Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

With the railway bridge over the Dupont underpass widened last month the work continues on the Georgetown South project this weekend. If on schedule this view will be a little less sunny after this weekend. Does anyone live in the area to confirm work is going on?
 
I didn't notice anything this morning when I walked through there. When they did the Dupont Bridge, they had all kinds of stuff set up for almost a week in advance. You sure it's happening this weekend? Got a web link? I can't seem to find a bridge construction schedule on the Georgetown South page anymore.
http://www.gotransit.com/gts/en/default.aspx
 
On an e-mail I received in January it mentioned Bloor St bridge installation February 11-13, Queen St bridge installation February 18-21, Brock Ave bridge installation February 25-27, and Lansdowne March 25-27. I wonder if the cold is delaying things or something else... or maybe it is a typo as March has an 11-13 weekend as well.
 
Metrolinx to spend $53-million on 12 Japanese diesel trains

Mr. Prichard and Metrolinx President Bruce McCuaig reiterated Friday that the line can’t be electrified in time for its opening before the 2015 Pan Am Games.

The province has committed to an environmental assessment of electrifying the air-rail link, but the earliest the line could be switched over is 2018.

Metrolinx is in favour of eventually electrifying the GO system’s busiest corridors. So far, the province has only promised cash for the EA of the air-rail link.

Toronto can’t wait another seven years for rapid service between the country’s two busiest transit hubs, Mr. Prichard said.
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Metroline is purchasing 12 DMU with a base price of $3.1M each and to be modify to airliner standards for over head luggage bins as well storage area for large luggage. Final cost will be $3.8m each

Each DMU will seat 63 riders or 126 per train operating every 15 minutes.

There is an option for 6 more.

It will cost about $1m to convert the trains from DMU to EMU. It will take about 250 hours to do the conversion. THe DMU is alrady an EMU in the first place.

First prototype will be here in 2013 with the full fleet here by the fall of 2014. They will be made in the US and contain no Canadian Content.

It was said that these DMU could be move to the KW service for off peak service or another line.

The earlest the Air rail link can be electrified is 2018.

You can catch the train at Bloor, Eglinton and Weston Only outside the main terminals.

Fare will be announce in 2014.
 
This is the Press Release: Se: http://www.cnw.ca/en/releases/archive/February2011/18/c4203.html

Metrolinx Board of Directors approves purchase of vehicles for Air Rail Link
TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2011 /CNW/ - The Metrolinx Board of Directors met today to receive a status update on critical transportation priorities including the purchase of vehicles for the Air Rail Link (ARL) between Union Station and Pearson Airport.

The Metrolinx Board directed staff to enter into a contract with Sumitomo Corporation of America (Sumitomo) for the purchase of twelve Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) at a price of approximately $55 million, which includes capital spare parts, special maintenance tools and contingencies for Metrolinx design changes.

"We are excited to be taking the next step towards providing a link from the busiest airport to the busiest passenger rail hub in Canada, said Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO of Metrolinx. "This rail link is a vital transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, improving traffic congestion and providing passengers with more travel options across the region."

The ARL vehicle contract would also include an option to purchase an additional six vehicles. If the option is exercised, the total contract is $75 million. These unique DMU vehicles are new to North America and not manufactured anywhere in Canada. By following a competitively tendered process used by Sonoma-Marin County in California, Metrolinx was able to achieve significant cost per vehicle savings. The vehicles will be manufactured in the United States, but where possible, Metrolinx will work with the manufacturer to optimize Canadian content.

These vehicles will be Tier 4 clean diesel and will be convertible to electric propulsion. Metrolinx has received approval from the Province of Ontario to begin the environmental assessment on converting the Air Rail Link to an electric service.

The ARL is an express rail link that will connect Pearson Airport with Union Station in downtown Toronto - Canada's two busiest transportation hubs. The ARL service will be operational by 2015 and will offer a critical transit alternative to the five million car trips that take place every year between these destinations.
 
Piggybacking onto the SMART purchase was a smooth move by Metrolinx and whoever thought about this deserves a lot of credit. Contrast this with Portland's decision to spend public funds bailing out Colorado railcar so that they could finish building the 3 DMUs they needed for their commuter rail line. There is such a small niche market for DMUs in North America right now that it's easy for a transit agency to get burned in the purchasing process.
 
Hipster Duck said:
Piggybacking onto the SMART purchase was a smooth move by Metrolinx and whoever thought about this deserves a lot of credit. Contrast this with Portland's decision to spend public funds bailing out Colorado railcar so that they could finish building the 3 DMUs they needed for their commuter rail line. There is such a small niche market for DMUs in North America right now that it's easy for a transit agency to get burned in the purchasing process.
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Absolutely. Once Georgetown is electrified, there's certainly other places this equipment can be used. Toronto-Niagara is one idea, but I'd love to see DMUs on the Stouffville Line, the one route with the greatest short-term potential. (Unlike Milton/Mississauga, GO has free reign of most of the tracks, the trains serve intensifying suburban nodes and can even be a shuttle with the Lakeshore Line/Kennedy Subway. This was a very smart move, much like the the whole rollout of the original GO service in 1967 - building a commuter line from scratch on a shoestring and all the thought that went into it with regards to contemporary 1960s thought and planning.
 
The Bloor St bridge was supposed to have a new span right next to the Rail Path bridge last weekend and at Queen St West there was supposed to be a new span installed this weekend. Are any of these projects actually happening?
 
The DMUs are not EMUs as delivered but they are based on EMUs and have a costed conversion path. Admittedly it is to bad they aren't diesel electric from an upgrade perspective so the powered trucks wouldn't need to be upgraded, but there are benefits from a fuel efficiency and environmental perspective for the time they are diesel. I wonder if diesel electric was an option on these and if so what the trade offs would have been.
 
smallspy said:
Not doing enough readying again Dave?

The Sumitomo units will be diesel-hydraulic. There will be no traction motors on the units.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
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The DMU are an EMU since they were design as an EMU in the first place. Therefore the conversion from DMU to EMU does not require any structural or design changes, other than $1m to do so.

This is from the horse mouths.
 
drum118 said:
The DMU are an EMU since they were design as an EMU in the first place. Therefore the conversion from DMU to EMU does not require any structural or design changes, other than $1m to do so.

This is from the horse mouths.
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What? The fact that it is designed and going to be built and operated as a diesel-hydraulic makes it an EMU?

That's not the mouth-end of the horse you're getting that from Dave. And if you believe that, than you're no better.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
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