GO Transit: Union Station Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Zeidler)

[mdrejhon]

mdrejhon: can you fill me in on what'll be happening with all the steel columns? I mean, the new top looks good, but in conjunction with the steel columns things like unfinished, if not ad hoc. And as for where the train shed extends beyond the new top, what'll be happening with those steel columns? As there, without any top at all, things look pretty rough...

As far as I know, they're going to be finishing the shed as part of a future phase. When they install the new green roof, there will be proper treatment (e.g painting and/or rustproof coating etc). When, I have no idea. Just that I know everything is supposed to be done by end of 2017. Delays, delays, indeed.

I'm glad they finally ripped all the old concrete plugs hovering over the tracks.

 

[kotsy]

Awesome photos, Craig. The new roof looks amazing. It reminds me of Rotterdam Centraal.

(via google)

I just wish it extended the entire length of the station. Seems like a big oversight to me. I understand heritage preservation but the old roof was an eye sore that barely let any light in. Seems like a tease that the new shed only takes up 1/3 of the total length.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Awesome photos, Craig. The new roof looks amazing. It reminds me of Rotterdam Centraal.

I just wish it extended the entire length of the station. Seems like a big oversight to me. I understand heritage preservation but the old roof was an eye sore that barely let any light in. Seems like a tease that the new shed only takes up 1/3 of the total length.

There is way more to like than just the shed - the organization of the tracks and platforms is generous, efficient and nothing like the band aid we got. The current arrangement is already obsolete before completion.

AoD

 

[Adjei]

Love Rotterdam Centraal, now there's a station!

 

[cplchanb]

They probably ran out if money in their budget.

Or whoever designed this seriously has no creativity


Or the city has an ocd complex on keeping old buildings regardless of aesthetic value

 

[smably]

Or the city has an ocd complex on keeping old buildings regardless of aesthetic value

Fortunately, heritage has nothing to do with any one person's idea of "aesthetic value".

 

[Adjei]

They probably ran out if money in their budget.

Or whoever designed this seriously has no creativity


Or the city has an ocd complex on keeping old buildings regardless of aesthetic value

Yeah how are you respecting the heritage value when you take out 1/3 of the structure. Probably has to do with it being too expensive to do the whole thing. The heritage factor is a red herring.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Fortunately, heritage has nothing to do with any one person's idea of "aesthetic value".

Unfortunately, it has everything to do with one person's idea of "functional value" and at this state, it sucked. And if a hub like Union Station cannot function well, why even bother? No one is proposing that the headhouse be demolished - it's the shed all the ancillary spaces below preventing track reorganization that is at the heart of the matter.

AoD

 

[MafaldaBoy]

10 September 2015:


Union Station Revitalization by Jimmy Wu, on Flickr


Union Station Revitalization by Jimmy Wu, on Flickr

Any reason why a few panels are darker than the rest? Sorta gives off an unfinished vibe.

 

[tnarduzzi]

Oops...

Authorities are spending a quarter of a billion dollars renovating the shed behind Union Station where the trains stop. One teensy hitch: As things stand now, the new electric trains that are supposed to glide in one day won’t fit.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com//new...re/article28448568/?cmpid=rss1&click=sf_globe

Good find. Question, has Metrolinx studied third rail options? I know that St Pancras International has dual function: pantographs and third-rail.

 

[crs1026]

With all due respect to heritage conservation, I have always thought about that dreary trainshed the same way I think about all the outhouses that many heritage buildings in this city once had:

Just because something is old does not mean we should keep using it.

- Paul

 

[tnarduzzi]

https://twitter.com/tnarduzzi/status/692896778673213442

"Honestly this seems like a simple fix. Equip @GOtransit rolling stock with pickup shoes. Raise all platforms in Union shed to "level" with cars. Install third-rail under new platforms. And done?"

Trains would then switch from drawing current via catenary to drawing from third rail when entering Union shed. Pax get shiny new "safe" platforms. Win win?

 

[Richard White]

With all due respect to heritage conservation, I have always thought about that dreary trainshed the same way I think about all the outhouses that many heritage buildings in this city once had:

Just because something is old does not mean we should keep using it.

- Paul

The thing is though there is nowhere else to put it AND demolishing it would require a closure of the station... that is not something that can be done quite easily. After the metro centre fiasco of the 70s there are so many layers of protection on Union Station that no significant changes will ever be done to it. The last time someone wanted to make such major changes to the train shed MLSE wanted to put an arena on top of it. They later abandoned the idea rather than risk bankrupting themselves.

I believe that proposal by MLSE turned the train shed into an arena and the great hall into its entrance.

 

[anaki101]

Wouldn't the problem with the third rail option be the fact that the platforms at union are really low, and that some of the tracks can be accessed on both sides of the track? It could probably work if they were placed between two tracks like on platform 3 and 4. Also, by how much is the train shed short by for electrification?

 

[Richard White]

Wouldn't the problem with the third rail option be the fact that the platforms at union are really low, and that some of the tracks can be accessed on both sides of the track? It could probably work if they were placed between two tracks like on platform 3 and 4. Also, by how much is the train shed short by for electrification?

Even still they would need a cover for the third rail not to mention people need somewhere to walk in the event of an emergency. Even in the TTC the third rail is to the side of the train and not underneath it (otherwise the wheels would hit it). There is simply no room between the platforms for the train AND a third rail without extending the platform. much like the TTC has their yellow platform edge. I believe they do this on the SRT where the third rail is tucked under the platform at Kennedy.

People need to access the trains. There is nobody on earth that would approve people climbing over or on a third rail (even covered) to get to and from a train. Right now.... the platforms are so low you would be walking on the third rail to get to the trains.