Tuck
Active Member
Beautiful.
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GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx
- Thread starter innsertnamehere
- Start date
hw621
Senior Member
Is there even a timeline for this?
generalcanada
Senior Member
I believe the electrification package is included in the base "GO Expansion" project package.
which i do believe should be all complete by the late 2020's
i dont think theres a timeline yet for work on the project. Its still out on tender to private companies
Allandale25
Senior Member
crs1026
Superstar
^I’m happy to see ML finally confirming the obvious, but it flies in the face of the number of times that Verster et al have told the public, the media, and even the Legislature that they were leaving the choice of propulsion to the proponents.
As usual, anything the ML brass say with conviction, they reverse in due time.
- Paul
As usual, anything the ML brass say with conviction, they reverse in due time.
- Paul
Allandale25
Senior Member
^ Is it possible though, as they wade through discussions with the bidders, the bidders have now clearly said they won't do anything but catenary so the timing actually works in that it's now certain the path forward? I get what you're saying which is that it would be nice if a bow could be tied on this (or a formal statement closing the door recapping the history?).
Mcurtis
New Member
Anne Marie Aikins/Metrolinx answered me when I posed a question regarding timelines for the electrification project. Given that 2025 was the timeframe that Metrolinx was promoting for a long time; they told me that they wont know any type of actual timeline until the contractors get back to them with their bids and they select one. Until then the time frame is up in the air and could only be an estimate that Metrolinx is holding close to the chest.
Allandale25
Senior Member
^ I believe that leading up to, during, and between 2014-2018 it was also and mainly the Wynne government promoting the timeline and directing Metrolinx to say that timeline as realistic. Time has passed and a government has changed, and it's logical the bidders would have a realistic picture. Sometimes people let parties/governments off the hook when referring to what Metrolinx states.
rbt
Senior Member
Lake Shore West had a huge double-decker every 6 minutes during peak AM prior to covid. They didn't all make all stops, but they slam into Union with surprising frequency.
The big question is, what will it take to reach 3 minute rush-hour frequencies on some corridors. It'll be necessary in 20 years, assumming people still commute from the burbs to downtown.
tmlittle
Active Member
I like to think that somewhere, Sir Adam Beck cracked a smile at this one. Only a hundred years late I suppose.
crs1026
Superstar
None of the bidders have a proven alternative propulsion technology in their portfolio, so it’s quite possible that they told ML as much. Possibly they saw this question as altering the level of the RFP playing field....would the evaluation process give appropriate credit/compensation to a vendor willing to take greater risk on a new technology, compared to one taking a safer path?
It’s entirely possible that the whole idea of other-than-wires was pushed on ML against their wishes, possibly by the previous government. That may have left the current government with a quandry - to shoot the idea down, they needed a technical study showing the relative merits, otherwise they would be accused of making decisions without looking at facts first.
I won’t speculate further, but this is a very clear case of ML publicly saying one thing on an important topic and then later changing their story. If this change was political, it demonstrates how far away ML is from its supposed role as an independent, fact-based agency. That’s a concern, even if we now get on with stringing wires. And it does question the sincerity of their brass who represent themselves at town halls etc as being transparent.
- Paul
allengeorge
Senior Member
I thought it was widely understood that Metrolinx is at least partially politically driven, no? Burying the EWLRT and SSE, and GO stations like Kirby are examples of decision-based evidence-making.
cplchanb
Senior Member
welll at least theyve ruled out exotic protoype technologies that some people and a del duca was trying to promote. And were are expecting another "study" to come in next month....
Now... WHEN WILL THEY ACTUALLY START BUYING BUILDING??? 3 years of endless talking has led to a foregone conclusion that was predicted 10 years ago
afransen
Senior Member
Well, I think the hydrogen idea was politically imposed. Catenary is the conservative technical solution. So I doubt that this change would have needed to be political meddling, probably just technical reality. And I would not be surprised if internally Metrolinx is already convinced that hydrogen is not going to be viable and they just let it slip publicly.
crs1026
Superstar
^ I do think the hydrogen bubble was political, but ML was certainly co-opted to a degree that caused a lot of wasted effort and backtracking in the procurement process. Just to be clear on the history, and who said what - here are some waypoints along the trail.
- Paul
PS - Sorry about the ugly jumble of fonts, I'm challenged to cut and paste these all consistently.
Toronto Star Article:
June 2018 - Metrolinx board member described hydrogen train plan as ‘madness’
Metrolinx Electrification web site reads
Metrolinx Engage response to a question about Hydrogen -
June 2019 -
GO expansion qualified bidders and CIB funding announced
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