TTC 7343_8058
New Member
Wow it's getting that well since bombardier is late on that Ion streetcar
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Waterloo Region Transit Developments (ION LRT, new terminal, GRT buses)
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
I would guess it should be finished by the time the prototypes are so they can use the whole route for them rather then just a small section of it.
drum118
Superstar
Not all of the line will be in place come December/Jan for the first test car, but the plan test section has been ready for months.
By the time all the cars are here, the line will be fully built for full testing.
drum118
Superstar
Markster
Senior Member
Yeah, there was a big rush this time last year as well. We were miraculously snow-free through December, so a lot of extra work got done before the snow took it to a near halt.
A lot of sections are really starting to look "done". Buses are using Charles St again. Northfield is fully open.
Here's a picture from last week of the northern terminus, at Conestoga Mall. While it's the northern terminus, the end of the line actually points south, as the route has to go south from Northfield Dr to get to the mall. That is King St N to the left.
That concrete thing is going to be a planter bed, around the pylons that will support the end of the catenary wire.
They built this station with two side platforms, to reduce the property impact at the mall. How exactly it's going to operate (and how to tell which platform to wait on) remains to be seen.
A lot of sections are really starting to look "done". Buses are using Charles St again. Northfield is fully open.
Here's a picture from last week of the northern terminus, at Conestoga Mall. While it's the northern terminus, the end of the line actually points south, as the route has to go south from Northfield Dr to get to the mall. That is King St N to the left.
That concrete thing is going to be a planter bed, around the pylons that will support the end of the catenary wire.
They built this station with two side platforms, to reduce the property impact at the mall. How exactly it's going to operate (and how to tell which platform to wait on) remains to be seen.
Attachments
drum118
Superstar
I had to do some head scratching early this year when I saw the layout for the station not having a centre platform.
I guess there will be LED Sign telling riders which track to use to get a tram.
I am assuming Fairview will be centre, since it will allow for the extension to happen at some future date. If side, will require a tunnel under the tracks with a ramp to get from one side to the other side without having a grade crossing for safety reason.
I guess there will be LED Sign telling riders which track to use to get a tram.
I am assuming Fairview will be centre, since it will allow for the extension to happen at some future date. If side, will require a tunnel under the tracks with a ramp to get from one side to the other side without having a grade crossing for safety reason.
Markster
Senior Member
Fairview is also side platforms. For similar property-impact reasons.
All of the stations on the line have at-grade pedestrian crossings. Fairview is no different. There will be no tunnel.
But yeah, the side platforms don't make sense, operationally. The only side-platform stations are the terminal stations, and those are the ones that would benefit most from being centre-platform. Ultimately, cost is why they did it in each case.
For most of the line, it was cheaper to build a centre platform instead of side-platforms, because that means only one set of station infrastructure. The region already owned the road right-of-way, and there was minimal extra property required. The malls at both terminals, however, pushed back hard against parking losses. And so they have side-platforms, as it means slightly less property impact.
At least Fairview will be a "temporary" problem. Once they extend the line with Phase 2, it will just operate like a normal 2-platform station anywhere. Conestoga, however, has no plans on the books for an extension south on King St.
KevinT
Active Member
There is a double-crossover at each end of the line (Conestoga and Fairview malls). What I suspect is that when a train arrives:
- If there is no train at the outbound platform, the inbound train will immediately crossover to offload and reload at the platform connected with the outbound track.
- If there is already a train at the outbound platform, the inbound train will head straight in to offload at the platform connected with its track. Once the outbound train has departed, the empty train will cross-over to the outbound track, then back in to the outbound platform for loading.
EastYorkTTCFan
Senior Member
Most places that have LRTs are setup like thath I would guess if a second train come in well one is at the platform it will stay on the same track. If it's unoccupied it will cross over. I doubt they would have the rain move to the other platform empty when poel can just walk around it. I'm sure thy will have external speakers so the driver could let poel know when they are redy to bard.
Markster
Senior Member
Here's a few more pictures.
As a contrast to the urban photos of Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener, this is in the suburban wasteland that is King/Northfield. Here, the tracks come in eastbound on Northfield Dr, and turn southbound on King, to end at Conestoga Mall.
Looking southeast
Looking south on King
Looking east on Northfield
Looking west on Northfield
Looking south on King
Lots of trackwork still underway at the crossover leading into the terminal.
As a contrast to the urban photos of Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener, this is in the suburban wasteland that is King/Northfield. Here, the tracks come in eastbound on Northfield Dr, and turn southbound on King, to end at Conestoga Mall.
Looking southeast
Looking south on King
Looking east on Northfield
Looking west on Northfield
Looking south on King
Lots of trackwork still underway at the crossover leading into the terminal.
Attachments
drum118
Superstar
Did a tour of the site today by car and only got 50% shot that I wanted. Starting almost 2 hours late doesn't help.
Wanted to do some backtracking on a few things and never got to do or shoot the platforms being fix in the daylight.
