[NoahB]

Even then, 12.2 billion sounds completely off. I recall the contract being 9.1 billion dollars.

$9.1B Crosstown LRT mega-contract comes in under estimates

The deal with Crosslinx includes 30 years of maintenance for the new transit line.

www.thestar.com

I remember it being 9 billion too. But The Star was reporting based on the number in the document. So I wonder what changed.
Also, note that in the 2015 Star article it mentions the tunneling isn't included in the cost. So it could be that as well as inflation.

The agreement covers all aspects of the transit line except the tunneling, which is already well underway. The TTC is expected to operate the LRT.

 

[NoahB]

CP24 report. It contains a little bit more information on the "report the Star got their hands on".

CP24 Video – Watch Today's Top Breaking News Videos

Watch exclusive interviews from CP24 newscasts and shows live and on-demand.

www.cp24.com

Metrolinx's response seems exactly the same as the REM's developers said about a report that leaked about a possible delay there. They called it a routine report that talks about possible risks but not a final indicator of a delay.

REM is on track to open by the end of 2021, Caisse insists as delays reported

The statement comes amid reports that extra work will be required inside the Mount Royal tunnel to overcome "major safety challenges."

montrealgazette.com

 

[Coolstar]

CP24 report. It contains a little bit more information on the "report the Star got their hands on".

CP24 Video – Watch Today's Top Breaking News Videos

Watch exclusive interviews from CP24 newscasts and shows live and on-demand.

www.cp24.com

Here's some things I caught from the video:
- We are at 12 Flexity Freedom vehicles and they are testing around the yard.
- They found a surprise at Eglinton Station anyone catching some Valley Line vibes and look how that turned out.
- Metrolinx claims to be on track for 2021.

 

[NoahB]

Maybe not as much for a car, but you would need to calculate the financing, maintenance, fees, and taxes cost when buying a home over the long run. Which is possibly a closer comparison.

It is a sound thing to keep track of in the long term finances (imo). But that doesn't mean that dollar figure is always costlier then the benefits it will bring to cities like Hamilton and Mississauga.

 

[Allandale25]

Here's some things I caught from the video:
- We are at 12 Flexity Freedom vehicles and they are testing around the yard.
- They found a surprise at Eglinton Station anyone catching some Valley Line vibes and look how that turned out.
- Metrolinx claims to be on track for 2021.

What's the Valley Line vibe? I'm not familiar with that situation. Able to expand?

 

[Coolstar]

What's the Valley Line vibe? I'm not familiar with that situation. Able to expand?

Sure. Recently the Valley Line was delayed till 2021, and they say that they found a "surprise" at the Tawatina Bridge that attributed to the delay. But it's unknown the circumstances behind the surprise at the Valley Line is similar to The Crosstown.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

It is pretty disingenuous.

Nobody buys a car thinking about the 30 year operating cost of said vehicle.

Yeah, the capital costs for this are $5.4 Billion.

Metrolinx already paid Crosslinx around $350 Million to keep the Crosstown on schedule, and if I'm reading the report correctly, it's now again over budget by another $330 Million, bringing the total overrun to about $700 Million for this transit line originally budgeted at $5.4 Billion.

The Crosstown is already delayed by a year, and now there's a further 7 months of delay added on (and tbh I think 7 months is very optimistic)

The project is still exposed to a lot of risk, with station structures still incomplete, so there's a high probability of further delays and expense

 

[raptor]

Yeah, the capital costs for this are $5.4 Billion.

Metrolinx already paid Crosslinx around $350 Million to keep the Crosstown on schedule, and if I'm reading the report correctly, it's now again over budget by another $330 Million, bringing the total overrun to about $700 Million for this transit line originally budgeted at $5.4 Billion.

The Crosstown is already delayed by a year, and now there's a further 7 months of delay added on (and tbh I think 7 months is very optimistic)

The project is still exposed to a lot of risk, with station structures still incomplete, so there's a high probability of further delays and expense

if you read the article, it mentions there are concerns over caissons in the underpinning at Eglinton station. Independent engineers will confirm if there's an issue. If they confirm it, it's an additional delay on top of the 7 months. Will probably mean they could only start building Eglinton station in 2021!

 

[Allandale25]

^ maybe this is obvious but I don't fully understand. Are these new caissons they installed or the existing caissons from when Eglinton station was originally constructed?

 

[TransitBart]

^ maybe this is obvious but I don't fully understand. Are these new caissons they installed or the existing caissons from when Eglinton station was originally constructed?

Original 1950s caissons.

 

[Richard White]

Original 1950s caissons.

I know it is a stretch but it makes me wonder why things like this were not replaced and if the station is in bad shape why did they not close it and rebuild Eglinton

 

[TheTigerMaster]

I know it is a stretch but it makes me wonder why things like this were not replaced and if the station is in bad shape why did they not close it and rebuild Eglinton

Rebuilding Eglinton sounds like something that could quickly turn into a $100 Million+ job.

Also hindsight is 20/20. Maybe the engineers just weren’t aware of how poor shape it was in

 

[NoahB]

Yeah, the capital costs for this are $5.4 Billion.

Metrolinx already paid Crosslinx around $350 Million to keep the Crosstown on schedule, and if I'm reading the report correctly, it's now again over budget by another $330 Million, bringing the total overrun to about $700 Million for this transit line originally budgeted at $5.4 Billion.

The Crosstown is already delayed by a year, and now there's a further 7 months of delay added on (and tbh I think 7 months is very optimistic)

The project is still exposed to a lot of risk, with station structures still incomplete, so there's a high probability of further delays and expense

The $350M paid earlier was taken from the contingency fund within the existing funding. So that did not constitute an increase in budget. I don't know about the possible extra 330M.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

The $350M paid earlier was taken from the contingency fund within the existing funding. So that did not constitute an increase in budget. I don't know about the possible extra 330M.

ah understood

 

[tayser]

You're right. My bad. They are commuter lines with much longer statin distances.

Does anyone know of instances of street trams being converted to grade separate lines?

What would be the point? Far cheaper to prioritise non-private transport on streets - positioning stops after traffic lights and giving priority for trams as the approach street crossings.

Or in the case of new build projects, just don't put anything on street.

Also - the price of the LXRP on that wiki page you linked to is for only the first original list of 50 to be removed. The 25 since added will probably be of a similar value because they're in areas that will be seeing expansions (like quadruplicating corridors, future electrification in parts, adding third platforms to stations for enhanced/better operations.

Also x 2, you call it commuter rail, but the standard size of a train on Melbourne's network covering the entire metropolitan area is similar to the TTC subway trains - and the next generation is bigger: train length, passenger-carrying capacity and the services will be getting a lot more frequent than what many people would deem to be 'commuter rail'.