[M II A II R II K]

I was thinking that it might be a good idea to extend the subway platforms at both ends to accomodate 8-car trains to increase capacity, which would work out even better with the new trains that allow you to walk from one end to the other.

And would be essential when the existing lines are extended further out which would pick up more people.

 

[bizorky]

I like extending the subway lines.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Wouldn't that just turn everything between Queen's Park and College into one long platform?

 

[socialwoe]

Wouldn't that just turn everything between Queen's Park and College into one long platform?

Especially between St Andrew and Osgoode. Imagine what'd happen if Osgoode were shut down and everyone had to walk up from Adelaide? This could work outside of the core sans Finch, Sheppard and Eglinton Stns though.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

Umm, it has to be implemented everywhere or people in the 7th and 8th cars won't be able to get out when the doors open.

 

[M II A II R II K]

Well maybe the stations don't have to be shut down, since they'd be cutting out the walls by the tunnels at each ends, where they can work on it during off hours.

 

[rbtaylor]

I don't think Union Station has enough room to accomplish this with the current curves in the track.

You would need to split the Yonge and University line into two independent components terminating on different levels of Union (build a Lower Union) with University extending East and Yonge extending West.

 

[drum118]

Sorry Guys, but you are living in a dream world to extend the platforms.

Cost would be out of this world as well take over 100 years to do it. You are looking at about $20-$50 million per station end.

You would have to tear down buildings at each end of the station because their foundation would be in the way and we are not talking small buildings.

What TTC should have done is build the new Subway train 490' long and it would have come in 7 sections. It would meant the cars would be shorter than the T1's, but still do what the the new subway train is going to do with more riders.

This is where the ATO comes into play as you will need it to stop the train at the right spot at the stations.

Doing this expansion of Platforms will also stop service to tear out some of the existing wall as well supporting the tunnel structure. We are talking months.

It would be cheaper to build a new subway line than do what you want to do.

I have call for a Queen St Line that would run from Nevile to Roncesvalles. The line would turn north at Nevile and go up Victoria and Woodbine to 16th St in York to the east and to Jane St to the west that would go up to 16th st also. Both legs would connect with the BD, Eglinton, Sheppard, Steeles and 16th St east-west subways lines. Here is the DRL that ppl have been calling for.

The only place you can extend platforms are at Warden, Victoria, Old Mill, Keel, Kipling, Lawrence, Glencarin, Yorkdale, Wilson, Rosedale, Eglinton W, Summerhill and Davisvale with very little problems.

All new subways will be 3 track using center platforms. The 3 track will be a out of service track, but most of all an express track. I would like to see the new lines 4 track, but cost is the issue as well demand.

The Queen Line would only see haft the station that the BD see now as 501 would remain in service after the subway is built to deal with 300m stops.

Stops for Queen are Roncesvalles, Lansdown, Dufferin, Bathurst, Spadina, University, Yonge, Parliament, Broadview, Coxwell, Woodbine, and Nevile.

 

[wyliepoon]

Mark's idea can realistically be applied to two places in the system.

Sheppard Subway is the most obvious one. It uses 4-car trains now, but can be converted to run 8-car trains (simply by knocking down some walls, at some stations). However, I think it's not the time for 8-car trains on Sheppard yet- there's still plenty of standing room on Sheppard trains even at rush hour.

The Scarborough RT might be the other. All of its stations are above ground, with Lawrence East and Ellesmere built at grade. Scarborough Centre already has a long platform, and Midland has additional platform space just outside the station on the east end. Running 6-car RT trains might help to relieve the "overcrowding" on the SRT, but I'm not sure if the SRT fleet has enough cars for 6-car trains.

As others have written already, extending platforms at other places doesn't seem to be a good idea. The best way to increase subway capacity would be to refurbish existing trains or buy new trains to handle higher capacities.

 

[M II A II R II K]

.

I was thinking it may not be that hard, since building the lines in the first place didn't cause astronomical disruption to the already existing development on the street when the lines were built in the first place. And I was only talking about extending the platform.

But it was good to inquire.

A train that was designed at a length to get the maximum usage of the already existing platforms would be a good idea, even if it meant that some of the doors on the end cars would have to remain closed since much of those cars would be in the tunnel. Could maximize efficiency.

At this time the 2 older lines, particularly the Yonge Line could have done with the extension. The Sheppard line at this time has more than enough room to spare.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"It uses 4-car trains now, but can be converted to run 8-car trains (simply by knocking down some walls,"

Is there room for 8? Looks like there's only room for 6.

"but I'm not sure if the SRT fleet has enough cars for 6-car trains."

I thought the fleet had 28 cars, so you could have 4 trains of 6 cars...4 cars are perpetually broken, anyway. But then frequency would be even lousier.

 

[wyliepoon]

^My bad. I must be thinking about 8-car trains on another subway system.

 

[drum118]

Sheppard Stations are built for 6 car trains.

The walls are blocked up now as there is no need for 6 car trains at this time. The walls can be knock down in a short time since they are only concrete block and drywall.

Headway would increase first before 6 car train start to see service.

I still say mothball the system and build an LRT on top for the full length of Sheppard until demand for a subway is really needed. The other way is to convert the existing system to an LRT system until a need to expand the current system is require.

The current system would be out of service for about 6 months to convert the existing platforms to or from LRT service.

An LRT system can handle up to 15,000 riders per hour and carry 100,000 riders a day.

 

[Mark Dowling]

I take the opposite view - extend the Sheppard to Downsview and eliminate the change at Yonge.

At the same time, sink a ton of money into Downsview Park to make it somewhere to go other than when the Pope/Mick Jagger comes.

Perhaps start by adding a Transit Museum beside the Aerospace Museum?

 

[scarberiankhatru]

"The walls are blocked up now as there is no need for 6 car trains at this time."

At the frequency they're running at, yes, 6-car trains are sometimes needed. It boggles the mind why they don't increase the frequency...there's no conceiveable reason why it should be allowed to sit at Yonge for an eternity soaking up riders to crush load capacity. As you say, headways will increase first - they should be doing it now.

"An LRT system can handle up to 15,000 riders per hour and carry 100,000 riders a day."

So why not also propose converting every segment of subway in the city with less than 100,000 riders to LRT? Bye bye Spadina line north of Glencairn, Bloor line west of Royal York, Danforth line east of Warden, Yonge line north of NYCC, etc.

"extend the Sheppard to Downsview and eliminate the change at Yonge."

Leaving the triple platform unused...