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[Allandale25]

I realize this might be obvious from Drum's pictures but just wanted to confirm I understand where track 1 will be going (see below - hope you don't mind Drum). It's going to be on the East side of the right-of-way, correct? Also, I realize this has been discussed before but now that UPX is up and running, when would the fourth track be added?

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I realize this might be obvious from Drum's pictures but just wanted to confirm I understand where track 1 will be going (see below - hope you don't mind Drum). It's going to be on the East side of the right-of-way, correct? Also, I realize this has been discussed before but now that UPX is up and running, when would the fourth track be added?

Can confirm the location, but I don't have any inkling as to when it would be laid.

From the Electrification TPAP (Imgur - 6.5 MB image).

 

[crs1026]

Citation please? I don't recall seeing this anywhere.

The aerial shots and the drawings for the Electrification EA are one place this became apparent. I raised it some time ago when the new signal bridges and bungalows first went in - looking down from the Wallace Ave bridge at where the signal bungalows and the tower uprights were placed, it was apparent that the planned fourth track would be tight against the bikeway. The general response at the time was "yeah....so?"

I suspect that like many things in this project, there was no "community consultation" about this. In the end, with the right care and attention, there is plenty of room left for the trail, there doesn't have to be any adverse impact provided the right tweaks are made .... but giving people a heads up well ahead of time is always preferable to just slipping it in at the end.

- Paul

 

[vic]

I know about that track going in. It will be using the recently-constructed bridges that cross Bloor St. and Dupont St., right next to the Railpath. I didn't think that there was any encroachment onto the Railpath property itself though (city-owned land).

There was talk of having an elevator access put onto the path though, since when that track gets installed, there would be no way to enter the station from the Railpath. Wonder if that's still on the table.

-Vic

 

[crs1026]

Here's a shot from March. The track will go in between the up-up and the fence. The area around Bloor up to Wallace is the only really tight bit. North of Wallace, the fence is already up and there was no encroachment. Similarly, as you go south from Bloor, there's lots of room.

My only concern is whether they will have to pour a retaining wall given the difference in elevation between track and path, and will that make it look more tunnel-like. Especially with a sound wall that is much higher than the chain link fence, And doubly ezpecially when the electical overhead is installed one day.

Even with the fence and the hoarding still there, and all the construction debris, it is actually a pretty pleasant little space - and so much more pedestrian-welcoming than its old character in the industrial days.

- Paul

 

[drum118]

Everything north of Wallace Ave is setup for Track 1 as it was there until they got tracks 3 & 4 up and running this year. At that stage, track 1 was cut from track 2 (1) to the current setup.

I expect some sort of fencing will be install, but not on a retaining wall until time to build track 1. Then, they could build the sound wall and leave out various section that will act as access point from the path until the track is place.

Track 1 went into service when the tunnel fly-under went into service last year and bend near Wallace Overpass to connect the current track 1 (2).

As for raising the railpath, I don't seeing it happening at all, as it will require a lot of raising or sloping in too many places at great cost to do so.

When the sound wall does go up, the track 1 area will be raised only with a raise base to hold it in position.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Now when they lay (future) track 1, there will be no more direct at-grade access from the rail path, will there? Will they be installing a stairwell or something to access platforms from the north end? It would be quite lame to make people coming from Ernest and Wallace walk all the way south to Bloor.

 

[drum118]

Now when they lay (future) track 1, there will be no more direct at-grade access from the rail path, will there? Will they be installing a stairwell or something to access platforms from the north end? It would be quite lame to make people coming from Ernest and Wallace walk all the way south to Bloor.

That was the plan along with the 2nd tunnel, but not sure where it is at this time and no reply on various requests to date about it.

 

[Allandale25]

Now when they lay (future) track 1, there will be no more direct at-grade access from the rail path, will there? Will they be installing a stairwell or something to access platforms from the north end? It would be quite lame to make people coming from Ernest and Wallace walk all the way south to Bloor.

So do they have to build the sound wall before they build the new track one?

 

[Markster]

The group TTCriders has noticed what we've all noticed, namely that the service is lightly used, and is putting out a call to action to tell Metrolinx to make this a TTC service:

http://www.ttcriders.ca/the-upx-train-is-running-virtually-empty-during-the-pan-am-games/
The UPX train is running virtually empty during the PAN AM Games

Yesterday, TTCriders members counted riders exiting and entering the UP Express at Pearson Airport during rush hour from 7.30am to 9.30am on Thursday morning. We discovered that on average just 14 people rode on each train, which translates to approximately 8% of the 173 seat full capacity.


Theoretically, ridership levels should be higher than usual at this time due to the PAN AM Games, a key part of the rationale for the new luxury line. But we’d heard rumours from flight attendants and residents that the trains were running near-empty so we thought we’d see for ourselves.

...
Take Action

Send a message to Metrolinx and the Province calling for a truly affordable, electrified train with more stops.

Meanwhile, the service is apparently serving over 3,250 riders a day, which is well on its way to Metrolinx's goal of 5,000. It's going to be hard to convince them to change anything, if they're meeting their stated goal.

 

[mdrejhon]

Meanwhile, the service is apparently serving over 3,250 riders a day, which is well on its way to Metrolinx's goal of 5,000. It's going to be hard to convince them to change anything, if they're meeting their stated goal.

When picking up my weekly Balzac's while arriving earlier than usual, or waiting longer for a GOtrain (speedy walk via Platform 3 side entrance, takes only 20-30 seconds to reach UP terminal from the York concourse!).... I notice the evening peaks always has more people than morning peak.

