Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

I was near by at around 6pm on a weekday a few days ago and it definitely didn't seem empty (but not extremely busy either). I think the train was approximately half full.
 
So do they have to build the sound wall before they build the new track one? When would the start construction? I thought of this when seeing Drum's pictures of Bloor.
 
They seem to be doing the sound wall in dribs and drabs. The bit around the Bloor Station clearly had to wait for the Station to be finished.

In theory, in the tight spaces adjacent to the station, they ought to get the track bed in place before they put up the sound wall. Otherwise they won't have much room to run their equipment.

Here are a couple more shots, which show how tight the space is. That silver signal bungalow is new, and T1 will have to go between it and the pathway. I'm still wondering if some sort of concrete footing will be laid along the edge of the bikeway where the slope is greatest, with the sound wall on top of it. The track will be at about shoulder level relative to the pathway. I added a shot which illustrates Drum's earlier comment that T1 already exists within the tunnel - it was actually in use last year when the underpass was first placed in service. North of Wallace, there is lots of room for T1 to fit and the sound wall is already in place.

- Paul

Bloor 2014.jpg
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So there's already bitching about the train only being less than 20% full. With suggestions of making it a commuter rail line. Or perhaps they can only have one car trains instead.
 
If the UP Express is persistently empty then Metrolinx will face political pressure to lower the fares. Then again, they can't lower them much or the trains will be overcrowded, because of the shortsighted decision to build a spur to the airport that cannot accommodate regular GO trains.
 
I have always thought UPX was a grotesque waste of money and Toronto wouldn't even have to build the Western portion of ST if Metrolinx hadn't got it's greasy hands on the corridor. Have to say thou that even I am surprised by these incredible bad ridership numbers.

I, I think like most, assumed the line would be very busy during the games which Metrolinx would take full advantage of in it's PR campaign to show everyone it wasn't a waste of money. If this damn line can't even get passable ridership levels when the biggest sporting event in the city's history is on and when many roads have had traffic levels curtailed due to HOV then this line is going to bleed red ink.

The real issue now is whether Metrolinx is willing to let it lose a fortune but keep running so they can save face or if they really want to put the needs of Torontonians first and make it part of the standard TTC service.
 
ssiguy2 said:
I have always thought UPX was a grotesque waste of money and Toronto wouldn't even have to build the Western portion of ST if Metrolinx hadn't got it's greasy hands on the corridor. Have to say thou that even I am surprised by these incredible bad ridership numbers.
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Surprised at incredibly bad numbers?!? 3,250 a day, when the target for 2016 was 5,000?

That seems reasonable compared to the forecast. We always knew that ridership would be less than a route like the TTC 87 Cosburn or 46 Martin Grove. Not sure where the surprise is coming from.
 
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3,250 riders a day is going to be something like $20M/year in revenue? That seems like a pretty solid start.
 
rbt said:
3,250 riders a day is going to be something like $20M/year in revenue? That seems like a pretty solid start.
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Using very rough math - 16 hours per day x 4 trains per hour x 100 seats per train = 12,600 seats per day.

Why are we happy with a 25% capacity factor?

Especially when 3,250 x $20 could be 6,500 x $10 without adding a single seat to the operation.

Sorry, while this project may eventually break even, its construction and financing was underwritten by the taxpayer. The taxpayer has every right to ask whether the service is doing the most it can for the average taxpayer. This argument just isn't going to go away. ( But adding an equivalent GO service on the route might make it moot - and some of us might stop grinding the same old saw :) )

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Why are we happy with a 25% capacity factor?
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Why is that a bad thing? Nobody pays $20 to be left on the platform.

We don't know what peak load is. The fact the train is empty at 5am isn't going to change with the ticket price.

Incidentally, TTC subways are also around 25% capacity or even lower. Obviously rush-hour is jammed but off-peak in the core is only around 25% capacity and closer to the ends of the line is 5%. Ridership is so horrible that we don't even bother running full service in off-peak on the subway; 4 minute frequencies on a system designed for 2 minute frequencies is bullshit, and the trains are only half full in the central part of the city (ridiculous that I can breathe and move around comfortably on them). Moscow, London, and Tokyo don't pull crap like that; not on all lines. TTC fares should clearly be $1 to fill the trains, or even paying people after midnight to ride the subway to ensure it's being used at full capacity. Taxpayers have a right to demand better having spent billions and billions and billions on TTC subways over the last 6 decades.


But adding an equivalent GO service on the route might make it moot
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Significantly improving Georgetown service is the correct answer, including a future people mover access to the airport from the railway line. We spent $1B on infrastructure for that route too and service is non-existent at any price.


UPX is more about getting foreign investment into the city than it is actually moving people around. There are probably fewer than 10 rides per year that actually matter and those are very much worth the cost of the project. I've personally watched SBC divest of about $1.8B in Toronto investments (InQuent, Amdocs, ...) after getting stuck in traffic (and yes, that was the root cause).
 
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