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FutureMayor
Guest
Way over budget and years behind schedule, yet it's a brilliant project.
With the Union Pearson proposal all but officially dead, a similar program is possible here in Toronto.
However, we can not afford to wait another 5 years to get work started. As an almost daily user of Union Station it needs repairs NOW.
Before we go on dreaming about a fancy new train shed, we must upgrade the exisiting GO and VIA Concourse before anything else. Simple things like new floor tiles, upgraded washrooms, a coordinated signage program can go a long way for very little money.
Louroz
With the Union Pearson proposal all but officially dead, a similar program is possible here in Toronto.
However, we can not afford to wait another 5 years to get work started. As an almost daily user of Union Station it needs repairs NOW.
Before we go on dreaming about a fancy new train shed, we must upgrade the exisiting GO and VIA Concourse before anything else. Simple things like new floor tiles, upgraded washrooms, a coordinated signage program can go a long way for very little money.
Louroz
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ganjavih
Guest
Ah, to be in a place where penny-pinching isn't the order of the day...
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simply Dan
Guest
That place is called Germany. Berlin's gleaming new main train station opens this summer - built completely from scratch, it is the largest and most sophisticated train station ever constructed in the world outisde of Japan!
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goodboys
Guest
After reading the website more carefully, the actual cost of Melbourne's train shed is $350M...the other $350M is for related office/residential development. My apologies.
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Ed007Toronto
Guest
Doesn't Berlin also have enormous debt levels to prove it?
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FutureMayor
Guest
We aren't poor here in Toronto and Ontario, we just spend our money in the wrong place. We are willing to spend an extra $400 million to extend an underground subway a few km north to the middle of nowhere.
That $400 million can be diverted towards a new Union Station train shed and we have our problem solved. A hell a lot more people would benefit from a new train shed as opposed to a Vaughan subway.
Louroz
That $400 million can be diverted towards a new Union Station train shed and we have our problem solved. A hell a lot more people would benefit from a new train shed as opposed to a Vaughan subway.
Louroz
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Antiloop33rpm
Guest
Building a $350 million dollar train shed for VIA an GO trains is somewhat akin to building a BMW showroom only to display K-Cars and Pintos.
I dont see anything wrong with investing in Union and ensuring that it is kept in good repair. But $350 million for a shiny glass dome does absolutely nothing to help VIA eliminate those pesky 1 or 2 hour delays I far too often experience.
I dont see anything wrong with investing in Union and ensuring that it is kept in good repair. But $350 million for a shiny glass dome does absolutely nothing to help VIA eliminate those pesky 1 or 2 hour delays I far too often experience.
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GregWTravels
Guest
I can't speak for Melbourne, but Japan and Germany both have a big difference from Ontario - they have extensive use of intercity trains (and in Germany's case, intercountry). Union station is used most extensively as a commuter train station. That's not to say that it can't be redeveloped (they did Grand Central for commuter trains), but I don't think we should expect to see a train station the likes of something Germany or Japan would build.
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billonlogan
Guest
Clean toilets and washrooms is a start. i'm surprised the city has taken so long to repair and keep in good order some of the washrooms at Union Station. I avoid whenever possible. It's taken far too long to get this project rolling and now even longer. The place is embarassing.
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allabootmatt
Guest
If I'm not mistaken much, if not most, of the space in the new Lehrter Bahnof will be given over to S-Bahn and Regionalbahn, rather than intercity traffic, although it will be an important part too. This is similar to the arrangement in the existing major stations at Zoo and Friedrichstrasse.
That said, Lehrter is spectacular, and the rolling stock for all levels of overground rail in Berlin is top-notch. The double-deck Regionalbahn cars are what our GO bi-levels should look like.
I haven't been to Berlin in a little while--is anyone aware if the U-Bahn extension to Lehrter via the Tiergarten is proceeding, or have the city's debt problems stopped it?
That said, Lehrter is spectacular, and the rolling stock for all levels of overground rail in Berlin is top-notch. The double-deck Regionalbahn cars are what our GO bi-levels should look like.
I haven't been to Berlin in a little while--is anyone aware if the U-Bahn extension to Lehrter via the Tiergarten is proceeding, or have the city's debt problems stopped it?
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cdl42
Guest
"I haven't been to Berlin in a little while--is anyone aware if the U-Bahn extension to Lehrter via the Tiergarten is proceeding, or have the city's debt problems stopped it?"
