Quote:
Originally Posted by ssiguy
I can't stand these "experts" who think we should change SkyTrain technology.
Would it have been my first choice?......No due to having few suppliers. That however doesn't change the fact that the SkyTrain is an excellent system. Safe, fast, frequent, reliable, cost-effective, comfortable..................the hallmarks of great transit.
Couple questions............how many cars {number and in total meters} will the Evergreen Line run from day one and are all the Expo/Mill/Ever SkyTrain stations 80 meters?
It just gets so confusing trying to compare capacity, train length, number of cars when you have 3 different types of vehicles...........thanks.
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I would actually chose Skytrain technology as my first choice. It has many advantages.
The LIM motors take up less space, so the trains are actually quite shorter than typical trains. Combined with narrower trains, it means tunnels can be much smaller than normal. When we go to build the Millennium line extension under Broadway, the cost per km will be a bargain compared to what they are paying in Toronto or Montreal.
The LIM has more traction. It can navigate steeper grades than regular motors. This is pretty handy in a region that has many hills.
The LIM handles the braking and traction. That means there is less wear and tear on the physical components. Brakes, wheels, and rails need to be replaced far less often. It also means the train can accelerate/decelerate much faster than other trains. Which also means the trains are not affected by wet rails (which could lower the coef of friction). It also partially levitates the train, further increasing rail lifespan and allows it to travel over track switches faster.
Because the LIM is not in the wheels, it allows the actual bogies to be steerable. This drastically cuts down on noise, as each wheel turns independent of the other. So the wheels don't grind against the rails making loud screeching noises (think Canada line under QE park) and further reducing the lifespan of rails. It means it can also go around pretty tight turns fairly fast. Which is pretty handy if your rail line doesn't have a dedicated straight ROW.
Other than the fact it has a limited number of suppliers, I don't see any downside to using LIM tech at all on our system. Sometimes paying a slightly higher price for something quite a bit better is worth it.
Without its advantages we would not have been able to use the Dunsmuir tunnel under downtown, nor be able to build the Skybridge into Surrey, nor climb the hill in Surrey, nor build much of the Millennium line as it is. The region would be a radically different place today if we went with regular motors or LRT.
The reason the tech isn't used by many other cities is because it's new. People are fearful of newer things (even if they are better). When CVT transmissions came out for cars, all the reviewers hated them, even though they had increased reliability, lower maintenance costs and increased fuel economy. Why did they hate them? Because they didn't make that satisfying gear shifting noise. Fear of Skytrain is pretty much the same. It isn't what every one else did.
But why didn't every one else do it? Because it was around when they started. Just think of all the systems that are in place pre 1990. Compare that with cities that have set up 100% new systems (nothing in place before at all) since 1990. Most cities that have started up since 1990 have gone with LRT.
So if 8 or 9 cities have installed Skytrain technology since 1990 that is actually a pretty big percentage of brand new heavy-rail lines that are not extensions of existing (pre-Skytrain tech) subways. Combine that with the fear of going with something against the grain, and it is a miracle that many have been sold.
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