[vegeta_skyline]

Is the Conductor part really necessary?

What about Lakeshore half hour service vegeta?

Being a conductor before certainly does make sense and is a requirement, the question though has always been whether 2 years is need. Most of us think that 1 year would be enough but the problem is its a Transport Canada/CN mandate (typical CN putting their toes into something that has nothing to do with them). So there's not much we can do about it.

As for the 1/2 hr mid day (9am-3pm 6hrs) service on the Lakeshore service, the only thing that I see which is preventing them from implementing is the crew shortage. Its certainly not track congestion, what VIA and freight movements there are at that time can certainly be accommodated by the tracks currently in place. And the new fueling station at Aldershot will be in service as of tomorrow. Meaning they won't have to worry about the logistics of switching out 10 trains mid day (as they currently do with 5). So it all comes down to people. There's a class in training right now, but they won't be ready until next year. So I don't see it happening until at least then. Even that might be pushing it.

Like Drum's noted, if you mean half hour service on the entire system, that's a long ways away. The amount of crews that they will need for that is obscene. Some might want to then question the need for crews altogether, but the cost of that alternative would be astronomical.

 

[nfitz]

Get real!!!

Any reason to be so rude?

You have dismissed McGuinty's promise, on the basis that he'll need 450 crews to achieve it. However he hasn't promised 20-minute service. He hasn't even promised 30-minute service. He simply promised full-day service on the existing 7 lines in the next 10 years. This could be met with 60-minute service on parts of the 5 lines that currently don't have it. I think we can expect some more 30-minute service on Lakeshore as they slowly continue this roll-out this promise - though I wouldn't be surprised if this gets slowed to achieve the full-day service on the other lines.

I bet that this all could be achieved by only adding 70 new crews over the next 10 years - not the 450 number you have suggested. That would double the existing workforce in 10 years. If they work hard at that, that should be achievable.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Being a conductor before certainly does make sense and is a requirement, the question though has always been whether 2 years is need. Most of us think that 1 year would be enough but the problem is its a Transport Canada/CN mandate (typical CN putting their toes into something that has nothing to do with them). So there's not much we can do about it.

As for the 1/2 hr mid day (9am-3pm 6hrs) service on the Lakeshore service, the only thing that I see which is preventing them from implementing is the crew shortage. Its certainly not track congestion, what VIA and freight movements there are at that time can certainly be accommodated by the tracks currently in place. And the new fueling station at Aldershot will be in service as of tomorrow. Meaning they won't have to worry about the logistics of switching out 10 trains mid day (as they currently do with 5). So it all comes down to people. There's a class in training right now, but they won't be ready until next year. So I don't see it happening until at least then. Even that might be pushing it.

Like Drum's noted, if you mean half hour service on the entire system, that's a long ways away. The amount of crews that they will need for that is obscene. Some might want to then question the need for crews altogether, but the cost of that alternative would be astronomical.

Only for Lakeshore. And thanks once again for coming through.

Oh one more thing, what is the progress on the Hamilton and Bomanville extensions?

 

[gweed123]

I think this announcement was more for non-transit geeks than transit geeks. Transit geeks already knew this was coming, but ask the average person what MoveOntario 2020 is, and they'll have no idea (they can maybe get a vague idea from the name, but that's about it).

Politically, this is actually a pretty smart move: promise something that you've promised before, and that you're already part-way to delivering. This can't be slammed by the opposing parties for being "new spending", because it's already been included in current spending formulas, many of which the opposition members voted in favour of.

All this announcement was was a chance for McGuinty to reaffirm existing commitments, while making it sound new to the average person.

 

[nfitz]

Only for Lakeshore. And thanks once again for coming through.

Full-day service seems is prioritized in the recently released 2011-2012 plan on the Barrie, Stouffville, and Milton lines. It won't start in 2011-2012, but that's where you'd see it first (Georgetown is the obvious missing one here ... and I assume that it's out until they finish all the reconstruction).

Oh one more thing, what is the progress on the Hamilton and Bomanville extensions?

The Bowmanville EA was finished earlier this year. The report for the Hamilton (and Niagara study) is here - http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/ea_niagara.aspx but it hasn't been approved yet.

There's no indication if and when these extensions will happen. Probably a function of who is elected this fall. Ask your local candidates!

 

[vegeta_skyline]

No problemo
Yeah, full day service is still a whiles away. They might be able to sneak in a train or two on those line sometime next year, its too early to tell how they plan on allocating the man power once it increases - 6 more around the start of next year and if they go ahead with the larger training classes(yet to be seen), than a dozen more guys around the end of next summer. I'd imagine that all day service on those lines will initially run about as often as the previous mid-service provided on the Georgetown line, which was not hourly but its a start. Also as nfitz mentioned, the Georgetown will be last to get mid day service, since its still about 3 years away from being finished - main line upgrades only, not including airport spur but that's a separate service.

Its all politics about when they start work for those other two. Extending the service to Hamilton is relatively easy, going beyond that entitles much work. Bomanville is at least as far away as the ARL, some major work needs to be done.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Thanks guys.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I still say they go up to 30 min headways on Lakeshore, and then add Hamilton.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I still say they go up to 30 min headways on Lakeshore, and then add Hamilton.

http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/rnx...47pylyxt2tkedceszojynwl335md/sep+7+abrams.pdf

Go station at keele and kirby in vaughan.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

Interesting, nice find. There's not too much up there now but I'd imagine in a few years they'll be subdivisions galore around there. Good spot for it too, It's almost exactly between King City & Maple, we're they've already double tracked the line.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Interesting, nice find. There's not too much up there now but I'd imagine in a few years they'll be subdivisions galore around there. Good spot for it too, It's almost exactly between King City & Maple, we're they've already double tracked the line.

Good call.

I heard this

Barrie could get hourly service tomorrow by installing signalling and a few passing tracks. This is simply embarrassing. Stouffville is only a bit more difficult.

Is it true?

 

[vegeta_skyline]

The passing track is already in place and I believe they are working on signalizing it right now. Also the plan is to signalize a good portion of the line, not just around the passing track. Its not as quick and easy as it sounds though.

Once they've finished that, hourly service will be no problem. They could technically run all-day service on the line without signals, but trains going into and out of the passing would take a huge delay every time they use it, not sure if they could maintain hourly service in that case. Plus there's an added level of safety with signals. People can screw up train orders much more easily than missing lights. Both are extremely rare occurrences, but you only need it to happen once to result in a devastating accident. It reminds me of a quote some terrorist bastard said one time - You have to get lucky all the time, I only have to get lucky once.

 

[nfitz]

Once they've finished that, hourly service will be no problem.

Though elsewhere, haven't you noted elsewhere that there's no crews available ... and it would be at least a year before that starts to improve.

 

[gweed123]

Though elsewhere, haven't you noted elsewhere that there's no crews available ... and it would be at least a year before that starts to improve.

From the way I read it, I understand it as he was speaking only of the physical requirements. That the infrastructure and signaling equipment would physically be able to handle all day service.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

From the way I read it, I understand it as he was speaking only of the physical requirements. That the infrastructure and signaling equipment would physically be able to handle all day service.

Precisely.

As I've mentioned previously, about a half a dozen more engineers will be available shortly after the new years and hopefully another dozen more approx. one year from now. As of now I have no idea on how they plan on allocating them.