robmausser
Senior Member
This always makes me laugh when my left leaning friends quote the escalating price of subways. What, do LRTs live in an economic vacuum?
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This always makes me laugh when my left leaning friends quote the escalating price of subways. What, do LRTs live in an economic vacuum?
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
If the costs are going up at a fixed rate, the magnitude of the price increase will be lowest for the item that had the lowest initial cost. And the magnitude of the cost difference between the most and least expensive option will increase.
Further, the subway construction has a lot more risk factors involved than the LRT.
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TheTigerMaster
Superstar
People assume cut and cover will be cheaper. This isn’t necessarily the case. It’s often more expensive.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Maybe, but maybe not - it should be investigated given the rising cost of what's being baseline right now.
AoD
innsertnamehere
Superstar
does it? how so? It was no further into design than the Scarborough Subway is now.
The LRT also now seriously conflicts with SmartTrack.
The other problem is that returning to LRT is another multi year delay. Scarborough will now no longer be waiting until 2026, but probably closer to 2030.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
Honestly though, I am curious as to just how expensive it would be to expropriate a strip along the existing RT alignment that would be wide enough to run subways on.
AoD
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
Yes. Simply because the subway project is significantly more complex - it has more variables than can go wrong. Likewise, we can say the DRL is more exposed to cost escalation than the SSE, because it’s more complicated and more expensive. As designed is finalized, these risks will reduce.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
The feasibility of widening the rail corridor depends on how politically convenient the option is.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
I don't mean politics, but actual cost of buying up the various properties along that route in part or in full.
AoD
Leo_Chan
Senior Member
You're going into debate discussions again...
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
You should take a look at the feasibility study for the surface subway option that Metrolinx did. They laid out all the costs there.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
The SSE project is now delayed by two years, and the TTC says there is significant probability there will be further delay.
At what point can the SRT no longer function? How expensive is it to keep it functional longer?
And some of the GO RER work depends on the SRT being dismantled. Is the longer SSE timeline going to delay RER work?
At what point can the SRT no longer function? How expensive is it to keep it functional longer?
And some of the GO RER work depends on the SRT being dismantled. Is the longer SSE timeline going to delay RER work?
innsertnamehere
Superstar
They looked at running the subway on the RT alignment when they first switched to subway from LRT. Glen Murray famously pushed for that option when he was transport minister - it turned out to be just as expensive as the current alignment as Kennedy station had to be completely rebuilt and the elevated guideway needed a complete reconstruction to hold the much heavier subway trains.
The only bit of RER that requires the removal of the SRT is the smarttrack stations. RER can run up to Markham while the SRT is still running, it just can't make any concurrent stops.
TheTigerMaster
Superstar
I wonder if anyone from China reads this thread and laughs. Probably not. But they should!