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

Calrissian said:
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...
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I think that's an important notion. Every person in every neighbourhood in Toronto needs to know that construction of a major infrastructure project will be done respectfully and mindful of their community's livability.
 
I think the Airport Express bus service is a prime example of the demand for an express route to/from the downtown core and Pearson. Does anyone know what the cost is for this service and what ridership looks like? I imagine this isn't readily available unless the service were run by a public agency.

** Edit **

Just checked the website and fares are ~$20 one way, no ridership numbers though :(
 
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With travel time 1/3rd of what the bus has today during rush hour, or half a normal trip, the ridership numbers would be far larger. The bus right now whenever I have taken it has usually 15 or 20 people. So 50 runs a day approximately? 7600 people on the low side.
 
If the train is implemented correctly is implemented correctly, I would expect the ridership to be higher than the bus. If it is run like a satellite terminal, where you go to the station and check in your luggage - and when you come back there are big signs indicating Train service to downtown - then ridership would be higher than the bus.

Locally, the last 3 times I have gone to the airport I have taken the new "downtown" train service - they actually have two trains - one is the cityline (with 6 stops), and the express service. Because the express service is not fully implemented I just take the cityline right now. Now they did not really do a good job because the "downtown" station is a little off the "downtown" area, and does not connect to the subway (you have to walk outside about 300 metres to find the subway station). The express does not have luggage checkin yet. Basically, it means it takes an extra 5 to 10 minutes, and costs 15 baht for cityline (promotional flat rate) - whereas the express is 100 baht (150 once all services are implemented). Public Taxi (i.e. different than Taxi - which is generally overpriced touts) costs a little over 300 baht to get "downtown". (around 30 baht / dollar)
 
Here is the new train for the rail link

SMART_SumitomoCar.jpg


Or at least one the govt and metrolink are looking at. Jumping on the California order for theese cars from Sumitomo..

http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2010/09/transportation/is-this-the-new-smart-car/


Toronto Star story about the piggyback buy the Govt / Metrolinx have in mind

http://www.thestar.com/news/transpo...nx-looks-at-buying-japanese-for-air-rail-link
 
More exciting news on the rail front...

to1117_georgetownroute-eps.jpg


http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/17/how-to-build-a-rail-link-to-pearson/

Things are getting really hot now...

A decades-long plan to launch a train service between Toronto and Pearson International Airport has become “job one” at the regional transportation agency known as Metrolinx, with officials underscoring a pledge to have it running in time for the Pan Am Games in 2015. But considerable opposition remains over the diesel-powered system that critics say should be electric. Officials insist that can’t be done by 2015. The Post’s Natalie Alcoba examines some of the finer points.

What is the link?

Described as a “premium” 25-minute service that connects Pearson airport with GO stations at Weston, Bloor and Union, the Air Rail Link will operate a two-coach shuttle on the tracks used for the Georgetown South service. It will run every 15 minutes, is expected to move 5,000 passengers a day when it launches, and will add 140 trains to tracks that currently see 23 to 45 trains go by. Government officials have long touted it as a way to reduce gridlock. It is expected to cost $300-million, and fell to Metrolinx to see through after private firm SNC Lavalin couldn’t get the financing it needed. GO Transit is also spending $875-million to upgrade its infrastructure on the Georgetown South corridor by adding tracks and widening bridges.

The Spur

In order to feed into Pearson, Metrolinx will have to build a three-kilometre “spur” that extends from the GO line at Highway 427, and weaves into the airport grounds. GO president Gary McNeil described it as a “very complex construction process” that will have to mind airport co-generation plan and utility locations along the way, along with an existing people-mover system on the airport grounds.

The vehicles?

Metrolinx announced Tuesday it will piggyback on another transit agency’s bid process and enter into formal negotiations to purchase up to 18 diesel locomotives for the link. The locomotives will meet stringent Tier 4 emissions standards, Metrolinx said in a statement, and will be convertible to electric in the event that Metrolinx decides to electrify the service. “We’re looking at up to 18 because we’re looking at 12 vehicles on opening day and we want an option to buy additional vehicles in the foreseeable future so we can take advantage of the very competitive price for those vehicles,” said Gary McNeil, president of GO Transit. Sumitomo Corporation of America, whose parent company is headquartered in Japan, is being considered for the award of a contract to produce DMU vehicles for Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit outside of San Francisco, at a cost of $3.1-million a vehicle, said Mr. McNeil. The next bid was $4.5-million. Mr. McNeil said Sonoma-Marin had a “very, very competitive” bid process, took ads out in all major newspapers soliciting proposals and ultimately had five to choose from.


Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/17/how-to-build-a-rail-link-to-pearson/#ixzz15YUMIBb3
 
Darwinkgo said:
With travel time 1/3rd of what the bus has today during rush hour, or half a normal trip, the ridership numbers would be far larger. The bus right now whenever I have taken it has usually 15 or 20 people. So 50 runs a day approximately? 7600 people on the low side.
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It would be interesting to get a stat on the number of downtown-Pearson or Pearson-downtown cab trips there are in a day. Surely the rail link would cannabalize a lot of those trips.
 
gweed123 said:
It would be interesting to get a stat on the number of downtown-Pearson or Pearson-downtown cab trips there are in a day. Surely the rail link would cannabalize a lot of those trips.
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There's enough that one cab company was able to negotiate sole pick up rights on the airport grounds and still be profitable.
 
holy inaccurate. this is not GO transit. GO transit does not and will not have a rail route to the airport! no GO trains will go to the airport. it's the airport rail link and it will not require only 3km of new track, it will require way more. the ARL will require its own two NEW tracks from the airport to at least to where the west toronto diamond is/was. (south of the WTD, can't remember if it will share any tracks).

to1117_georgetownroute-eps.jpg
 
The airport spur won't be compatible with existing GO rolling stock, only the tiny DMUs GO is planning to buy. How short-sighted.
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
I think the Airport Express bus service is a prime example of the demand for an express route to/from the downtown core and Pearson. Does anyone know what the cost is for this service and what ridership looks like? I imagine this isn't readily available unless the service were run by a public agency.

** Edit **

Just checked the website and fares are ~$20 one way, no ridership numbers though :(
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They are planning on 5,000 in 5 years......................eyes rolling .................as that should be the first year considering 14,000 passengers travel from the airport to the downtown today.
 
Prometheus The Supremo said:
holy inaccurate. this is not GO transit. GO transit does not and will not have a rail route to the airport! no GO trains will go to the airport. it's the airport rail link and it will not require only 3km of new track, it will require way more. the ARL will require its own two NEW tracks from the airport to at least to where the west toronto diamond is/was. (south of the WTD, can't remember if it will share any tracks).
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The additional tracks they are building will acomodate the ARL, express passenger trains and local passenger trains. They are all going to share tracks in some way.
 
RedRocket191 said:
The additional tracks they are building will acomodate the ARL, express passenger trains and local passenger trains. They are all going to share tracks in some way.
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not sure about that. two tracks are being built for the ARL and an extra track is being built for GO transit. with the minium of the 4 tracks, we could have GO trains, VIA trains, airport express trains & some type of rapid transit subway like service all sharing the tracks via the marvelous technology of track switches but that isn't the plan. like i said before, there will probably be sharing south of the junction.
 
I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I suspect we will see stopping trains using certain tracks and express trains using certain tracks, but don't forget that ARL trains won't be the only kind of express train running on the line.
 
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