wopchop
Building Toronto
It sort of is being built at the expense of 'some other transit link' as no other transit link is currently being built.
Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited
It sort of is being built at the expense of 'some other transit link' as no other transit link is currently being built.
muller877
Senior Member
Why is an express train is both classified as private and with a suspect busienss case? (1) it is owned by the province and will be run by the province (albeit initially it would have not been) and (2) it MAY break even on an operating expense basis according to the business case.
It was inplied by the contrasting statement that Eglinton has a NOT suspect business case. The LRT was never expected to run on a break-even basis so it actually has a worse off business case than the UPX (both business cases has assumptions built into it). And both the UPX and LRT will be equally publically owned.
The UPX has a simple purpose. The Financial Service sector is mostly within a 10 minute walk of Union. It employes directly 230,000 people and indirectly (accountants, lawyers, etc) anouther 98,000. This doesn't inlcude the purely hypothetical indirect jobs such as the service industry (which many other industries do include when determining indirect jobs). The Financial sector is a high paying job engine for Canada and has helped transform this city (the hub was in Montreal until the 70's). The Financial sector has a lot of mulitnational companies (both Canadian and branch offices in Toronto). It needs highly predictable travel around the world.
This is the target of the UPX. It will make travel less stressful and a bit quicker. The executives are use to Heathrow and Hong Kong and use the train there and want one here. They dread LGA and the craziness that can happen trying to rush to a meeting in mid-town. We are competing for their time (which will help drive job growth) and we need to make sure Toronto is easy to get in and out of (and for them Toronto is only the financial district plus maybe a taxi ride to Buca or Jacobs).
So yes, it is priced to be exclusive. But is is public (anyone that pays can use it).
Woodbridge_Heights
Senior Member
Which project is a: not being built today because of funds being directed to the UPX and b: We won't be able to build in the future due to the UPX system taking up track and station space?
nhui06
Active Member
Not sure if this has already been discussed, but is there room to add more tracks if SmartTrack decides to follow the UPX corridor (at least up to Weston Station if there is no way it can go to the Airport)?
Perhaps SmartTrack can end at Weston Station instead - I think that neighborhood can stand to benefit from SmartTrack more than a trip to the Airport. If so, then UPX only needs to stop at Mt. Dennis for the LRT and Bloor before it arrives at Union. SmartTrack can do more local service.
Perhaps SmartTrack can end at Weston Station instead - I think that neighborhood can stand to benefit from SmartTrack more than a trip to the Airport. If so, then UPX only needs to stop at Mt. Dennis for the LRT and Bloor before it arrives at Union. SmartTrack can do more local service.
smallspy
Senior Member
By and large, no. There are a couple of locations where additional tracks could be shoehorned in, but south-east of West Toronto the entirety of the rail corridor will be filled up with track.
That said, if SmarTrack was only run at 15 minute frequencies there wouldn't necessarily be a need to add more tracks to what will be there.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.
wopchop
Building Toronto
I completely understand that having UPX does not preclude future transit projects on the corridor. Nor am I against UPX at all. I think it's a great idea.
What I'm saying is that, theoretically, you could make the argument that any funds that could potentially have been used towards a public transit link to the airport were instead tied up building the UPX express shuttle system. I realize that you could say this about any other project that is currently in progress, but that's part of the point. There is only a finite pool of funding for all projects that is available after all. Projects like Eglinton Crosstown Phase 2 exist as Phase 2 because of budgetary reasons, after all. If funding was not an issue, there would be no phases at all and just one single build-out of the line.
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It's not just that UPX does not preclude future transit projects on the corridor; at 15-minute spacing, it doesn't even preclude future transit projects on the very same tracks. As the UPX tracks can also carry other services, future transit projects can be added at significantly less cost than UPX was. Of course, anything in the future will come with other strings attached, or more specifically overhead wires, so those will cost something.
