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

[Deadpool X]

How does decreasing the number of platforms increase capacity? Is there something I am missing?

Less platforms means wider platforms and faster boarding and egress which means trains will have lower dwell times which means more trains can use the same platform every hour.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Less platforms means wider platforms and faster boarding and egress which means trains will have lower dwell times which means more trains can use the same platform every hour.

Additionally as GO service increases you’ll see more through-running of lines. Today, most Lakeshore West trains become Lakeshore East trains at Union and vice versa. In the future, the same will be true for Kitchener and Stouffville trains.

Not having trains reversing out of the track they arrived on does wonders for capacity too.

 

[EastYorkTTCFan]

Less platforms means wider platforms and faster boarding and egress which means trains will have lower dwell times which means more trains can use the same platform every hour

That makes no sense whatsoever removing tracks for wider platforms means you can have more trains? It seems like it would be the opposite and cause more problems even after this plan goes through if it ever does.

 

[EnviroTO]

Right now there isn't enough space on the platform for people so trains wait longer on the platform for people to come upstairs and people don't spread out as much so not all doors get as well used so boarding takes longer. The platform is crowded and thin so the train arrives and departs slower. With a wide platform passengers will be further from the track (so the train can arrive more quickly), spread out more (board at all doors more evenly), and be ready on the platform to board (shorter dwell time).

 

[reaperexpress]

That makes no sense whatsoever removing tracks for wider platforms means you can have more trains? It seems like it would be the opposite and cause more problems even after this plan goes through if it ever does.

Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it makes no sense.

Currently dwell times are astronomical because there isn't enough room on the platforms to store a trainload of people. So people mostly need to wait downstairs. Once the train arrives it's theoretically safe for them to go to the platform, but they can't because now the stairs are all occupied by the flood of people exiting the train. Then the train needs to wait for all the boarding passengers to make it up the stairs, which takes a while due to the limitation of stairway capacity. And even once they do make it up the stairs, they'll disproportionately enter the train doors nearest to the stairs, which also limits boarding efficiency.
Widening the platforms would allow people to wait on the platforms and stand around each door of the train as other passengers exit, like what you see at a subway station. As soon as those passengers are off, the boarding passengers can make use of the full capacity of every door along the train.

In addition to widening the platforms, Metrolinx is also trying to reduce the passenger turnover at Union. Currently nearly 100% of passengers on a given train get off at Union. They are adding new connections to rapid transit at Mount Dennis (to Line 5), Bloor (to Line 2 via a new tunnel), and East Harbour (Ontario Line), to provide alternate routing options to central Toronto. They are also building additional platforms at Exhibition so they can stop all GO trains there once the Ontario line opens, to encourage as many people as possible to transfer there rather than at Union. Reducing the dwell times at Union also encourages people to use alternate stations by reducing the time penalty for passing through Union. Which in turn reduces dwell time even further.

Currently trains are scheduled with at least an 8-minute dwell, so figure about a 10 minute occupancy including entering and exiting the platform. That's 6 trains per hour per platform. If we can cut the dwell to 3 minutes (which seems totally plausible), each platform could now handle 12 trains per hour.

Prior to the demolition of the south platforms, there were 14 through tracks. Assuming 6 tph/platform that's a total capacity of 84 trains per hour.
That proposed diagram shows 10 through tracks and 4 stub tracks. Assuming the stub tracks are 6 tph, and the through tracks are 12 tph, you get a total capacity of 144 trains per hour, which is a 64% increase in capacity.

 

[Willybru21]

Currently dwell times are astronomical because there isn't enough room on the platforms to store a trainload of people. So people mostly need to wait downstairs. Once the train arrives it's theoretically safe for them to go to the platform, but they can't because now the stairs are all occupied by the flood of people exiting the train. Then the train needs to wait for all the boarding passengers to make it up the stairs, which takes a while due to the limitation of stairway capacity. And even once they do make it up the stairs, they'll disproportionately enter the train doors nearest to the stairs, which also limits boarding efficiency.
Widening the platforms would allow people to wait on the platforms and stand around each door of the train as other passengers exit, like what you see at a subway station. As soon as those passengers are off, the boarding passengers can make use of the full capacity of every door along the train.

