ETCS is not a "system" per se. Nor is it a particular technology. It's more like a set of standards. I'd say it's a signal system architecture, but even that's not really true, since the different ETCS Levels have significantly different architecture. ETCS can be anything from a rudimentary...

Well yeah we need to do both. But changing institutional requirements is something that needs to be done at the beginning of the planning process for resignalling, equipment procurement, track layouts etc. Which is happening right now. If we don't start pushing Transport Canada and GO Rail Ops...

Reducing from 2 people in the cab to 1 absolutely is a realistic answer because Metrolinx is installing ETCS on the lines it's electrifying. I'm not aware of any railway system with ETCS that has more than one person in the cab. This is a discussion we need to have if we want to be able to...

As part of the research for an upcoming video I measured the time it takes Spadina streetcars to cross the College intersection. Here are the measurements in case anyone is curious. It generally takes about 27 seconds to cross the intersection, which is an average speed of 9.3 km/h. That makes...

That raises an interesting question - why couldn't ONR pick it up from the TMC themselves? Surely they have trackage rights over the CN Bala sub and Metrolinx Bala sub, no?

Interesting. In that case, the timetable would look something like this: The southbound connection in Cochrane seems a bit tight given the potential for significant delays, so it looks like the Polar Bear Express timetable would ideally be shifted about a half hour earlier.

No, the numbers in the table already include a 10-minute transfer at Yorkdale and a 25-minute subway ride to Union. Whether you like it or not, 92% of the GTA's population (7.0 million out of 7.6 million) is located outside of downtown Toronto, so for the average GTA resident, Yorkdale or Hwy...

The existing bus schedules already provide a connection to Cochrane with the proposed train times, but they would need to reroute the Timmins-Cochrane bus to travel via Hwy 11 rather than Hwy 655 so it passes by the Porcupine station. Based on the timing of the PBX, it would be better if the...

According to the current timetable, there are 4 buses per day in each direction between North Bay and Yorkdale station, of which 2 continue to Union. The two express buses (03:15 and 12:30) take exactly the same time as the train to Union (5h flat) and the local buses are about 45 minutes...

The line was never going to capture much of the Toronto to North Bay market, because like you said it's much slower than the express buses. The main advantage that the train offers is more space and an overnight schedule. Which is why it's so disappointing that they ordered business class seats...

Rerouting an existing line into an existing downtown tunnel via a new 2km tunnel is a lot cheaper than building a new mainline railway station under Union. If we could free up enough capacity in the station for Alto just with the existing plans for shoulder stations we wouldn't be having this...

Nobody is being detoured unless they want to be, because there are still trains going to Union that they can take. My point is that we can send GO trains to Union AND other terminals, so people who aren't heading specifically to Union Station have other options. Like someone heading from Port...

There is no need to add stations when you convert from one type of train to another. If they want to keep the same stations they can do that. Moving the transfer point between UP and Lakeshore from Union to Exhibition doesn't increase travel times from Lakeshore to the airport. In fact given...

Metrolinx is already converting the UP Express to a local line regardless. On top of the existing stops at Weston, Mt Dennis and Bloor, it will also stop at Woodbine and St Clair - Old Weston. Meanwhile the Kitchener line will operate express making limited stops from Woodbine to Union. So the...

HSR itself may well go to Pearson, and the Kitchener Line would still go to Union. Unlike a high speed rail line, a rapid transit line can intercept transit lines at a variety of different locations across the city. On an HSR line, we'd want to keep the stations to a minimum to maintain the...