It's planned to partially open for serivce later this month. The debt problems prevented the line from being a proper extension of U5, but due to money from the federal government they were required to complete the section between Lehrter-Hauptbahnhof and the N-S S-bahn tunnel at Unter den Linden. Although it's being built as a full metro line, only one tunnel and one train will be used in a shuttle operation known as U55. The opening of Unter den Linden station is delayed due to flooding problems at the station.
Ridership is expected to be almost non-existant and the line doesn't connect with any other U-bahn lines.
It's planned to partially open for serivce later this month. The debt problems prevented the line from being a proper extension of U5, but due to money from the federal government they were required to complete the section between Lehrter-Hauptbahnhof and the N-S S-bahn tunnel at Unter den Linden. Although it's being built as a full metro line, only one tunnel and one train will be used in a shuttle operation known as U55. The opening of Unter den Linden station is delayed due to flooding problems at the station.
Ridership is expected to be almost non-existant and the line doesn't connect with any other U-bahn lines.
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tayser2
Guest
Spencer Street Station:
Southern Cross Station:
not just a fancy train shed, like Berlin, this was a complete rebuild whilst the station still pushed through all the country & interurban trains as well as the normal metropolitan load via the loop. The fact it wasn't shut down is why it's been delayed, and no it's not years behind schedule or well over budget.
Spencer Street and Flinders street before 1890 something weren't connected and used to be the two teminii, Spencer Street was always the larger one as trains to New South Wales and South Australia approached the city from that angle - but it was a poor cousin to Flinders Street. Flinders was relegated to just the Eastern Victoria terminus. They were linked by viaducts (originall 2 tracks, then 4, then 20 years ago an extra 2 were constructed) and since that first link Flinders St has always served as the metropolitan hub and still is today. Spencer Street kept the interurban and interstate traffic and has 9 terminus platforms (Flinders is a full through station) and 6 through platforms for metropolitan services - pictured above. With the complete rebuild came a complete rebranding exercise which I support because 'Spencer Street' even for me, conjures up memories of 'just a train shed' (see first pic).
The legacy of the station is going to be far greater than 'just a train shed' for commuters because it's binding the auld towne to the new town (Spencer Street itself and the station will be right in the middle between the East End and the far end of Docklands) and like federation square it sets a precedent in building over our single greatest barrier: the rail lines themselves.
edit: FYI, Flinders St:
edit x 2: an article somewhat relevant to the topic of cost versus the greater legacy of a public project like this.
Southern Cross Station:
not just a fancy train shed, like Berlin, this was a complete rebuild whilst the station still pushed through all the country & interurban trains as well as the normal metropolitan load via the loop. The fact it wasn't shut down is why it's been delayed, and no it's not years behind schedule or well over budget.
Spencer Street and Flinders street before 1890 something weren't connected and used to be the two teminii, Spencer Street was always the larger one as trains to New South Wales and South Australia approached the city from that angle - but it was a poor cousin to Flinders Street. Flinders was relegated to just the Eastern Victoria terminus. They were linked by viaducts (originall 2 tracks, then 4, then 20 years ago an extra 2 were constructed) and since that first link Flinders St has always served as the metropolitan hub and still is today. Spencer Street kept the interurban and interstate traffic and has 9 terminus platforms (Flinders is a full through station) and 6 through platforms for metropolitan services - pictured above. With the complete rebuild came a complete rebranding exercise which I support because 'Spencer Street' even for me, conjures up memories of 'just a train shed' (see first pic).
The legacy of the station is going to be far greater than 'just a train shed' for commuters because it's binding the auld towne to the new town (Spencer Street itself and the station will be right in the middle between the East End and the far end of Docklands) and like federation square it sets a precedent in building over our single greatest barrier: the rail lines themselves.
edit: FYI, Flinders St:
edit x 2: an article somewhat relevant to the topic of cost versus the greater legacy of a public project like this.
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Oliver Tweed
Guest
Quick, somebody name something that sucks about Australia to keep me from committing suicide.
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allabootmatt
Guest
Very right-wing politics. Also,
There are seven faculty rules at the University of Woolloomooloo:
1. No Pooftahs.
2. No member of the faculty is to maltreat the "Abos" in any way
whatsoever if there's anyone watching.
3. No Pooftahs.
4. I do not want to catch anyone not drinking in their room after lights out.
5. No Pooftahs.
6. There is no rule 6.
7. No Pooftahs.
There are seven faculty rules at the University of Woolloomooloo:
1. No Pooftahs.
2. No member of the faculty is to maltreat the "Abos" in any way
whatsoever if there's anyone watching.
3. No Pooftahs.
4. I do not want to catch anyone not drinking in their room after lights out.
5. No Pooftahs.
6. There is no rule 6.
7. No Pooftahs.