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One can make the argument that the payback for municipalities is the growth and hence added taxation revenue resulting from transit. The problem is that this revenue comes in later years as development happens, and municipalities do not have the ability to borrow to bridge the gap. Maybe we...

The benefit of those LSW grade separations flows not only to Mississauga but also to Halton, Hamilton, and Niagara. Grade separating that line is a necessary prerequisite to running more trains all the way to Niagara. So the case for the Province covering a good portion of the costs is there...

I'm having a hard time envisioning the White River train generating enough bus ridership to move the needle. Ditto for train ridership on the Canadian, although there is local bus service to Capreol (not sure if times line up). It makes sense to have a single train-bus transportation hub for...

The pictures certainly show that there is a short-term intrusion by construction, but it can be quickly remediated afterwards. Far preferable to deep shafts to TBM-bored tunnels, which take longer to construct and impact more things for longer.. - Paul

Good catch. It looks like they are not finished pouring the crash wall, so it may end up extending further east all the way to the end. I also wonder if there is an exemption or variance approved based on this line likely seeing only the odd freight movement, and perhaps even those being speed...

Welcome to Toronto, where we build tiny homes in dystopian towers with zeal, while fighting fiercely to prevent any careful, reasoned, low-rise, moderate-density transformation of our quieter streets. At least it is on the north side, so doesn't shadow the entire station platform. - Paul

Well, considering how many systems worldwide operate with one in the cab and one onboard, I wouldn’t say never. What DB underestimated was, just how much change is needed for that to work here, both in equipment and physical plant, and in the operating and regulatory regimes. However…...

The announcements have been going on for weeks at least. Whether they have been tweaked at all from previous versions, I can't say. - Paul

I would simply take that incident as an indication that the station’s fire alarm system is commissioned and in service (as it should be, by now) , and like fire alarm systems everywhere, there are sometimes false activations. This is just life imitating an RSD. - Paul

PS - I have a theory that this whole "green zone" policy is an admission that ML has given up trying to get contractors to work under the CROR regime for protecting track work. Or maybe said contractors have been quoting astronomically to do so. Which is not to say that those rules are easy to...

The original EA document called for two platforms, an island on the east tracks and a side platform on the west side. That made no sense for a four track line, and I always wondered whether it reflected ML uncertainty about whether a fourth track would be approved... or maybe the EA consultant...

I'm wondering whether, after the green zone on the east side is no longer needed and tracks 0-1 can be placed in service... will ML then take tracks 2-3 out of service to do similar work for a second St Clair platform. If so, it will be many moons before that route is fully complete as a four...

The suggestion of progress is just an illusion. Note the red flags on Track 1 (the new track is Track 0). Both tracks are missing north of the underpass, up to about Rogers Road. Supposedly to enable preliminary works for the St Clair Smarttrack station. The Kitchener line is down to two tracks...

The obvious and technically simple solution would be to install a signalled turnout and a tail track at Confederation. One could simply negotiate an understanding with CN that the south main track between West Harbour and Confederation receives priority for GO movements, and CN will restrict its...

The congestion and bad driver decisions in the Oakwood-Allen stretch of the road warrant full time presence of traffic wardens as have been deployed downtown. It's just stupid how often deliveries and construction happens during rush hours (which for the past decade runs from 06:00 to 19:00 or...

Exactly. Through moves are easy, but turnbacks will be problemmatic without added signalling - Paul

PS - Re coffee - taking breaks is totally dependent on operations. Likely the conversation went like this: "RTC to train X, I have to hold you at Milton for an hour, so if you want to grab a coffee, that's fine" If the crew wanted a coffee, but the cars were needed to make a connection at the...

Don't assume that because a crew took a train to Mimico once, there is a crew available to run the same train every Saturday at the same time. Equipment moves are often ad hoc. That move might have had to wait until any number of other tasks got done. But lack of crews is really not the reason...

By station access, do you mean first mile/last mile? (Whether by walking, bike, bus, or whatever?) If so, I would very much agree. The only higher priority I would argue for is trackage. And signalling. We need the capacity for more trains n closer headways. And we need the connectivity to get...

Cue my re-rant about the legal concept of "material change" which applies in the private sector, and how it should apply to major public sector infrastructure projects. The concept is that by law, a "big" (ie material) change in the earnings potential of a traded company must be disclosed to...