Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion

[officedweller]

This is sad...
You'd think someone could make use of the diesel DMUs.

Ottawa's original O-Train Bombardier vehicles heading for the scrap heap
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...2d6560b91/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by officedweller

This is sad...
You'd think someone could make use of the diesel DMUs.

Ottawa's original O-Train Bombardier vehicles heading for the scrap heap
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...2d6560b91/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Like use one as a new demonstration for rail transit between Olympic Village station and Granville Island as Olympic Line 2.0?

[Sheba]

The Buzzer Blog - TransLink tests technology to sanitize air on buses

TransLink is testing a technology called photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) to sanitize the air and surfaces on board transit vehicles. The one-month pilot will begin March 6 on a 60-foot articulated bus and two double-decker buses.

The PCO process occurs in the HVAC system so customers will not be able to observe the process, but they may notice a subtle clean scent. The three buses will also have clear signage indicating that PCO is taking place.

PCO works by circulating low levels of hydrogen peroxide to kill pathogens like viruses. The technology, which has been tested for safe exposure levels, is already used in other sectors such as the hotel and restaurant industries.

...

This testing period will determine PCO’s ability to effectively sanitize surfaces on transit and will work with peer agencies to validate the technology’s ability to sanitize air. Following the testing period, TransLink will analyze the data and determine if the technology meets the criteria for wider implementation.

...

[nname]

Originally Posted by cganuelas1995

Like use one as a new demonstration for rail transit between Olympic Village station and Granville Island as Olympic Line 2.0?

Those were leased from Belgium, who actually owns and operates the vehicle on an actual transit service there.

[cganuelas1995]

Originally Posted by nname

Those were leased from Belgium, who actually owns and operates the vehicle on an actual transit service there.

Those were electrical multiple units. AFAIK, the OHC on the Line was stolen after the demo was over.

[officedweller]

Yeah, or some stolen, so the rest taken down.
So a DMU might make sense as an interim measure (though not enviro-friendly?)

[J.OT13]

TransLink planning $300 million SkyTrain maintenance centre in Coquitlam

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-skytrain-coquitlam-omc-operations-maintenance-centre

[GeeCee]

I have a suggestion on where that could go:



edit: actually, it kind of sounds like the parcels to the south of the current car dealership there which is being redeveloped are owned by Marcon: https://www.tricitynews.com/real-estate-news/ten-towers-proposed-for-coquitlam-site-3096428

[superelevation]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Thanks.

From Kenneth Chan twitter.

Capstan Station diagram showing outline of a 3-car Canada Line train at the platform.


https://twitter.com/iamkennethchan

Originally Posted by nname

If my math is correct... the platform length seems to be 52.5m, and the train on the diagram is about 54m in length.

Having 3 car trains with cars of the same length seems sensible

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

I have a suggestion on where that could go:

If it does go there as an offshoot from the existing wye, Port Coquitlam would be wise to push for adding a station on the east end of the yard.

[officedweller]

Good call - this is the old Crane Canada site which was problematic to develop because of its isolation from the rest of Coquitlam
(New Westminster is to the south of the Brunette River).
It'll provide access to both M-Line and Expo-Line, though not direct.
They'll have to single track trains on that section to install a switch (or two) but it's a low frequency section anyways.

TransLink bought 27-acre site near Braid Station for new SkyTrain maintenance centre
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/225-north-road-coquitlam-skytrain-omc-maintenance-centre-translink


https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/225-north-road-coquitlam-skytrain-omc-maintenance-centre-translink

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Good call - this is the old Crane Canada site which was problematic to develop because of its isolation from the rest of Coquitlam
(New Westminster is to the south of the Brunette River).
It'll provide access to both M-Line and Expo-Line, though not direct.
They'll have to single track trains on that section to install a switch (or two) but it's a low frequency section anyways.

It does seem like a good location, and could (depending on the capabilities of the other centres) allow TransLink to redistribute repair work and car storage to be closer to the respective lines.

[Aroundtheworld]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Good call - this is the old Crane Canada site which was problematic to develop because of its isolation from the rest of Coquitlam
(New Westminster is to the south of the Brunette River).
It'll provide access to both M-Line and Expo-Line, though not direct.
They'll have to single track trains on that section to install a switch (or two) but it's a low frequency section anyways.

TransLink bought 27-acre site near Braid Station for new SkyTrain maintenance centre
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/225-north-road-coquitlam-skytrain-omc-maintenance-centre-translink

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/225-north-road-coquitlam-skytrain-omc-maintenance-centre-translink

This is honestly the best location they could have come up with as it really isn't good for anything else.

[Express691]

Kinda funny as my friends and I joked last night that a new yard would be built off the spur at Coquitlam Station.

Anyways

I have ideas for up to 3 switch locations

1 and 2: To and then from the inbound tracks. Elevate the tracks to the mainline and then lower them from the next one. Each of the switches lead into sharp curves leading to ground level.
3: This one breaks off from the outbound tracks to the right and then dives under the existing guideway and across the BNSF tracks.

Case in point, it is possible to build it without constructing a new flyover (which would be more expensive I feel)

The current site looks relatively high from the existing guideway but I'm sure with proper elevation it'll work (or they'll have to build the new yard on some sort of raised ground).

