Recent content by dowlingm

I mean there are people (cheeky side-eye at one UTer who is also on Twitter) who think that UPX should be in the TTC co-fare. I guess it could be raised by the same amount as a current TTC fare and then put it in the co-fare :D

There was a reason Metrolinx wanted to do this. We have speculated on what it was, but presumably it was felt to be necessary, and that there was at least some expectation of pushback. We should have a mechanism to find out what it was, but with a Ford majority at Queens Park we are unlikely to...

*cough* Northlander *cough*

If you have a good reserve it means you’re less likely to be absolutely screwed when your new stock supplier turns out to be a dud, as SEPTA is finding out.

Yeah, “the public”

Someone in Metrolinx planning is getting a sharp lesson tonight about how you “don’t ever take sides against the Family”.

I think that is excessively optimistic, given historical procurement and that VIA have indicated they will rebuild the F40s. I can't see VIA committing until they see what Amtrak ends up with and can potentially piggyback as they did the corridor fleet.

If I was to put myself in Westoners shoes, the one true differential between UPX and GO is operating hours. UPX operates an all day schedule whereas GO's inevitably tails off. But, as I noted previously, Westoners also have other no-change options to reach Pearson, and at the same time Mount...

CityNews (Twitter) says Alstom is restricting GO personnel vacation for the remainder of the year

You're still stopping the train, opening the doors, waiting for some clown to get his roller suitcase caught in a gap or the closing doors etc. The trains have to be able to complete the journey in time to maintain a clockface schedule, and all the while competing with more GO trains inbound to...

The train was Union-Pearson Express. Right there in the name. The Bloor and Weston stops were added later but part of the motivation was presumably to address the moaning (led by a local NDP politician) that "dirty diesels" (no, really) were passing every 15 minutes and killing people in Weston...

Alitalia could not compete in an open skies environment - the beginning of the end was when Aer Lingus broke the papal monopoly in 1979 :D

Alitalia spent decades on the brink - what killed it was EU State Aid restrictions. There is a decent sized article on the financial crises of Alitalia and it doesn't mention "rail" or "train". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_situation_of_Alitalia

The location appears to be Halifax so I guess the direction is returning to Europe. There is a hydrogen trial project in the US but it is using Stadler vehicles, in San Bernadino

My theory - Metrolinx doesn't want to stop at Bloor AND Mount Dennis AND Weston for (1) schedule adherence (2) abandoning the train to being a pure premium commuter service vs an airport train. When Mount Dennis opens the "express" services will be changed to add a stop there The question is...