steveintoronto
Superstar
The Lakeshore Line is every 30 minutes.
To put that in perspective in the GTHA, GO Transit still offers only hourly service on many routes.
The Lakeshore Line is every 30 minutes.
To put that in perspective in the GTHA, GO Transit still offers only hourly service on many routes.
To put that in perspective in the GTHA, GO Transit still offers only hourly service on many routes. It's entirely possible that if VIA is offering hourly trains on the Peterborough alignment, GO will offer an RER type service hourly to mesh with VIA to Peterborough, but GO would of course be a stopping service, thus complementing VIA's express through Peterborough to Toronto, stopping at Peterborough and perhaps a station in the north of Toronto before headed down to Union.
VIA certainly isn't going to be providing RER levels of frequency. The operation has to break even from the start for operating budget, and increase from there. But Japan certainly has lessons for others to learn from. Paris claims to have modelled the RER on Tokyo.
With passing loops and CBTC Plus signalling/control, this can be done on a single track line, although GO might be held at times in station loops for an HFR to pass.
What's peculiar, at least in the English press, is the lack of coverage from either AMT (they may be stifled) or VIA.
Edit to Add: There are indications that the tunnel is 'in the possession' (if not owned by) of AMT:
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This REM thing seems the biggest Jedi mind trick in history. Can't get my head around it.
Except GO-ALRT was a fully publicly owned and controlled enterprise. Also ridiculously optimistic projections/timelines and significant long term implications for Montreal/Quebec's heavy rail infrastructure, no?Its GO-ALRT but with funding.
Japan is pretty much the gold standard when it comes to rail. We don't need to match what they have since they have so many more people in such a smaller area. It would be more relevant to look at countries that have a similar population density as what we have in the Windsor-Quebec Corridor like France or Ireland or Scandinavia. If we get 15 minute RER service and hourly Via service (both electrified) that alone will be a huge improvement to rail transportation in this country.jus
just to kind of put it into perspective...during the rush hour periods, japan has shinkansen trains coming every 5 minutes. I recall looking at their next train displays and they had 3 trains scheduled in each direction departing in a span of 15 min!! I guess compared to canada it would be hyper frequent service... thats japan though... I can live with 1 every 30 min, but it ideally should be EMUs
See:The whole AMT Deux Montagnes line is being transferred to REM to be turned into one branch of the LRT service, and that's the main existing user of the tunnel.
Is that official? I'd have assumed that REM would still be under AMT.The whole AMT Deux Montagnes line is being transferred to REM to be turned into one branch of the LRT service, and that's the main existing user of the tunnel.
GO-ALRT had funding - until it didn't.Its GO-ALRT but with funding.
The whole AMT Deux Montagnes line is being transferred to REM to be turned into one branch of the LRT service, and that's the main existing user of the tunnel.
It appears that CN have transferred/sold ownership to AMT for the tunnel years ago, I'm still looking for references beyond repeated mention in the Quebec rail forums. It's my understanding that the Deux Montagnes line will remain extant and running north of the tunnel, but requiring a transfer to REM through the tunnel to Central Station. Ditto for VIA HFR Quebec City branch to connect with Central Station and the Ottawa/Toronto leg of HFR.Is that official? I'd have assumed that REM would still be under AMT.
The feds would have to sign off on converting the tunnel so it couldn't handle mainline traffic. Who owns it these days, it's still CN as far as I know.
I must admit the concept, as practised in the US for decades with the San Diego Trolley and other systems, (albeit temporally) is a little difficult for many Canadians to accept.Rail News: Passenger Rail
FRA waiver paves way for Caltrain electrification
6/2/2010
Last week, Caltrain received a waiver from the Federal Railroad Administration to operate standard trains and lighter-rail equipment on the same tracks.
The waiver will enable Caltrain to transition from its current diesel equipment to a fully electrified system, modernizing Peninsula commuter-rail service, Caltrain officials said in a prepared statement. Caltrain now can begin replacing its diesel-fueled rolling stock with electrified locomotives and passenger cars, which is expected to take years to complete and require the simultaneous operation of both types of equipment.
There are advantages to switching to electrified rolling stock, which are cleaner and less expensive to operate, Caltrain officials said. In addition, because electric trains can start and stop more quickly, they will enable Caltrain to stop at more stations, officials said.
The service is expected to attract more riders and reduce traffic congestion in the region.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/edi..._in_subways_at_tremendous_cost_editorial.htmlToronto has over-invested in subways at tremendous cost: Editorial
A Pembina Institute study shows Toronto has over-invested in subways at tremendous cost while Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa created more transit for less money.
Mon., Sept. 8, 2014
Toronto’s decades-long fixation on subways has left it “stuck in its tracks” compared to cities that are more open to other rapid transit options. Canada’s largest city spends far more per kilometre on new rapid transit and gets a lot less for its money.
That depressing verdict comes in a new report comparing transit across Canada by the highly regarded Pembina Institute. Toronto’s mayoral candidates, and voters, would do well to pay close attention to these findings. Obsessing on subways carries high costs.
Researchers examined commuter systems in five cities: Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa. They found the two oldest centres, Toronto and Montreal, lag far behind in launching new rapid transit lines.
The comparison is striking. In the last 20 years Toronto managed to open just 18 kilometres of rapid transit, less than one kilometre a year. In contrast, over the same period, Vancouver opened 44 kilometres, more than twice as much. Calgary opened 29 and even Ottawa delivered 23.
That’s a shamefully poor showing for a city like Toronto which aspires to be a leader in public transit. It’s small consolation that Montreal did even worse, opening just 5 kilometres of line in the past two decades. For the purposes of the study, “rapid transit” was defined as subways, light-rail lines, Vancouver’s SkyTrain, right-of-way streetcars travelling in their own separated lane, and right-of-way bus routes.
Toronto and Montreal lag because, unlike other cities, they’ve been slow to invest in “quick-to-deploy rapid transit technologies.” Instead, Toronto has focused on slow-to-deliver subways that come at a heavy cost. That’s why it’s stuck paying an average of $236 million per kilometre for new rapid transit — more than any other city in the study. [...]
Since this is an important point in itself, I'm posting this link from Anton's post above separately:
Metrolinx and TTC/Toronto Planning take note! This would allow Tramtrains (as exactly espoused by Alstom for their Citadis LRTs now on order by Metrolinx) to run on RER tracks: