GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Northern Light]

I don't disagree with the sentiment - but I bet Centrecourt has a very different relationship with its subs. Trades showing up too soon for their assigned task is money also. Centrecourt has an opportunity cost when a building opening is delayed.... the opportunity cost of a transit line being unfinished gets swept under the rug. (Interesting that the City of Toronto did recently obtain a damages payment from ML over the costs incurred through schedule slippage of road reconstruction resulting from Crosstown delays.... if ML had to pay damages to everyone impacted by delays in GO expansion.......)

I do wonder how many people CN has tied up in public-driven project planning and execution. This may seem like a plodding effort (it is) but CN is not the one needing utilities moved, civil trades coordinated, signals redesigned, installed, tested and cut in, etc. If you look at the workload imposed by GO expansion, grade separations, etc....I bet a significant number of CN staffers do spend a lot of time working on things that don't impact their own business.....that must drive their overheads up.

Mostly, I wonder why it took ML so long to sign the purchase requisition for this particular task. The time lost before shovels hit the ground is money also.

- Paul

Happy enough to agree w/the above.........but as I'm not privy to how long the design/planning lead-up was, I was more focused on the actual construction. Centrecourt is well known for their standard building program of 12 hours a day x 6 day per week.

 

[crs1026]

I am sure that CN blocks out these tasks on a fairly relaxed basis, the point being they are not going to commit to anything that might collide with their own work programs or unforeseen tasks. So the time buffers in staging and the contingency built in is likely very generous.

It would be hugely inefficient for CN to have dedicated GO expansion crews sitting around waiting for ML to get their stuff together. One hears about cancellations in ML work programs because some moving part isn't ready or someone didn't know what their assignment was. Centrecourt probably fires people (and subs) for such "oops"es.

My comment about the purchase req actually originated with a guy in a CN truck at the work site that we chatted with some time ago - who commented that CN had been expecting and was ready for this task a long time ago, but ML never came through with a signature.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

It would be hugely inefficient for CN to have dedicated GO expansion crews sitting around waiting for ML to get their stuff together. One hears about cancellations in ML work programs because some moving part isn't ready or someone didn't know what their assignment was. Centrecourt probably fires people (and subs) for such "oops"es.

My comment about the purchase req actually originated with a guy in a CN truck at the work site that we chatted with some time ago - who commented that CN had been expecting and was ready for this task a long time ago, but ML never came through with a signature.

- Paul

I did suggest Mx also would benefit from the introduction.

I'm a huge believer in government and business hiring the best at what they do to train to set up their 'system' within one's own organization so more people successfully copy the best.

Centrecourt clearly has a machine set-up; not just for the actual construction, they tend to use the same teams (planners, architects, etc.) for each job and everyone seems to know their role and the importance of delivering on time.

Generally, for the above, you can see the gap between project approval and permit issuance is generally very low, abnormally so for the industry; and then the gap between obtaining permits and work start is also very low.

While my tongue is partially in my cheek here, its not entirely. Centrecourt presumably knows little about how to build a railway; but they understand a corporate culture of organization, workflow, best practices etc; that can be taught; and Mx would surely benefit from being taught as much.

 

[Fritter]

Government always going with the lowest bidder isn't always the best option. There are other non monetary costs choosing the cheapest option.
Reminds me of fast cheap and correct. Each option you can only choose 2.
Fast and cheap won't be correct, cheap and correct will not be fast and fast but correct won't be cheap.

 

[Bojaxs]

I did suggest Mx also would benefit from the introduction.

I'm a huge believer in government and business hiring the best at what they do to train to set up their 'system' within one's own organization so more people successfully copy the best.

Centrecourt clearly has a machine set-up; not just for the actual construction, they tend to use the same teams (planners, architects, etc.) for each job and everyone seems to know their role and the importance of delivering on time.

Generally, for the above, you can see the gap between project approval and permit issuance is generally very low, abnormally so for the industry; and then the gap between obtaining permits and work start is also very low.

While my tongue is partially in my cheek here, its not entirely. Centrecourt presumably knows little about how to build a railway; but they understand a corporate culture of organization, workflow, best practices etc; that can be taught; and Mx would surely benefit from being taught as much.

MX probably could conduct themselves more efficiently. Problem being, it's a government run entity. So you probably have people being elected to the board as political favours with no railroad/ construction experience. You'll see their name on the sunshine list. A lot of nepotism and sycophants.

Also MX's priorities change depending on what the Premier decides are the new priorities. Causing a lot of projects to stall out. Look at the Ford government suddenly deciding that the Huronatario line requires the loop and Brampton expansion. MX is at the mercy of Doug Ford trying to save his political career.

 

[emphurent]

Signal towers now up on the Kitchener second track, working on fences. Slow progress...

 

[cplchanb]

Signal towers now up on the Kitchener second track, working on fences. Slow progress...

View attachment 544793

View attachment 544791

Took them only so long to install? Non wonder we're one of the most unproductive nations around

 

[Allandale25]

While this was a tweet about the Ontario Line, interesting to see progress on the realignment of the Bala Sub for the Richmond Hill line.

Drones don’t just capture photos from a bird’s eye view. They also give us vital planning information. In the Don Yard, teams are using drone footage to get a 3D map of the land which is then used to develop digital models of the site.

[/quopte]

 

[generalcanada]

Oh wow theyve already moved the tracks over. when did that happen

 

[nfitz]

Oh wow theyve already moved the tracks over. when did that happen

Are we looking at the same photo?

Only one track - I hope there's contingency for a second and possibly a third, if there are service increases/starts for Richmond Hill and/or VIA Rail.

 

[dowlingm]

Are we looking at the same photo?

Only one track - I hope there's contingency for a second and possibly a third, if there are service increases/starts for Richmond Hill and/or VIA Rail.

is Metrolinx still holding consultation meetings with a neighbourhood association relating to the track realignment in the USRC East? I remember there was going to be a track E0 the scope of which was then reduced but I can’t find the PDF

 

[reaperexpress]

Are we looking at the same photo?

Only one track - I hope there's contingency for a second and possibly a third, if there are service increases/starts for Richmond Hill and/or VIA Rail.

Not sure what you're looking at but in the photo you can clearly see that both Richmond Hill Line tracks have been shifted north to make room for the Ontario Line tunnel portal are still in place.

 

[Willybru21]

Not sure what you're looking at but in the photo you can clearly see that both Richmond Hill Line tracks have been shifted north to make room for the Ontario Line tunnel portal.

Pretty sure they shifted the Lakeshore and Stouffville tracks south…. Not the Richmond tracks north

 

[kotsy]

Two foundations areas are being prepped where the old platform 1 was located at Exhibition GO. Not sure what they are for, though.

 

[Metroscapes]

While this was a tweet about the Ontario Line, interesting to see progress on the realignment of the Bala Sub for the Richmond Hill line.

Pretty sure they shifted the Lakeshore and Stouffville tracks south…. Not the Richmond tracks north View attachment 545113View attachment 545114

That makes more sense, good catch Willybru.

It's hard to tell, but are there hydro lines still strung up alongside (east-west) the Don Yard, between the river and the transformer station on Sherbourne? There were slides previously put out by Metrolinx about them burying those lines for yard work, but don't know if that was ever carried forward.