Broadway Subway - Millennium Line Extension to Arbutus | U/C

[Zepfancouver]

I would have loved to have captured that work on video

[Express691]

https://www.broadwaysubway.ca/app/uploads/sites/626/2022/10/Launch-of-TBM-Community-Notice_Oct6.pdf

The Broadway Subway Project Corporation (BSPC) is in your neighbourhood building the Broadway Subway Project. We are getting ready to launch the first tunnel boring machine (TBM) from Great Northern Way, which is a critical milestone in the project and begins the next phase of construction activity. We encourage you to check out the viewing windows installed in the fencing along Great Northern Way near Thornton Street to see Project progress.

[madog222]

Tunnel boring marks milestone for Broadway Subway project

The Broadway Subway Project has reached a critical phase of construction with the start of tunnel excavation to connect six new underground stations on the 5.7-kilometre extension of the Millennium Line.
…

Each TBM is expected to take about a year to carve out the subway’s inbound and outbound tunnels. The TBMs have been given the names Elsie and Phyllis, after two influential British Columbian women, Elizabeth (Elsie) MacGill and Phyllis Munday. Elsie is about to start tunnelling. Phyllis is being assembled and is expected to begin operating this winter.
…

In preparation for the TBMs, tunnel liner rings, manufactured in Nanaimo, were transported to the construction site…

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022TRAN0101-001512

Image from BC Moti, plus a few more of the TBM here https://www.flickr.com/photos/tranbc/albums/72157706275278374



TBM site tour:
• Video Link

[Jimbo604]

Source: Gov News Release

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooon... the excitement builds!

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

nice, thats awesome to see. i thought it would have taken longer than 1yr though.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Jimbo604

Source: Gov News Release

Photos references from the release:

Photos of the tunnel boring machines and general construction images can be found here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcgovphotos/albums/72177720302678825

For a video of the tunnel-boring construction site, visit: https://youtu.be/l-M0VjFBoGE

Photos and videos are also available here: https://www.broadwaysubway.ca/construction/photos-and-videos/

For photos and videos about the project see: https://www.broadwaysubway.ca/construction/photos-and-videos/

[mattropolis]

My photos from October 8th. Showing the new columns for the elevated guideway section

Half complete columns


Through the fence


A view where they have cut into the parkade structure behind the building at 887 Great Northern Way. Preparation for another column. To the right of the car is where I believe a column will go.

[Mac Write]

How deep into the ground are the columns? I saw a video of either Toronto or someplace with super deep columns that had been excavated with live trains above on the line.

Also how will be beams be assembled? the gurder thing or one piece beams?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Mac Write

How deep into the ground are the columns? I saw a video of either Toronto or someplace with super deep columns that had been excavated with live trains above on the line.

Also how will be beams be assembled? the gurder thing or one piece beams?

https://www.broadwaysubway.ca/construction/photos-and-videos/

Video here at around 2 minutes

• Video Link

[madog222]

Elsie, the first TBM, has officially launched.

https://twitter.com/broadwaysubway_/status/1580314047542489088?s=20&t=McPukeTwovI8YuclBXLs3Q

[Zepfancouver]

[Diegotheartist1]

Woooooo!

[madog222]

Shot of the guideway columns from a real estate listing.


https://www.rew.ca/properties/4648826/904-774-great-northern-way-vancouver-bc?property_click=map#

[Jimbo604]

More news, though I couldn't find any mention in local media, guess it was drowned out by the election, etc.

Broadway Subway Twitter:
https://twitter.com/broadwaysubway_/status/1580966942348783619?cxt=HHwWhsCthdnD3PArAAAA

"Check out TBM Elsie’s cutterhead at work – it’s 6 m in diameter! Elsie launched on Friday at GNW-Emily Carr Station. Now, she's boring the first of the two 5 km #BroadwaySubwayProject tunnels."

International Railway Journal:
Tunnelling starts on Vancouver’s Broadway Subway

Ground Engineering:
Tunnel boring starts on BC's Broadway Subway project

"Each TBM is expected to take about a year to carve out the subway’s inbound and outbound tunnels. The TBMs have been given the names Elsie and Phyllis, after two influential British Columbian women, Elizabeth MacGill and Phyllis Munday. Elsie has now begun digging, while Phyllis is expected to begin operating this winter."

[Jimbo604]

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/broadway-subway-skytrain-tunnel-boring-begins

Daily Hive chimes in with mostly same info as other articles:
"And so it begins: Tunnel boring now underway for Broadway Subway
Kenneth Chan Oct 18 2022, 4:41 pm"

Did point out this oddity though:
"To mark the occasion, the provincial government did not stage a typical tunnel boring groundbreaking ceremony with dignitaries and media."

[Migrant_Coconut]

There was the virtual one last year. Guess Victoria figured that was good enough.

[idunno]

I hope they at least have a celebration for "the last push" through at the Arbutus Station box!

[Tvisforme]

This might be a silly question, but what is the overall length limit for SkyTrain cars that allow walk-through (IIRC Mark II and newer) and also on the Canada Line? I'm just curious if it is possible to increase carrying capacity by using trains that are slightly longer than the stations - perhaps one extra car - and having the doors at the far ends of the train stay closed? Passengers at teh ends of the train would have to walk half a car, but that's not too onerous if it means more capacity.

Instead of:

[ O O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O O ]
+--------------------------+

run them as:

[ X O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O X ]
++++---------------------------++++

("O" = opening doors, "X" = closed door, "-" = platform, "+" = end of platform)

[ilikeredheads]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

This might be a silly question, but what is the overall length limit for SkyTrain cars that allow walk-through (IIRC Mark II and newer) and also on the Canada Line? I'm just curious if it is possible to increase carrying capacity by using trains that are slightly longer than the stations - perhaps one extra car - and having the doors at the far ends of the train stay closed? Passengers at teh ends of the train would have to walk half a car, but that's not too onerous if it means more capacity.

Instead of:

[ O O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O O ]
+--------------------------+

run them as:

[ X O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O O ][ O X ]
++++---------------------------++++

("O" = opening doors, "X" = closed door, "-" = platform, "+" = end of platform)

It's impractical to do this because you are creating bigger bottlenecks at the end cars due to passengers there having access to one less sets of doors. This will cause increased dwell time. It creates more problems than it solves that's why you don't see transit systems anywhere in the world do this.

(also, only the mark 1s have 2 sets of doors per car. All other rolling stocks have 3.)

[Migrant_Coconut]

I figure it's also a bad idea in case of an emergency - can you imagine all the car's passengers rushing for the same door? Half a car extra, at the most.