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

[Long Island Mike]

Union Station Revitalization by MafaldaBoy, on Flickr

So - with apologies if this has been answered a zillion times - are they going to remove the old steelwork from the original trainshed beneath the new roof? Or does it stay? Also, what about the ugly little Via huts, which look like some po-mo reinterpretation of Quebec village life, stuck in a time warp from 1989?

MF,SNF and Everyone: Good Union Station revitalization pictures here...I noticed the dirt accumulated up above - is that from up above or as the result of Diesel exhaust?
Does this area get uncomfortably hot on warm days and do the louvers help keep temperatures reasonable?
One problem with TUS is that the narrow platforms are tough to deal with - but as we know the tracks can not be realigned...

LI MIKE

 

[interchange42]

The dirt is on the top side of the glass and is from the construction process. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for the first cleaning. Spring maybe? It would be good to get one in before then though.

42

 

[mdrejhon]

This morning:

Commuting to here from Hamilton, I am witnessing the daily progress of the Union revitalization.

I have always wondered, what are they going to do with the leftover concrete middle sections?
Also, if they are removing that, it will create a lot of dust in the underneath of glass when they chisel/demolish the remainder of concrete. I hope their cleaning schedule timing takes this into consideration.

 

[innsertnamehere]

they are already removing it, its gone in several sections already. they are using some kind of special water blasting from what I remember to keep dust and debris down. They essentially pummel water at it and it comes out as a runny paste.

 

[drum118]

Nov 23
More up on site

 

[innsertnamehere]

the frame is already looking much better without those concrete things on them.

 

[reaperexpress]

the frame is already looking much better without those concrete things on them.

Agreed. For the first time, I'm starting to see the beauty in the original train shed.

 

[Kraylin]

the frame is already looking much better without those concrete things on them.

Agreed and thank you for making your comment because I'm not sure I would have noticed as quickly without you pointing it out. It does look good.

With the Pan Am Games being the "deadline" for so many projects around the city it sure does seem to be approaching fast...

 

[DSC]

Agreed and thank you for making your comment because I'm not sure I would have noticed as quickly without you pointing it out. It does look good.

With the Pan Am Games being the "deadline" for so many projects around the city it sure does seem to be approaching fast...

The Union Station project is still not finished, hold off on your approval/disapproval until we see the final result! It's looking good so far but it's the final touches that will make or break this project.

 

[kram74]

 

[silvercity]

So the narrow, low platforms are kept as is? Is there a plan to convert them to wider, high platforms once GO RER starts and single-deck EMUs are used?

I've seen a lot of other places have platform layouts like this:

------------
PLATFORM
------------
TRACK
TRACK
------------
PLATFORM
------------
TRACK
TRACK
------------
PLATFORM
------------

It makes much more sense since the platforms are much wider and only one side of the train is open anyway.

 

[khris]

I've seen them open both sides of the trains. Sometimes one side to let passengers out, and then open the opposite side to let passengers load.

 

[guste]

So the narrow, low platforms are kept as is? Is there a plan to convert them to wider, high platforms once GO RER starts and single-deck EMUs are used?

I've seen a lot of other places have platform layouts like this:

------------
PLATFORM
------------
TRACK
TRACK
------------
PLATFORM
------------
TRACK
TRACK
------------
PLATFORM
------------

It makes much more sense since the platforms are much wider and only one side of the train is open anyway.

They're limited by the structure underneath the tracks. Each track is essentially a bridge over the underside of union station. They can't move the tracks, without adding/moving the support columns. That cake was baked almost a century ago.

 

[silvercity]

They're limited by the structure underneath the tracks. Each track is essentially a bridge over the underside of union station. They can't move the tracks, without adding/moving the support columns. That cake was baked almost a century ago.

I see.... How about high platforms then? Once RER or smarttrack starts to run at Union, having level exits from the single-deck modern EMUs can greatly increase loading/unloading speed... But still I would think the narrow platform is a big risk to large volumes..

 

[Long Island Mike]

Toronto Union Station track realignments?

They're limited by the structure underneath the tracks. Each track is essentially a bridge over the underside of union station. They can't move the tracks, without adding/moving the support columns. That cake was baked almost a century ago.

G: I will second your post-TUS tracks can not be re-aligned because of the structure(s) supporting each track
which means that unless the understructure is totally rebuilt and the tracks placed in new alignments what is
currently there and in use will remain the same...To get a idea of that understructure go into TUS areas that
are under the tracks overhead - including the 1979 vintage GO Transit concourse which is partially built below
tracks that GO directly serves...I recall that the TUS platforms were quite low - practically at cross tie level...
GO raised the height of their platforms around 7 inches to accommodate the GO bilevel car door steps - and
that step boxes were/are used by VIA to help passengers board some of their trains on their assigned tracks...

I like the idea of at least one high-level platform at TUS - to serve VIA's trains only - and I feel that one should
be added at Guildwood, Kingston and Dorval in the Montreal-Toronto Corridor and one at Ottawa...As long as
GO uses cars that only can use low-level platforms high level platforms are not a huge necessity at this time...
These new high platforms would require track re-alignments such as gauntlet tracks to accomodate freight trains...

LI MIKE