This. The uncertainty (big error band from "which 10m of 100km" lore) is scaring many people. Carney has a mandate til 2029, but ALTO should help placate a few pitchfork and torches soon, so we can get shovels by 2029-ish. On this topic sphere, ALTO is a big masterplanning feat that covers a...

Just checked... I confirmed they're check rails in Ontario Line's case. (Fully driverless public transit /still/ "feels" slightly gadgetbahn (for now) though, but they're getting more widespread in conventional-trains as of late, ala REM and OL.) Ontario Line will have 4 rails in one track on...

It may be "check rails" for enhanced derailment safety on viaducts. Important for automated systems. Also, some "gadgetbahn"-ish systems have extra rails inside the rails, like Vancouver's Skytrain and Montreal REM for various purposes (automated train check rails, or linear induction motor...

Save the computer. RAM prices are still too spicy. I'm glad Stratford is coming back, hopefully it razor-and-blades into something better, including trackwork on both sides of Kitchener. Perhaps the upcoming corridor-helping (bypass or otherwise) rumors will allude to that.

I am admittedly hoping that LRV selection forces an improved traversal solution over the 403 like a "slip track lane" that bypasses one or two of the stoplights. Not enough turning radius? Boop the nose of the shiny train; you're no longer going through stoplights, baby! Expropriation of a...

Instead of BEMU, I envision hybrid solutions. Existing hybrid diesel-electric locomotives was invented in 1925, more than a century ago. Some minor tweaks to the design of a modern locomotives allow attachment of a battery, even from a different car. A much smaller safe (lithium iron...

There are many commonalties needed. We need farm/migration/trail/animal crossings, so these can be multi-purpose buy-ins. It doesn't have to be "Because of OSFC" but a large combination, like "....for all maintenance equipment, trail users, snowmobilers, animal migration, farmers, and more..."...

On the theoretical concept of REM construction intentionally creating more future tunnel work (ALTO) under Mont Royal. (SNC Lavalin being both REM and ALTO makes a lot more sense, egged on by CDPQ) Aaaaaand.... I'd actually hope the above was covertly one of the reasons. It means they were...

Touché. Ironically, the same members of REM might help VIA into downtown Montreal, undoing that mess. Given the ALTO train might need a separate tunnel, and that might also have collaborations with the VIA corridor trains too. Maybe that's why they shoo'd VIA out of the REM corridor, cuz they...

It is a fair early catenary canary warning to a cautionary tale; but we shall not pre-emptively jinx the notion. REM showed us. I'm still jealous of Montreal.

Despite the big M, our GO trains are the North American Commuter Train Champions We all are very dissapointed at the <whisper> that regional transit agency </whisper>. Yet, GO trains are now awarded the best-commuter-train trophy on this (train-mediocre) continent. How's can that be? Heck, our...

I doubled the size of my post with my famous Wall of Text edits. Study up, bud! Back out of the shadows like a RealName Gen-X internet commentators of the Old Internet era, rather than act as a meme missile factory. I need a break from Almighty Algorithm, so I'm back on UrbanToronto.

The new article is fascinating and dissapointing at the same time. I'm happy human reporters are still doing good writing on good sites! Fortunately, catenary is still coming to Toronto, courtesy of ALTO Train. ALTO is the trojan horse that forces GO Electrification While that may not be by...

That's true. But, there's the potential brought by the Lewis Yard (near Grimsby), which I wrote about a decade ago at www.raisethehammer.org/article/2672 While simpler addition of signalling is what is needed, I observe that the newer 2015-built bridge over Centennial Parkway has lots of unused...

A transit speed up of 56 minutes to 17 minutes is fairly transformative. There will be major economic impacts for even intra-regional travel.

Sidestepping the debate of "should Metrolinx be involved?".... Metrolinx network map diagrams now show ION LRT, indicating its importance as a line that interchanges with Kitchener GO. While it is not yet in Metrolinx sphere, it could very well eventually be, given Metrolinx now funding some...

DMUs would be great too. Maybe Metrolinx wants to electrify UPX and sell the old UPX trains, as another source of DMUs by year 2040ish. That being said, BEMU would be a strong contender by that year, so it may depend on what is available. And whether the new Federal Transit Fund is unlocked...

No. It isn't anymore in the time windows we're talking about -- I would think by 2044, that will be less than half of the commuters. The intentional lowball of numbers definitely occurs to save face as the projects gets incrementally more attractive; Ottawa's first LRT had more than double its...

I view this line under the lens of seeing ION LRT Phase 2 *and* allday GO service to Kitchener. In that case, I believe ridership will be well over 1000 given the long-term aspirations to densify the region. There's obviously the famous NIMBY factor here, but look at what happening -- even...

That's a good question - you're right. It may represent their aspirations of peak period GO trains someday in the future, maybe a few off the Kitchener Line only at peak. Much like the fork between Hamilton West Harbour (all day) and Hamilton Downtown GO (peak).