GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

[Kraylin]

But with a kilowatt-hour of lithium battery falling to USD$62 in bulk by year 2030, the economics are going to quickly make sense

160kph Battery Train Technology In GTHA (Electrification Solution for Kitchener Line)

As a longtime armchair GO analyst around here (including my well-known GO article from 2015), I have discovered lots of evidence that Metrolinx is now seriously considering battery trains for Kitchener Line. Summary (For Those Unfamiliar With Battery Trains): Battery trains have arrived in...

urbantoronto.ca

We should have improved our system 10 years ago. I am troubled by your target of another 10 years from now!

 

[mdrejhon]

We should have improved our system 10 years ago. I am troubled by your target of another 10 years from now!

Not my dates — it’s the ones found in Metrolinx documents.

Current Metrolinx timelines appear to be Phase 1 is ETA 2028 (where Burlington is served by hourly service) and Phase 2 is ETA 2041 (when Hamilton is served by 15min service). You’ve probably seen my old articles by now from 2015.

For the “phase 1” stuff: See Wynne’s RER 2025 was “renamed” to Ford’s GO Expansion 2028

For the “phase 2” stuff, See Metrolinx 2041 Regional Transportation Plan

Current plan is diesel to Hamilton for 2025, so the battery trains won’t be needed for route-extensions until electrified to Burlington. With a route that is maybe 75% catenary, trains don’t need to layover to recharge for a route extension over a cat-less freight-owned section — they simply recharge en-motion under the catenary built for the original phase 1 non-battery trains.

Standard catenary should be built ASAP, while battery trains can be purchased later as route-extensions (Hamilton, Brampton-CP-gap, and Bowmanville), using catenary to recharge en-motion.

 

[ssiguy2]

Hydrogen, is far better used on more long-haul needs like transport, ferries, air travel, cargo ships, longer distance rail service, and cars. It offers the flexibility of traditional diesel/oil/jet fuel without the emissions and is blissfully quieter. It can used for commuter systems but it has one big drawback............it can never be used on a route with any underground stations due to safety concerns much like diesel can't. As RER ridership soars it may be necessary to build even a small underground alternative station to relieve the stress on Union and with hydrogen that simply wouldn't be an option. Of course it is very promising but also is still a newer technology and will require years to get the kinks out of the system to say nothing of having a number of large fuel suppliers.

Battery trains are very much just standard catenary trains that simply require fewer wires. This gives them the flexibility of running on non-electrified routes, far less initial infrastructure costs, not having to deal with low clearance bridges, and are more reliable due to not being at the whim of Mother Nature. They also have far lower operational costs because they don't require constant replacements, maintenance, and repairs due to weather as wires ones do. The recharging stations can simply be done at each station but are more secure and now require no contact so degradation of the system is nearly non-existent. They also don't have the visual pollution of catenary wires makes them more palatable to the neighbourhoods they are going thru.

Battery trains have been around forever as has the technology and it is proven. The only difference now is that the battery technology has allowed them to be cost efficient and practical.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

Sorry, maybe this has been mentioned already, but can anyone confirm which line(s) will be slated first for electrification, and when would that occur? Maybe I was reading the old RER program from a few years back, but I always had in mind ~2025 when electrification will be realized. Is that being pushed back? I'm just waiting for that light at the end of this long dark tunnel, even if it's a faint light.

 

[rbt]

Sorry, maybe this has been mentioned already, but can anyone confirm which line(s) will be slated first for electrification, and when would that occur? Maybe I was reading the old RER program from a few years back, but I always had in mind ~2025 when electrification will be realized. Is that being pushed back? I'm just waiting for that light at the end of this long dark tunnel, even if it's a faint light.

The plan is largely unchanged BUT the timeline is entirely up to the vendors. Metrolinx will be putting a value on time; so a fast + expensive vendor can beat out a slow + cheap vendor but ultimately it's up to the vendor; 2028 is probably reasonable for at least 1 line but not all 5 of them. Vendor provided due dates will be pretty firm; large penalties for missing dates they provide.

