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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
EnviroTO
Senior Member
Wow, that is surprising to me. Most of my international train travel has been in the Northeast Corridor, Japan, the UK, and Brussels. Only on VIA and a train in Vietnam can I recall trying to go up the stairs of a train with luggage. Well there was a train in Japan with stairs... but it had level boarding and stairs down or up from there if you weren't sitting on the ends of the train. Trains in France are not accessible... I did not know that. Although it seems that might be changing...
drum118
Superstar
Sorry, but a lot of intercity platforms are not high platform and you need to watch that last step that about 8" away from the platform. This also includes High Speed Rail that I rode in Europe as well UK.
Nice France
Paris France
Amsterdam Centraal Station
Venice Italy Central Station
StealthyArrow
Active Member
A more thorough weekly update at Milliken GO...
A contrast with the old and abandoned, and the new..
A contrast with the old and abandoned, and the new..
Allandale25
Senior Member
Northern Light
Superstar
Those support piers and abutments have character:
robmausser
Senior Member
One step closer to the Stouffville Subway Line! haha. (Completely grade separated electric multiple unit trains operating every 5-15 minutes all day)
reaperexpress
Senior Member
The article says "Metrolinx’s contractor will be replacing spans and support beams, repairing masonry, and upgrading the structural capacity of the aging Speed River Bridge", so it sounds like the the piers and abutments are being retained.
The bridge structure is already future-proofed for double-track:
But it doesn't sound like this particular work will be installing the structure for the second track. At most the spans that are getting outright replaced might get a double-track span instead.
drum118
Superstar
When I shot the area last year, they cut in a switch on the west side of the bridge for the south track.
The piers will be retrain
Metrolinx is moving to bridges that does not allow material to fall from them and expect they will replace the existing track bridge with the new style a section at a time. Corten is being use these days for environment reasons especially over water as paint is not allow on new bridges over water or wet lands.
KevinT
Active Member
In theory, but I would be surprised if those cross beams are up to modern railway structural codes. While grandfathered in to hold the existing track, they'd likely need replacement to support a second track. Ideally the piers could remain as is.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
Yeah, hence: "Metrolinx’s contractor will be replacing spans and support beams [...]". My point is that the design of the bridge (i.e. the placement and presumably strength of the pillars) is designed for there to be two spans.
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smallspy
Senior Member
While trains are longer and heavier today than they were 80 years ago, some of the forces that they apply to the rail and structures are significantly less so. The forces - and especially impacts - applied to track and structures by steam locos was vastly greater than that applied even by modern 430,000 pound freight locos.
This is why a lot of railroads have been able to increase their weight loading standards from 268k to 286k to 315k (all measured per 4-axle car) without changing any structures.
Dan
awaterwell
New Member
I know this is a pretty minor concern, but I hope they keep the CN paint scheme on these bridges.
Garuda
Active Member
When the reconstruction for the Guelph bridges was announced, I contacted Metrolinx to enquire about installing a 2nd track over the Speed River Bridge. This was their response:
Needless to say I’m disappointed they aren’t taking advantage of the situation to install a 2nd south track to the bridge.
crs1026
Superstar
I’m with ML on this one.
They are replacing the crossbeams, which means they have enabled a second span when it’s needed. That’s sound futureproofing.
But why procure and install spans that their analysis says they won’t need for years yet.
We know they are not doubletracking the line at this time. The service plan doesn’t require that.
We are a long ways (and a lot of money) from headways that demand full double tracking.
I will be a whole lot happier when they get sidings and other things done, so that there is useful counterflow service. There’s too much delay just to get that done. We don’t need scope creep - first things first.
- Paul