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

Yeah, that train rings with nostalgia and antiquity, not to mention stinks of urine- two, er, three things the passenger trying to get from the city to the airport in short, convenient and efficient ride is looking forward to. Oh and I forgot the $20+ fare.

This has got to be a joke..or a bad dream..
 
Are these the very same RDC units that VIA used to run up the Weston subdivision past the airport to Kitchener - back when there were 5 trains a day going there? Major irony ...
 
Yep. VIA had RDCs going all over the place - across the Prairies (including Edmonton-Calgary and Regina-Saskatoon, both would be useful services today), duplicating the most remote sections of the original Canadian (to limit the number of stops that flagship train needed to make), Montreal-Sherbrooke, Toronto-Peterborough-Havelock, Niagara Falls, Toronto-Kitchener-London (at the time Kitchener was a busier station than London!) and several Maritime services, including Halifax-Truro-Cape Breton and Halifax-Kentville-Yarmouth.

Mulroney axed nearly all the Maritime and Prairie services, as well as cut service in Central Canada. RDCs are now only used on Vancouver Island (not cut as it was a constitutional requirement of BC's entry into Canada!) and the remote service that used to duplicate the Canadian from Sudbury west. Though apparently, the Orangeville-Brampton railway has a RDC to supplement its other coaches as its excursions are very popular.
 
ShonTron said:
Though apparently, the Orangeville-Brampton railway has a RDC to supplement its other coaches as its excursions are very popular.
Click to expand...

I can confirm this, but it is used as a coach. I saw it at the Orangeville train station late this past saturday night.
 
ShonTron said:
Yep. VIA had RDCs going all over the place - across the Prairies (including Edmonton-Calgary and Regina-Saskatoon, both would be useful services today), duplicating the most remote sections of the original Canadian (to limit the number of stops that flagship train needed to make), Montreal-Sherbrooke, Toronto-Peterborough-Havelock, Niagara Falls, Toronto-Kitchener-London (at the time Kitchener was a busier station than London!) and several Maritime services, including Halifax-Truro-Cape Breton and Halifax-Kentville-Yarmouth.
Click to expand...
Indeed, I took some of them - and there were others, including Montreal-Trois-Rivieres-Quebec city. And while the Kitchener service was quite heavily used, I remember the Trois-Rivieres and Sherbrooke runs were virtually empty.
 
Shanghai has a sleek maglev.

Hong Kong has an airport bullet train.

London Heathrow has an array of services.

Paris CDG has suburban rail AND TGV.

JFK has ICTS to the subway.

Vancouver has (will have) a light metro line.

Toronto has a rickety RDC that charges $22.

Tell me this isn't a joke. Please.
 
In case anyone is wondering about those RDCs....

Everyone: I still find it interesting that Toronto wants to run this Airport Link rail service using rebuilt RDCs-take a look at this link:
www.industrialrail.ca from Moncton,New Brunswick-this company is offering used and rebuilt Via Rail Canada rail equipment for sale-look at the slideshows to take a closer look at what they do. Some rail services have purchased used RDCs for service-like the Dallas,Texas area's Trinity Railway Express-and perhaps this is where these RDCs will come from also.
But I do agree that a good Airport rail link would need something better then just RDCs...LI MIKE
 
Le Gique said:
and i reckon the best time to present a long term solution for the YYZ and georgetown corridors is september 26, 2008 (RTP draft is tabled, scheduled approval by november 28, 2008)

http://www.metrolinx.com/default.aspx

any reason why it should be later than that?
Click to expand...

Because I highly doubt Metrolinx will be able to put together a long term, forward thinking plan in a short amount of time given that they are a new agency with so many projects they have to try to juggle right now. Even a delay of 6 months could be just enough time to develop a plan that actually makes sense.

In the end I don't see anything changing about Blue 22. I suspect at this point SNC-Lavalin will get its windfall and it will take 15-20 years before a GO train ever pulls into a station that is actually on airport lands. It is unfortunate but it really seems like politicians don't see a problem with Blue 22, Metrolinx just doesn't have enough time, and GO seems totally clueless as too what is going on.
 
AnarchoSocialist said:
Because I highly doubt Metrolinx will be able to put together a long term, forward thinking plan in a short amount of time given that they are a new agency with so many projects they have to try to juggle right now. Even a delay of 6 months could be just enough time to develop a plan that actually makes sense.

In the end I don't see anything changing about Blue 22. I suspect at this point SNC-Lavalin will get its windfall and it will take 15-20 years before a GO train ever pulls into a station that is actually on airport lands. It is unfortunate but it really seems like politicians don't see a problem with Blue 22, Metrolinx just doesn't have enough time, and GO seems totally clueless as too what is going on.
Click to expand...

I disagree, perhaps that disagreement comes from my one-to-one experiences with them. I sincerely believe they are on top of it, and I think that the RTP will not just be an improved version of the projects already on the table. It will be much more comprehensive, and while I agree with you that it is likely that there will be an express train to the airport, I don't see it as being a standalone project. It has a place in the RTP and it will fit into the greater plan.

GO isn't totally clueless either, but I think they are waiting on the RTP too (like all agencies except for the TTC). There's not much incentive for them to act right now, as they will eventually have to follow the RTP and will eventually get taken over by Metrolinx.
 
JFK has ICTS to the subway.

Vancouver has (will have) a light metro line.
Click to expand...

Toronto will have that soon enough. Get a Pickering Airport and an SRT extension to Durham and you will have your wish.
 
Long Island Mike said:
Everyone: I still find it interesting that Toronto wants to run this Airport Link rail service using rebuilt RDCs-take a look at this link:
www.industrialrail.ca from Moncton,New Brunswick-this company is offering used and rebuilt Via Rail Canada rail equipment for sale-look at the slideshows to take a closer look at what they do. Some rail services have purchased used RDCs for service-like the Dallas,Texas area's Trinity Railway Express-and perhaps this is where these RDCs will come from also.
But I do agree that a good Airport rail link would need something better then just RDCs...LI MIKE
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Some of those renos are pretty impressive - esp. like the passenger car to Whistler Mountaineer coach.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top