At this time Metrolinx is working on EAs for a few pieces they overlooked; such as the Lake Shore/Stouffville choke point identified by the qualified vendors (and a few observers like Munro) from the last package. They're also breaking it up into smaller contracts ($4B not $14B) as a result of vendor feedback; Ontario Line is 3 contracts for a similar reason.

 

[kali]

The light at the end of the tunnel is just another train

 

[Allandale25]

https://www.facebook.com/122235514472131/posts/3713766071985706

 

[kali]

^can't see the link. can you post the plain text?

 

[Allandale25]

^ Try:

BNSF and Wabtec prepare to test battery-electric locomotive

USA: Wabtec has started conducting factory testing at its Erie plant of a prototype 4 400 hp battery locomotive, ahead of trial operations with BNSF that are planned to take place in the final quarter of this year. BNSF and GE Transportation (now Wabtec) began development of ...

www.railwaygazette.com

 

[kEiThZ]

GO electrification is a bad idea. This is because the concept of GO Transit as a whole is obsolete. It is no secret that self driving cars are close to being ready for deployment. Self driving cars will disrupt the transport market and eliminate the need for transit as we know it. GO Transit will be the hardest hit. Why would you take the train to Toronto when you could hail a ride in a driverless car for cheaper and arrive sooner? The benefits that self driving cars bring, including a reduction in congestion, increase in road throughput and improvement in general mobility make investing in transit a fool's errand. It would be better to take the money spent studying and constructing GO electrification and invest it in Waymo to ensure early access to the technology.

You should change your nickname. You actually hate cities. If didn't, you'd realize that even with a ton of autonomy, everyone driving in a car would clog up roads.

 

[Coolstar]

You should change your nickname. You actually hate cities. If didn't, you'd realize that even with a ton of autonomy, everyone driving in a car would clog up roads.

Checking back, the person's profile was not available. Probably deleted his/her account soon after promoting the idea of self driving cars.

 

[ARG1]

You should change your nickname. You actually hate cities. If didn't, you'd realize that even with a ton of autonomy, everyone driving in a car would clog up roads.

You're kinda late on that train, that person received I believe a 6 month ban from the moderators for being rude.

 

[Allandale25]

Cross post. See GO Construction for the link to the Kitchener Corridor TPAP.

GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

In other news, Metrolinx will build a new 270-spot parking lot in Downtown Brampton, where it bought up and demolished a whole city block. This does not include two office buildings it purchased at the corner of Nelson and George, though they are now vacant, with one of the two buildings...

urbantoronto.ca

 

[Allandale25]

^ Local media:

Plans underway to upgrade Kitchener GO to electric trains

Metrolinx has laid out its early plans to electrify the Kitchener GO line.

kitchener.ctvnews.ca

This line caught my eye.

An overhead power system will be similar to the ION lines.

I haven't looked at the TPAP material extensively. I realize Metrolinx needs to get baseline approvals for a catenary overhead wires option, but do the materials reference hydrogen at all? Although I realize this is off-corridor and not part of the RFP for on-corridor. I wonder if Metrolinx would work with ProjectCo on a separate contract for the off-corridor routes (Niagara Extension, Bowmanville Extension, Milton Line, Richmond Hill Line, and the Kitchener Extension - Bramalea to Kitchener).

 

[robmausser]

^ Local media:

Plans underway to upgrade Kitchener GO to electric trains

Metrolinx has laid out its early plans to electrify the Kitchener GO line.

kitchener.ctvnews.ca

This line caught my eye.



I haven't looked at the TPAP material extensively. I realize Metrolinx needs to get baseline approvals for a catenary overhead wires option, but do the materials reference hydrogen at all? Although I realize this is off-corridor and not part of the RFP for on-corridor. I wonder if Metrolinx would work with ProjectCo on a separate contract for the off-corridor routes (Niagara Extension, Bowmanville Extension, Milton Line, Richmond Hill Line, and the Kitchener Extension - Bramalea to Kitchener).

I hope whatever they do they consult with VIA on the power system.

I foresee VIA HFR being extended to London in the future via Kitchener, and it would be a pain if the electrification for the current HFR plan and Metrolinx was a different standard.