Toronto Union Pearson Express | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx | MMM Group Limited

[Bordercollie]

So only 4 of the 18 cars are in service. And they might be at risk as well.

I do wonder though how this is not as simple as simply replacing the brake discs.

Most UP Express train cars 'condemned' after thermal cracks found in brake discs: union

Most of the fleet servicing the UP Express has been removed from operation after thermal cracks were discovered in the vehicle brake discs, according to the maintenance and operators’ union and confirmed by several sources, leaving Metrolinx with only four train cars in service for the rail link...

toronto.ctvnews.ca

Maybe they didn't dead head those cars to Willowbrook because there is no space in the shop. The article makes it sound like Alstom is negligent in some way but it could have been a defective batch of disks. Who knows. Maybe they used a cheaper bidder than usual?

 

[Bordercollie]

They do - but unlike other railroads in urban areas, they don't maintain the fencing. I've watched CP in Montreal frequently fixing the fencing that's frequently cut between Vendome and Montreal West stations.

At the same time, near why I live, along the Lakeshore East line, they've done little to repair holes in the fence at well known crossing points. One occasion I walked along the fence, it was quite evident that some sections hadn't been fixed in decades - likely since Metrolinx obtained the track. The path to the "crossing" is well worn, and easily visible from the track. I stood at that fence once, and watched an adult accompanying a small child across the three live tracks.

Perhaps it's me, but in many locations fixing the fencing more than once every few decades might pursuade some not to cross., but the NINMBY folks will bitch at those wall as well take decades to build if there is funds to do it in the first place.

What an abhorrent view! That's the kind of attitude that gets people killed. Did you read that report - the blame got spread around. The new crossing gates and LED warnings of there being 2 trains will likely eliminate any further incidents at that location in Kitchener - why it didn't happen after the almost identical fatality 6 years earlier I don't know.

If I'm not mistaken the report says that sometimes the lights didn't active when they were supposed to? No doubt that they should not have been on the tracks.

 

[officedweller]

I do wonder though how this is not as simple as simply replacing the brake discs.

Alstom is under contract for thre re[air and maintenance - so presumably waiting on them...

Repairs are underway, Metrolinx confirmed.

“We are doing everything we can to get the affected trains safely back into service as soon as possible,” the Crown corporation told CTV News Toronto.

 

[nfitz]

Service is now being reduced to one train an hour.

I wonder how many coaches?

 

[SkylineHorizon]

"Over the course of regular inspections this past weekend, our team discovered hairline cracks in the brake discs on some of our UP Express trains,” Metrolinx said in an emailed statement.


Wow, flat out obsucfaction and lies.
.
Word from a contact of mine is that apparently this was only discovered because Transport Canada finally got off their asses and took a closer look at the shit show that is GO transit and the UP Express. Apparently the trains haven't had the type of inspection that would have discovered these defects since the freaking Pan Am Games! Didn't one of these train also split in half when operating before? At this rate it won't be long until someone is killed.

As for this story

A GO train seriously injured an adult and child in Kitchener in 2019. Now a safety board says Ontario does not effectively monitor and address safety of provincial railways

Board raises concerns in its investigation of a GO Train collision that seriously hurt an adult and child

www.therecord.com

"But none of the Ministry of Transportation employees have technical railway knowledge, experience and expertise to properly review the inspections.

Before the incident, Fox said, the ministry wasn’t receiving or reviewing Transport Canada inspections, but that has since changed."

The lawsuit is a total money grab by the idiot that ran across the tracks and didn't control the children in her care. The rules about not crossing tracks while the gates are active is quite clear. Really the parents of the child should be suing HER but everyone feels sorry for her dumbass since she was pregnant. Still, there is some smoke there with MTO just ignoring results from transport Canada inspections. The fuck?

The other day they had these pamphlet strewn all over the train about some emergency text line. I asked about that and apparently its because they're cutting back on the safety officers. Well thats just great! I barely see them coming through the coaches at all anymore as is. Now instead of having someone respond to my emergency I get to talk to someone on the phone about it instead.

He also said there was almost a head on collision or something involving a GO and VIA train. Completely swept that one under the rug. Not like the public needs to known about that kind of stuff. What are they doing again to get positive train control built into the system again? Seriously fuck this shit, I don't know about you guys but it's back to driving for me. I'm DONE stepping on any trains for a while.

 

[SkylineHorizon]

I'm mean think about it, you don't just SUDDENLY get 14 cracked wheels that are condemnable at the same time. These fuckers haven't been doing their jobs and have been putting the public at risk for a while now.

He says the maintenance staff is not the problem because apparently they been short staffed since the pandemic and they just do what their told. What happened was instead of keeping people around at a reduced rate like many companies did they just laid them off on mass. Then acted all surprised when these people didn't came back from recall because they found something else. So all that experience and expertise is at the ttc, via or wherever else now.

 

[crs1026]

While this is clearly embarassing and should not have led to this kind of outage, we don’t have enough information to be outraged - yet.

