations planned for Canada’s 150th birthday" followed by, "After an extended period of testing, the Confederation Line will begin full revenue service beginning the spring of 2018." Which opens the door to partial non-revenue service

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

For a soft opening there's no reason why they can't operate it in redundancy to the current bus routes to ease transition. I can even see them opening the line for free rides on an loose schedule as part of the testing. To read between the lines on the CL site: "Major parts of the Confederation Line will be complete in time for the major celebrations planned for Canada’s 150th birthday" followed by, "After an extended period of testing, the Confederation Line will begin full revenue service beginning the spring of 2018." Which opens the door to partial non-revenue service

Even if it starts revenue service there is no need to neccessarily implement the bus changes immediately. It could serve those near the stations and provide training for the drivers instead of running empty trains. Hopefully then when the bus routes switch over the rail kinks at least will be worked out.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Of course you are right, it can be no later than June 1, 2017 or you might as well wait until the originally planned opening date.

It is really a pity that the original planning hadn't considered the importance of 2017 as an event year and that the early planning had not been accelerated with that in mind. They didn't move very fast in the early years of this project. I am really concerned that this city's transit system, in a state of total reconstruction, is a disaster waiting to happen in 2017 and our city's image will be greatly embarrassed. I am old enough to remember Expo 67 and somehow they got the new highways and subway open in Montreal in time for the big event. Even in Ottawa, they got the Queensway, Colonel By Drive and the Ottawa River Parkway all completed for 1967 celebrations. But we won't be so lucky in 2017.

I think the simple answer is that 2017 would have cost a lot more and been more disruptive. They could have built more of the LRT infrastructure parallel to the transitway (rather than waiting for road improvements to be made before closing the transitway), they could have built the downtown stations in an open excavation (as the Canada Line in Vancouver), they could have imported vehicles from Europe for the testing phase (rather than wait to finish the maintenance facility to do final assembly here).

I suspect there will be something up and running in time for the sesquicentennial.

[rocketphish]

Sorry... this one's a little late

Construction Update
Week of October 26

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Scott Street Widening

Crews finalize signalization in the intersections, and begin final milling and paving work. Excavation and removal by crane, part of the O-Train platform relocation works, continue. Final paving begins on the multi-use pathways.

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Lyon Station

Jawbreaker mines the central pillar top heading and ramp this week. Station cavern reinforcements are ongoing.

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Lyon Station East and West Entrance

East Entrance: crews complete lower level parking lighting and cabling. Hoarding walls are constructed

West Entrance: crews continue piling activities in the parking lot and begin excavating to reinforce the station entrance.

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Parliament Station Cavern

Chewrocka continues excavating the central pillar. Crews complete rebar installation in the tunnel transition moving west toward Lyon Station.

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Rideau Station

Crocodile Rouge mines the bench and in drifts in the station cavern. Assembly occurs on the concrete arch formwork, to allow crews to begin working on the final arch concrete lining in the east running tunnel. Construction starts on the invert*.

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Rideau Station East and West Entrance

East Entrance: blasting operations, line drilling for rock excavation, hoe ramming and rock excavation are ongoing in phases. .

West Entrance: crews continue installing piles and rebar, in addition to pouring concrete piles for the station entrance works.

Traffic restrictions on Rideau Street remain in effect.

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uOttawa Station

Installation of the utility corridor advances in sections, adjacent to the University of Ottawa buildings along Nicholas Street.

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Tremblay, St-Laurent, Cyrville and Blair Stations

Demolition of the existing Transitway structure and preliminary construction activities for the new station occur at Hurdman Station. Piling and reinforcements are ongoing at Tremblay Station. Removals continue at St-Laurent Station. At Cyrville Station, crews work on footings and walls. Foundation excavation is completed and construction begins on footings and walls at Blair Station.

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Guideway construction – Booth Street Bridge

Crews pour the east and west panels on the north abutment this week.

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Guideway construction – Hurdman Station

Crews pour the deck this week and construct the remaining pier caps for the elevated guideway columns. On the structure east of the station, rebar and formwork are completed and crews begin pouring the deck.

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Guideway construction – Tremblay Station

Formwork is being completed to allow crews to pour the abutment walls on the road east of VIA Rail Station.

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Guideway construction – St-Laurent, Cyrville and Blair Stations

Crews complete compacting and installing duct banks west of Cyrville to St-Laurent stations. Grading begins west of St-Laurent Station. Ballast installations occur from Cyrville to just past St-Laurent stations. Crews continue pulling rail strings and begin installing ties in sections from Blair Station moving westward.

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Belfast Yard Administration and Maintenance Building and Yard

Work in the building includes installation of railings and final plumbing. Exterior panels are being installed. In the yard, crews continue welding, trackwork and paving, in addition to working on the retaining pond, curb, light bases and landscaping. Widening and rehabilitation of the sidewalks begin on Belfast Road.

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Belfast Yard Vehicle Storage Shed and Connector Works

Final paving continues in the shed. Work is ongoing at the connector and includes completing walls, installing the roof, constructing vents and trackwork. Work to relocate the watermain occurs on Tremblay Road.

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Upcoming Construction Activities

In the coming weeks, the following construction activities are scheduled to occur:

• Parliament Station entrance utilities relocations and installation of hoarding for west entrance
• Rideau Street Road closure for watermain relocation for Rideau Station entrances.
• Installation of girders on the remaining Hurdman Station elevated guideway columns.
• Assembly of Alstom Citadis light rail vehicles.

In the coming months:

• Lyon Station west entrance blasting operations.
• Lyon Station east entrance and west shaft construction.
• Parliament Station entrance construction commences

http://www.ligneconfederationline.ca/construction/construction-update-46/