Other threads, including the ECLRT thread indicates that a wide median was kept on Eglinton for a future LRT, even as the old right-of-way to the side was sold off for development. Even as we curse that mis-decision that could have made SmartTrack much cheaper; let's see what can be done, shall we?
One must ponder a thought experiment what will happen to that wide median. Obviously, it would be useful to utilize that space to benefit a brand new Eglinton GO RER corridor (aka "SmartTrack"), even if it won't run on the surface. How do we greatly reduce the cost of creating an Eglinton corridor, so that it's far less than, say, the cost of a Scarborough subway, km for km?
Thinking: What will run down Eglinton median... The Crosstown or the SmartTrack? And how much would it cost to extend beyond Airport Corporate Centre later this century? It sounds like the SmartTrack corridor (aka brand new Eglinton GO RER corridor) would need a median cut-and-cover / trench. How wide is it exactly -- if wide enough for two side-by-side GO RER trains, it could be a sunken trench in the median that goes underneath intersections. However, I think that would be a bit ugly; I think cut-and-cover would look a lot nicer, and still a lot cheaper than a TBM. Alas, I think creating a new GO Eglinton corridor is a bit too costly this early half of the century, and ECLRT really needs to be extended. But it's nice to imagine how GO might be able to invent a new GO corridor that's cheaper than a TTC subway corridor (Even if it is under Tory's "SmartTrack" guise). London, Paris, and even smaller cities (e.g. Sydney, Australia) successfully creates new commuter train corridors, so it is an interesting thought exercise how a brand new GO Eglinton corridor is eventually built in the next fifty years, especially if it's not too much more costly than fighting with the Milton situation. The first extension would be a trench (for wide medians) and cut-n-cover (for narrow medians) down Eglinton, that is eventually extended byond Airport Corporate Center, and then interchanges with Hurontario LRT. It might even, in theory, reconnect to the Milton line by going further or even tunneling (TBM) towards an existing/new Milton station.
Situations that could happen involving the median or road:
- Trenching in the median, open air between intersections, goes under intersections.
- Cut-and-cover under the median
Situations that could happen involving the side of road:
- Eliminating the wide median and moving the Eglinton lanes closer together, merging the reserved/catchment areas (surrounding sidewalk) to create enough room for a trench or cut-and-cover. Undeveloped parts of the ROW can be used as room for stations
Trainset selection will have a major impact on the cost of the Eglinton spur
- Single-level EMUs (capacity issue on routes optimized for bilevels, albiet increasingly less relevant today)
- Bi-level EMUs (bigger trench/tunnel)
- Turning radius of the EMUs (affects the Eglinton curve cost)
If they go with cheaper corridor approaches, then the Eglinton curve will be the extremely costly part, might even consume almost half of the Eglinton spur budget, and probably need to be done completely underground, possibly curving towards the east first to get enough curve radius to go diagonal under a theoretical Eglinton station before continuing to curve past north of Eglinton and then curving back to Eglinton. Unless, we choose tight-turning EMU trainsets capable of curves as tight as the bottom of the "U".
I believe variables such as these, can affect the SmartTrack budget upwards or downwards by a full billion or two dollars. I look forward to seeing the study that considers these variables. If we run subway-style EMU single-levels with a good tight turning radius, it can reduce the cost of the corridor significantly, and if it easily trenches down the median of many parts of Eglinton. With capability to expand to 2-minute headways in the far future (e.g. underground Union corridor & dedicating rail in the Georgetown/Unionville corridor for physical separation from classic GOtrain tracks), Mississauga then essentially end up getting a subway, but via Metrolinx rather than TTC, and for far cheaper than the Scarborough subway. One that is extendable in increments, all the way to Hurontario (or Square One), and eventually reconnecting to Milton GO line in western Mississauga. We might not even be able to solve the Milton GO line issues as easily as simply extending the GO Eglinton corridor ("SmartTrack"). On the other hand, with more expensive variables, we end up getting a Scarborough Subway "cost-add" that should be chopped in favour of ECLRT.
Math calculations show that it is feasible and possible to move far more people using 150-meter single-level EMUs than with today's 300-meter 12-car bilevels, and also be much more operationally efficient including less dead weight during offpeak, the incredibly fast EMU acceleration making ultratight headways possible (i.e. easily slot several RER trains between UPX trains). With such EMU performance, and some USRC optimization (resignalling, tweaks, etc), and proper UPX EMU selection, then in theory the combined Bramalea/Eglinton GO RER could run 7.5 minute frequencies south of Eglinton, and every other train going down Eglinton (15 min Eglinton service and 15 min Bramalea service), so that Bramalea-versus-Eglinton problem is solvable. With some variables, it is more per km than ECLRT, but potentially far less per km than Scarborough subway, and creates a brand new grade-separated rail transit corridor for humankind to enjoy in perpetuity. And with the megaprojects slowly making it more and more feasible to decouple from stringent heavy rail requirements (SmartTrack was actually once considered a 'light' rail in its original proposal, and might actually be 'European commuter rail standard' rather than either 'light rail' or 'heavy rail'), the math calculations for Eglinton spur run very differently.
I still think the Eglinton spur should be chopped in favour of ECLRT, but the recent talk (EMUs, non-FRA European trains, single-level vs bi-level, Metrolinx corridor ownership) plays directly into the SmartTrack calculus. If the spur happens anyway, and we're up in arms about shovels about to hit the ground, then what form do we most cost-efficiently see the early beginnings of the brand new Eglinton GO RER Corridor get built?
By law, the urbantoronto constitution probably says we're required to ponder and debate this thought until it's long ago a beaten-up horse skeleton, and trains are already running to Airport Corporate Centre.
