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

[SaugeenJunction]

Here are some pictures UP put on their twitter today of the new DMUs:

 

[ehlow]

This is an argument I've heard many times, and it doesn't make any sense.

The money from this project was spent to build a very substantial quantity and quality of standard railway infrastructure. If we decide a few years from now that we would rather operate the line as an ordinary GO service, we could do so quite easily. We could even convert the line to a subway further in the future if we really wanted to, thanks to the fact that we have now completely grade-separated and massively widened the railway.

The issues we are discussing are in relation to the service (i.e. stops, frequency, fares, etc), not the infrastructure (i.e. where the money was spent).

That said, the fact that the Pearson spur cannot handle large trains and does not continue on to Brampton is indeed a bit short-sighted. But it is justified because a proper railway would have taken decades longer to get built, so the relatively small cost of the elevated spur can be justified by the benefits of having an airport rail link for the decades until we open a mainline tunnel through the airport.
EDIT: or until we change its use to a people mover to a mainline railway station, as rbt suggested. I prefer the name Pearson Junction for that station, btw.

Yes, this stuff is required for any rapid-transit along the Georgetown corridor. Things like fares or number of stops can be changed, but the work to grade separate this large corridor will not be a waste regardless.

Here are some pictures UP put on their twitter today of the new DMUs:

Looks not bad to me. Certainly looks better than the previous pics from the head-on perspective.

 

[Long Island Mike]

UPE DMU's to be tested on METRA's Rock Island District?

Here are some pictures UP put on their twitter today of the new DMUs:

View attachment 30937

View attachment 30938

AG and Everyone: I noticed that these UPE DMU cars look to be built for high-level platform boarding only and for these to be tested
on Metra's Rock Island District - which like most of Metra's routes use only low-level platforms - they would need special boarding
platforms to be built or these UPE DMU cars modified to allow low-level boarding...Only Metra Electric and the South Shore Line
to northwest Indiana have high-level platforms in the Chicago area...

LI MIKE

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Ugh... Who picked the colors for that thing. I do not approve

 

[christiesplits]

Ugh... Who picked the colors for that thing. I do not approve

They adhere to Metrolinx's new colour scheme. They are the same colour as the new GO Train and Bus livery that is slowly appearing.

 

[Bad Bear]

They adhere to Metrolinx's new colour scheme. They are the same colour as the new GO Train and Bus livery that is slowly appearing.

Not exactly, that's the specific color scheme for the UPE, while the new GO Transit livery is still green.

GO Transit 2338 by YT | transport photography, on Flickr

 

[smallspy]

AG and Everyone: I noticed that these UPE DMU cars look to be built for high-level platform boarding only and for these to be tested
on Metra's Rock Island District - which like most of Metra's routes use only low-level platforms - they would need special boarding
platforms to be built or these UPE DMU cars modified to allow low-level boarding...Only Metra Electric and the South Shore Line
to northwest Indiana have high-level platforms in the Chicago area...

LI MIKE

You're assuming that they are going to be used in service while in Chicago. Which they are not.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[dowlingm]

I agree with Dan. If boarding needs to be checked out why not simply build a temporary wood platform at the factory? I would presume these runs are more about issues occurring when rolling rather than when stopped

 

[the lemur]

Have there been any recent photos of progress on the Bloor station?

 

[Long Island Mike]

UPE DMU test on Metra Rock Island District...

You're assuming that they are going to be used in service while in Chicago. Which they are not.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Dan: I thought of this after I posted yesterday-that METRA is looking to evaluate the UPE DMU as a non-revenue test only
and that they would not be used in any regular service - answering the Rock Island District question...

Back in the early 1980s the RTA before METRA tested a FIAT DMU Railcar on the RI District and this came to mind when
I learned of this proposed test of the UPE DMU by METRA...That one was tested in service briefly...

LI MIKE

 

[smallspy]

Dan: I thought of this after I posted yesterday-that METRA is looking to evaluate the UPE DMU as a non-revenue test only
and that they would not be used in any regular service - answering the Rock Island District question...

Back in the early 1980s the RTA before METRA tested a FIAT DMU Railcar on the RI District and this came to mind when
I learned of this proposed test of the UPE DMU by METRA...That one was tested in service briefly...

LI MIKE

Oh, I'm aware of the Fiat railcar test. But that was a vehicle that was brought over specifically for in-service testing like that.

The Nippon Sharyo DMUs are being tested to make sure that they don't totally fail in service. It's part of the process that they need to go through before they are shipped from the factory to the recipient - in this case, Metrolinx. They are not even close to being ready for revenue service.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Here are pictures of the UP DMUs being tested by Metra in Chicago... they are looking really good:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=493058&nseq=100

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eje665/14675986287/in/photostream/lightbox/

 

[ehlow]

Here are pictures of the UP DMUs being tested by Metra in Chicago... they are looking really good:

Yeah they do look pretty good in those pics, thanks for posting.

It'll be cool to see these things run every 15 min in Toronto.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Yeah they do look pretty good in those pics, thanks for posting.

It'll be cool to see these things run every 15 min in Toronto.

No problem! The frequency for UP sightings will actually be like more like every 7.5 mins, if you take into account northbound and southbound trips. Will make for interesting sights.

 

[smallspy]

No problem! The frequency for UP sightings will actually be like more like every 7.5 mins, if you take into account northbound and southbound trips. Will make for interesting sights.

Provided you can actually see them through the hordes of whining Westoners.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.