In addition to widening the platforms, Metrolinx is also trying to reduce the passenger turnover at Union. Currently nearly 100% of passengers on a given train get off at Union. They are adding new connections to rapid transit at Mount Dennis (to Line 5), Bloor (to Line 2 via a new tunnel), and East Harbour (Ontario Line), to provide alternate routing options to central Toronto. They are also planning to stop all GO trains at Exhibition and at East Harbour to encourage as many people as possible to transfer there to the Ontario line rather than transferring to Line 1 at Union. Reducing the dwell times itself also encourages people to use alternate stations by reducing the time penalty for passing through Union. Which in turn reduces dwell time even further.

Currently trains are scheduled with at least an 8-minute dwell, so figure about a 10 minute occupancy including entering and exiting the platform. That's 6 trains per hour per platform. If we can cut the dwell to 3 minutes (which seems totally plausible), each platform could now handle 12 trains per hour.

Prior to the demolition of the south platforms, there were 14 through tracks. Assuming 6 tph/platform that's a total capacity of 84 trains per hour.
That proposed diagram shows 10 through tracks and 4 stub tracks. Assuming the stub tracks are 6 tph, and the through tracks are 12 tph, you get a total capacity of 144 trains per hour, which is a 64% increase in capacity.

With shorter, lighter, and electrified trains soon coming to the GO network; two trains will also be able to use the same platform at once. Double birthing will be especially useful for Milton and Richmond Hill service since they don’t through run, so they can both occupy the same platform at a time instead of one each.

 

[daptive]

Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it makes no sense.

Currently dwell times are astronomical because there isn't enough room on the platforms to store a trainload of people. So people mostly need to wait downstairs. Once the train arrives it's theoretically safe for them to go to the platform, but they can't because now the stairs are all occupied by the flood of people exiting the train. Then the train needs to wait for all the boarding passengers to make it up the stairs, which takes a while due to the limitation of stairway capacity. And even once they do make it up the stairs, they'll disproportionately enter the train doors nearest to the stairs, which also limits boarding efficiency.
Widening the platforms would allow people to wait on the platforms and stand around each door of the train as other passengers exit, like what you see at a subway station. As soon as those passengers are off, the boarding passengers can make use of the full capacity of every door along the train.

In addition to widening the platforms, Metrolinx is also trying to reduce the passenger turnover at Union. Currently nearly 100% of passengers on a given train get off at Union. They are adding new connections to rapid transit at Mount Dennis (to Line 5), Bloor (to Line 2 via a new tunnel), and East Harbour (Ontario Line), to provide alternate routing options to central Toronto. They are also building additional platforms at Exhibition so they can stop all GO trains there once the Ontario line opens, to encourage as many people as possible to transfer there rather than at Union. Reducing the dwell times at Union also encourages people to use alternate stations by reducing the time penalty for passing through Union. Which in turn reduces dwell time even further.

Currently trains are scheduled with at least an 8-minute dwell, so figure about a 10 minute occupancy including entering and exiting the platform. That's 6 trains per hour per platform. If we can cut the dwell to 3 minutes (which seems totally plausible), each platform could now handle 12 trains per hour.

Prior to the demolition of the south platforms, there were 14 through tracks. Assuming 6 tph/platform that's a total capacity of 84 trains per hour.
That proposed diagram shows 10 through tracks and 4 stub tracks. Assuming the stub tracks are 6 tph, and the through tracks are 12 tph, you get a total capacity of 144 trains per hour, which is a 64% increase in capacity.

Are there any plans to expand the narrow stairwells? If that's even possible.

 

[urbancog]

Are there any plans to expand the narrow stairwells?

This image was released in Sep-2021

 

[Willybru21]

View attachment 452171
This image was released in Sep-2021

Keep in mind that everything was redesigned and finalised as recently as 2 weeks ago according to a USEP worker demonstrating the VR model, so renders like this could be very inaccurate now.
However, considering the future staircases are already built in the York and Bay Concourses, the current ones will probably will stay the same size, there will just be a whole lot more of them.