The platform fix is millimeter as I see next to no different areas ready for concrete and the ramps. Can't figure out why pocket cut back into the platform almost 18 inches while the edge is only about 8 inches. In some case only the pocket cut is taking place with most every few feet.
Depending on overtime and weather, Things should be completed by April 2017, less the overhead. A lot of work is behind schedule that I saw in June with some ahead.
Most of the Maintenance yard stills needs to be done, but is done for the carhouse and to/from it to the mainline.
Tracks in place in the rail corridor over the new bridges, but not ballast. Ottawa and Mills intersection partly open with traffic going one way. Not track work off Ottawa to the rail corridor, but is in place for the other street to the point asphalt is on top of it that will be remove at a later day to put in the concrete crossing for it.
No idea when photos will be on line as I am still working on Oct 11 ones and 4,000 to do before I get to them. The videos will be up early next week with more write up.
Still at a lost why side platforms with double crossover is there when a centre one would do the same thing with less space. Concrete for the crossover could be done next to complete the whole platform area.
Wanted to do some backtracking on a few things and never got to do or shoot the platforms being fix in the daylight.
The platform fix is millimeter as I see next to no different areas ready for concrete and the ramps. Can't figure out why pocket cut back into the platform almost 18 inches while the edge is only about 8 inches. In some case only the pocket cut is taking place with most every few feet.
Depending on overtime and weather, Things should be completed by April 2017, less the overhead. A lot of work is behind schedule that I saw in June with some ahead.
Most of the Maintenance yard stills needs to be done, but is done for the carhouse and to/from it to the mainline.
Tracks in place in the rail corridor over the new bridges, but not ballast. Ottawa and Mills intersection partly open with traffic going one way. Not track work off Ottawa to the rail corridor, but is in place for the other street to the point asphalt is on top of it that will be remove at a later day to put in the concrete crossing for it.
No idea when photos will be on line as I am still working on Oct 11 ones and 4,000 to do before I get to them. The videos will be up early next week with more write up.
Still at a lost why side platforms with double crossover is there when a centre one would do the same thing with less space. Concrete for the crossover could be done next to complete the whole platform area.
drum118
Superstar
Nov 4
First batch of videos; I get my north-south direction wrong more than right for some reason for both Kitchener and Hamilton, consider how often I go there.
Kitchener ION LRT: Westbound On Courtland Ave E and Looking at New ION LRT ROW Being Built
Kitchener ION LRT: So Much for Ottawa St being open to look at LRT.
Kitchener ION LRT: Southbound On Borden Ave S With Northbound ION LRT ROW On The East Side
Kitchener ION LRT: Westbound On Charles St From Ottawa To Queen St
First batch of videos; I get my north-south direction wrong more than right for some reason for both Kitchener and Hamilton, consider how often I go there.
Kitchener ION LRT: Westbound On Courtland Ave E and Looking at New ION LRT ROW Being Built
Kitchener ION LRT: So Much for Ottawa St being open to look at LRT.
Kitchener ION LRT: Southbound On Borden Ave S With Northbound ION LRT ROW On The East Side
Kitchener ION LRT: Westbound On Charles St From Ottawa To Queen St
timio
Active Member
I've lived in KW for the most of the past 13 years (with a brief 10 month dark period where I lived in TO, but we don't speak of that), and I still have no clue which direction I'm facing at any given time. I've just started assuming the sun rises in the north and sets in the south-east.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
KW LRT update 5 November 2016.
Signals
Along the dedicated ROW segments, signals are used to separate trains from each other. They are not used to alternate priority with conflicting traffic. At level crossings, there is no traffic signal for LRVs, only a white beacon to confirm that the crossing lights are working properly. In other words, there is no provision for anything less than 100% priority.
This block signal, southbound at University of Waterloo station, is demonstrating that the signals follow railway signal convention (red on bottom, green on top) rather than the road signal convention (green on bottom, red on top). It is also demonstrating that this segment of line is fully operational, but tests can't begin until there are vehicles to run them with.
The on-street ROW segment uses a similar aspect order, with a vertical white bar on top and a horizontal red(?) bar on the bottom. This is the order specified by Highway Traffic Act Regulation 626, which dictates the order of signal aspects. However, regulation 626 also dictates that signals have "one circular amber and one circular red indication" HTA 626 1(1). This signal has a non-circular red and doesn't have any amber circular or otherwise.
This system is far better than the one required in Ontario, because it's almost impossible to confuse with an ordinary traffic signal.
The identical-looking signals used on the LRT in Houston (and probably some other American systems) use the sequence:
Solid White Bar: "green"
Flashing White Bar: "yellow"
Solid Red Bar: "red"
Flashing Red Bar: no equivalent on NA road signals, "red + yellow" on UK/DE signals; light is about to turn "green"
Also slightly astray from the Ontario guidelines on traffic signals is the placement of signals at intersections. The LRT signals are duplicated, as required, but one of them is located on the near side. However the HTA requires two sets of every signal on the far side, except pedestrian and bicycle signals. But yet again, the configuration installed here is actually better than the one required by provincial guidelines since it provides some signal spread rather than having two signals right next to each other as you'd find in Toronto.
