[nfitz]

How will the weather affect the outdoor portion of the track? Why does the Scarborough RT always fail on those cold winter days? If rail technology has not changed enough to prevent delays/cancellation during the winter then I understand why the province is pushing for a fully underground LRT.

The Scarborough RT fails on days when the subway, GO Trains, and streetcars all are running quite well. It uses very different technology, and it's third-rail system in particular is prone to snow/ice problems.

There's no plans to use that technology again!

 

[robmausser]

How will the weather affect the outdoor portion of the track? Why does the Scarborough RT always fail on those cold winter days? If rail technology has not changed enough to prevent delays/cancellation during the winter then I understand why the province is pushing for a fully underground LRT.

The RT fails because it uses a proprietary technology known as LIM that pulls the train along a magnetized track. This track fails when ice covers it.

The LRTs do not have this issue.

LRT works in -40c temperatures in Russia, Scandinavia, Minneapolis, etc etc.

There is no reason to build underground for weather.

The Toronto subway operates above ground from Eglinton to Wilson, with rarely an issue.

 

[M II A II R II K]

And plus it would be a lot easier to get on and off the LRT if it were outside in the middle of the road instead of bothering with stairs, escalators, concourses, etc.

 

[TRONto]

ICTS is a different technology. The Calgary LRT does not fail on those cold days, that's a better comparison.

 

[Oldmanyells]

If the LRT being exposed to the weather is not a major issue why is an elevated LRT throughout the whole route not preferred? It's cheaper than burying it underground and at the same time will not obstruct traffic & pedestrians along Eglinton and streets running perpendicular to it. Is it because the NIMBYs do not want their views obstructed?

 

[cplchanb]

If the LRT being exposed to the weather is not a major issue why is an elevated LRT throughout the whole route not preferred? It's cheaper than burying it underground and at the same time will not obstruct traffic & pedestrians along Eglinton and streets running perpendicular to it. Is it because the NIMBYs do not want their views obstructed?

thats the sole reason

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

If the LRT being exposed to the weather is not a major issue why is an elevated LRT throughout the whole route not preferred? It's cheaper than burying it underground and at the same time will not obstruct traffic & pedestrians along Eglinton and streets running perpendicular to it. Is it because the NIMBYs do not want their views obstructed?

Welcome to UT!

 

[smallspy]

If the LRT being exposed to the weather is not a major issue why is an elevated LRT throughout the whole route not preferred? It's cheaper than burying it underground and at the same time will not obstruct traffic & pedestrians along Eglinton and streets running perpendicular to it. Is it because the NIMBYs do not want their views obstructed?

There may be some geographical issues at play, as well as interference from other infrastructure already in place. For instance, the crossing of the Humber River and then climb out of the valley to the west - elevating the line there may preclude a future mid-block stop between Scarlett and Royal York, where as leaving it at ground level or tunneled or some combination of all of them would allow for it. Further west, there are high voltage power lines at Martin Grove that will be very difficult to cross if the line were to be elevated there.

Dan

 

[robmausser]

I immediately thought of this post today when this was made public

https://rem.info/en/rolling-stock

The REM is a light rail system based on the Alstom Metropolis. This model has proven its worth, with more than 5,000 cars currently in daily use around the world, in major cities such as Paris, Shanghai, São Paulo, Dubai and Sydney. In Montréal, the design and operational features were customized specifically to run in extreme winter conditions.

 

[sixrings]

It’s not the lrts that are too soft to run in the snow. It’s the transit user which is the snowflake and can’t handle the cold. Also respect for the suburbs. If downtown can have underground stations then damn it underground stations everywhere or nothing at all but my single occupancy vehicle.

 

[W. K. Lis]

A compromise could be a surface LRT with above-grade and below-grade stations at the main intersections. However, this would be unacceptable to Doug Ford, since he could see the plebs on the light rail vehicles as he drives in the traffic jam along Eglinton, in his SUV.

 

[BurlOak]

There may be some geographical issues at play, as well as interference from other infrastructure already in place. For instance, the crossing of the Humber River and then climb out of the valley to the west - elevating the line there may preclude a future mid-block stop between Scarlett and Royal York, where as leaving it at ground level or tunneled or some combination of all of them would allow for it. Further west, there are high voltage power lines at Martin Grove that will be very difficult to cross if the line were to be elevated there.

Dan

A compromise could be a surface LRT with above-grade and below-grade stations at the main intersections. However, this would be unacceptable to Doug Ford, since he could see the plebs on the light rail vehicles as he drives in the traffic jam along Eglinton, in his SUV.

I am quite sure the mid-block station idea is dead - as it should be.
I just hope people push Ford to elevate or build cut-and-cover as much as possible - to save money. If some City Councillor's are dumb enough to push for on-street operation, it will just take attention away from the cost saving methods and ensure the whole thing is deep TBM, and then the DRL (or whatever comes of it) would have to be delayed.

 

[sixrings]

Translation... if you don't do it my way then I will make sure nothing is built at all. Sounds like a reasonable negotiation tactic when your side has the power. Don't exactly see how it's much different than what you consider miller's dictatorship.

 

[BurlOak]

Translation... if you don't do it my way then I will make sure nothing is built at all. Sounds like a reasonable negotiation tactic when your side has the power. Don't exactly see how it's much different than what you consider miller's dictatorship.

That's exactly what the Liberals did at Eg. and Leslie. They concentrated on the wrong thing (lying that the portal could not be built on the west hillside) and then finally saying there was no time to look into a south side alignment at Leslie.

 

[sixrings]

And the pcs lied about the cost escalations of these projects. But in that case lying was okbfor you because you agreed with the agenda. It’s not a pc or liberal thing. It’s completely a political thing. Politicians lie about transit on both sides. Stop making it out like your side is morally superior.