Trillium Line Upgrades & Extension (Stage 2) [Greenboro to Airport/Limebank] | U/C

[OTownandDown]

I get the end of the line switching, that's fine, but what happens when a northbound train is in the way of the arriving airport train? And then a southbound train arrives just the same moment, a double wait? I know it may not be much of a wait, just have to get the trains out of the way, but will the operators need to actively talk to eachother? Will the automated systems take over? Will the airport train need to wait out on it's own track even before the interlining, for a southbound train to unload at south keys before it can even enter the line? It just seems a bit chaotic. (And here I'm assuming the airport train makes way for Line 2. Is that always the case?) Will a Line 2 train have to wait for an airport train that just arrived before it?

I've been on the loop in Chicago, and so I know what the waiting is like, and I was nervous the whole time, waiting to be t-boned by an oncoming train (even though it ... rarely happens). At least in Chicago all the trains are running .. in a loop.

Basically, what I'm saying is that I'd like to see a simulation, lol

Originally Posted by kmcamp

While the interlining is a bit unusual, the switching is not. Many services do this at the end of the line.E.g
If you've ever been to Waterfront station in Vancouver, the trains offload everyone, move past the station, switch, and then come back on the other side, rather then doing like what Toronto does and you have to look at the sign to know which train is the next to leave because either side of the platform is used.

South Keys and Trim will be the only station in Ottawa that uses a proper island platform for the end of the line. All the other stations will be like the mess at Tunney's

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by kmcamp

While the interlining is a bit unusual, the switching is not. Many services do this at the end of the line.E.g
If you've ever been to Waterfront station in Vancouver, the trains offload everyone, move past the station, switch, and then come back on the other side, rather then doing like what Toronto does and you have to look at the sign to know which train is the next to leave because either side of the platform is used.

South Keys and Trim will be the only station in Ottawa that uses a proper island platform for the end of the line. All the other stations will be like the mess at Tunney's

What OTownandDown is suggesting is different though. It's the most logical and convenient way to handle this transfer.

3 tracks, 2 platforms. Middle track is exclusively for the airport train, accessible from both sides.

You arrive from the North and there is already an airport train waiting for you just across the platform with open doors. No waiting, no walking, less track switching, and it's next to impossible to get lost.

The reason they didn't do it is money. They would rather spend it on those monster stations in the middle of nowhere nobody uses than make a cumbersome connection smoother.

[lrt's friend]

The ideal situation at South Keys is for the airport train to arrive, then pull into the pocket track, then both the north and south bound main line trains arrive about the same time at South Keys. Once both depart, then the airport trains pulls out of the pocket track to pick up passengers heading to the airport at South Keys. This will minimize wait times coming and going to the airport.

As far as communication between trains, this will done by signals. There is a signal south of Hunt Club, and only one train can enter South Keys northbound at a time. I am sure there is a similar signaling situation going southbound, before entering South Keys Station, and also after exiting the station.

There is some complicated switching going on south of Hunt Club. The airport train enters the main line on the southbound track then has to switch over to the northbound track. Likewise, the main line train southbound exits South Keys on the southbound track then south of Hunt Club, needs to switch to the northbound track to proceed to the single track section.

As I have been saying, train operations are most complicated at South Keys and southward towards the diverging airport spur. Here both lines share the same track. They need to get this right or Line 2 does not function. Under ideal circumstances, there needs to be three trains at South Keys at the same time. While the two main line trains are at South Keys, the airport train needs to be in the pocket track. I am not sure how this will work any other way, without significantly longer wait times between Line 2 and 4.

[kmcamp]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I get the end of the line switching, that's fine, but what happens when a northbound train is in the way of the arriving airport train? And then a southbound train arrives just the same moment, a double wait? I know it may not be much of a wait, just have to get the trains out of the way, but will the operators need to actively talk to eachother? Will the automated systems take over? Will the airport train need to wait out on it's own track even before the interlining, for a southbound train to unload at south keys before it can even enter the line? It just seems a bit chaotic. (And here I'm assuming the airport train makes way for Line 2. Is that always the case?) Will a Line 2 train have to wait for an airport train that just arrived before it?

I've been on the loop in Chicago, and so I know what the waiting is like, and I was nervous the whole time, waiting to be t-boned by an oncoming train (even though it ... rarely happens). At least in Chicago all the trains are running .. in a loop.

Basically, what I'm saying is that I'd like to see a simulation, lol

Well, we'll have to see, but Chicago is an order of magnitude more complicated, where you have blue, green, pink and orange trains all entering and exiting the loop at different points at high frequencies, and New York City interlining is even more complicated. In theory what we're doing should be very easy in comparison, but then again Ottawa is good at messing up easy.