Toronto Ontario Line 3 | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

[Kyle Campbell]

Looking at the drawings and vehicles, it looks like they were planning to use ALRT technology, which kind of makes sense given the heavy taxpayer involvement at the time in supporting UTDC. Given that the DRL is unlikely though to be using that though, it means the old plans probably can't provide a lot to the current design.

 

[M II A II R II K]

If they had used the RT trains it may have ended up getting too crowded, even with Mark 3s, so now they’d be abandoning it and start building a completely new DRL, perhaps with no stops in between.

 

[innsertnamehere]

the capacity would have been fine if it stayed as a south of bloor only line. PPHD for that is in the 10k range - Mark IIIs can handle that. If it ever got extended up to sheppard however.. capacity would start hitting issues.

Also depends on how long they made the trains.

 

[BurlOak]

If they had used the RT trains it may have ended up getting too crowded, even with Mark 3s, so now they’d be abandoning it and start building a completely new DRL, perhaps with no stops in between.

So instead of building this DRL with Mark III, and having a running subway for the past 30 years, which is now filling up - we were better off having nothing these past 30 years.
If it was getting too crowded, we would be talking about a Wellington, Richmond, King subway as an additional route through downtown. Nobody would remove an existing subway line - expect maybe for the subway champions in Scarborough.

 

[TransitBart]

Don't look back. You're not going that direction.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

So instead of building this DRL with Mark III, and having a running subway for the past 30 years, which is now filling up - we were better off having nothing these past 30 years.
If it was getting too crowded, we would be talking about a Wellington, Richmond, King subway as an additional route through downtown. Nobody would remove an existing subway line - expect maybe for the subway champions in Scarborough.

It actually would have left capacity in the current YUS line so everything would probably be smoother right now

 

[M II A II R II K]

It could have been an RT just from Dundas West to Pape.

 

[Midtown Urbanist]

It actually would have left capacity in the current YUS line so everything would probably be smoother right now

Unless of course, latent demand on the Yonge corridor eats up that available capacity.

Maybe there would have been less cars on the road though.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

If they had used the RT trains it may have ended up getting too crowded, even with Mark 3s, so now they’d be abandoning it and start building a completely new DRL, perhaps with no stops in between.

Does anyone know how long a mark iii train can actually be? Vancouver's 4 car length is because of the platform length, but could you actually have 5,6,7 cars if the platforms (and d power supply) allowed?

 

[BurlOak]

If they had used the RT trains it may have ended up getting too crowded, even with Mark 3s, so now they’d be abandoning it and start building a completely new DRL, perhaps with no stops in between.

Don't look back. You're not going that direction.

If I understand the first comment then building Yonge with 500' platforms was a colossal mistake because its too crowded.

We would have been better with nothing until be built up the money and demand for 700' platforms.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It could have been an RT just from Dundas West to Pape.

Ridership on that today would've almost certainly been over 15k pphpd. That's pushing it for any ICTS system

Why use ICTS on a route that we know will have heavy demand? It even says it in it's name: Intermediate Capacity Transit System. There is nothing intermediate about the passenger demands of the Relief Line.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

It probably would have been fine if the platforms are sized to subway levels - rolling stock is probably least of the worries.

AoD

 

[ssiguy2]

For the DRL, I think Metrolinx will {and certainly should} go with the single deck EMUs like Melbourne's Metro trains. By using catenary the DRL could also be used by RER trains. Anyone who thinks an alternative downtown tunnel will not be needed is delusional. RER could easily pass the current subways in ridership levels within 40 years and Union simply wouldn't be able to handle it/ If the DRL downtown section gets eventually extended to roughly Dufferin to meet up with the rail corridors of RER then you could have continuous RER service thru the entire downtown. For example half the Lakeshore East/West trains could go to Union and the other half via the DRL. You would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

I have done a very detailed analysis of the DRL north of Eglinton and my computations have resulted in the findings that the expansion of DRL north of Eglinton within 50 years using 3rd rail is someone between zero & nil. This is why catenary subways are the best, it can easily be extended north of Eglinton via the RH corridor.

 

[Kitsune]

How can the DRL be used for RER when the TTC guage is different? And further - if RER as RL is so great.... then why is Sydney converting some of its RER lines into Metro? Point is... its going to be third rail no matter how many times you post wanting it the other way.

 

[Kyle Campbell]

How can the DRL be used for RER when the TTC guage is different? And further - if RER as RL is so great.... then why is Sydney converting some of its RER lines into Metro? Point is... its going to be third rail no matter how many times you post wanting it the other way.

Because RER lines aren't great for local short distance service. A combo of both is pretty ideal, it's why it's so common in Europe. It would make the GO RER plans better rather than funneling everything into Union station. However I suspect the DRL will really only be a traditional metro or they might do an LRT subway a la crosstown

You can get pretty near subway capacities with long enough platforms. The original ultimate design capacity for the confederation line was 29k an hour with 150m platforms using three citadis lrvs. It got scaled back to 120m and 26k ( the initial capacity is around 12k, but the downtown stations are sized with larger platforms, and the others stations are all designed for eventual platform extensions)