GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[smallspy]

Just out of curiosity, how much bigger are the GO door windows compared to the other models?

You can see it today - look at an unrebuilt car (in the old paint) and compare it with a newer car or one that has been rebuilt (in the new paint). Its maybe 8 inches taller? 10 inches?

Do any of the existing powered ramps for the BiLevel accommodate both level boarding and a step?

That's a good question. I have seen ramps, and ones that are more akin to the lifts installed in high-floor buses - but I don't know if they can manage both. In theory, the lift-style ones could, although admittedly I don't know if it is done.

I'm familiar with the level-only powered ramps. Here are some shots of gap fillers on local trains here in the Netherlands:

But these designs wouldn't support ground-level platforms.

Brightline uses gap fillers (I think they called them retractable steps, but it's the same item) on their equipment, and it's certainly nowhere as big physically as a powered lift or ramp.

But.....

It does need to get installed in an area of the car where there may not be room to fit it. There is not a whole lot of room under the floor of a BiLevel - especially at the door thresholds - and so I don't know if its feasible to fit one. The current powered lifts & ramps that I have seen mounted on the BiLevels are all mounted inside the passenger compartment and need to be swung into place (usually only about 90 degrees) in order to be activated.

Dan

 

[ShonTron]

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Ah, yes, the Garage Mahal on the Greenbelt.

 

[north-of-anything]

Who is the Bloomington GO station supposed to serve again? Like, isn't it more convenient for the 404 crowd to jump over to East Gwillimbury GO?

 

[sche]

Who is the Bloomington GO station supposed to serve again? Like, isn't it more convenient for the 404 crowd to jump over to East Gwillimbury GO?

For people who can't find parking anywhere else, I guess, especially people who normally go to Aurora GO. A new Barrie line station at Yonge/Industrial Pkwy with interchange w/ Viva Blue would have made way more sense IMO, but whatever, this dumb waste of money is already built.

 

[daniel_kryz]

The more I see the trains from other countries, the more ugly GO trains appear.

I think the GO Train livery is really nice, especially the new scheme. It's very memorable and attractive.

 

[Amare]

Who is the Bloomington GO station supposed to serve again? Like, isn't it more convenient for the 404 crowd to jump over to East Gwillimbury GO?

Tourists who cant afford to spend their time/money to travel across the world to visit the Taj Mahal or Roman Colosseum

 

[KevinT]

I think the GO Train livery is really nice, especially the new scheme. It's very memorable and attractive.

I actually preferred the old 'wintergreen' scheme to the current 'limes-and-frogs'. The current one seems to use glossier paint which is probably easier to keep clean, although maybe the old coaches were glossy as well when first painted -- I didn't see them all that much before they came to Kitchener.

 

[reaperexpress]

Tourists who cant afford to spend their time/money to travel across the world to visit the Taj Mahal or Roman Colosseum

You might be on to something! I for one will certainly venture out at some point to see the monumental waste in person. Maybe the target users are transit enthusiasts making a one-time pilgrimage!

 

[Allandale25]

This post almost gives the impression the MPs have a role or say on this but I don't think that's the case.

 

[11th]

Tourists who cant afford to spend their time/money to travel across the world to visit the Taj Mahal or Roman Colosseum

But why Bloomington when they can visit the Hindu temple in Etobicoke?

 

[Amare]

But why Bloomington when they can visit the Hindu temple in Etobicoke?

Bloomington will be "easily" accessible by transit, and is serviced by mega-parkade that can accommodate thousands.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Bloomington's main goal is to relieve pressure on Aurora GO and catch commuters coming down the 404. It's mainly a park and ride station.

The thing is I'm not too sure how successful it will be at that as the Richmond Hill lines travel time is so long. It'll probably take around an hour to get from Union to the station, which on the Barrie line would get you much further north to East Gwillimbury in the same amount of time. Aurora GO would be about 15 minutes faster.

I feel the Richmond Hill line as a whole could be so much more successful if Metrolinx ever realigned it along the Leslie sub. It would be a lot of work, but would create a huge travel time benefit that would make the line much more useful. The ridership on the line has always languished as it's so slow.

 

[Northern Light]

I feel the Richmond Hill line as a whole could be so much more successful if Metrolinx ever realigned it along the Leslie sub. It would be a lot of work, but would create a huge travel time benefit that would make the line much more useful. The ridership on the line has always languished as it's so slow.

How would you propose linking it back to Bala a the bottom?

I don't CP wanting that amount of new service on their mainline; plus the jog eliminates alot of the savings, turning on/off the CP Mainline.

But making that connection any other way would seem quite expensive.

Another question mark to me, would be that any such move would presumably incent that adding of at least one station, a station that currently doesn't exist on the track.

That, of course, would be quite useful to many, but it would also eat up time with deceleration/acceleration and dwell time.

 

[crs1026]

How would you propose linking it back to Bala a the bottom?

I don't CP wanting that amount of new service on their mainline; plus the jog eliminates alot of the savings, turning on/off the CP Mainline.

But making that connection any other way would seem quite expensive.

There would have to be a grade separation, with the Don line likely ducking under the CP freight line somehow. Not really that expensive, in the context of a major upgrade of the whole Richmond Hill line. And/or a cooperative effort with VIa, as HfR might benefit from same.

The critical item for improving this line is bridging the crossing with CN at Doncaster. We won’t see any meaningful upgrade without that project. Fixing the routing thru the lower Don is important but secondary.

- Paul

 

[innsertnamehere]

How would you propose linking it back to Bala a the bottom?

I don't CP wanting that amount of new service on their mainline; plus the jog eliminates alot of the savings, turning on/off the CP Mainline.

But making that connection any other way would seem quite expensive.

Another question mark to me, would be that any such move would presumably incent that adding of at least one station, a station that currently doesn't exist on the track.

That, of course, would be quite useful to many, but it would also eat up time with deceleration/acceleration and dwell time.

Use the half-mile bridge into the Don Valley.

It would likely require a flyover to cross the CP tracks. Thus my comment about the cost of it. PLus you would have to probably upgrade/replace the half-mile bridge, the bridge south of Eglinton, the Eglinton bridge, and the bridge over the Don River. Then you have the NIMBY issues of re-activating the Leslie sub.

I believe Metrolinx is reserving the corridor for if they ever upgrade the Richmond Hill Line to RER, but that's not exactly a priority.