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

Let's hope VIA take a good look at UPX while on their property. It makes a damn sight more sense to operate a 2-3 car DMU on links like London-Sarnia than a F40 + 2 coaches which could be doing a corridor run with a couple of additional coaches instead.
 
VIA phased out all of their DMUs in the 80s (with the exception of Vancouver Island and Sudbury - White River). Not sure why - anyone care to shed light on this? Was it due to increased regulation on mixed-traffic corridors? Bad economics?
 
The RDCs? They're ancient, not terribly efficient (unlike modern DMUs), and were mostly surplus after the Mulroney axe of 1990. There were several routes, such as Yarmouth-Halifax and Havelock-Toronto that used these and were cut. There were cuts on routes that survived (Toronto-Kitchener went from 4 or 5 daily trains down to two, several runs there were RDC-equipped). They were only useful then on short or remote services, while most RDCs, along with the old ex-CN blue and yellow fleet were stored and retired.
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
GO Train + transfer + GO Bus = 23 min + ~5 min + 15 min (in good traffic) = 43 min
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If I'm downtown at PM rush-hour heading to Pearson, I do take the GO Train to Kipling now, and then the TTC airport express. It took about 45 minutes the other day. Now, you might suggest I just take the subway, but one day doing this, I just missed the train to Kipling on the platform, and having to wait 35 minutes until the next one, I went to take the subway. That later train overtook my parked subway train between Islington and Kipling. So from Union I'd say the Milton GO line + TTC bus is currently about 30 minutes quicker than taking the subway.
 
ShonTron said:
The RDCs? They're ancient, not terribly efficient (unlike modern DMUs), and were mostly surplus after the Mulroney axe of 1990. There were several routes, such as Yarmouth-Halifax and Havelock-Toronto that used these and were cut. There were cuts on routes that survived (Toronto-Kitchener went from 4 or 5 daily trains down to two, several runs there were RDC-equipped). They were only useful then on short or remote services, while most RDCs, along with the old ex-CN blue and yellow fleet were stored and retired.
Click to expand...

In their defence, the upgraded RDCs are very fuel efficient, about as much so as any modern DMU.

The major issue with RDCs, and any self-propelled vehicle that is going to operate on the rail system in North America, is that under TC and FRA rules it is considered a locomotive and thus subject to all of the various rules and regulations that go along with that. One of the more onerous is the 92-day inspection cycle - every 92 days, regardless of where the loco is and what service it is running in, it has to be brought back to a major facility for a comprehensive inspection. Because of this, (if you want to be smart about it) you need to build your schedules around making sure that your locomotives are near a facility when those 92 days are up, to minimize the downtime of the equipment. While passenger coaches and freight cars are subject to similar inspections and cycles, they are not nearly as invasive.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
nfitz:

Sorry, are you comparing people with disabilities, who are protected by law - with someone who had to travel with luggage by choice? The sense of entitlement and lack of concerns for other riders is staggering.

AoD
 
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