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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

rbt said:
Metrolinx hasn't mentioned it but they have gone to significant effort to ensure it is an option for bidding based on discussion with short-listed bidders. Commuter rail electric locomotives are quite cheap and most existing GO rolling stock is usable for several more decades.
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There will still be a need for a lot of the existing bi levels on the express network though. With 4x the service they will still have to buy a lot more trains. It would be foolish to buy more bilevels.

I assume there will be some service with electric/dual mode locos and bi levels, and then the rest with EMUs.

I expect Kitchener/Stouffville to be the first through line to run EMU's at the beginning, because of the station spacing and need for EMU's to replace the UPX and fulfil the SmartTrack stations requirements (many stops close together in subway-like style). Diesel bi level will run express to Kitchener west of Bramalea to fulfil the all day Kitchener in 90 minutes. (has to be express to meet that goal)

Lakeshore and Barrie will get Electric/Dual locos at first pulling the existing bilevels. Since Lakeshore can already operate at 15 minutes or better with the current fleet, and they can electrify all the way to Barrie and just use one train all the way. In the future Barrie will be replaced with EMU's as the fleet ages, and potentially Lakeshore but will need to continue to run Bi Levels as express service to Niagara/Bowmanville.

Richmond/Milton will exist as is. No change.
 
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tsm1072 said:
My uneducated guess for the 4 stub tracks TK10E, TK10W, TK13E, and TK13W is for VIA departures; and potentially other express train departures depending on the platform length. VIA arrivals can unload relatively quickly and then pull forward and back into the stub tracks as they prep and wait for loading as departures.
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Thanks. Will update it and repost later.
 
rbt said:
Metrolinx hasn't mentioned it but they have gone to significant effort to ensure it is an option for bidding based on discussion with short-listed bidders. Commuter rail electric locomotives are quite cheap and most existing GO rolling stock is usable for several more decades.
Click to expand...
Seems like false economy to spend billions on electrification and hobble the system with slow-accelerating locos. I'm sure GO's existing cars could be used elsewhere in the network or even sold on as there are other operators in North America that use very similar cars.
 
afransen said:
Seems like false economy to spend billions on electrification and hobble the system with slow-accelerating locos. I'm sure GO's existing cars could be used elsewhere in the network or even sold on as there are other operators in North America that use very similar cars.
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For example we could sell some to Alberta's potential Calgary-Baniff service.
 
afransen said:
Seems like false economy to spend billions on electrification and hobble the system with slow-accelerating locos. I'm sure GO's existing cars could be used elsewhere in the network or even sold on as there are other operators in North America that use very similar cars.
Click to expand...
Well according to the IBC, Electric Locos if bought will be used for extra rush hour trips on electrified corridors (This is from 2019)
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While the plans could've easily changed since then, I feel like this is the most sensible option for rolling stock reuse. Make most of your investments into EMUs, and then get a couple Electric Locomotives for additional trains you need during rush hour, and use them in conjunction with the older bilevel coaches.
 
afransen said:
Seems like false economy to spend billions on electrification and hobble the system with slow-accelerating locos.
Click to expand...

The tender included (or did before it got broken up) minimum performance characteristics. If it's a custom build, and given the lack of North American EMUs for most vendors it probably will be, they'll not go much beyond the contract requirements.
 
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afransen said:
Seems like false economy to spend billions on electrification and hobble the system with slow-accelerating locos. I'm sure GO's existing cars could be used elsewhere in the network or even sold on as there are other operators in North America that use very similar cars.
Click to expand...
The fastest trains in the world are electric. They don't have to carry the extra weight of fuel, that would slow them down.

See link.
 
W. K. Lis said:
The fastest trains in the world are electric. They don't have to carry the extra weight of fuel, that would slow them down.

See link.
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His point is about electric locomotives vs electric multiple units (EMUs). An electric locomotive is limited by the fact it doesn't distribute the power across wheels throughout the whole train, so while it will accelerate faster than a diesel locomotive its performance and energy efficiency doesn't compare well against an EMU.
 
rbt said:
Metrolinx is expecting Electric Locomotives (hauling existing GO cars) to be the preference of the winning bidder (6-car 1EL, and 12-car 2EL), rather than EMU.

Or, at least they're not ruling it out when planning yards, platforms, noise profiles, etc.
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What are you basing this on? Like you said, you need to design for the worst-case design vehicle, which in terms of weight, length and noise would be a locomotive-hauled train. That doesn't mean they necessarily expect locomotives to be used on the short-distance local services. Electric locos make sense for the longer-distance express services such as to Barrie or Oshawa.

On this note, while I've been commuting recently I have been tracking the speeds of trains with my phone, and I noticed that although the EMU bilevels (NS VIRM) are faster from 0 to 100 km/h, the electric locomotive-hauled single-levels (2x Bombardier Traxx + 9x coaches) are actually faster from 100 to 140, probably due to their higher power output (10800 hp vs 6404 hp)
 
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Just a quick construction update at Milliken GO. Formings are progressing for the north side of the underpass, aswell pavers are going in between the bike path and the sidewalk. There was much larger pavers on site aswell, I assume for the bike path but it could be for something else.
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