GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Northern Light]

Quick question here for those more familiar w/railway construction practice than I;

Looking at the Small's Creek cross-section, the existing ballasted area is ~14M; if it comes up short its by a small amount, on fairly level ground, to the naked eye.

14M should be, to my understanding, what's required for 4 tracks.

So why does the scale of the intrusion/expansion seem so large relative to the space required?

Do they need extra room just for the noise barriers? I'm just curious, as it seems a bit odd to me.

@smallspy , @crs1026

 

[crs1026]

^I can't speak to how steep the side slopes ought to be - but - Electrification will require space for poles on the outside of the track clearance, and signal towers - and they may want some flat ground for work equipment and for people safety outside of the tracks themselves. Also for signal bungalows, which may need a bit more clearance on electrified lines.

A comparison might be to the Weston Sub - here's the Weston just north of the Nickle Interlocking - 27m from one sound wall to the outside of signal bungalows on the other side.

PS - the Weston Tunnel is about 19M wide.

- Paul

 

[smallspy]

Quick question here for those more familiar w/railway construction practice than I;

Looking at the Small's Creek cross-section, the existing ballasted area is ~14M; if it comes up short its by a small amount, on fairly level ground, to the naked eye.

14M should be, to my understanding, what's required for 4 tracks.

So why does the scale of the intrusion/expansion seem so large relative to the space required?

Do they need extra room just for the noise barriers? I'm just curious, as it seems a bit odd to me.

View attachment 290137

@smallspy , @crs1026

While the ballasted area may "only" be 14(-ish) metres wide, the subroadbed and the structures required below it are far larger than that.

The shoulder of the subroadbed sticks out at least another 1.5 to 2 metres from the edge of the roadbed - and can be more where an allowance is made for a fourth track or a maintenance access road. And its slope away from the tracks are generally prescribed to be a 2:1 or 3:1 gradient.

Dan

 

[kEiThZ]

It's rare for the media (CP24, CTV, Citytv) to even report on the RER project in general. Not many people realize how much GO will change in the coming decade.

I think that's more the fault of Metrolinx as they haven't really put out anything that makes people see it as something that is going to change the way they commute in the city and elsewhere.

Is that the worst thing in the world? Why trumpet a project that won't deliver for the better part of a decade?

 

[robmausser]

Is that the worst thing in the world? Why trumpet a project that won't deliver for the better part of a decade?

Wont deliver for a decade?

There will be multiple incremental improvements before full GO-RER, including increased service to all day 2 way every 30 minutes on the Stouffville line, albeit using the current diesel fleet of trains.

Thats still a huge improvement, that will happen almost immediately after this project is complete.

 

[Allandale25]

^ And maybe the Kitchener Line 4th track/409-401 tunnel?

 

[robmausser]

^ And maybe the Kitchener Line 4th track/409-401 tunnel?

Davenport Grade separation and Barrie Line come to mind too.

Im hopeful in 2 or 3 years time we will be seeing 30 minute All Day 2 way service 7 days a week on (the RER portions) of the Kitchener, Barrie and Stouffville line using the existing fleet.

 

[kEiThZ]

Wont deliver for a decade?

There will be multiple incremental improvements before full GO-RER, including increased service to all day 2 way every 30 minutes on the Stouffville line, albeit using the current diesel fleet of trains.

Thats still a huge improvement, that will happen almost immediately after this project is complete.

Increased service while great isn't something that usually attracts big fanfare.

 

[robmausser]

Increased service while great isn't something that usually attracts big fanfare.

Yeah its an unfortunate thing because slowly drumming up ridership while incrementally increasing service is really the best way to do things but its certainly not an eye catching head turning thing. It happens so slowly people don't even tend to notice.

 

[kEiThZ]

I get why transit geeks like us get excited. But to the average person 2WAD isn't going to substantially change anything for them in the near term. Maybe it changes, how they go for a night out in the core. But that's probably about it. It's the electrification and frequency boost to 15 min headways that will really draw attention. But that's, again, the better part of a decade out.

 

[Allandale25]

Metrolinx Press Room

Find the latest Metrolinx news, project updates and more.

blog.metrolinx.com

 

[robmausser]

I get why transit geeks like us get excited. But to the average person 2WAD isn't going to substantially change anything for them in the near term. Maybe it changes, how they go for a night out in the core. But that's probably about it. It's the electrification and frequency boost to 15 min headways that will really draw attention. But that's, again, the better part of a decade out.

15 min headways are possible with current fleet, already done on lakeshore lines.

And Id even go so far to disagree, even hourly all day both ways will make a substantial difference; there is a reason that almost half of the ridership is on the Lakeshore lines, even when it was hourly service.

 

[Haydenpoon]

Appendix A6: Noise and Vibration Assessments - 2 and 3 have what Metrolinx called the ULTIMATE CAPACITY SCHEDULE for the Stouffville and Lakeshore East Line. Link A6-2 p.144 and A6-3 p. 153

 

[crs1026]

I get why transit geeks like us get excited. But to the average person 2WAD isn't going to substantially change anything for them in the near term. Maybe it changes, how they go for a night out in the core. But that's probably about it. It's the electrification and frequency boost to 15 min headways that will really draw attention. But that's, again, the better part of a decade out.

Half hourly is frequent enough that people don’t stress about schedules, they just head for the station with confidence that their wait won’t be painful. Sure, 15 is ideal, but 30 will generate ridership.

It will be a bit longer before true 2-way flows emerge.... seriously, what is there to do when one gets off in Mount Joy or Aurora? For now, most riders will be people heading to the core. But over time, those reverse flows will improve. Development will be encouraged. I know lots of people who will visit friends, take outings, etc by GO in preference to driving. There are buses to enable that today, but many are reluctant to take a bus who will take a train. Lots of people on other GO routes drive to LSE/LSE because of the convenient schedules.

I hate to say it, but the limiting factor will be parking availability at the various stations, Bring on the garages.

- Paul

 

[generalcanada]

"Express 1 stops at Oshawa North, Whitby, Ajax, Pickering and Union
Wondering which oshawa station this is referring to.

IIRC wasnt the selected bowmanville plan supposed to keep the exising Oshawa station intact? The Oshawa north would then have been the station above the wallmart right? "Thortons corners"

If so wonder why it skips Oshawa itself.
Its not the fact thats what its named cause "express 2" says just "Oshawa"

Also what is the rate for theese numbers? per hour? per day?