[roger1818]

How does a fleet replacing the Corridor cars impact what the RDCs would likely have been doing if acquired?

IIRC, the plan for the RDCs was to increase the capacity and frequency of service in southern Ontario. Since the new fleet is for use in the corridor (which includes southern Ontario) it will be helpful

While officially the new fleet is supposed to replace the existing corridor fleet on a 1 for 1 basis, after a bit of digging, it appears as if VIA has structured the project so that in reality they will get an increase in overall capacity by replacing some of their lower and zero capacity cars (like the Renassance coaches, service cars and transition cars, as well as some HEP baggage cars) with higher capacity coaches. Even if there isn't an increase in overall capacity, the combination of having standard equipment used throught the corridor, with newer, more reliable equipment means that they will need fewer spares, and thus can get better utalization of their equipent.

I wouldn’t shed a tear if all of the RDCs retired, but only if VIA acquired new DMUs with modern cabs, propulsion, telemetry, accessibility to replace them for appropriate services.

While DMUs have their uses, the draback for VIA buying them is that it would create a new varient of equipment, inreasing the number spares they would need to keep at their maintanance centres, undoing one of the big advantages of the new fleet.

 

[Urban Sky]

I wouldn’t shed a tear if all of the RDCs retired, but only if VIA acquired new DMUs with modern cabs, propulsion, telemetry, accessibility to replace them for appropriate services.

If you can give me the name of a DMU type which (on top of ticking all these boxes) is TC/FRA compliant and has an active production line, I will gladly put you in contact with VIA's capital asset and procurement departments...^^

 

[cplchanb]

If you can give me the name of a DMU type which (on top of ticking all these boxes) is TC/FRA compliant and has an active production line, I will gladly put you in contact with VIA's capital asset and procurement departments...^^

Ottawa is buying the FLIRT. surely they can get a waiver to get them too. via is a crown corp so they have much more leverage if they wanted to

 

[DirectionNorth]

Ottawa is buying the FLIRT. surely they can get a waiver to get them too. via is a crown corp so they have much more leverage if they wanted to

The Trillium Line will (soon) not connect to any freight/main lines at grade. VIA runs on freight railways.

 

[roger1818]

The Trillium Line will (soon) not connect to any freight/main lines at grade. VIA runs on freight railways.

Also, even before the line was closed for Stage 2 upgrades, it only crossed the mainline at grade (it didn’t share track). That really isn’t any different to a road level crossing.

 

[nfitz]

If you can give me the name of a DMU type which (on top of ticking all these boxes) is TC/FRA compliant and has an active production line, I will gladly put you in contact with VIA's capital asset and procurement departments...^^

Issue an RFQ ... cost is minimal, and would give real answers about what an be made.

It's not like there are any production lines active whenever TTC orders rail vehicles ... well not since the 1940s.

 

[crs1026]

^I'm not seeing what a DMU fleet would accomplish that a few 3-car Siemens trainsets can't accomplish.

Whatever the increment in operating cost might be, it can't be very much, especially after accounting for whatever captal cost there would be to design, supply, alter maintenance bases to accommodate, and establish a maintenance capability/parts inventory for, the DMU's.

VIA is not going to grow to greatness on the basis of adding 2-car runs to its network. The new fleet may allow them to utilise their shorter new trains to add services. I doubt that any incremental cost of assigning an underutilised 3-car Siemens trainset to a run that some might argue can be best served by a 2-car DMU is material.

There is a romanticism to the RDC fleet. I get that. Some properties make good use of modern DMU's. I get that, too. But I can't see DMU's being mission critical to VIA to a degree that a procurement can be sold on top of the new fleet. Let's stick to what's in play, and the opportunities that this presents.

Maybe some day.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Posted in the Canadian Trains FB group. So are both the CN and CP mainlines between BC and Alberta closed due to damage from this fire?

 

[dowlingm]

If you can give me the name of a DMU type which (on top of ticking all these boxes) is TC/FRA compliant and has an active production line, I will gladly put you in contact with VIA's capital asset and procurement departments...^^

Maybe the next time you meet those guys at the coffee machine you might ask them why they didn’t negotiate an option on Metrolinx’ Nippon Sharyo production but with traps. If the answer is “at the time we thought we would get the Texas Budds on the cheap and award a politically attractive refurb contract”, well…

 

[lenaitch]

Man, that is really going to grind down commerce to the coast, leaving only CN to Prince Rupert. The railways are pretty adept at quickly restoring railbed - bridges not so much.

 

[Northern Light]

Posted in the Canadian Trains FB group. So are both the CN and CP mainlines between BC and Alberta closed due to damage from this fire?

View attachment 332088

I can't tell if that's a bridge over the Fraser or Thompson Rivers, but if it is; in Lytton area, then I imagine it belongs to CN.

That'll be out of service for awhile.

I assume the railways will cooperate; but that'll be a pinch point, if all the mainline traffic has to be on CP.

 

[roger1818]

Posted in the Canadian Trains FB group. So are both the CN and CP mainlines between BC and Alberta closed due to damage from this fire?

View attachment 332088

I wonder if it would be smart to have CN change their route to stay on the other side of the Fraser until after the Thompson instead of crossing both rivers at Lytton?

 

[dowlingm]

Posted in the Canadian Trains FB group. So are both the CN and CP mainlines between BC and Alberta closed due to damage from this fire?

View attachment 332088

Having the CN transcon, CP transcon and the TransCanada highway pass through the same canyon, and within 300m of each other in Lytton, does seem a bit dicey now…

 

[Urban Sky]

Maybe the next time you meet those guys at the coffee machine you might ask them why they didn’t negotiate an option on Metrolinx’ Nippon Sharyo production but with traps. If the answer is “at the time we thought we would get the Texas Budds on the cheap and award a politically attractive refurb contract”, well…

What is the problem these DMUs would have solved? Why would it have been worth it to compromise on VIA's long-term goal of fleet standardization? And what does the lack of commercial success of these cars tell us about how suitable and well-adapted these cars are for the North American market...?

 

[dowlingm]

What is the problem these DMUs would have solved? Why would it have been worth it to compromise on VIA's long-term goal of fleet standardization? And what does the lack of commercial success of these cars tell us about how suitable and well-adapted these cars are for the North American market...?

You are shifting the goalposts. First you came with “what DMUs” and now it’s “why DMUs”.

To the latter I answer, to begin, “the same functions that the RDCs do now”, but more of it. Replace Jonquiere/Senneterre, replace Jasper-Prince Rupert. Run a shuttle into the Gaspé rather than haul all the way from Montreal. Route prove service to Sherbrooke, or a Kingston/Brockville to Ottawa commuter service. Build a network of services in Nova Scotia. Lots of things to be done if there is the will to do it.

A two stroke 4000hp locomotive hauling two coaches does not scream “climate friendly” (even less so they have to be wyed rather than turn and go). Modern DMUs trainsets have selective engine shutdown to shave the fuel consumption further (although I don’t know if the Nippons have that capability). Other countries can and do use DMUs economically. If TC’s regulations and inspection demands put forward an environment where similar services can’t be run with similar economics, is that really the fault of the manufacturers?