The Great Canadian Transit Thread

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Aylmer

I would like to point out that the O-Train is narrower than most other passenger trains in Canada, yet has level boarding despite having shared the tracks with freight trains for years. It's been accomplished with retractable platform extensions.

And yes, passenger rail coming second to freight is another thing.

That's only accomplished with low floor trains rather than high platforms. I thought you were talking about platform height rather than train floor height when you said "What is wrong with us that we can't do something as simple as raising the platforms..."

[Aylmer]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

That's only accomplished with low floor trains rather than high platforms. I thought you were talking about platform height rather than train floor height when you said "What is wrong with us that we can't do something as simple as raising the platforms..."

I am talking about platform height ― The system of retractable platforms extensions works for the O-Train's 70cm 'low floor' just as well as it would work for VIA's ~150cm.

[Innsertnamehere]

Union Station second platform set to Open Monday:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/union-station-second-platform-set-to-open-1.2735325

The long-awaited second platform is set to open at Union Station on Monday.

Previously there was one platform in the centre of the station, allowing riders to access both the Yonge and University subway lines. The single platform was often overcrowded after sporting events like Maple Leaf, Raptor and Blue Jay games, and during the tourist season.

Transit riders will now use one platform to board Finch-bound trains on the Yonge Street line and the other to head to destinations on Downsview-bound trains on the University line. There will be two stairwells leading to the different platforms.

With the completion of construction, Union Station is transformed from a centre platform configuration to a side platform configuration. The rehabilitated centre platform is now for Downsview-bound trains and the new platform will be for Finch-bound trains.

The TTC says the addition of the second platform will double the passenger capacity at the station.

This is the first of many big transit events in Toronto over the next few months. By the end of the year we will see:

-New streetcars
-Mississauga Transitway phase 1
-Highway 7 BRT phase 2
-new GO concourse at Union station
-re-opening of the Queens Quay streetcar
-PRESTO on the TTC

Early next year will see a bunch of openings as well, the next 12 months are going to be exciting for transit in TO.

[caltrane74]

This Union Station thing is gonna take forever to complete. And even when its finished, even more renovations are coming once plans and approvals are in place for the bus station, DRL, downtown relief line, GO Express Regional Rail, LRT Expansion, and decking over the tracks.

Union Station will be in perpetual major construction for the foreseeable long term.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

Union Station second platform set to Open Monday:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/union-station-second-platform-set-to-open-1.2735325



This is the first of many big transit events in Toronto over the next few months. By the end of the year we will see:

-New streetcars
-Mississauga Transitway phase 1
-Highway 7 BRT phase 2
-new GO concourse at Union station
-re-opening of the Queens Quay streetcar
-PRESTO on the TTC

Early next year will see a bunch of openings as well, the next 12 months are going to be exciting for transit in TO.

Why side-loading instead of, say, a spanish solution?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by VIce

Why side-loading instead of, say, a spanish solution?

OK, I'll bite.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by VIce

Why side-loading instead of, say, a spanish solution?

For Union Station? It would certainly be beneficial, however, I don't think they have enough space to implement a spanish solution.

[WhipperSnapper]

The arrangement in Union as far as I know is platform track platform track. How do you propose a Spanish solution similar to the RT at Kennedy?

[Innsertnamehere]

Spanish solution is when there is 3 platforms. Its not at needed for capacity, and thus wasn't built.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

For Union Station? It would certainly be beneficial, however, I don't think they have enough space to implement a spanish solution.

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The arrangement in Union as far as I know is platform track platform track. How do you propose a Spanish solution similar to the RT at Kennedy?

This is my bad. I had to re-read the article a few times to visualize the layout. This makes more sense to me now.

[Chadillaccc]

Ugh, that's a lot of money!

Four-car LRT project’s price tag hits $300M

Full Article: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/calgary/Four+project+price+hits+300M/10089255/story.html

[1overcosc]

Just imagine how expensive it would if the C-Train had underground stations and they didn't do the easy-expansion-with-knockout-walls approach that Toronto did with Sheppard and that Ottawa will be doing with Confederation.

[Chadillaccc]

Yeah. That is how Vancouver did the Canada Line as well.

The reason it's so expensive is because of the amount of stations on the line. Out of the 45 stations, over 30 of them required extensions... but even still, that works out to like $9 million a station which doesn't seem right. However, I doubt the figure includes the $200 million worth of new trains the city just ordered, so I don't know how the hell it got so expensive.

I hope that when they build the subway, they build knockout walls for the future extension of the 201 Line stations to 5 cars.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Yeah. That is how Vancouver did the Canada Line as well.

The reason it's so expensive is because of the amount of stations on the line. Out of the 45 stations, over 30 of them required extensions... but even still, that works out to like $9 million a station which doesn't seem right. However, I doubt the figure includes the $200 million worth of new trains the city just ordered, so I don't know how the hell it got so expensive.

I hope that when they build the subway, they build knockout walls for the future extension of the 201 Line stations to 5 cars.

In the article (that you posted? O_o):
$20 million: extended downtown platforms (from larger $183-million 7th Avenue refurbishment)
$112 million: other platform extensions (including the rebuilt Chinook LRT)
$68 million: electrical system upgrades for longer trains
$100 million: 30 new light rail vehicles, arriving 2015 to 2017
Total: $300 million

Expansion of the fleet is accounted separate from replacing older LRVs, but it includes a whole lot more than just concrete and paint. I imagine that work upgrading the electrical substations was pretty expensive already.

[MalcolmTucker]

It also includes the downtown lifecycle of the stations, which would have been needed to be done even if there weren't any plans for four car trains.

[Chadillaccc]

Ohhh right! I forgot about the whole 7th Avenue Project. Yeah, that would have been a good chunk, rebuilding an entire 15 blocks of sidewalk and rebuilding 9 stations entirely, along with the demolition of 3 stations. Makes sense.

[VIce]

Originally Posted by Chadillaccc

Ohhh right! I forgot about the whole 7th Avenue Project. Yeah, that would have been a good chunk, rebuilding an entire 15 blocks of sidewalk and rebuilding 9 stations entirely, along with the demolition of 3 stations. Makes sense.

Only $20m from the 7th avenue project is accounted for in the $300m figure (the marginal cost of 4-car platforms over 3-car platforms).

[Chadillaccc]

Oh so they do count the new LRVs in the $300 million. All right then!

[Kitchissippi]

So what's going to happen on the other side of the centre platform at Union?

When I lived in Toronto, I thought it would be good if they just split the line and turn Union into an exchange station and then have each side continue out to either side of King to meet up with the B-D line farther out east and west.

[WhipperSnapper]

Existing Centre platform is now westbound (University). New platform is eastbound (Yonge). That is all there is.