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GO Transit: Union Station Shed Replacement & Track Upgrades (Zeidler)

nfitz said:
I assume there is provision for some trains to still run through. Are the new platforms they are now building on the south even long enough for double berthing?
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The new South platform is 863 metres long split into 4 platforms (2 bay 2 through), each of the 4 can support around 14-16 car long trains. Remember that GO will be running shorter trains after GO Expansion (probably 4-6 car trains with some 8 car trains), so there is enough room to double birth as long as they build the signalling to support it.
 
The other day I was at Union and then I remembered there was the new part of the platform with the high ceilings. Honestly, the majority of the time I'm nowhere near that part, so I walked over, and I realized how tiny the section of Union that has the new ceiling. It's ridiculously small tbh. Kinda a joke
 
smallspy said:
As has been covered many times....

Running through will reduce capacity versus double berthing. This is why it is being done.
Click to expand...

I have to believe that such a statement is not absolute and would depend on many factors (i.e. number of tracks on approaches, number of platforms, platform width, platform length, destination of passengers, etc). Take Bloor station, split line 1 into 1N and 1S so there are no through trains, and cut the train lengths in half because the platform is the same length it always was... I can't believe you have increased the capacity of anything. You would be forcing more people through the doors and you would require the operator to switch ends of the trains before leaving. Through trains with more people staying on the train would have a shorter dwell than trains with 100% unload and 100% reload and change of direction.

I would think the capacity would be a formula of platforms x platform&train size x platform availability time slots (with slots being determined by dwell and the ability to move the train off the platform to a place where it doesn't conflict with incoming traffic). If you split the platform in half you now have double the platforms but that only maintains the capacity if you make the platforms longer. If you switch to not having through trains you are likely increasing dwell (less platform availability) but if you had turned 2 platforms into 4 then you could have one train dwell on track 1 while the next train going to the same destination arrives track 2... but this only works well if you are directing passengers to some island platform between track 1 and 2. So this increase in capacity fully depends on many operational factors. If you only have 2 tracks for Lakeshore and you have long high capacity trains that are electrified and signalled efficiently... you aren't going to get any efficiency double berthing, cutting the train length in two, and turning the trains around at Union.

If it is true that double berthing will increase capacity at Union it would likely be due to the limiting factors of Union vs a general statement about through trains (i.e. not being able to widen the corridor to add platforms or widen platforms to allow passengers to wait at track level, and the only way to add platforms being adding them to the east and west), and the nature of what is running into those platforms now vs what is expected (i.e. long diesel trains with longer headway vs shorter electric trains with short headway).
 
EnviroTO said:
or widen platforms to allow passengers to wait at track level, and the only way to add platforms being adding them to the east and west),
Click to expand...
Both are happening (the platforms may be long in the first photo, but besides the Canadian they are never used, in the new design they will be):
You_Doodle+_2023-03-05T23_50_43Z.jpeg
You_Doodle+_2023-02-25T04_19_44Z.jpeg
 
I'm curious to see the what the operating model will end up looking like (i.e. approaches dedicated to specific lines, platforms dedicated to specific routes, etc). The higher the frequency on any line the more important it will be to dedicate platforms so people can wait in the right place and stay there if they just missed their train to wait for the next one.
 
nfitz said:
Are they still going to be long enough for the Canadian? The longest ones look shorter.
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The Canadian has rarely ever needed to use an entire platform, there’s been few cases where the Canadian was 30 cars long and they were all years ago, so having a platform be that long for a train that rarely reaches that length is unnecessary.
IMG_7261.jpeg
 
Willybru21 said:
The Canadian has rarely ever needed to use an entire platform, there’s been few cases where the Canadian was 30 cars long and they were all years ago, so having a platform be that long for a train that rarely reaches that length is unnecessary.
Click to expand...
I've seen 18+ offhand. Though I guess it can handle two 12-car GO trains, it should handle a 25-car Canadian. Though I was surprised they were rehabbing the very longest platforms not that long ago.
 
Deadpool X said:
Will the longer platforms have the roof extended over them or will they be exposed to the elements?
Click to expand...
Some on the East side may be at least partially covered by the CIBC Square park, but I think so far there's been no other indication of canopies. My guess is MX is just hoping that eventually someone decks over the rail corridor and that solves the cover issue.
 
Deadpool X said:
Will the longer platforms have the roof extended over them or will they be exposed to the elements?
Click to expand...
I don’t think so, early renderings from years ago showed canopies but I have a feeling that their priorities are in other places right now. I don’t think a canopy is necessary until/if the East and West concourses are built.
kFeyILlGv9.jpeg
 
We've added a front page story that gives an overview of what's been going on at Union Station lately, among other things introducing people to what's going on with the platform work. Thanks @Willybru21 for your lovely platform diagrams that you posted a couple pages back, they will start to give people an idea of the scope of the work here!

urbantoronto.ca

Shops Filling Out Union Station While Construction Continues for New Platforms | UrbanToronto

While Union Station has become Toronto's Sagrada Familia, a building that will seemingly never be complete, many openings have occurred and more are to come. While the station prepares for significant GO network expansion, we look at some recent creature comfort additions.
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