goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
Electrification is easy when you only have one rail line.
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GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx
- Thread starter innsertnamehere
- Start date
Electrification is easy when you only have one rail line.
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
If the plan is still to run 4 bilevels with one Eloco, the outcome will be roughly the same.
JSF-1
Active Member
Do we know which line will be the first to be electrified? I would imagine it would be the LSE since Metrolinx owns the entire line, its triple tracked, and the yard in Whitby was designed with overhead caternary in mind. The only level crossings are at Manse Road and Beechgrove Drive and you can probably count on 1 hand the number of vehicles that cross it in an hour so I imagine grade separation there is a low priority. Metrolinx probably wants the LSW done at the same time so they can continue thru-running trains on the Lakeshore Lines so that alongside the Union Station reconfiguration could be a hold up. Just thinking from a public relations perspective since most of the public has no idea this is happening and if they do they may see little progress being made (progress is happening just its just not talked about). So I would think you'd want to find the line that can be electrified the soonest to show that yes this is happening and it would be a win from both a political and public relations standpoint. Obviously us here on UT know the project is happening even if there had been radio silence from Metrolinx but for the laymen who may have heard about RER after however many years they see no tangable progress or change so at some point both Metrolinx and Province have to have something to show-off to wow the public and we all know both Metrolinx and the Province are aware of this.
Basically to simplify my thoughts what are Metrolinx's priorities here? I don't know for sure if a line like the LSE is ready for electification or is close, but assuming it is would it not make seanse to start that as soon as possible to show the public that electrification is coming. Sorry if this sounds pessamistic but this process is starting to feel a bit drawn out, I know there is a lot of work happening on routes like the Stouffville Line with double tracking but as someone who uses the LSE at least a couple times a year I wonder what the hold up is , I know they are renovating the stations but renovation and electrification don't have to be mutually exclusive. I also know electrification isn't as simple as strining wires, things like substations need to be built to power the network but even then it's hard not to notice how slow the process is.
Basically to simplify my thoughts what are Metrolinx's priorities here? I don't know for sure if a line like the LSE is ready for electification or is close, but assuming it is would it not make seanse to start that as soon as possible to show the public that electrification is coming. Sorry if this sounds pessamistic but this process is starting to feel a bit drawn out, I know there is a lot of work happening on routes like the Stouffville Line with double tracking but as someone who uses the LSE at least a couple times a year I wonder what the hold up is , I know they are renovating the stations but renovation and electrification don't have to be mutually exclusive. I also know electrification isn't as simple as strining wires, things like substations need to be built to power the network but even then it's hard not to notice how slow the process is.
generalcanada
Senior Member
We probably won't know until next year, but the assumption is LSE/LSW as the primary targets.
Note that MX will be doing testing on ects signaling in the don valley, theoretically could be running electrification testing there too somehow
marcus_a_j
Senior Member
drum118
Superstar
You realize that Amtrak and freight RR use this corridor as well???
The plan has been to run electrify trains from Oshawa to Aldershot which ML owns as well to Pearson Airport from day one. Since Whitby was built for electrify trains from day one, LSE who see service first as well UPX with LSW following after it
Since ML owns tracks from Aldershot to Oshawa, to Bramalea and to Barrie, there is nothing stopping ML to electrify those lines. Worse case for LSW, it could be cutback to Burlington or Oakville to please CN, but CN has running right on all ML tracks and will have to deal with the overhead.
Anything beyond those stations, it has to be diesel-powered to please CN/CP until they get their head out of the sand.
Yes it was Aug 11 when the first trains started to run with more been added over time to where they are today.
cplchanb
Senior Member
Honestly I think we probably missed the boat for this for another generation. ML will sit on electric locos for at least 10 to 20 years and we won't see EMUs until 2050.... shame. I'll be old then
MrGoose
Active Member
The oldest bilevels are about 50 years old and as they get sold off or scrapped, EMUs will replace them as backfill.
Additionally, increased levels of service or increased ridership could mean EMUs being bought to help carry that load.
Theres also the higher levels of commuter rail spend down in the states, commuter rail networks seeking to carry more passengers might buy bilevels off of Metrolinx early, for the right price.
I would say that we might see EMUs by 2035.
Bojaxs
Senior Member
Metrolinx has more bilevel coaches than they can realistically sell off. Metrolinx is currently refurbishing their oldest coaches. They're even refurbing their oldest cab cars. 214 just got put back into service. Metrolinx wouldn't be spending all this money refurbing their coaches and cab cars if they thought EMU were in the works. It's going to be electric locomotives hauling bilevels. I assure you.
goodcitywhenfinished
Active Member
Which has worked very well for Zurich for many years. Unless MX is planning super long trains on high frequency corridors, the push-pull config is not going to be that much slower than EMUs.
afransen
Senior Member
It's more a matter of when MX needs additional rolling stock, say in 10 years+. It would be simpler to add more bilevels and continue operating as today, but the opportunity is there to procure EMUs when the time is right. I could see them being used for the fully electrified core local service first, as that will become increasingly subway-like.
yrt+viva=1system
Senior Member
Since someone mentioned Zurich, I thought I’d share SBB CFF FFS’s page showing all their various train consists 
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/services-on-train/our-trains.html
https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/services-on-train/our-trains.html
guavadelic
Active Member
Part of the agreement with ONxpress includes upgrading the existing BiLevel rolling stock. Anyone know what this would entail? Would it just be refurbishing the trains or something more substantial like reconfiguring the interior layout and/or setting trains up for level-boarding?
rbt
Senior Member
Neither Metrolinx, ONxpress, or Alstom have been specific about the ONxpress packaged upgrades.
That said, I expect they will be very very similar to the mid-life upgrades currently being performed outside of the ONxpress contract:
Alstom agrees with Metrolinx to overhaul 94 BiLevel commuter railcars
Alstom and Metrolinx have signed a contract to upgrade and refurbish 94 BiLevel commuter rail cars for the GO Transit fleet in Canada.
reinventingthewheel
Active Member
Found an electrification (adjacent) activity in the recent Lakeshore East corridor construction update.
Under construction activities:
Under construction activities:
Unfortunately, the only details mention foundation drilling and barrier installation over the next two weeks. I’ll keep an eye on these weekly work updates.