GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Northern Light]

So how this would mean for the one fare program extension beyond the March 31, 2026 expiry date now that it made 60 million transfers compared with 51 million in the September board meeting?

It will be extended/renewed; the only question is whether enhancements come this year, the province has been mulling over a number of changes with the general aim of harmonizing and simplifying fares across different systems.

But doing so could be quite expensive if the province eats the cost of downward harmonizing of fares. There are also options for lowering GO fares further, but that has both cost and capacity implications.

So we'll see what comes forward.

 

[nfitz]

But doing so could be quite expensive if the province eats the cost of downward harmonizing of fares.

Sounds like time for smaller systems to quickly raise their fares!!

 

[smallspy]

Dan its not the fact that theres a rethought required... thats normal for situations like this. the really frustrating part is that this is not a bridge over the grand canyon or a gigantic station. its a relatively simple creek that
shouldnt require 2 years to redesign. this is largely a case of bureaucracy and project mismanagement stalling the project. if they really wanted to they couldve gotten this redesigned and built within the year. its so stupid how the entire double tracking for stoufville
is stalled all because they cant sort out small sections of a mere a 8km stretch of track.

You're right - it is a relatively simple creek crossing, and it shouldn't have an effect on the bridge above it.

But it does.

You can blame Metrolinx for the secrecy on the whole thing, sure. A lot of us are. But to claim that they are stalling the project is simply ignorant of the facts and of reality.

Dan

 

[stevensontransit]

It bodes well. If they knew it wasn't going to stay, they'd very quickly stop mentioning it.

It will be extended/renewed; the only question is whether enhancements come this year, the province has been mulling over a number of changes with the general aim of harmonizing and simplifying fares across different systems.

But doing so could be quite expensive if the province eats the cost of downward harmonizing of fares. There are also options for lowering GO fares further, but that has both cost and capacity implications.

So we'll see what comes forward.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Sauga89]

They have now reposted the documents that were removed. I can't find any changes offhand. The reference to the Dec. 7 Finch LRT opening day is still there. I guess they figured the cat was out of the bag. Aecon also released this press release today about completing the Finch LRT.

Aside from restoring the documents that were removed, they also posted an additional document. I won't post the whole thing (though I have downloaded it), but I will post a few slides.

I will also tag @crs1026 since I know workflows are something he follows.

 

[Allandale25]

^ fascinating to see the visualization of this and a lot of the discussion topics here.

 

[generalcanada]

They have now reposted the documents that were removed. I can't find any changes offhand. The reference to the Dec. 7 Finch LRT opening day is still there. I guess they figured the cat was out of the bag. Aecon also released this press release today about completing the Finch LRT.

Aside from restoring the documents that were removed, they also posted an additional document. I won't post the whole thing (though I have downloaded it), but I will post a few slides.

View attachment 697525
View attachment 697526
View attachment 697527
I will also tag @crs1026 since I know workflows are something he follows.

that graph should be saved.
7.5 minute up electrified up express service with a new fleet?
Its been rumored for awhile but that all but confirms the dmus have an expiry date?

 

[Northern Light]

I'm going to slightly enlarge a couple of those excellent slides from @Sauga89 for ease of legibility. I'm only going to 133% as I found the print started to get fuzzy beyond that.

 

[ProjectEnd]

Let me restate my point.....

Once construction has started and an issue is noted with a neighbouring property/structure due to the work being done, construction is stopped. And it may require that the project gets rethought or reengineered to suit.

This is what's happening here.

Dan

This kind of thing does happen in construction projects all the time. We are expected to sort it out in days, not weeks or months or, as here, years. I'm certainly not putting this on you, but it's utterly absurd Metrolinx and CPKC are just able to go 'meh, maybe later' on something like this. For the love of god, it's not even on the stupid chart posted above.

 

[PShells]

The Mount Joy second platform/passing tracks is labelled as under construction in these slides. I haven’t seen any early works let alone construction. The September CPG list stated this project wasn’t even going to be RFP until the end of this year.

I do love this slide deck though.

 

[kthing]

Richmond Hill Mission non-existent

 

[Coolibop]

They have now reposted the documents that were removed. I can't find any changes offhand. The reference to the Dec. 7 Finch LRT opening day is still there. I guess they figured the cat was out of the bag. Aecon also released this press release today about completing the Finch LRT.

Aside from restoring the documents that were removed, they also posted an additional document. I won't post the whole thing (though I have downloaded it), but I will post a few slides.

View attachment 697525
View attachment 697526
View attachment 697527
I will also tag @crs1026 since I know workflows are something he follows.

Is this the first time we’ve seen percentage‑based improvement targets for individual lines? E.g. the Lakeshore East/West mission is now described as being 30% faster.

But faster compared to what? Presumably this refers to end‑to‑end trip times, achieved through electrification, higher sustained speeds, and quicker acceleration/deceleration with new rolling stock, even with addition of new stops.

 

[crs1026]

They have now reposted the documents that were removed. I can't find any changes offhand. The reference to the Dec. 7 Finch LRT opening day is still there. I guess they figured the cat was out of the bag. Aecon also released this press release today about completing the Finch LRT.

Aside from restoring the documents that were removed, they also posted an additional document. I won't post the whole thing (though I have downloaded it), but I will post a few slides.

To give credit where due, this is one of the more constructive and insightful things I have ever seen come from Metrolinx - this kind of "how to get from here to the goal" analysis has been very much absent to date.

There are a couple of small things I would challenge - e.g. 4th track Nickle to Humberview is declared "complete' when in fact the signalling has not been cut in and not one train has ever actually used that segment. But I won't dwell on these.

In general, one has to be cautious in the sense that some of the items listed as necessary to reach the end state are pretty big ticket and long lead time things, so the end state is still a ways off. But it's really good to have this level of candour and detail about what must be done to get there.

And we should all save a copy of this document, so that we can compare it to whatever is issued in a year or two.... ML still needs to demonstrate that it can preserve a previously defined scope and attack it with discipline. Come back in a year and show us that the goalposts haven't moved, and there is substantive progress to move forward, with the longest lead time items getting launched soonest.

- Paul

PS - and please add some general timelines, and show which of these tasks have committed funding and which still need funding approved.

 

[Northern Light]

@crs1026

In looking over the document above....it was my conclusion, at first blush, that the Barrie Corridor is closest to achieving improvements that will be substantial and noticeable to the public, followed by K-W.

Electrification aside LSE will have out-of-service track for several years, and the major grade separations in Scarborough remain pending, if increasingly imminent.

LSW requires the O/L work at Exhibtiion out of the way, and probably the rebuilding of the Dufferin/Dowling bridges etc.....so that's at least a couple of years.

Stouffville is question mark.

Thoughts?

 

[smallspy]

This kind of thing does happen in construction projects all the time. We are expected to sort it out in days, not weeks or months or, as here, years. I'm certainly not putting this on you, but it's utterly absurd Metrolinx and CPKC are just able to go 'meh, maybe later' on something like this. For the love of god, it's not even on the stupid chart posted above.

To this degree, and in the railroad sphere?

No, it does not.

Look, you can try and downplay it all you want, I don't care. Those people in the know are shitting bricks over this, and are genuinely concerned about the project and its repercussions. And that's not even factoring the political ramifications of the delays.

Dan