GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

[rbt]

Anybody have any idea where the PCs and NDP stand on electrification. I haven't seen much. And that's real question.

Electrification is actually pretty cheap and has a solid reduction in operating costs for GO. The ROI on that piece is very strong and all parties will almost certainly follow through on it (delayed perhaps, but it'll get done).

It's all the $10B in extra track/bridge/Union/etc. work before hand that's the issue. Electrification doesn't achieve much without those pieces and I could see both NDP and Cons (and even Liberals under a new leader) significantly slowing work in this area.

 

[crs1026]

Electrification is actually pretty cheap and has a solid reduction in operating costs for GO. The ROI on that piece is very strong and all parties will almost certainly follow through on it (delayed perhaps, but it'll get done).

It's all the $10B in extra track/bridge/Union/etc. work before hand that's the issue. Electrification doesn't achieve much without those pieces and I could see both NDP and Cons (and even Liberals under a new leader) significantly slowing work in this area.

True......The lowest hanging fruit for reducing spending is to trim RER rather than to cancel electrification - but - the impact to electrification is that it is no longer a prerequisite to RER if RER is stripped to bare bones.

GO's diesel locomotive fleet is young - those MP40's are only a few years old, and GO maintains its power very well. So for the next decade, the decision ML faces if more trains are needed is, do I spend $120M on 20 $6M diesel locomotives or do I spend $1B on electrification. The long term ROI may favour electrification but the short term cash flow makes the diesel purchase more attractive. The new diesels won't be green - not much happened on the Tier IV front, it seems - but the Liberals have pretty much poisoned the public's appetite for green if it costs money.

Personally - if funding is cut back, I would prefer that the track expansion continue, and electrification be parked. GO is choking on ridership, the highways are full, and the track expansion and 2-way services are needed now. The two-way capacity will increase fleet utilisation so we won't need many more new trains. The reduction in emissions by getting people out of cars and onto GO is far more important than the reduction in emissions by scrapping those 70 or so GO diesel locomotives. For the next decade, that may be the better choice.

- Paul

 

[jje1000]

Really hoping that a large amount RER work will be underway by 2018 so any new government will find it harder to change the terms.

 

[cplchanb]

Really hoping that a large amount RER work will be underway by 2018 so any new government will find it harder to change the terms.

unfortunately unless we see some huge steps this year im afraid its not going to happen

 

[rbt]

unfortunately unless we see some huge steps this year im afraid its not going to happen

It's possible for the track/bridge works the feds funded to be deep into the tender process before the next election. If the province provides matching funds next week and they issue RFQs for all 6 packages (4 lines from fed, Stouffville for province + city, and Union corridor) by 1st week of may it can squeeze in on an accelerated tender timeline (2 month RFQ, 8 month RFP, 3 month to evaluate/award and close).

Getting really tight though; and Liberals will get vocal accusations of vote buying during the election.

It's just as likely they'll be on the cusp of close but you'll have to vote Liberal to actually see it through.

 

[Dan416]

Too bad not a single thing has been done on the Milton line. I don't think there even is anything for a next government to possibly cancel here.

 

[crs1026]

Too bad not a single thing has been done on the Milton line. I don't think there even is anything for a next government to possibly cancel here.

There may be some money freed up from Hamilton that would make some of this possible......Milton and accelerating Niagara and Bowmanville would be a very politically palatable fix to Hamilton's wagon.

- Paul

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

There may be some money freed up from Hamilton that would make some of this possible......Milton and accelerating Niagara and Bowmanville would be a very politically palatable fix to Hamilton's wagon.

- Paul

Too bad not a single thing has been done on the Milton line. I don't think there even is anything for a next government to possibly cancel here.

1 billion and ~400 million from the Hamilton and Brampton LRT can go to Milton, then the provinces needs only 700m.

 

[Allandale25]

A few tweets today on this topic:

Oliver Moore: Former Pan Am 2015 honcho Saad Rafi branching out into #transit to become co-chair of RER implementation, per new memo to MX staff. Bit of a shakeup going on, it seems, as MX shifts from planning to procurement/execution of RER. "We have created a roadmap that will focus our work on a 'north star' of RER delivery." After Pan Am, in Jan 2016 Rafi took on job of running Ontario pension plan, on $525G/year. In September he moved to Deloitte.

TorontoRailwayMuseum Replying to @moore_oliver: Mr. Rafi has some relevant prior experience, having been both a deputy minister of transportation and of infrastructure, among other things. In his capacity as deputy minister of transportation, Mr. Rafi sat on the board of @GOtransit in 2005. So he's been around transit files

 

[drum118]

1 billion and ~400 million from the Hamilton and Brampton LRT can go to Milton, then the provinces needs only 700m.

The Brampton funds will be around for a few years.

There is an option in the Hurontario tenderer to cover the cost to do the extension only by Main St to the GO Station if Brampton comes to their sense and go with the original plan. Who every wins the main contract will build and operate the extension if it gets built. If Brampton wants to go another route, no funds for it and they will have to pay the full cost to do it or go to the back of the line and wait 15-25 years for it.

Lost why Wynne ran on a Transit plan in 2014 that call for full funding to 4 track the Milton line 100%, as well electrify it by 2022 and die after the election.

Not surprise to see or hear of shakeup in ML since they are long over due, but hope the changes will get us to where we should be in the short run, not the long run.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The Brampton funds will be around for a few years.

There is an option in the Hurontario tenderer to cover the cost to do the extension only by Main St to the GO Station if Brampton comes to their sense and go with the original plan. Who every wins the main contract will build and operate the extension if it gets built. If Brampton wants to go another route, no funds for it and they will have to pay the full cost to do it or go to the back of the line and wait 15-25 years for it.

Lost why Wynne ran on a Transit plan in 2014 that call for full funding to 4 track the Milton line 100%, as well electrify it by 2022 and die after the election.

Not surprise to see or hear of shakeup in ML since they are long over due, but hope the changes will get us to where we should be in the short run, not the long run.

A few tweets today on this topic:

About time this happened. Sad to think an election may have triggered this.

 

[TOareaFan]

1 billion and ~400 million from the Hamilton and Brampton LRT can go to Milton, then the provinces needs only 700m.

The Brampton funds will be around for a few years.

....and the "Brampton funds" are nowhere near $400MM....probably about half that.

 

[drum118]

....and the "Brampton funds" are nowhere near $400MM....probably about half that.

Did I state a number for Brampton?

Do you have official backup figures showing how much money is on the table to build the missing extension and if so, show it. Otherwise its a guessing number to say it haft of X or Y which I think is low in the first place.

Back to electrifying ML lines for RER.

 

[Allandale25]

Did I state a number for Brampton?

If fairness if you actually look at what TOareaFan quoted, two people were quoted including you and it was the other person who suggested a figure. TOareaFan didn't imply you provided the number.

 

[kEiThZ]

I actually think RER is sellable under the Tories. Would sell really well in the 905. They know they can win seats.

On the other hand, the PCs could build DRL Long and they still wouldn't take most seats in Toronto. They know that.