The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Anywhere that compelling all day two way service exists, GO owns the tracks. The Lakeshore Line was largely replaced by the York Sub.

All shared trackage operates pretty poor service and GO had to fight tooth and nail for what it has.

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Yes. Metrolinx's greatest move to date was to acquire these corridors at every opportunity and to the tune of over a billion dollars. There are some that aren't for sale like Milton and Hamilton and the struggles to increase service (forget all day two way) is clear. Milton is written off. Hamilton splits time between two lines.

The fact is, they are still doing it, and they are still pushing to have it happen.

In the end, it is only money. If you can build a highway or a new subdivision, or, etc, you can build commuter rail.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

If there were problems with passenger train collisions, surely the same thing applies to freight trains.

Since the line is mostly single track, to get an acceptable service time the RDCs waited and dashed, and IIRC operated at a higher speed than freight. Looking at the map, it also seems that the CN line which they were using in the later years also had more level crossings per mile, in addition to being a longer distance. And it was the 80s, I imagine over time more level crossings have had signal devices added, especially as most of Alberta's secondary highways were paved in the 80s.

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton City Council is finalizing the procurement/delivery strategy for our upcoming West LRT this week.


https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/transit/valley-line-west.aspx

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Anywhere that compelling all day two way service exists, GO owns the tracks. The Lakeshore Line was largely replaced by the York Sub.

All shared trackage operates pretty poor service and GO had to fight tooth and nail for what it has.

I might be remembering this incorrectly but I believe there was a very ambitious Metrolinx plan to build a dedicated freight railway "missing link" along Highway 407 between Bramalea station and the CP line just east of Milton.

I think this map gives you a sense of where it would go (hopefully this links correctly)

If this would have materialized, it would have allowed CN freight trains to bypass downtown Brampton, and CP freight trains to exit off the Milton sub and access their intermodal yard in Bolton. I think this would have freed up the Milton line as well as the Kitchener line, allowing all-day GO service to Kitchener and probably at least as far as Meadowvale.

Like all projects with a lot of foresight, it was very low on the radar, and I don't think it advanced past the proposal stage. In any case, I think it was scrapped by Doug Ford.

[Reecemartin]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I might be remembering this incorrectly but I believe there was a very ambitious Metrolinx plan to build a dedicated freight railway "missing link" along Highway 407 between Bramalea station and the CP line just east of Milton.

I think this map gives you a sense of where it would go (hopefully this links correctly)

If this would have materialized, it would have allowed CN freight trains to bypass downtown Brampton, and CP freight trains to exit off the Milton sub and access their intermodal yard in Bolton. I think this would have freed up the Milton line as well as the Kitchener line, allowing all-day GO service to Kitchener and probably at least as far as Meadowvale.

Like all projects with a lot of foresight, it was very low on the radar, and I don't think it advanced past the proposal stage. In any case, I think it was scrapped by Doug Ford.

Nothing has been officially scrapped, it was already kind of not moving much.

[GoTrans]

The following is an excerpt from the Montreal Gazette concerning a proposed extension of REM from YUL to Dorval.

Dorval pressing for REM extension to VIA Rail station
Dorval is pressing the new Réseau express métropolitain to add another station at the VIA Rail Station near the Dorval Circle

JOHN MEAGHER, MONTREAL GAZETTE Updated: February 27, 2019

Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau said it’s a “no-brainer” to extend the REM line since the tunnelling machine to the airport is operating this year, less than a kilometre away from the VIA Rail station.

The city of Dorval is pressing the new Réseau express métropolitain (REM) to add another station at the VIA Rail Station, located near the Dorval Circle and Highway 20.

Dorval Mayor Edgar Rouleau said the city passed a resolution in council last week to formally request the REM and governing transportation authorities extend the REM from Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport one more stop to the nearby intermodal train station, used by VIA Rail and commuter trains.

Rouleau said it’s a “no-brainer” to extend the line once the tunnelling machine to the airport is operating underground, less than a kilometre away from the VIA Rail station.

“The time to do it is now,” said Rouleau, who says industrial-scale tunnelling is a one-and-done operation.

““If they say, ‘We’ll do it in phase 2’, it will never been done because they’ll never bring back the tunnelling machine. It would be too expensive.”

Rouleau said the plan also has the support of Phillipe Rainville, head of the Aéroports de Montréal. Rainville recently said it “would be sad to miss this opportunity to provide an additional transit option for airport users.”

In December, the REM told the Montreal Gazette it would only examine the possibility of an extension once an official request had been made by the city. “A technical and financial analysis will then be carried out and handed over to these authorities for decision-making,” the spokesperson said.

Rouleau said the city recommended an extension at public (BAPE environmental) hearings in 2016, but says city council decided to pass a resolution to make a formal request.

“Hopefully, we’ll get the (provincial) government to move,” the mayor said.

