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SRT to be shut down for refurbishment (2015)

Remember when there was a rumour that GO was going to buy some old O-Trains from Ottawa and run them on the Stouffville line to help manage with the lack of transit in the area when the SRT shuts down and its replacement is under conrtuction? That obviously never happened, but I wonder if GO will do anything to help with the situtation? For those heading downtown from Agincourt, GO certainly becomes an easier option during peak hours. The lack of GO bus service is certainly an issue though.
 
Remember when there was a rumour that GO was going to buy some old O-Trains from Ottawa and run them on the Stouffville line to help manage with the lack of transit in the area when the SRT shuts down and its replacement is under conrtuction? That obviously never happened, but I wonder if GO will do anything to help with the situtation? For those heading downtown from Agincourt, GO certainly becomes an easier option during peak hours. The lack of GO bus service is certainly an issue though.

That may have been stalled by the fact that Ottawa is holding onto them. The North-South O-Train proposal of the early 2000s was supposed to open this year, but it was canned (thankfully). Ottawa will be using those diesel trains into the mid 2020s by the look of it. Still, they weren't that expensive, so it could be possible that Toronto could buy some of them. It would certainly be cheaper than running hordes of buses, especially if it's going to last for 4 years.
 
There will be off-peak GO train service on the Stouffville line by then, but unless there is fare integration most people will decide to cram onto the buses to save a few dollars - especially if they aren't going to the CBD.
 
why not have metrolinx subsidize the following proposal (that's if it even makes a dent in profit)

TTC riders can transfer onto GO Trains from Agincourt to Kennedy ONLY. There can be vigorous fare inspection after these points but it would essentially take a large load off the bus system if TTC riders could simple use it.

And to me it seems like an up-sell...once a rider hops on a GO Train at Agincourt to head down to Kennedy, they might enjoy the comfortable ride and decide to just pay the normal GO fare and take it all the way downtown.

Either way, while a 4 year shut down of a line is never desirable, we have an active GO train line in service parallel to it that can used to soften the blow. If metrolinx does not use this asset during this 4 year shutdown, it would be demonstrated of yet another common-sense solution ignored :(

And yes, metrolinx should probably make it a priority that all-day two-way service is available on the Stoufville line by 2015, even if there isn't fare integration.
 
I can't beleive this.
4 years to put down new track for a tiny 6km line?
How is Calgary building a new at grade/elevated/tunneled 8km line for $800 million in 3 years. Oh wait, according to the Metrolinx beaurocrats Calgary has very low wages and so cannot be compared.
Then again how will Vancouver build a brand new 11km totally grade separated Skytrain line with 2 km of tunnel for $1.4 billion in just 30 months.
I don't know what's worse........the obscene waste of time and money or Torontonians lack of interest in accountability. Doesn't anybody ever bring this up or are Torontonians so thankful to get any kind of transit expansion that they are more than willing to turn a blind eye so they can say "atleast something is getting built".
 
I can't beleive this.
4 years to put down new track for a tiny 6km line?
How is Calgary building a new at grade/elevated/tunneled 8km line for $800 million in 3 years. Oh wait, according to the Metrolinx beaurocrats Calgary has very low wages and so cannot be compared.
Then again how will Vancouver build a brand new 11km totally grade separated Skytrain line with 2 km of tunnel for $1.4 billion in just 30 months.
I don't know what's worse........the obscene waste of time and money or Torontonians lack of interest in accountability. Doesn't anybody ever bring this up or are Torontonians so thankful to get any kind of transit expansion that they are more than willing to turn a blind eye so they can say "atleast something is getting built".

They're doing a massive live rebuild of Kennedy station.
 
This is why the Danforth line should have been extended to STC instead, there would have been no/minimal shutdown.
 
They could have a temporary route from Agincourt all the way to Danforth and have the Scarborough bus routes converge at these temporary stations.
 
I can't beleive this.
4 years to put down new track for a tiny 6km line?
How is Calgary building a new at grade/elevated/tunneled 8km line for $800 million in 3 years. Oh wait, according to the Metrolinx beaurocrats Calgary has very low wages and so cannot be compared.
Then again how will Vancouver build a brand new 11km totally grade separated Skytrain line with 2 km of tunnel for $1.4 billion in just 30 months.
I don't know what's worse........the obscene waste of time and money or Torontonians lack of interest in accountability. Doesn't anybody ever bring this up or are Torontonians so thankful to get any kind of transit expansion that they are more than willing to turn a blind eye so they can say "atleast something is getting built".

Tell me what has to be done first with the existing line before it can be converted to LRT?

Have you seen the SRT in person, as well looked at all the stations and yards including the line?

Do you understand that the existing tunnel under GO Stoufville line has to be rebuilt 100%?

Do you understand that the existing terminal at Kennedy has to be torn down first before the underground station and connection to the Crosstown line can be built?

Easy to sit afar making assumptions that are wrong in the first place, when you have no understanding of the line in the first place.

You are right when it comes to cost, as TTC project are always over building their projects with nice cost over runs. I hear Metrolinx has a few projects well over budget and one that may have to be rebuilt.
 
This seems like poor planning.

The line should be closed when the cross-town line opens, that way you have a RT line at all times. Too bad the useful life of the line is coming to an end and the other won't be ready until 2020-2022. They should have started it earlier to ensure the two projects didn't have a window without any kind of RT service.

It really saddens me that given Toronto's transit use there are few lines based on its population and size. On top of that cuts to service is being made as well.

In order for a healthy, growing city to prosper there has to be an efficient transportation system. With minimal highways and rapid transit for its size, Toronto baffles me. Most cities around its size either have a well built highway or RT system, some have both. Toronto fails in both categories.
 
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I don't understand what they mean by the phasing. Would a SCC-Kennedy stub have access to the new carhouse?
 
They're doing a massive live rebuild of Kennedy station.
There's very little in the rebuild of Kennedy that requires a closure of the SRT. It's all at Mezzanine level. The existing SRT platform can operate through much of it.

Webster didn't seem to be very familiar with the project. I very much doubt shut-down will be 4-years long. He's already been corrected twice on other comments he made.

And why are we starting yet another thread on this project?
 
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