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

Thanks smallspy and TOareaFan for the responses re new schedule post-GTS completion. Will certainly be interesting.

Personally, I'd love to see a few trains on weekends on the Kitchener line once the construction is finished. I wonder what the economics would be of running trains instead of buses? IE the subsidy per passenger is X for a bus and Y for a train. I'm sure there are a lot of factors to consider and I've seen many postings about the challenge of train crew shortages.
 
trudeau1982 said:
Personally, I'd love to see a few trains on weekends on the Kitchener line once the construction is finished. I wonder what the economics would be of running trains instead of buses? IE the subsidy per passenger is X for a bus and Y for a train. I'm sure there are a lot of factors to consider and I've seen many postings about the challenge of train crew shortages.
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I'm willing to bet there is a lot of economic sense to run a couple Toronto-bound trains during the Friday PM from Kitchener and Guelph, as well as Kitchener-bound on Sundays, to serve students from U of Guelph, U of Waterloo, Laurier, the colleges, as well as anyone else going to Toronto for the weekend for whatever reason. You're saving 30 minutes minimum, and avoiding capacity constraints.

But that gets into a separate issue of constraints along the Guelph sub, not the Weston sub.
 
DonValleyRainbow said:
But that gets into a separate issue of constraints along the Guelph sub, not the Weston sub.
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They used to run such trains years ago.

I don't think the constraint is in terms of it being a single track (with passing). It's the lack of signals. When the installation of signalling system be complete? That should allow for a reverse commute.
 
nfitz said:
They used to run such trains years ago.
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GO has never run such a service on the Guelph or Weston Subs.

nfitz said:
I don't think the constraint is in terms of it being a single track (with passing). It's the lack of signals. When the installation of signalling system be complete? That should allow for a reverse commute.
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Signals wasn't as much of an issue, as there is no time delay necessary for trains running against each-other in dark territory - you simply stage meets at sidings along the line. The time delay comes into effect with trains running behind each other.

The biggest issue is staffing and equipment.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
smallspy said:
GO has never run such a service on the Guelph or Weston Subs.
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No it hasn't. And it's shame, because as I pointed out they used to run such services years ago. Check out a CN timetable from the 1950s!

smallspy said:
Signals wasn't as much of an issue, as there is no time delay necessary for trains running against each-other in dark territory - you simply stage meets at sidings along the line. The time delay comes into effect with trains running behind each other.
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That's how they used to do it years ago; you can see the trains meet at somewhere. Ah, good point about the directions though! There does seem to be more reluctance to do this in dark territory with passenger trains these days.

smallspy said:
The biggest issue is staffing and equipment.
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Or in other words - $
 
Dec 3
Metrolinx offer to do the work on Weston Rd when it was going under being rebuilt, but the offer wasn't accepted and why the mess now.

Most of that work is done and could be completed next week.Track 2 for the Weston Tunnel is now connected to the interlock on the west side of the Humber Bridge with block signal to go live next week for it.

Once track 2 goes into service on the 15th, track 1 will be cut about 300 feet east of Weston Rd that will line up where the future track 1 will be in the tunnel. The rest of the current track will be remove.

On Dec 13 & 14, the track in the Weston Station will be shift to the east so the supper elevate curve can be remove and finish off the grading for the new location.There was a plan to bring track 3 into the station at the same time, but being defer now until next year so work can continue on rebuilding track 4 platform. Some of the steel is up on the rebuilt platform for the new shelters.

Part of track 4 in the tunnel is missing as it waiting guard rail where the exit stair is in the tunnel.There is a debate going on if precast ties are to become standard or not within Metrolinx at this time. With the new retaining wall in place at Weston Rd, backfill has taken place to allow track 3 & 4 to be install over Weston Rd and the Humber bridge.
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Thanks for the shots drum! Just out of curiosity, why do the rail ties switch from wood to concrete in your third photo?
 
ehlow said:
This article seems to confirm that Metrolinx plans to add UPX stop at Eglinton & Mt Dennis, connecting with the Eglinton Crosstown.

If that happens, people would be able to take the Eglinton Crosstown to Mt Dennis station, then transfer to UPX to get to the airport.
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Metrolinx has been saying that for years. It's in some of the Eglinton Crosstown documents. Not exactly news ... and I believe we've discussed previously.
 
salsa said:
Hopefully they will also get rid of the useless Weston station.
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I don't know of a hotel near the Weston station. If a non-resident is coming in from the airport using the UPX, they would likely be heading towards a hotel. Maybe there are some bed-n-breakfast in the area that I don't know about.
 
salsa said:
Hopefully they will also get rid of the useless Weston station.
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The Weston Station is only of use if:
1. The airport employees' discount is affordable enough. Though I figure that most employees will still just take the slow 52A bus.
2. The Weston-YYZ fare is reasonable enough that backtracking from Brampton and points west makes sense.

Brampton Transit has a half-hourly bus to Terminal 1, which would only be $0.75 if one gets off a GO Train at Bramalea and willing to walk and wait at the Steeles/Bramalea Road intersection, and an hourly bus (Route 34) from Brampton GO, and the bus loop at Bramalea GO to Pearson as well.
 
SmartTrack?

salsa said:
Hopefully they will also get rid of the useless Weston station.
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Yeah, once Mt. Dennis station is up, they should probably remove Weston Station from UPX. If Tory and team cannot find a way to get SmartTrack to the airport, maybe they can just continue Smarttrack up this corridor all the way to up to Weston Station, then Etobicoke North and maybe even up to Malton.
 
someMidTowner said:
Thanks for the shots drum! Just out of curiosity, why do the rail ties switch from wood to concrete in your third photo?
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Because of the confined space available in the Weston Tunnel, they are using concrete ties in there. Concrete ties don't generally need to be worked on or replaced as often, so the hope is that by doing this that they won't have to go in there for anything for a good length of time.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
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