Rouleau noted there is widespread support for the REM extension. “The ADM is on board, Via Rail is on board even the Caisse de dépôt (which is spearheading the REM project) agrees with what we’re saying. But it is the MTQ (Quebec Transport Ministry) that pays. The Caisse said it makes sense. Everyone agreed, but nobody said the final ‘yes’. “

Rouleau said having the REM extension would help to unlock vehicle congestion in the busy Dorval Circle, which is a traffic nightmare during rush hour.

With the airport, VIA Rail and bus terminals all located in close proximity of Dorval Circle, Rouleau noted that Dorval serves as a transportation hub for all of Montreal.

He said having another REM station would allow West Islanders and other travellers from the Via train station to use the REM instead of taking their cars downtown or elsewhere.

“If we want people to leave their cars at home, then we have to make it easier for them to take public transit,” he said.

“Otherwise, everyone will be trying to get on the REM at the airport and that makes no sense,” Rouleau said. “There are also security issues at the airport, and if you have thousands of people who aren’t even using the airport trying to get on the REM there, it’s only going to make things more (congested) and difficult for everybody.”

Anne-Sophie Hamel, vice president of public affairs for the ADM, recently noted that the airport’s new light-rail station, set to open in 2023, will be built as part of a $2.5 billion upgrade of the existing airport structure, including a new multi-level parking facility.

She said the REM will not only ferry thousands of passengers to the airport, but will also provide another mode of transportation for 13,000 airport employees who commute to the busy airport on a daily basis.

It will take about 20 minutes to travel from downtown to the airport, according to REM estimates.

[Reecemartin]

Yep this connection is a no brainer!

Did an in-depth tour of one of the ION stations to give people an idea of what they're like:

https://youtu.be/DP9ZaN0r17A

[Coldrsx]

Edmonton's City Council approved the procurement funding yesterday for the West LRT, which means construction 2020, opening 2026 from Downtown to the very far west end, but most importantly a connection to West Edmonton Mall.

[Reecemartin]

Very exciting!

[J.OT13]

We've seen some significant progress this week related to Confederation Line testing. We have 15 single trains running on automated mode through what is seemingly a "regular schedule" simulation. In order to meet the availability date of March 31, the consortium has to run 15 double trains on a "regular schedule", simulating day-to-day operations, for 12 consecutive days.

Not sure they will be able to meet the March 31 deadline, but I'm optimistic they can deliver by May 1, which would be a full year over schedule.

[Chadillaccc]

That's awesome! I always wondered why they did the SE section first when WEM is Edmonton's primary tourist attraction. Very happy to hear there'll be a fixed link from DT to the mall in the not-so-distant future. It's always such a drag trying to get there when I'm staying at the Coast downtown.

[Reecemartin]

One thing that is cool about Canada is that we have so many systems that are wildly different. Vancouver and Ottawa have two very different light Metro type systems. Toronto and Montreal have two very different heavy metro type systems. Calgary and Edmonton have mixed light rail.

[lrt's friend]

A lot of Ottawa residents fly overseas via PET airport. Building a Dorval transfer to REM will make it more viable to use VIA to reach PET airport instead of driving.

[p_xavier]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

A lot of Ottawa residents fly overseas via PET airport. Building a Dorval transfer to REM will make it more viable to use VIA to reach PET airport instead of driving.

There's a free shuttle bus every 10 minutes or so. If anything, it's just publicity to have for that service.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Reecemartin

Yep this connection is a no brainer!

Did an in-depth tour of one of the ION stations to give people an idea of what they're like:

https://youtu.be/DP9ZaN0r17A

“Bare bones” comes to mind, but it’s amazing that K-W has been able to accomplish this.

[MalcolmTucker]

100% funding from other levels of government will do that.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

100% funding from other levels of government will do that.

Fed and Prov funding for capital costs of Ion Phase 1 is around 70% of the total, iirc.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Fed and Prov funding for capital costs of Ion Phase 1 is around 70% of the total, iirc.

Looks like the project cost grew and changed since the province promised 70%, then the feds came in for the rest.

“The capital costs of $818 - the costs dedicated to building ION - are funded entirely by three levels of government: the Government of Ontario ($300 million), the Government of Canada ($265 million) and the Region of Waterloo ($253 million).”

But the LRT works contract was limited to $532 million. It sounds like as the project grew the province reduced its contribution percentage.

[Rico Rommheim]

the VIA connection to the airport REM is indeed a no-brainer.

Also: could it be an alternative for VIA to have its central station there, now that its access downtown is about to get brick-walled?

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

The fact is, they are still doing it, and they are still pushing to have it happen.

In the end, it is only money. If you can build a highway or a new subdivision, or, etc, you can build commuter rail.

And money just doesn't grow out of thin air. In Ontario, we are dealing with the repercussions from the spending decisions of the previous administration through mass cutbacks.