crs1026
Superstar
That slide must contain a typo - that 69 minute trip time makes no sense.As someone who doesn't use the Kitchener Line, how is it that Brampton -> Union trips are so much shorter than Union -> Brampton trips?
- Paul
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That slide must contain a typo - that 69 minute trip time makes no sense.As someone who doesn't use the Kitchener Line, how is it that Brampton -> Union trips are so much shorter than Union -> Brampton trips?
The slide also references a 31 minute improvement in travel times, though, which makes me think the number isn't a mistake. If you check the schedule, express trips are 34 minutes and local are 42 regardless of direction. Perhaps the average out of Union includes all trains departing on the Kitchener Line, including trips ending at Bramalea (and thus the travel time includes the bus to Brampton).That slide must contain a typo - that 69 minute trip time makes no sense.
- Paul
My understanding is that the impediment to weekend service to Kitchener is the construction work on the line.I’m not clear on the timeline of increasing service. When do we see finally weekend service to Brampton and also Kitchener?
The slide also references a 31 minute improvement in travel times, though, which makes me think the number isn't a mistake. If you check the schedule, express trips are 34 minutes and local are 42 regardless of direction. Perhaps the average out of Union includes all trains departing on the Kitchener Line, including trips ending at Bramalea (and thus the travel time includes the bus to Brampton).
My understanding is that the impediment to weekend service to Kitchener is the construction work on the line.
One or two additional stops on a faster train does not make it a milk run. There's a reason regional rail systems tend to have a load splitting station or two on the edge of the core. Nobody is asking for 5 extra stops in the 905 which would actually not be useful. Not everyone's final destination is Union.I disagree that the problem with the new Smarttrack stations are that not all services stop at them. Different services should serve different audiences and not all routes should be turned into a milk run. Every stop a train makes will have some positive and some negative benefits. Once you have achieved most of the positive benefit of serving a location (i.e met the capacity and most of the trips), the detractors of having more an more trains stop there start to outweigh the positives. An express that stops everywhere is not express. There needs to be stations where people can transfer between two lines running on the same path... but those don't need to be all stations any more than it would make sense to say all routes must go to the same places.
The problem with Smarttrack stations are:
The problem is definitely not:
- They don't exist yet. Caledonia supposedly figured out qualified vendors more than a year ago and nothing has occurred since. So far these stations are a paper based exercise where no money has been given out in terms of a construction contract that will make it actually happen.
- There is no fare framework defined. How are local routes, express routes, streetcars, LRTs, subways, frequent trains, express trains, and commuter trains going to be priced and how are the transfers handled. In Japan they have a great system of fare zones, base fare, and additional service upgrade (local vs express vs super-express vs shinkansen, and class of service) fares on top. Here we have regional transit companies with their own fares, no shared definitions of zones across them all, and while there has been discussion on fare strategy... since the last provincial election those presentations to the board have stopped.
- Little thought about treating these stations similar to subway stations with bus loops, redirected surface routes, and sheltered connections between modes.
- All trains don't stop at a particular station.
In afternoon rush-hour from Union to Brampton - I can believe it. Especially from the north side of Union - could take 20 minutes just to get to Dufferin on the Gardiner! The AM peak travel time of 37 minutes from Brampton to Union seems optimistic to me though - if there's a typo it's surely there.That slide must contain a typo - that 69 minute trip time makes no sense.- Paul
In afternoon rush-hour from Union to Brampton - I can believe it. Especially from the north side of Union - could take 20 minutes just to get to Dufferin on the Gardiner! The AM peak travel time of 37 minutes from Brampton to Union seems optimistic to me though - if there's a typo it's surely there.
Summary of the changes currently happening on the Kitchener Line as well as “in-service” dates.
The items listed in that article are all favourable and to be cheered, but the picture is certainly selective
Critical missing links:
- Work on shifting the Railpath and completing the 4th track from Nickle to Strachan, including changes to Bloor station
- The whole discussion about CN implies that there is no agreement yet on what work will be done through Brampton and onwards to Silver... after how many years of negotiation?
- No mention of work to add passing capacity especially west of Georgetown - probably the most important impediment of all to 2WAD west of Mount Pleasant
- Paul