Toronto Union Station Revitalization | ?m | ?s | City of Toronto | NORR

"We're almost there."

I noticed today promotional window clings have been added to the glass at various locations around the new concourse with slogans like "We're almost ready to show off all our hard work!" and "'Better' doesn't even begin describe what we've done."
 
wopchop said:
As I mentioned, I believe that they are part of Stage 3 (after Bay Concourse), but I am not certain of that.
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It just sounds odd to me. Instead of taking advantage of this current closure of the west moat ... at some future date they are going to construct glass skylights above a heavily trafficked pedestrian area?
 
Le Gique said:
It just sounds odd to me. Instead of taking advantage of this current closure of the west moat ... at some future date they are going to construct glass skylights above a heavily trafficked pedestrian area?
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I think they have experience building glass roofs above heavily used areas.
 
Le Gique said:
Case well made. it's above my pay grade to say yea or nay.

Do many rail operation safety regs have to change to allow even tighter scheduling or 'double berthing'?
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USRC (Union Station Rail Corridor) is being resignalled. They begin this year. This allows more throughput into/out of the station while complying with safety regulations.

Also, Metrolinx is beginning a Feasibility Study for Positive Train Control (PTC). It improves safety by automatically braking a train when it gets too close to the train ahead, or hits a speed limit while being too fast, etc. Metrolinx may even do this in conjunction with the RER upgrades, as PTC increases a track capacity, and permits subway-style 3-minute headways between trains on supported infrastructure.

Metrolinx is setting up a new train traffic control (a control centre room), which will help with dispatching and routing of trains, enhancing safety further and speeding up operations.

Double berthing used to be done at Union, the old (disused) berths still exist, Metrolinx is just re-activating what used to be done by passenger services of yesteryear. Some safety rules would need to be followed, and appropriate infrastructure installed.
 
Le Gique said:
It just sounds odd to me. Instead of taking advantage of this current closure of the west moat ... at some future date they are going to construct glass skylights above a heavily trafficked pedestrian area?
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The moat at the connection to the subway station will eventually require demolition and construction of the new permanent connection (this is what Stage 3 is), so that is why I assumed the permanent skylights would be installed at that point. I'm not sure of the full scope of work in the area, but it doesn't make sense install the skylight before the demolition takes place.

I get what you are saying about the west moat, but I believe that the moat itself needs to be restored, which would hold skylight installation.

If you look at this link, it details the construction staging;

Stage one

Completion of early works (demolition, abatement and other preparatory work)
Start of excavation ("dig down") under the York concourse, VIA concourse and part of the Bay concourse
Start of upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems
Start of restoration work on the exterior façade
Completion of loading dock
Completion of the Bay and York teamways within the viaduct structure
Completion of West Wing
Completion of VIA Panorama Lounge
Completion of two new bike stations
Completion of York concourse
Completion of lower retail level on west side
Completion of first part of North/West PATH across Front St.

Stage two

Continue with dig down under the Bay concourse
Continue with construction of the new Bay concourse
Construction of a retail level below the Bay concourse (part of the future Bay promenade)
Restoration of VIA concourse
Continuation of the restoration/repair of the exterior façade and initiate work within the Great Hall
Restoration of Front St. West moat and York St. moat and installation of moat covers

Stage three

Renovation of the first floor of the East Wing
Multi-phased dig down below the East Wing for the completion of the Bay promenade retail level
Completion of the repair/restoration of the Great Hall
Complete the repair/restoration of the exterior facade
Reconstruction of the Front St. East moat and installation of a moat cover including removal of the steps down to the TTC
Restoration of Bay St. moat and installation of a moat cover
Completion of the NW Path to Wellington St.
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mdrejhon said:
Also, Metrolinx is beginning a Feasibility Study for Positive Train Control (PTC). It improves safety by automatically braking a train when it gets too close to the train ahead, or hits a speed limit while being too fast, etc. Metrolinx may even do this in conjunction with the RER upgrades, as PTC increases a track capacity, and permits subway-style 3-minute headways between trains on supported infrastructure.
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PTC does nothing to improve capacity. All it provides is an additional level of safety by enforcing the rules and regulations that already exist. It is not a signalling system, but rather just an overlay on top of the existing systems.

For the record, UPX equipment has PTC installed and active - this is a requirement for the use of one-man crews on those runs.

mdrejhon said:
Metrolinx is setting up a new train traffic control (a control centre room), which will help with dispatching and routing of trains, enhancing safety further and speeding up operations.
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The new dispatching office will do nothing to enhance safety, but it will allow for GO to ensure that its trains have priority over other trains on their lines, and thus become more reliable.

mdrejhon said:
Double berthing used to be done at Union, the old (disused) berths still exist, Metrolinx is just re-activating what used to be done by passenger services of yesteryear. Some safety rules would need to be followed, and appropriate infrastructure installed.
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Double-berthing has never been done at Union - each track has only boarded or debarked one train at a time. Double-berthing, however, will be allowed and made available with the new signal system once it is in place.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.
 
Thanks for the corrections, smallspy.

That said, isn't it precedent that "increased safety" helps other "restrictions" to be removed (whether it be train, rail, cars, etc), making things more efficient or speeding things up? e.g. More reliable switches, signals, safety mechanisms, make it less risky to reach near the legal USRC speed limit, as an example?
 
Thanks kotsy - I will have to find the time to document the last days of the Bay Concourse at some point. It's really a lot of hassle to bring the gear along on a workday and having to brave the rush.

AoD
 
DSC said:
You have a few months yet - the Bay concourse is remaining open until the PAG are over.
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Good point. They modified the timing, by the virtue of delays becoming so close to PanAm, that they decided to run both concourses concurrently during the Games. Not a bad idea.

But if you want to video a historic moment of the most crowdedest of the crowded crowding crunch, you may want to act soon anyway, camera tripod set up at 4:58pm this week or next, before some of the crowd decide to divert away from Bay with the York opening.
 
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