GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[ARG1]

Whether or not the Sheppard subway is extended has little to do with Doug Ford.

A reminder, btw, that it was the Conservative government of Mike Harris who cut the line back from VP to Don Mills.

With all the appropriate caveats as to future uncertainties......

Sheppard will more than likely be extended east to VP for a host of reasons discussed at some length over the years; and westward to Sheppard West in order to connect to the Wilson Yard, largely to benefit Line 1.

East of VP may well happen but is certainly a longer term and lower priority project exceedingly unlikely to be approved in the next term of government.

I wonder how much sense this actually makes. You're digging a new launch shaft deep underground (Don Mills is really deep), and spending a ton of money on new TBMs... just to dig a 2km long extension? It will be far more cost effective just to keep the TBMs running and get more value out of the extension.

 

[Northern Light]

I wonder how much sense this actually makes. You're digging a new launch shaft deep underground (Don Mills is really deep), and spending a ton of money on new TBMs... just to dig a 2km long extension? It will be far more cost effective just to keep the TBMs running and get more value out of the extension.

Possibly.

But that is an additional 5.5km, and probably another 4 stations. That's not a small additional cost.

Suffice to say, I don't see that entire line going in all at once, in the next funding cycle.

 

[kamira51]

Possibly.

But that is an additional 5.5km, and probably another 4 stations. That's not a small additional cost.

Suffice to say, I don't see that entire line going in all at once, in the next funding cycle.

I think what @ARG1 is saying is, it makes sense to just tunnel the whole thing right from the getgo even if you don't build the stations right away, you still have the tunnel built.

 

[Northern Light]

I think what @ARG1 is saying is, it makes sense to just tunnel the whole thing right from the getgo even if you don't build the stations right away, you still have the tunnel built.

If we get to this project, and that were an over-riding goal (no demobilizing w/o finishing)........then I would come back to my long-standing position of just building one-station at a time, but continuously.

So, in the case of Sheppard East, if, for agument's sake, work got underway in 2030, you open Consumers Station in 2033, then VP in 2034, Warden in 2036, Kennedy in 2038 etc.

That avoids demobilization, maintains and enhances worker/contractor expertise, while delivering results sooner, vs building a much larger line segment all at once.

It also spreads out the cost.

That's how we used to do it here.

Yonge went north from Eglinton to York Mills, then on to Sheppard, and then Finch in successive years.

 

[Adjei]

Moving ahead on tendering Smartrack stations. Some, like Finch will need several years of construction.

"With the agreement now signed, Metrolinx is moving forward with the procurement to build four stations located at St. Clair-Old Weston, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty and Bloor-Lansdowne, with the final station – East Harbour – being delivered through Ontario’s Transit-Oriented Communities Program. All five stations are anticipated to be open and operational by 2026."​

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1000748/ontario-and-toronto-start-delivery-of-smarttrack-stations-program

"Each station will be managed as an individual procurement and contract, and requests for proposals are expected to be released this August and awarded in Fall 2021."​

New agreement with City of Toronto helps bring new SmartTrack stations closer to reality

New agreement with City of Toronto helps bring new SmartTrack stations closer to reality

blog.metrolinx.com

What about the station at Spadina and Front, is it not included?

 

[generalcanada]

What about the station at Spadina and Front, is it not included?

Last we heard about that station was that it was scaled back to be a barrie GO train all stops train stop. and no other train wouldf stop there

 

[ARG1]

What about the station at Spadina and Front, is it not included?

That station is a pure metrolinx station, not funded by the city.

 

[EnviroTO]

There always a fair number of workers on site every time I have visit the site. Counted 13 worker in my photos of July 26 that yet to be tag and upload.

My concern is the progress on the shelters. I see they have made progress pouring concrete but I feel like the shelter roof has been up since spring and not much has happened since. But landscaping and concrete pours have obviously occurred.

"Each station will be managed as an individual procurement and contract, and requests for proposals are expected to be released this August and awarded in Fall 2021."

That would be an almost unprecedented speed from RFP to award. Very exciting if true. Have they even awarded a deal for Caledonia GO Station yet? Caledonia GO Station has been announced so many times it isn't funny. A preliminary design came out in 2013 and really hasn't changed much, it was announced in 2015, and announced a number of times since including RFP in July 28 2020, then announced it is still going in May 28 2021. Originally it was expected to open at the same time as the Eglinton Crosstown, but at this rate despite the Crosstown being a number of years late it may not even get a shovel in the ground before the line opens.

 

[rbt]

That would be an almost unprecedented speed from RFP to award.

They might be plain Build contracts. No financing, already designed, etc. There's no mention of IO involvement. 3 months isn't an unusually short time to put a price on a simple build.

Most of the delays to Metrolinx tenders are caused by either Metrolinx not knowing exactly what they want or government wanting to delay spending.

 

[innsertnamehere]

yup I read this as these stations being traditionally procured.

I believe Metrolinx is returning to that model for a lot of things as governments are increasingly finding P3s to be clunky and overly challenging and expensive, especially for smaller projects like a single station.

 

[smallspy]

I wonder how much sense this actually makes. You're digging a new launch shaft deep underground (Don Mills is really deep), and spending a ton of money on new TBMs... just to dig a 2km long extension? It will be far more cost effective just to keep the TBMs running and get more value out of the extension.

A pair of TBMs is going to cost less than $40mil. The ones for the TYSSE cost $13-and-change each when they were purchased new in 2009.

That's almost a rounding error on the budget of any potential subway line.

Dan

 

[reaperexpress]

Rutherford station, 21 August 2021:

Parkade seems to be nearing completion:

The old station building is still standing, for now...

The southbound platform interestingly doesn't have access from the overhead walkway. Hopefully there will be a second (e.g. underground) crossing since the bike parking obviously won't be on the 3rd floor of the parking garage.
The high concrete bases under the pillars is to future-proof them for when the platform gets raised for level boarding. At that point, freight trains will no longer be able to pass directly by the platforms, hence the space left open for a third track.

Northbound platform seems to be nearly complete, passengers should soon be able to start using it, allowing the temporary platform to be demolished and the southbound platform to be completed in its place.

 

[Undead]

Will they be replacing the rest of the wooden ties/sleepers in that last pic?

 

[sixrings]

Rutherford station, 21 August 2021:

Parkade seems to be nearing completion:

The old station building is still standing, for now...

The southbound platform interestingly doesn't have access from the overhead walkway. Hopefully there will be a second (e.g. underground) crossing since the bike parking obviously won't be on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. The high concrete bases under the pillars is to future-proof them for when the platform gets raised for level boarding. At that point, freight trains will no longer be able to pass directly by the platforms, hence the space left open for a third track.

Northbound platform seems to be nearly complete, passengers should soon be able to start using it, allowing the temporary platform to be demolished and the southbound platform to be completed in its place.

I love these new stations and parking garages. At this rate surely a 905 station will surpass union station in class.

 

[DirectionNorth]

Rutherford station, 21 August 2021:

Parkade seems to be nearing completion:

The old station building is still standing, for now...

The southbound platform interestingly doesn't have access from the overhead walkway. Hopefully there will be a second (e.g. underground) crossing since the bike parking obviously won't be on the 3rd floor of the parking garage. The high concrete bases under the pillars is to future-proof them for when the platform gets raised for level boarding. At that point, freight trains will no longer be able to pass directly by the platforms, hence the space left open for a third track.

Northbound platform seems to be nearly complete, passengers should soon be able to start using it, allowing the temporary platform to be demolished and the southbound platform to be completed in its place.

Is that big structure the parking palace/complex?