GO Transit: Union Station Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Zeidler)

[drum118]

General rule is 8-12 with a nose of 2 ''. The nose is used on steel stairs that in front of the back of the step. Concrete stairs having no nosing must be 10'' on the step itself to met code standard.

The hight of the step cannot be more than 8'', but can be less.

The problem with TTC and Union Stations, as well other places before unidentified code came into existent, stairs were stuck into tight spaces with odd dimensions. You need X for length and Y for height to start figuring out the stair dimension. Even today, where stairs are place, you some are very tight to meet code.
http://www.buildingcode.online/420.html

The problem these days, a lot of feet are more than 10" and wearing heels can cause issues, depending on the height of the heel.

Bottom line, Metrolinx will design stairs for the bare minimum code requirement to meet bottom line and poor design.

I have a lot of issues with ML stairs than TTC to the point I hold onto the railing going down them.

Also, stair must have a safety nose and cannot be anything but wood, steel grating, concrete and plain steel tread for public use. Steel grip strut treads are only allow to be used in non public places.

 

[steveintoronto]

Bottom line, Metrolinx will design stairs for the bare minimum code requirement to meet bottom line and poor design.

It's appearing that way, and that alone is an issue, albeit the actual responsibility might lie with the City, but still, ML has some liability too by providing them to the public, and accepting them as designed.

I want to get some pics of those steps, as well as measurements, to present to some architects and engineers, and ask for comment. My camera options are pretty limited at this point in time, albeit I will still take some shots, but if anyone else has some shots of those steps, or a number of them, please post and I will fully accredit if I pass them on for comment.

So far, not one poster has stated that they feel those steps are right. I think it's accepted by most that something is very wrong. But we've got to figure out what exactly it is beyond limited and archaic measurements. There's something psychologically wrong with them too. Best description/impression on that is as I've stated before: "They're like emergency exit stairs". A good part of that is the dimensions as discussed, but there's something beyond claustrophobic about them too.

Addendum: I can quantify one of the faults: The landing is too small! Again, it brings it back to 'emergency exit stairs'...except most in high rises, also built to min code requirements, at least have a landing(s) with a sense of space to them. For crush crowding especially, that's necessary, not just 'nice to have'.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Looks like the construction here is going to heat up again, major track changes proposed. From the Metrolinx GO Expansion business case:

 

[mdrejhon]

Four car UP Express trains when they electrify - I wonder how quickly they will implement this.

Also, anybody recognize the EMU train set in this diagram?

 

[cplchanb]

Four car UP Express trains when they electrify - I wonder how quickly they will implement this.

Also, anybody recognize the EMU train set in this diagram?

View attachment 165795

That's looks like a kiss...notice how they strategically placed it on the RER side of the route map background....

I'm hoping that they will modernize and adjust the platform heights to at least level board with the low floors as was extensively discussed in the other thread.

 

[steveintoronto]

Looks like the construction here is going to heat up again, major track changes proposed. From the Metrolinx GO Expansion business case:

Note: "Escalators"! Forget what string it was, a few weeks back, this came up for discussion, and (gist) "Metolinx' policy against them".

I guess Hell froze over, and passengers skated down the steps...

 

[Allandale25]

Looks like the construction here is going to heat up again, major track changes proposed. From the Metrolinx GO Expansion business case:

View attachment 165794

What's a "Bay platform"?

Also, no mention not tunnelling under Union to add more platforms? Wasn't this an idea mentioned a few years ago?

Also, would the configuration noted above require changes to the York concourse for the new stairs/elevators?

 

[SaugeenJunction]

What's a "Bay platform"?

Dead-end platforms, like is common in Europe. They have much more loading capacity evidently. I'd love to see the VIA platforms be high-level.

And tunnelling under the station hasn't been mentioned for a few years (sadly, it would be very cool). It's called the "Simcoe Station" project, and I think the price tag was $900 million.

 

[smallspy]

Dead-end platforms, like is common in Europe. They have much more loading capacity evidently.

They don't have any more or less loading capacity than a regular platform. What they do allow however is the ability to break up the long platform into two smaller ones - possible due to the long platforms at Union - and also incorporate some north-south circulation abilities that are not easily possible today.

I'd love to see the VIA platforms be high-level.

So would VIA.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[ShonTron]

I'm not sure how east-facing bay platforms would benefit VIA, as many corridor trains continue through Union Station, or go back and forth between Union and TMC for cleaning and refueling.

For GO, it probably makes more sense, especially now there's an eastern maintenance centre. Having some bay platforms could make some transfers between trains easier, especially for those using mobility devices. Moving UP Express into the main trainshed has several benefits as well. But can four-car trains be accommodated at the UPX station at Pearson?

 

[Allandale25]

^ Anyone about to do a sketch of what this might look like?

 

[gweed123]

I'm not sure how east-facing bay platforms would benefit VIA, as many corridor trains continue through Union Station, or go back and forth between Union and TMC for cleaning and refueling.

For GO, it probably makes more sense, especially now there's an eastern maintenance centre. Having some bay platforms could make some transfers between trains easier, especially for those using mobility devices. Moving UP Express into the main trainshed has several benefits as well. But can four-car trains be accommodated at the UPX station at Pearson?

Yeah I'm having a hard time visualizing it as well. Maybe Tracks 1 and 2 will become Track 1W/2W and 1E/2E? Then tracks 2-12 for GO, 13-15ish for Via, and then one more bay platform at the end for Via. Just spitballing though.

Pedestrian bridges would be cool though. If making an inter-platform transfer, they would negate the need to have to travel through the concourses at all.

As an aside, it would be pretty neat if the central part of the bays for Tracks 1-2 exited directly into the Great Hall.

 

[drum118]

It amass me that we can't push more trains in/out of Union on 12 tracks that are through tracks compare to Europe stub end tracks who does. 75% of cities I visited had only stub end stations and were able to drop off power equipment at one end, add power to the other, unload/load and depart within 10 minutes. VIA Rail needs to look at this.

There is no reason not to have 2-4 tracks as run through tracks, with the others using the run through tracks as stub end. The idea/plan that been around a decade call for platforms to be lengthen on both side of the train shed like some used to be where you can have two trains on the same track going in opposite direction at the same time. The plan was to split the line once the 2 concourse were open for GO, but since they are years late and looks like 2020 before they are, maybe then the plan can happen. Then, EMU's equipment will be needed to do this for most tracks.

In fairness, most Europe stations don't have 1,000-1,400 riders been drop off by a single train or have a number of them doing it at the same time.

VIA Rail has no run through trains and should be able to unload and load faster than they do today.

GO only has the Lakeshore line at this time as run through that require 2 tracks for a short time and those tracks can be use as stub tracks rest of the time.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

VIA Rail has no run through trains and should be able to unload and load faster than they do today.

The Canadain runs like one as there is nowhere in Toronto to turn it around, because of it;'s length.

 

[smallspy]

Yeah I'm having a hard time visualizing it as well. Maybe Tracks 1 and 2 will become Track 1W/2W and 1E/2E? Then tracks 2-12 for GO, 13-15ish for Via, and then one more bay platform at the end for Via. Just spitballing though.

Bay platforms would likely be tracks 5 through 8. Those are the longest tracks/platforms in the station, and can each hold a pair of full-length GO trains.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.