 

[smallspy]

Currently trains are scheduled with at least an 8-minute dwell, so figure about a 10 minute occupancy including entering and exiting the platform. That's 6 trains per hour per platform. If we can cut the dwell to 3 minutes (which seems totally plausible), each platform could now handle 12 trains per hour.

Track occupancy on the longest tracks through the station is about 10 minutes, and that's before factoring the dwell time. 6 trains per hour per track as as good as they can do.

This is why most trains in the future will end at Union. They may only be able to schedule 4 trains per hour this way, but with double-berthing each track will be able to handle 8 trains per hour.

Dan

 

[reaperexpress]

Track occupancy on the longest tracks through the station is about 10 minutes, and that's before factoring the dwell time. 6 trains per hour per track as as good as they can do.

This is why most trains in the future will end at Union. They may only be able to schedule 4 trains per hour this way, but with double-berthing each track will be able to handle 8 trains per hour.

Another goal of the upgrade project is to increase track speeds to 45 mph (72 km/h) through the shed itself, up from 10 (?) mph or so currently. That should take a solid chunk out of the minimum occupancy time.

Furthermore they plan to impelement ETCS (L2?) which will shorten the minimum headways for trains heading in the same direction. The track reconfiguration will also aim to minimise crossing conflicts, so trains are more often travelling in the same direction.

It is certainly possible to have platform occupancy under 6 minutes at a major hub station: here's the current departure board at Rotterdam Centraal, note that trains are scheduled as little as 6 minutes apart on track 9:

This is possible because there are almost no crossing conflicts in the Rotterdam central rail corridor. Trains follow each other just as they would through any other station.

High speed routes in red, conventional routes in blue. Some conventional trains use the high speed line and thus follow the high speed routes through the station. Track 9 is the one directly under the dot.

 

[crs1026]

^That rendering implies some creative solutions to the current placement of beams and pillars holding up the trainshed roof. I wonder whether these are just artistic interpretations.

As it stands, the pillars span two tracks. So if the new platform spans three tracks, there will be a row of pillars along one platform edge but not along the other edge,

- Paul

 

[cplchanb]

^That rendering implies some creative solutions to the current placement of beams and pillars holding up the trainshed roof. I wonder whether these are just artistic interpretations.

As it stands, the pillars span two tracks. So if the new platform spans three tracks, there will be a row of pillars along one platform edge but not along the other edge,

- Paul

its anyone's guess what it will be until we see actual engineered construction drawings.

 

[daptive]

^That rendering implies some creative solutions to the current placement of beams and pillars holding up the trainshed roof. I wonder whether these are just artistic interpretations.

As it stands, the pillars span two tracks. So if the new platform spans three tracks, there will be a row of pillars along one platform edge but not along the other edge,

- Paul

"Then tear it down"

 

[smallspy]

Another goal of the upgrade project is to increase track speeds to 45 mph (72 km/h) through the shed itself, up from 10 (?) mph or so currently. That should take a solid chunk out of the minimum occupancy time.

No, it's not.

Track speeds on the tangent tracks through the ladders will increase to 45mph, yes. (Diverging will increase to 25mph.) But the trackage underneath the trainshed and past platforms will stay at 10mph. Unless they go to platform doors (which, knowing Metrolinx.....maybe?), that number isn't going anywhere.

Furthermore they plan to impelement ETCS (L2?) which will shorten the minimum headways for trains heading in the same direction. The track reconfiguration will also aim to minimise crossing conflicts, so trains are more often travelling in the same direction.

They're planning on doing that on the mainline.

There is absolutely no indication that they will be replacing the still-in-the-process-of-being-completed new interlocking signal system across the USRC with another brand new system.

It is certainly possible to have platform occupancy under 6 minutes at a major hub station: here's the current departure board at Rotterdam Centraal, note that trains are scheduled as little as 6 minutes apart on track 9:

Sure, and what are the particulars? Platform length? Track speed?

If the platforms were only the length of a train, they can be cleared much more quickly, even at 10mph. Unfortunately, they're much longer than that at Union.

Dan