Their estimate of 14 people per train seems to be roughly accurate for the morning peak. Assuming all 140 daily trains had 14 people, that's slmost 2000 people per day. But several evening peak trains can vary from 20 to 50 people on them, which is probably what makes up the rest of the way to 3,250 riders per day.

Metrolinx's 3,250 people is just a mere 23 people per train, at 140 train movements a day (combined, both directions). Even the 5,000 people per day would just be 36 people per day. Obviously, trains are going to be rather empty at this statistic.

In retrospect -- to generate good word of mouth -- they should have made the trains free (with an airplane ticket of same date) for PanAm visitors, just to generate the positive publicity. The arguments that a UPX passenger had with the UPX customer service, over having to pay for "free PanAm transit", will cause that customer to give bad word-of-mouth about UPX.

At the expensive fares, the service can easily break even at a low utilization such as 40 or 50 people per train (as calculated weeks ago), but what would be better is a $10-$15 fare to allow more full trains, while still being able to reach breakeven or even profit.

At this stage -- perhaps it is indeed time to start considering a public transit fare for non-airport stops (e.g. Bloor-Weston-Union hops). $3-$5 to hop from Union to Bloor/Weston, $10-$15 for airport. That'd dramatically increase ridership, I think. One problem I see with dramatic public-transit-like increases is the UPX station is a fairly far labyrinthe walk from other TTC/Union platforms (unless you know the quick Platform 3 shortcut.

 

[mdrejhon]

P.S. Did I say this tip again yet? Remember the Platform 3 shortcut to UPX.

There's a direct entrance to Platform 3 from the pleasantly uncrowded York concourse, and from there it's a straight beeline to the UPX side entrance. It's not even a marked UPX entrance, even if publicly accessible. It's less than half the walking than the Skywalk route! Yet wayfinding to UPX persistently forces you to walk twice as far. Someone should test a pedometer app to see how many steps it is walk to UPX along the various possible Union Station routes.

UPX is a really short 30 second walk from York Concourse, but only if you walk via Platform 3.

UPX is extremely far away from TTC -- half a kilometer walk (and multiple grade changes) if you follow wayfinding -- so any time savings is useful. Platform 3 is one simple straight beeline to UPX, on ultrasmooth concrete that wheeled suitcases love gliding so much. Except for a few entrance steps (5 or 6 steps).

Platform 3 is also the connection to the GO bus terminal, too. A straight 350 meter beeline between buses and UPX. That's quicker than to the TTC subway (which should really be closer to UPX, but it is not, in terms of walking distance!)

Ridership could probably go up by one or two more people per train immediately, if wayfinding was installed along Platform 3. That way, people don't exit Platform 3 just to find their way to UPX. Fewer people would have bad experience how far it is to walk to UPX, if only they walked to UPX via Platform 3.

It may not be the fancy UPX entrance, but is sure hell is a lot more pleasantly short of a walk to UPX via Platform 3 -- unless you're carrying multiple heavy bags and want to completely avoid a few steps of any kind.

Everyone complains how far of a walk it is to UPX. If UPX price adjustments occur in order to dramatically increase traffic, then Platform 3 wayfinding needs to be installed.

 

[nfitz]

Standing on platform 4, I've seen that pathway - but I assumed the UPX entry door would be locked. It would certainly have been easier the other day with 8 bags and 2 children!

On the other hand, once you've crossed (east) into Union over York, the first entrance to Platform 4 has a sign at the door saying it is a fair-paid area, and you can't enter unless you've paid. Which makes it difficult to use it to walk to the Bus Terminal, as you won't pay until you tap on the vehicle.

 

[mdrejhon]

Standing on platform 4, I've seen that pathway - but I assumed the UPX entry door would be locked. It would certainly have been easier the other day with 8 bags and 2 children!

On the other hand, once you've crossed (east) into Union over York, the first entrance to Platform 4 has a sign at the door saying it is a fair-paid area, and you can't enter unless you've paid. Which makes it difficult to use it to walk to the Bus Terminal, as you won't pay until you tap on the vehicle.

That's Platform 4.

Platform 3 isn't a fare-paid platform.
It's not currently used by GO trains.
The strange platform 3 door inside York Concourse has a bus logo, there is no train logo.
It is only a 5 meters away from the eastmost Platform 4 stairwell within new York concourse.
It invites you to use Platform 3 to walk to the GO bus terminal.
Even if you haven't paid yet.

Platform 3 York "bus logo" entrance inside York concourse is only ~50 meters from UPX 'secret' entrance.
So only 30 seconds pass between staring at the unfinished York concourse atrium and then staring at Balzac's coffee.

Factoid for other readers... Did you know the pedestrian bridge over Bay Street to the GO bus terminal, is platform 3 itself? This also means UPX has an easy bee-line to the GO bus terminal. Something the TTC does not have (to either).

That UPX side entrance is shown as a valid entrance in one Union layout diagram I've seen (can't find it atm, though)

 

[nfitz]

That's Platform 4.

The entrance from the main part of the station, in the area between the VIA ticket counters and York Street? That's platform 3. VIA Rail signs everywhere when tried to access it. How could it access platform 4, there's a railway track in the way!

Platform 3 isn't a fare-paid platform.

That's what the sign said ... it wasn't a new sign.

It's not currently used by GO trains.

.No, it looked like VIA was using it.

The strange platform 3 door inside York Concourse has a bus logo, there is no train logo.

Wasn't in York Concourse. Was upstairs in the hallway from the VIA ticket counters to the Skywalk entrance.

It invites you to use Platform 3 to walk to the GO bus terminal.

Walk upstairs and check out the signage there! Perhaps they've changed it since I was there ...