A few more notes:
1) Another switch could be built in the existing pocket track area, perhaps to facilitate movement
2) I guess you wouldn't be sending trains NIS from Surrey to the Crane OMC (at least the trains finishing midmorning after AM rush or early evening).
3) This might (no, this *will*) set a precedent as to how new switches are built elsewhere on the network - specifically to and from the mainline. Last time this happened was when they built the Millennium Line. (Coquitlam Yard and Lougheed Station technically don't count). Who knows if in 30 years they need to build more Expo Line tracks or an extension down Kingsway

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Express691

Kinda funny as my friends and I joked last night that a new yard would be built off the spur at Coquitlam Station.

Anyways

I have ideas for up to 3 switch locations

1 and 2: To and then from the inbound tracks. Elevate the tracks to the mainline and then lower them from the next one. Each of the switches lead into sharp curves leading to ground level.
3: This one breaks off from the outbound tracks to the right and then dives under the existing guideway and across the BNSF tracks.

Case in point, it is possible to build it without constructing a new flyover (which would be more expensive I feel)

The current site looks relatively high from the existing guideway but I'm sure with proper elevation it'll work (or they'll have to build the new yard on some sort of raised ground).

A few more notes:
1) Another switch could be built in the existing pocket track area, perhaps to facilitate movement
2) I guess you wouldn't be sending trains NIS from Surrey to the Crane OMC (at least the trains finishing midmorning after AM rush or early evening).
3) This might (no, this *will*) set a precedent as to how new switches are built elsewhere on the network - specifically to and from the mainline. Last time this happened was when they built the Millennium Line. (Coquitlam Yard and Lougheed Station technically don't count). Who knows if in 30 years they need to build more Expo Line tracks or an extension down Kingsway

The site is actually lower than the existing guideway.
The main problem is the railyard adjacent (they aren't likely to fly over the middle of the railyard as there's no space for column footings).
Here's a snip from Googlemaps which actually allows you to track the road around the Crane Canada site.


https://www.google.com/maps/@49.236218,-...5NuaGJ1HeWu9hS6g8KTTw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

You can see at the right side of the pic, where the guideway crosses the Brunette River, there's a "special structure" for the span.
That structure, together with the probable desire to avoid a stream crossing (and Federal permits) likely means the switch will be just west of the Brunette River (middle of the pic to the left of that special column, but there's a curve in the guideway there).

The Hive article says that the yard will primarily serve the Expo Line, which I take to mean that trains will more likely head towards Braid from the new yard.
So if there's one switch, it would be on the east side of the new yard, although an "in-line" configuration would be better, with switches on each side of the yard, allowing trains to exit in either direction without having to reverse on the mainline (that's the configuration of the Coquitlam OMC3 and the original Edmonds Yard).
The mainline in this area is not busy, so if they are trying to save money, one switch will do, but probably is not ideal, especially if they retain an Expo Line route starting from Production Way (or Lougheed), in which case they'd probably want to send trains to that terminus at the start of the day.

Note that there's also a special structure at the west end of the site where the guideway crosses the TransCanada Highway.

Here are pics in the middle and west end of the site.


https://www.google.com/maps/@49.236643,-...7vhBwpf6KJoaeRz_ZPiVg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192


https://www.google.com/maps/@49.236643,-...7vhBwpf6KJoaeRz_ZPiVg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

But the ends of the railyard may still require some interesting guideway configurations.
The curve in the guideway near the Brunette River may favour a switch installation at the west end of the site instead of the east end.


https://www.google.com/maps/place/North+...4c8fa501!8m2!3d49.2567973!4d-122.8930715

[Bdawe]

If I was translink, between this, and the eventually Surrey-Langley Yard, I would be putting consideration towards selling off the rather transit-accessible Edmonds Yard for development

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

If I was translink, between this, and the eventually Surrey-Langley Yard, I would be putting consideration towards selling off the rather transit-accessible Edmonds Yard for development

Hmm... wouldn't they need all of these yards to support the new trains being ordered for the extensions?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

If I was translink, between this, and the eventually Surrey-Langley Yard, I would be putting consideration towards selling off the rather transit-accessible Edmonds Yard for development

Yeah, that will never happen. They already have a built out OMC in a central location and it's not like they'll get that much for the land. The new Coquitlam OMC is going to cost $300 million to build out. And they just added a new $110 million dollar building to Edmonds.

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

Originally Posted by Bdawe

If I was translink, between this, and the eventually Surrey-Langley Yard, I would be putting consideration towards selling off the rather transit-accessible Edmonds Yard for development

it would be a mistake to sell the yard. it is super central to the system; plus that is where most of the cables would be terminating and i imagine it would be expensive to relocate them all.

if anything, TransLink could look into what was done for Manhattan's Hudson Yards; building over the West Side Yard. they may be able to do that for at least a portion of the site. and lease the air rights to the development into the foreseeable future.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

it would be a mistake to sell the yard. it is super central to the system; plus that is where most of the cables would be terminating and i imagine it would be expensive to relocate them all.

if anything, TransLink could look into what was done for Manhattan's Hudson Yards; building over the West Side Yard. they may be able to do that for at least a portion of the site. and lease the air rights to the development into the foreseeable future.

I doubt there is any reason someone would build over the yard. The only way the economics of Hudson Yards works is because it's in the middle of Manhattan.