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VIA Rail

Urban Sky said:
Even at the risk of sounding like someone who can’t admit to have been proven wrong, I’m honestly not convinced that this is worse (or even: just as bad): as you can see, people keep a safe distance to the platform edge, as the platform is much higher and much, much wider than at Union Station. The hidden danger at Union Station is that there is no intuitive separation between space reserved for train movement and space reserved for passenger circulation. If people on the newspaper’s picture at Union held the same distance to the track than at your picture, they would have to stand (and shuffle around) with their backs to the wall…
Click to expand...
The high platforms certainly do give an inherent sense of where you shouldn't stand, that you don't have at Union. Though you have other places in Europe where you have low platforms. Look at some of the Berlin train stations. Raising all the platforms at Union to the same height as the wheelchair ones would achieve that.

I recognize the narrow section in the photo - but is it still operational? When I've been on it, it hasn't been operational, and VIA has been boarding off other platforms. Does it even still have that configuration? Will it after the current rebuild?
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
Strangely these problems didn't seem all that significant in the short amount of time I've spent on European trains. Yes part of that is the service offered by the railway, but I also think that there is a different rail culture in Europe vs North America (and the corridor specifically). People seeking have no idea what to expect, and how to behave, on trains and in train stations
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Go to a busy metro and subway station in Montreal or Toronto and you will most likey see the same as you see on the photo posted by @nfitz, i.e., passengers keeping a respectful distance between platform gap and themselves. I’m therfore more inclined to blame physical platform characteristics (width and height) than cultural differences for whatever differences in passenger behaviours you’ve whitnessed…
 
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nfitz said:
Though you have other places in Europe where you have low platforms.
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The most common platform heights in Europe are 55 and 76 cm, with some countries like the UK having opted for even higher heights…:
IMG_4766.jpeg


nfitz said:
Look at some of the Berlin train stations. Raising all the platforms at Union to the same height as the wheelchair ones would achieve that.
Click to expand...
You are in luck, as I’ve previously posted here a breakdown of platform-heights-by-German-State and it shows that all but 8 out of the 210 platforms in Berlin have at least 76 cm height, with the balance being 6 times 55 cm and twice 38 cm, with even the latter being three times higher than the 5 or so inches at Union Station:
IMG_4767.png


nfitz said:
I recognize the narrow section in the photo - but is it still operational? When I've been on it, it hasn't been operational, and VIA has been boarding off other platforms. Does it even still have that configuration? Will it after the current rebuild?
Click to expand...
No idea, I’m not that frequently in Toronto anymore, unfortunately…
 
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Woodbridge_Heights said:
My memory was that the victim of that accident had a hearing disability, or maybe had earpods in affecting there hearing. And also recall a poster here who DID have hearing issues raising the issue of safety at union for differently abled people. Not amount of clanging bells or flashing lights will help if the rider can't see/hear, or is otherwise oblivious, to those signals.
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The incident was in 2015 but TSBC does not appear to have formally investigated, and I can’t find any follow up pieces after the initial news reporting.

There was a near miss in 2019 with a similar backpack snag
beta.ctvnews.ca

Metrolinx issues safety warning after commuter's backpack was caught by passing train

Metrolinx has launched a safety campaign after a passenger’s bag was ripped off their back by a passing train at Long Branch Go Station earlier this week.
beta.ctvnews.ca beta.ctvnews.ca
 
dowlingm said:
The incident was in 2015 but TSBC does not appear to have formally investigated, and I can’t find any follow up pieces after the initial news reporting.

There was a near miss in 2019 with a similar backpack snag
beta.ctvnews.ca

Metrolinx issues safety warning after commuter's backpack was caught by passing train

Metrolinx has launched a safety campaign after a passenger’s bag was ripped off their back by a passing train at Long Branch Go Station earlier this week.
beta.ctvnews.ca beta.ctvnews.ca
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heres a different thought... with the current operational model of waiting until the last second until the train arrives to let people on the platform there will be a rush for trains. its almost certain that the person was walking along the platform when he was snagged. what if they allowed people access the platform earlier.. people would have the time to walk to their spot and wait for the train on the platform. we all know its a mad rush to the platform everytime the number shows up.

in any case i digress. better off taking GO train talk to the go train thread.
 
cplchanb said:
what if they allowed people access the platform earlier.. people would have the time to walk to their spot and wait for the train on the platform. we all know its a mad rush to the platform everytime the number shows up.
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The platforms at Union are not big enough to hold everyone who wants to get on the train. This is apparent when the platform has been announced, but the train is delayed arriving at the station. Some people even have to wait on the stairs.
 
APTA-2048 said:
The platforms at Union are not big enough to hold everyone who wants to get on the train. This is apparent when the platform has been announced, but the train is delayed arriving at the station. Some people even have to wait on the stairs.
Click to expand...
Is there anyway to widen the platforms without destroying the historical train shed?
 
With the challenges with Union station, I do wonder when the cost of digging a lower platform level becomes worth the high cost for it. I wonder if HFR or GO RER will be the tipping point.
 
micheal_can said:
Is there anyway to widen the platforms without destroying the historical train shed?
Click to expand...

The trainshed is not the structural constraint. The track level sits on piers. The spacing of the piers is what determines the track and platform spacing.

It is possible to remove certain tracks to create wider platforms by paving over the trackbed, but that has a tradeoff too. Fewer tracks, lower capacity.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
The trainshed is not the structural constraint. The track level sits on piers. The spacing of the piers is what determines the track and platform spacing.

It is possible to remove certain tracks to create wider platforms by paving over the trackbed, but that has a tradeoff too. Fewer tracks, lower capacity.

- Paul
Click to expand...
With capacity only increasing,it sounds like making the station into a2 level station may be the only real option. Then they can close off some tracks up top to make wider platforms. The only other way would be dedicated platforms. With that, each line would stop at the same track all the time. If that were done, It may be able to get down from 16 tracks to 12 tracks. But then, all you need is one problem at track side to make the whole thing come apart.

Does anyone know if there are plans to make the platforms wider or add more tracks or anything like this?
 
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