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

[anb]

Yes, I was there today too and people were for sure getting off and on which is great. Rule of thumb in transit planning is that it takes about 3 years for people to change their travel habits when a new line opens, so it will only get better!

This is probably why the Bramalea only trains aren't as busy on all days of the week compared to the Mount Pleasant and Kitchener bound ones. I know isn't a new line and a straight frequency upgrade, but compared to how much of an instant hit it was when weekend trains were first brought to service, the Bramalea trains feel like it's a separate line in itself.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Several people got off at Mount Dennis today at ~ 5.

The neighbourhood people (excluded bus transfers) will use Mt. Dennis UPX & GO stations as an "express" to Union Station. Especially for sports games at Rogers Centre (AKA SkyDome) or Scotiabank Area (should have been Maple Leaf Gardens II).

 

[livesquid]

I took the UP up to Mt Dennis today for a lookaround.

 

[PL1]

No service this weekend. GO buses will serve Union to Pearson and not stop at the other stops.

 

[junctionist]

Weekend rail closures are terrible. More people use transit than ever for everything but commuting--shopping, going out, and seeing family and friends. Subway and regional trains should continue to run during maintenance work, unless they're replacing the tracks. And even then, I bet it's still technically feasible to keep the trains running by coordinating each segment of track with a reduced schedule.

 

[crs1026]

Subway and regional trains should continue to run during maintenance work, unless they're replacing the tracks. And even then, I bet it's still technically feasible to keep the trains running by coordinating each segment of track with a reduced schedule.

I don't know what work is happening this weekend, so I can't respond with facts - nor will I defend ML's performance in execution - but this simply isn't so in many cases, Running live trains through a work zone complicates activities immensely, even if the tracks are useable. Especially for ML where so many contractors and sub-contractors may be involved. Productivity is very much impacted.

Maintenance shutdowns pretty much ground some other countries' rail service on Sunday mornings. Of course, they may have more routes where diversions or alternate routings are possible.

Considering the urgency of getting new infrastructure in place on the GO network, I would say that the shutdowns are worthwhile pain. Over the longer term, perhaps as competencies grow and rules are changed, this will be streamlined.

- Paul

 

[junctionist]

I don't know what work is happening this weekend, so I can't respond with facts - nor will I defend ML's performance in execution - but this simply isn't so in many cases, Running live trains through a work zone complicates activities immensely, even if the tracks are useable. Especially for ML where so many contractors and sub-contractors may be involved. Productivity is very much impacted.

Maintenance shutdowns pretty much ground some other countries' rail service on Sunday mornings. Of course, they may have more routes where diversions or alternate routings are possible.

Considering the urgency of getting new infrastructure in place on the GO network, I would say that the shutdowns are worthwhile pain. Over the longer term, perhaps as competencies grow and rules are changed, this will be streamlined.

- Paul

Stopping the rail service altogether when people really need it complicates people's lives immensely. The government seems to get it with road construction. You don't just shut down a random expressway or 400-series highway every weekend for maintenance or expansion. You let people use it even while the work is happening, even if it's less convenient for everyone.

But transit is still treated like some frill that can be taken away every weekend with a subway or Metrolinx closure happening seemingly every weekend. It must be treated like the essential transportation backbone for the region that it is for transportation to work properly. Enough with this mentality of "as long as people can drive or take the bus, everything will be OK".

There is little to no redundancy in the subway and regional rail network. For that reason, I disagree completely that shutdowns are "worthwhile pain". Weekend shutdowns seem to becoming standard operating procedure instead of a rarity, reducing people's quality of life considerably.

 

[smallspy]

Stopping the rail service altogether when people really need it complicates people's lives immensely. The government seems to get it with road construction. You don't just shut down a random expressway or 400-series highway every weekend for maintenance or expansion. You let people use it even while the work is happening, even if it's less convenient for everyone.

They absolutely do close down entire sections of highway for a weekend. Have you forgotten when the MTO put the new bridges in carrying the 400 over Finch? Multiple closures of the QEW for the new Derry Road overpass? The 401 dozens of times for the demolition of old bridges?

Just because it doesn't affect you personally doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

But transit is still treated like some frill that can be taken away every weekend with a subway or Metrolinx closure happening seemingly every weekend. It must be treated like the essential transportation backbone for the region that it is for transportation to work properly. Enough with this mentality of "as long as people can drive or take the bus, everything will be OK".

The options are:
- do the work overnight. The construction project will thus taking months and months, as there is a very short window of time to set up, do the work and then tear down. There will be slow orders for much of that time, affecting all of the commuters for that same time period. There is also the issue of the nearby neighbours having to deal with noise overnight.
- close the line for a weekend. The project will be done much faster, will have a far shorter period of slow orders, and the neighbours will only have to deal with overnight noise for a couple of nights.

Which do you prefer?

There is little to no redundancy in the subway and regional rail network. For that reason, I disagree completely that shutdowns are "worthwhile pain". Weekend shutdowns seem to becoming standard operating procedure instead of a rarity, reducing people's quality of life considerably.

You're absolutely correct here. That's what a lot of this work is for - to try and build in that redundancy.

Dan

 

[lowtrain]

Ever since the addition of the new station and slight schedule change, morning rush up trains have been getting more and more delayed. Today’s 8:28 train departed bloor towards union at 8:38.

 

[hw621]

Weekend rail closures are terrible. More people use transit than ever for everything but commuting--shopping, going out, and seeing family and friends. Subway and regional trains should continue to run during maintenance work, unless they're replacing the tracks. And even then, I bet it's still technically feasible to keep the trains running by coordinating each segment of track with a reduced schedule.

Metrolinx and the higher-ups are still stuck in the mindset that transits are for commuters...

 

[APTA-2048]

Metrolinx and the higher-ups are still stuck in the mindset that transits are for commuters...

There’s not really a good time to do that work is there? Last month they deferred a weekend closure and had to catch up on a Monday. People hated that.