GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[crs1026]

The embarrassing back story gaffe to that ML post about the LSE switch installation at Danforth: in the original post, one image depicted a worker committing a blatant and fundamental safety violation, ie standing flatfooted on a rail. Stepping on a rail is forbidden everywhere. Even ML’s publicity shop ought to have caught that one.
The image appears to have been taken down.

- Paul

 

[cplchanb]

The embarrassing back story gaffe to that ML post about the LSE switch installation at Danforth: in the original post, one image depicted a worker committing a blatant and fundamental safety violation, ie standing flatfooted on a rail. Stepping on a rail is forbidden everywhere. Even ML’s publicity shop ought to have caught that one.
The image appears to have been taken down.

- Paul

What is so dangerous about putting a foot on the rail? Its not like a train will suddenly come and run him over. Ive seen contractors legally put their feet in much more dangerous places....

 

[smallspy]

What is so dangerous about putting a foot on the rail? Its not like a train will suddenly come and run him over. Ive seen contractors legally put their feet in much more dangerous places....

Unless you're Robert Wadlow or Yao Ming, your head is at the perfect height to hit the far rail if you slip.

Dan

 

[Allandale25]

The embarrassing back story gaffe to that ML post about the LSE switch installation at Danforth: in the original post, one image depicted a worker committing a blatant and fundamental safety violation, ie standing flatfooted on a rail. Stepping on a rail is forbidden everywhere. Even ML’s publicity shop ought to have caught that one.
The image appears to have been taken down.

- Paul

Was it this image?

 

[reaperexpress]

the amount of political bait and switching recently for GO expansion is just vomit inducing.

As @crs1026 mentioned, the third track was never planned to be imminently built in the first place, but spreading the platforms at Downsview Park, Rutherford and Maple stations ensures that we have the option to build a third track in the future.

That said, the station renderings for the Rutherford grade separation did show all three tracks, possibly to illustrate that the bridge is wide enough for them.

Even just a short segment of triple track from Rutherford to Maple would create a two-station passing track that would allow express trains to overtake locals in both directions (alternating directions on the centre track). It would be most useful if there's express service and local service at least every 15 minutes. If local service is every 30 minutes there's plenty of room to run 30-minute express trains between the local trains without any overtakes - the express can be up to 20 minutes faster than the local without catching up. Even with 4 local trains per hour it's possible to schedule express trains without overtakes, though the local service would need to be uneven 12/18 minute headways to make room for the expresses rather than an even 15 minutes.

Here's a conceptual timetable I mocked up for the Maple-Rutherford passing track in this earlier post:

 

[cplchanb]

Unless you're Robert Wadlow or Yao Ming, your head is at the perfect height to hit the far rail if you slip.

Dan

i can get if you walk around on it like a tightroper, but to go all paranoid for even touching it with your foot in a stationary position like that guy was is just plain overreacting.

 

[crs1026]

Was it this image?

There was a worse one, with two workers standing atop a frog with both feet on the rails. I won't post it, but it was obtained and circulated out of the original ML post.

Even putting one's foot on the rail as shown in your image is not acceptable, anywhere. It's a zero-tolerance matter that is drummed into all rail workers on their first day, (and generally before lunch even). Pretty much on the level of an electrician sticking their fingers into a bare wire connection. In sandals.

Doubly bad is, it was a large work crew and nobody apparently thought to notice or correct the individual. More professional rail workers would see this as something to speak up about, not merely shrug and hope the boss isn't looking. It's a sign of pretty sloppy work practices and lack of safety culture.

And, as noted, a railway track is an unforgiving place to trip or fall. Even bashing one's ankle by slipping off the rail surface is a nasty injury.

- Paul

.

 

[crs1026]

i can get if you walk around on it like a tightroper, but to go all paranoid for even touching it with your foot in a stationary position like that guy was is just plain overreacting.

Good luck getting hired on a railway. Ever.

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

Unless you're Robert Wadlow or Yao Ming, your head is at the perfect height to hit the far rail if you slip.

Interesting. When I was a kid and doing organized (or unorganized) hikes, many of us tried to walk on the rails; I don't think anyone ever thought of this back then.

(not on the mainline ... on rusty virtually abandoned very slow speed track).

 

[crs1026]

Interesting. When I was a kid and doing organized (or unorganized) hikes, many of us tried to walk on the rails; I don't think anyone ever thought of this back then.

(not on the mainline ... on rusty virtually abandoned very slow speed track).

Everybody tries it, especially youth. And sometimes it's hard to avoid, eg when you are dismounting and the equipment has stopped right where the rail diverges at a switch. But it's something that distinguishes the real workers from the rest of us.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

The embarrassing back story gaffe to that ML post about the LSE switch installation at Danforth: in the original post, one image depicted a worker committing a blatant and fundamental safety violation, ie standing flatfooted on a rail. Stepping on a rail is forbidden everywhere. Even ML’s publicity shop ought to have caught that one.
The image appears to have been taken down.
- Paul

I broadly agree.....one tiny correction, unless I'm mis-seeing the image.

Depicted Two Workers.

***

Amusing note, I omitted that image from my choices, to post here, but not because of that work rule violation, but because the one worker was very clearly identifiable, and I didn't have his consent, and I'm not clear whether the Mx photog did either.

And yes, it has been removed.

 

[Northern Light]

UT's Nolan Xuereb with a good piece on potential GO Expansion in the GTA.

Reworking Toronto's Rail Lines For GO 2.0 and Alto | UrbanToronto

A landmark joint announcement on March 30 from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments made headlines for its funding of the long-delay Waterfront East LRT, but in amongst other infrastructure plans that were also advanced was a long-standing proposal for a new east-west GO Transit...

urbantoronto.ca

 

[PShells]

Ugh.

Sterility to one side, if you're going to spend this kind of $$, I want escalators, and if we're doing that, I want wider platforms, and there is room here for that.

But visually, talk about underwhelming and bland.

I would prefer it in black.

I quite enjoy the look of the “newer” stations on the ST line.

I find the snowmelt system built into the platforms a practical perk of using Old Elm, Unionville, Milliken etc. No salt needed in the winter.

 

[Northern Light]

I would prefer it in black.

Better than white.

I quite enjoy the look of the “newer” stations on the ST line.

Our tastes may vary, but that's ok.

I find the snowmelt system built into the platforms a practical perk of using Old Elm, Unionville, Milliken etc. No salt needed in the winter.

Standard for all GO platforms when new/rebuilt, as it should be. Should also be used, however, for all outdoor bus platforms both GO and TTC and outside all station entrances and exits.

 

[T3G]

What are the advantages of the overpass, instead of building another underpass?

I hate the overpasses personally, hope the current underpasses at Oakville will continue to be maintained. It's so much faster to walk out of a shallow tunnel rather than ascend a monster staircase. Doing the subway -> GO/MiWay transfer at Kipling is hell.