Recent content by legoswmonkey

Another detail they shared with me after I asked about using TMC is that they're aiming to have one yard/maintenance centre per 100km, with a smaller facility every 50km. That seems overly dense to me but is apparently standard HSR practice.

Some interesting tidbits from my conversations with the various Alto reps today, including an engineer named David who really knew his stuff: When asked if ticketing and boarding would be more Skinkansen-style or the more securitized, airport style some are moving towards, they said it would be...

Would you say this paralysis is also behind the lack of development around West Harbour GO, Jamesville situation notwithstanding? The building going up at James and Barton is a good addition (Tower crane recently went up) but I really would expect more TOD near there given its future as a hub.

It's less operationally efficient for the HSR but the restriction to 40ft busses means the 2 gets some awesome frequencies at least- it has better off-peak headways than the Finch LRT :) Would have made biking through there much nicer as well, the bottleneck and swerve at that intersection is...

From what I've heard the turn onto Barton from John is too sharp for an artic. Even the 40ft busses have to make the right from the left turn lane.

These wires definitely need to be buried before catenary is strung, though I have no idea why that would be labelled "investigative works" unless this is a trial run for similar sorts of relocations elsewhere in the corridor. And catenary is years away.

Cut-and-cover and trenching has been used extensively on the LRT west extension, and I think that would work well for a potential double track spur into Ottawa Union. Trenched (or even elevated) through the 417/Nicholas interchange, then rip out Colonel By for a few years and either reopen it or...

It's not a guarantee that the station is placed there, but Alto's consultation map includes darker colouring showing the locations under consideration. Ottawa's bubble goes nowhere near Greenboro, and is clearly an ellipse drawn between Parliament and Tremblay. Montreal shows they're aiming for...

Sure, but for the majority of the city which lives on the west end, getting on at Rideau instead of Tremblay saves a decent chunk of time and the excruciating turns at Hurdman. If the city ever gets a form of commuter rail (stares at the Beachburg sub), Union makes for a far, far better terminus...

If they can get Ottawa's station downtown I will name my firstborn Cadence

Also interesting to me is confirmation of express services- "To make the service attractive there will be express trains between the largest cities". And specifically that the alignment will be finalized this year; we can spend the next 8 years of construction arguing about it.

Has the feasibility of replacing the Spirit's with more standard metro rolling stock once their lifespan ends been discussed here? I imagine the loading gauge of the tunnel is the main constraint.

With total control over the design of (most of) the trackage I think it's reasonable to expect some third passing tracks especially near Peterborough and Trois-Rivieres stations.