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

What? The fact that it is designed and going to be built and operated as a diesel-hydraulic makes it an EMU?

That's not the mouth-end of the horse you're getting that from Dave. And if you believe that, than you're no better.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

I said they are design as an EMU from day one and therefore they can be converted back from a DMU to a EMU at a later date with no design or structural changes, other than the $1m to do it. They will be DMU when put into service.

These cars are been market as DMU/EMU, but mostly DMU regardless using diesel-hydraulic.

The horse mouth happens to be Bruce McCuaig and Gary McNeil who stated this at both the BOD as well at the Media briefing after the meeting. Since you are the known all expert, you better inform these people of their mistakes.

 
Does anyone know what the plans are for upgrading or renovating GO Bloor station? Are there plans to link it directly to Dundas West Station?
 
I said they are design as an EMU from day one and therefore they can be converted back from a DMU to a EMU at a later date with no design or structural changes, other than the $1m to do it. They will be DMU when put into service.

These cars are been market as DMU/EMU, but mostly DMU regardless using diesel-hydraulic.

The horse mouth happens to be Bruce McCuaig and Gary McNeil who stated this at both the BOD as well at the Media briefing after the meeting. Since you are the known all expert, you better inform these people of their mistakes.


So you are relying on two political appointments who have virtually no knowledge of the ins and outs of railway equipment? And then you wonder why so many people question what you say?

I would think that the builder of the equipment has a remote idea as to what they are talking about. They are, after all, the ones designing it.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
Obviously a diesel train with no ability to use electricity without future modifications is a DMU and not an EMU. Once modified, it would then be an EMU.
 
Is there any info/renderings of where the ARL line actually terminates at the Airport? I assume it would be somewhere near the existing people mover parkade?

It is planned to terminate at the Terminal 1 People Mover (LINK) station. There is space between the two people mover tracks to build an ARL track and platform.
 
Is there any info/renderings of where the ARL line actually terminates at the Airport? I assume it would be somewhere near the existing people mover parkade?
There's a couple of things on the Weston Coalition website:

http://www.westoncommunitycoalition.ca/GTAA Letter re ARL infrastructure.pdf

http://www.westoncommunitycoalition.ca/GTAA aerial view of ARL infrastructure.pdf

As you can see, the station is at the same location as the current T1 people mover (APM) station. Some of the infrastructure for the ARL station was constructed when built the APM, and was already constructed before the GTAA letter from 5 years ago.
 
I don't understand the protests against the diesel-electric trains. With the exception of the subway, every freight and passenger train in Ontario is diesel-electric. It's not as if the Government is putting in a coal or oil fired train to the airport.
 
I supported the Weston crowd originally because they were absolutely correct in their arguments - the private Blue 22 plan offered no benefits, only costs to the neighbourhood. But their work directly or indirectly or partially resulted in many mitigating circumstances:
- A full EA than the questionable original plan
- The full retention of King Street as an east-west connection
- The partial retention of John Street to pedestrians
- A stop for Blue 22 in Weston
- Tier 4 DMUs purchased
- Public ownership of the Airport Rail Link
- The electrification study that wasn't rigged against electrification; in fact made a very strong case for electrifying the Georgetown line first

As well, GO will do better than the lousy improvements in the original EA that showed that communities united will sink poor planning; Weston can come out ahead now.

I still oppose super-premium fares for the rail link, there needs to be integration with surrounding local and regional transit, including VIA. But most of my objections have been at least partially addressed. It's happening, most of the things the original Weston coalition wanted, they got. Good for them, but know what fights to pick, there's a lot besides the rail line that Weston should rally to change to make that neighbourhood better. They organized and got a lot for it - there's lots of other fights to fight.
 
I still oppose super-premium fares for the rail link, there needs to be integration with surrounding local and regional transit, including VIA.
I've taken the express city-to-airport links in both London (Paddington Stn to Heathrow) and Hong Kong. Both were pricey (especially London's) and not integrated with the surrounding transit beyond sharing some stations. Both systems worked well IMO.
 
I don't understand the protests against the diesel-electric trains. With the exception of the subway, every freight and passenger train in Ontario is diesel-electric. It's not as if the Government is putting in a coal or oil fired train to the airport.

People want a modern solution to the problem of a huge concentration of air pollution and noise in dense urban neighbourhoods. There was a time when trains seemed to be on the decline or not used as much and it wasn't much of an issue, but massive expansion in dense communities means new issues to address. Electrified rail is not even a risky or expensive new technology; it's been around for a century and offers operational savings.

Now the government's excuse to delay electrification on Georgetown corridor seems to be that it couldn't be done in time for the Pan Am games, a two-week sporting event, meaning that if electrification does in fact happen, all the money spent on diesel trains will have been a waste, and a future government might not be inclined to support the commitment.

Also, ShonTron: The Clean Train Coalition was organized by a group of people not uniformly from Weston but from around the corridor.
 
Now the government's excuse to delay electrification on Georgetown corridor seems to be that it couldn't be done in time for the Pan Am games, a two-week sporting event, meaning that if electrification does in fact happen, all the money spent on diesel trains will have been a waste, and a future government might not be inclined to support the commitment.

Isn't that why they bought trains that are convertible? With a price tag for conversion known up front too. How is "all the money spent....." a waste?
 

Back
Top