King & Central Fresh Market northbound. Note that the pole on the far side carries traffic signals, overhead wires and streetlights. This is in contrast to certain recent streetcar projects in Toronto where the transit company, hydro company and traffic department each put up their own separate poles.
This particular intersection has fully-protected left turn signals (southbound; No U-turn northbound), allowing transit vehicles to operate in parallel with other motor traffic, similarly to St. Clair, Spadina and the Queensway in Toronto. But at most other intersections, there are no dedicated turn signals, which means that transit vehicles travelling straight still need a completely separate signal phase. The only signal in Toronto that still operates that way is Queens Quay & Dan Leckie.
Construction Status
Starting from downtown Kitchener and heading north to Waterloo.
King & Francis northbound - Downtown Kitchener
King & Victoria westbound. Note that the LRT crossing is not included in the signalized pedestrian crossing, similar to how the bike path crossing is not included in the signalized pedestrian crossings on Queens Quay. The difference is that here there is a clear indication to pedestrians that they need to check before crossing to the pedestrian button.
King-Victoria Transit Hub northbound (future GO/VIA/GRT/Greyhound/Megabus station), with a slightly premature reserved lane sign
Closeup of the reserved lane sign
King & Wellington northbound
King & Agnes northbound
King & Willis Way northbound - Uptown Waterloo
King & Willis Way southbound - Uptown Waterloo
University of Waterloo Station southbound. Note the two loop detectors on tracks at the platform.
Signals
Along the dedicated ROW segments, signals are used to separate trains from each other. They are not used to alternate priority with conflicting traffic. At level crossings, there is no traffic signal for LRVs, only a white beacon to confirm that the crossing lights are working properly. In other words, there is no provision for anything less than 100% priority.
This block signal, southbound at University of Waterloo station, is demonstrating that the signals follow railway signal convention (red on bottom, green on top) rather than the road signal convention (green on bottom, red on top). It is also demonstrating that this segment of line is fully operational, but tests can't begin until there are vehicles to run them with.
The on-street ROW segment uses a similar aspect order, with a vertical white bar on top and a horizontal red(?) bar on the bottom. This is the order specified by Highway Traffic Act Regulation 626, which dictates the order of signal aspects. However, regulation 626 also dictates that signals have "one circular amber and one circular red indication" HTA 626 1(1). This signal has a non-circular red and doesn't have any amber circular or otherwise.
This system is far better than the one required in Ontario, because it's almost impossible to confuse with an ordinary traffic signal.
The identical-looking signals used on the LRT in Houston (and probably some other American systems) use the sequence:
Solid White Bar: "green"
Flashing White Bar: "yellow"
Solid Red Bar: "red"
Flashing Red Bar: no equivalent on NA road signals, "red + yellow" on UK/DE signals; light is about to turn "green"
Also slightly astray from the Ontario guidelines on traffic signals is the placement of signals at intersections. The LRT signals are duplicated, as required, but one of them is located on the near side. However the HTA requires two sets of every signal on the far side, except pedestrian and bicycle signals. But yet again, the configuration installed here is actually better than the one required by provincial guidelines since it provides some signal spread rather than having two signals right next to each other as you'd find in Toronto.
King & Central Fresh Market northbound. Note that the pole on the far side carries traffic signals, overhead wires and streetlights. This is in contrast to certain recent streetcar projects in Toronto where the transit company, hydro company and traffic department each put up their own separate poles.
This particular intersection has fully-protected left turn signals (southbound; No U-turn northbound), allowing transit vehicles to operate in parallel with other motor traffic, similarly to St. Clair, Spadina and the Queensway in Toronto. But at most other intersections, there are no dedicated turn signals, which means that transit vehicles travelling straight still need a completely separate signal phase. The only signal in Toronto that still operates that way is Queens Quay & Dan Leckie.
Construction Status
Starting from downtown Kitchener and heading north to Waterloo.
King & Francis northbound - Downtown Kitchener
King & Victoria westbound. Note that the LRT crossing is not included in the signalized pedestrian crossing, similar to how the bike path crossing is not included in the signalized pedestrian crossings on Queens Quay. The difference is that here there is a clear indication to pedestrians that they need to check before crossing to the pedestrian button.
King-Victoria Transit Hub northbound (future GO/VIA/GRT/Greyhound/Megabus station), with a slightly premature reserved lane sign
Closeup of the reserved lane sign
King & Wellington northbound
King & Agnes northbound
King & Willis Way northbound - Uptown Waterloo
King & Willis Way southbound - Uptown Waterloo
University of Waterloo Station southbound. Note the two loop detectors on tracks at the platform.
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KevinT
Active Member
Ion Open House at the OMSF, Nov 26th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.!
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/n...eQuAl&newsId=5SG783R6tq5YuEazohT53weQuAleQuAl
http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/n...eQuAl&newsId=5SG783R6tq5YuEazohT53weQuAleQuAl