The cars have been in service for eight years without any catastrophic failures that we have heard of. The brakes are going to show some wear and tear. We don’t know if this defect was a manufacturing defect or a bad design. We don’t know how long these disks are supposed to last. We don’t know whether the defects have only developed slowly or were there for the whole time. The UP equipment has a pretty severe duty cycle. The brakes work.

Saying the brakes are ‘“condemned” is exactly what the auto mechanic is doing when they say “you should not drive the car until this if fixed”. ML does appear to have taken the equipment out of service, which is the prudent thing to do. Just like your car - fix the defect and you may be good to go for another five years.

We don’t know if these disks are readily procurable. Begs the question, how many spares did ML have in inventory. Certainly, this particular defect has come as a surprise and the condition of the disks was not being monitored.

The lack of inspection is definitely a concern, but the solution may simply be to pop on new disks of exactly the same design and manufacture, but inspect more frequently. And, over the next few years, maybe engineer a new solution or replace with some other brand.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

While this is clearly embarassing and should not have led to this kind of outage, we don’t have enough information to be outraged - yet.

The cars have been in service for eight years without any catastrophic failures that we have heard of. The brakes are going to show some wear and tear. We don’t know if this defect was a manufacturing defect or a bad design. We don’t know how long these disks are supposed to last. We don’t know whether the defects have only developed slowly or were there for the whole time. The UP equipment has a pretty severe duty cycle. The brakes work.

Saying the brakes are ‘“condemned” is exactly what the auto mechanic is doing when they say “you should not drive the car until this if fixed”. ML does appear to have taken the equipment out of service, which is the prudent thing to do. Just like your car - fix the defect and you may be good to go for another five years.

We don’t know if these disks are readily procurable. Begs the question, how many spares did ML have in inventory. Certainly, this particular defect has come as a surprise and the condition of the disks was not being monitored.

The lack of inspection is definitely a concern, but the solution may simply be to pop on new disks of exactly the same design and manufacture, but inspect more frequently. And, over the next few years, maybe engineer a new solution or replace with some other brand.

- Paul

Given the supply chain issues they may have procured parts from a non authorized vendor, which ended up being defective.

Again this is just speculation.

 

[smallspy]

Saying the brakes are ‘“condemned” is exactly what the auto mechanic is doing when they say “you should not drive the car until this if fixed”. ML does appear to have taken the equipment out of service, which is the prudent thing to do. Just like your car - fix the defect and you may be good to go for another five years.

- Paul

It should also be noted that the use of the word "condemned" has a very specific meaning in the railway world. It means "no longer meeting specification" - and nothing more.

Wheels can be condemned when they get flat spots, or if the wheel flange gets too tall. Couplers can get condemned for too much wear. In those cases, if the items can get repaired, they must do so and be made to fit within tolerance again. If not, they get replaced.

Dan

 

[vic]

I have a feeling it will be a long time before we see Up Express trains again.

Service Related Updates

UP Express is committed to providing on-time service.

www.upexpress.com

February 11, 2023 - 10:18 am
UP Express train service has been replaced by Express GO bus service between Union and Pearson until further notice due to unexpected equipment maintenance.

Express GO buses will pick up and drop off guests from Union Station on Station street.

Station Ambassadors are available on site to assist.

Please listen to directions from staff at the station for travel options.

 

[ShonTron]

The UP Express Twitter still says hourly train service. What incompetence.

 

[dowlingm]

The UP Express Twitter still says hourly train service. What incompetence.

They replied to someone but didn’t copy the tweet to their main feed, still less pin it.

Wonder what happened - one of the remaining trains went down, or they were just chancing things until they got a bus schedule/drivers organized

 

[IRT_BMT_IND]

Heh, the old Grey Coach/Pacific Western service is back in all but name.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Didn't they do regular checks? How could 14 trains get the same problem all at the same time? Did they cut back on doing checks to save on maintenance costs?

 

[cplchanb]

While this is clearly embarassing and should not have led to this kind of outage, we don’t have enough information to be outraged - yet.

The cars have been in service for eight years without any catastrophic failures that we have heard of. The brakes are going to show some wear and tear. We don’t know if this defect was a manufacturing defect or a bad design. We don’t know how long these disks are supposed to last. We don’t know whether the defects have only developed slowly or were there for the whole time. The UP equipment has a pretty severe duty cycle. The brakes work.

Saying the brakes are ‘“condemned” is exactly what the auto mechanic is doing when they say “you should not drive the car until this if fixed”. ML does appear to have taken the equipment out of service, which is the prudent thing to do. Just like your car - fix the defect and you may be good to go for another five years.

We don’t know if these disks are readily procurable. Begs the question, how many spares did ML have in inventory. Certainly, this particular defect has come as a surprise and the condition of the disks was not being monitored.

The lack of inspection is definitely a concern, but the solution may simply be to pop on new disks of exactly the same design and manufacture, but inspect more frequently. And, over the next few years, maybe engineer a new solution or replace with some other brand.

- Paul

Yup... social media is causing undue pandemonium in an otherwise trivial situation.
If anything this is more on Alstom being the operators than on ML, which people like to scapegoat for every setback that occurs here...