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reaperexpress
Senior Member
Eight tracks or bust!
innsertnamehere
Superstar
why are there 6 tracks installed? I thought initial buildout would be only 5.
crs1026
Superstar
One of those tracks is for the Newmarket Sub to Barrie. The current junction between the Barrie and Brampton lines at Parkdale will be withdrawn from service before long.
A reliable source confirmed to me that the new junction at "Woodbine" (I have also been told that it may be named Wice instead) where the Pearson spur leaves the Weston Sub will go into service (partly, anyways) this weekend. The new build appears to be three tracks from Strachan to that point, and two tracks from there to Bramalea. For now, the third track west from Woodbine/Wice to the next new Interlocking ("Airway") is apparently a service track for freight trains, rather than a main line track.
Three tracks gives UPX dedicated service in one direction, and GO dedicated service in one direction. If GO becomes bidirectional, it will be necessary for GO and UPX trains to intermingle in the other direction. It's feasible, but even with all the shorter blocks, it will be interesting to see if the heavier GO trains, making more stops and likely not running to the minute, can coexist with the UPX trains running on 15 minute headways. Or, UPX could have dedicated use of two tracks and GO could run on a headway that puts all meets west of Woodbine/Wice. It will be interesting to see how VIA is handled as well.
I'm also told that the station trackage at Pearson has a subway-style 'X' crossover configuration rather than the more railway style '\ /' crossovers.
- Paul
A reliable source confirmed to me that the new junction at "Woodbine" (I have also been told that it may be named Wice instead) where the Pearson spur leaves the Weston Sub will go into service (partly, anyways) this weekend. The new build appears to be three tracks from Strachan to that point, and two tracks from there to Bramalea. For now, the third track west from Woodbine/Wice to the next new Interlocking ("Airway") is apparently a service track for freight trains, rather than a main line track.
Three tracks gives UPX dedicated service in one direction, and GO dedicated service in one direction. If GO becomes bidirectional, it will be necessary for GO and UPX trains to intermingle in the other direction. It's feasible, but even with all the shorter blocks, it will be interesting to see if the heavier GO trains, making more stops and likely not running to the minute, can coexist with the UPX trains running on 15 minute headways. Or, UPX could have dedicated use of two tracks and GO could run on a headway that puts all meets west of Woodbine/Wice. It will be interesting to see how VIA is handled as well.
I'm also told that the station trackage at Pearson has a subway-style 'X' crossover configuration rather than the more railway style '\ /' crossovers.
- Paul
DonValleyRainbow
Senior Member
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That signal bridge looks pretty high and close to the end of the tunnel, I imagine the sightlines are adequate though, it would be a huge screwup is they weren't.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
I realize there is one for Barrie, but even with that included I thought it would only be 5 tracks. 1 for Kitchener, 2 for UPX, 1 for Milton, and 1 for Barrie. 5 total.
The crossover at Pearson is indeed an "x" crossover, you can see it in the newest satellite imagery.
3 tracks is good for UPX dedicated service with 1 track given to Kitcheners single direction service, correct? The plan is to add another track when Kitchener upgrades to a full bidirectional service. Its the whole reason the Strachan underpass was constructed for 8 tracks, 2 tracks for each of the 4 GO train services. VIA would probably just run in between GO train service on the Kitchener corridor that point. Also why I am surprised why there is a 6th track at Strachan, I thought it would only be 5 to provide the still single direction service that is expected after construction is complete.
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drum118
Superstar
Some photos from Oct 29/30 out of about 200 I shot
Roger Rd
Dennison Rd
Weston Station
Weston Station
Etobicoke North Station
Islington/401
Carlingview Dr
Brampton
Roger Rd
Dennison Rd
Weston Station
Weston Station
Etobicoke North Station
Islington/401
Carlingview Dr
Brampton
EnviroTO
Senior Member
I would love to see 3 trains going under the 401 at the same time. Seems like this is where they should have spent a little more.
smallspy
Senior Member
I'm hearing rumours that they may start work on putting a fourth track underneath the 401 - via a new "bore" under the highway - as soon as late next year. I've yet to see anything official however.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.