Well, here is the big WTF from the GO Board RER Update:

Union Station Rail Corridor
As the hub of the GO rail network, work in the Union Station Corridor will be a cornerstone for the network. Work will include the installation of new track, crossovers, platform enhancements, signals, and storage facilities.
Signals continue to be replaced throughout the Union Station corridor to update and improve the reliability of service.
Work is continuing on the Union Station Trainshed project. The current plan is to have the existing contractor complete a reduced scope of work, and then to incorporate the balance of the trainshed rehabilitation into a subsequent procurement, to ensure the electrification component can be contracted through a competitive process.
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http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...0160628_BoardMtg_Regional_Express_Rail_EN.pdf

And from the Capital Projects Update:

Union Station Rail Corridor
Work is continuing on the Union Station Trainshed project with a major shift in construction activity occurring at the end of June to begin rehabilitation work on a new set of tracks and platforms. This work will have major operational and customer-facing impacts as Metrolinx shifts service in the trainshed. In addition, Metrolinx has de-scoped the amount of work in the current construction contract and this work will be built into the future construction contract to electrify the Union Station Rail Corridor. This change will provide a more effective way to integrate the remaining construction activity in the trainshed, reduce any throw-away costs and improve the sequencing of work.
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http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...60628_BoardMtg_Capital_Projects_Report_EN.pdf

Sounds like a FUBAR

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
Sounds like a FUBAR
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Well, only in the past tense. The move is a good one.

The USRC redo during electrification is supposed to allow trains to enter Union Station at 45mph from the west and 30mph from the east -- much faster. Obviously, the trains would have to slow down to the required ~15mph right before the platform edge for platform crowding safety considerations -- but we can finally say goodbye to the long USRC crawl that lasts several minutes before remotely seeing the edge of a Union platform.

This is needed to allow the train throughput to be able to approach 50 trains per hour by year ~2031.

It seems totally natural to hold off this major work until electrification to reduce throw-away costs. Those 30mph/45mph crossover replacements are going to be hugely and majorly disruptive; might as well do it simultaneously with electrification.

It's pretty much a gut-and-redo job as all the crossover positions actually all change locations because of the length change of the higher-speed crossovers. And it will probably happen at the same time as the deployment of CBTC.

The reason why it makes sense to merge "The Big USRC Redo" with electrification:
  • High speed crossovers are longer.
    The crossover layout will totally change as a result. Tracks will shift to accomodate longer higher-speed crossovers.
  • Electrification hardware (trusses, gantries) needs to be mounted.
    Poles in ground means some tracks will shift sideways slightly to make room
  • CBTC signalling system
    The system allowing short-headways will need to be integrated into all of this. To do optional automation features properly, you will also need compatible signalling and crossover hardware, and be compatible with being integrated with the new operations centre they're still building the foundation for at Oakville.
There is a lot of interplay between all the above. To permit maximum possible automation flexibility, the switch hardware should be able to be reliably integrated with a CBTC system, and no crazy operating/interlock rules caused by a weird switch configuration. The layout of the tracks needs to be automation-friendly. In theory, with enough automatic CBTC features enabled -- then a GO train driver can then just autopilot to the begining of the platform. Essentially a "Speed Optimizer" feature that automatically brings a GO train promptly all the way to beginning of the edge of the platform, allowing the train driver to fully pay attention to safety hazards without being overloaded by having to navigate USRC much more quickly than today (e.g. safely manipulating the throttle/brakes quickly in one of the most complicated corridors in North America). This might not be implemented right away, but within a 15-20-30 year time period, in a future era of tight Europe-style headways. Design the USRC layout optimally for maximum performance and future-proofing is very hard to do without factoring in electrification and Metrolinxs' apparent desire to use CBTC signalling...

Because the USRC layout is going to change dramatically during electrification and the USRC speedup, it really truly makes sense to merge the two.

It's only FUBAR in the past that they've did some switch renovations which they will be ripping out in less than 10 years. Better to stop doing FUBAR if you're planning to butcher-up the USRC during electrification... Good move (cease doing further wasted stuff)! Union plans were approved before they knew electrification was going to occur, so it kind of screws up the squencing of "The Big USRC Redo"

....on this topic, does anybody have the diagrams of the new track/crossover layout that permits 30/45mph Union approaches?
 
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The USRC work itself is a FUBAR (which had to be re-tendered, if recollection holds) - neither project should have dragged on for this long and still be in a state of non-completion. The fact that is now dragged out and rolled into yet another project is really nothing to celebrate.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
The USRC work itself is a FUBAR (which had to be re-tendered, if recollection holds) - neither project should have dragged on for this long and still be in a state of non-completion. The fact that is now dragged out and rolled into yet another project is really nothing to celebrate.
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Agreed. The argument for the original tender not including electrification was that it didn't require adjustments to the shed other than hanging the wires. There was some expectation about lowering the rail bed (IIRC this involved removing the gravel/ties and bolting rails to the concrete) which can be wholly independent of the shed work.

That said, I expect the same contractor doing the work today will continue with the project under the new contract; for whatever reason they're not just doing a change in terms of the original agreement. There are sizable savings for the contractor due to already being on-location and have staff with considerable job-specific knowledge; large enough they may be the only tender.

The USRC work itself is a FUBAR
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The re-signalling project in this corridor was also retendered. That's 3 for 3 for major Metrolinx projects in this corridor; sounds systemic.

The city has had struggles with Union rebuild and second platform projects, but nothing as severe as Metrolinx is experiencing.
 
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rbt said:
That said, I expect the same contractor doing the work today will continue with the project under the new contract; for whatever reason they're not just doing a change in terms of the original agreement. There are sizable savings for the contractor due to already being on-location and have staff with considerable job-specific knowledge; large enough they may be the only tender.
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I am a little suspicious/skeptical about how it get rolled over - especially in light of the Auditor General report on the project a short while ago. I could be wrong, but it smells like something is overbudget and couldn't be finished within the existing envelope - and electrification is being used a convenient vehicle to descope and tide at least some of the works over with a new budget.

AoD
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
I could be wrong, but it smells like something is overbudget and couldn't be finished within the existing envelope
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Might be. GO is horrible at "tender thing, run service". There's almost always multiple contracts for them that pickup things missed from earlier. Whatever engineers they hire seem to miss a lot of details.

They're not tiny either; double-track corridor then whoops lets build passenger under-passes too.


TTC struggles to stay on-time/budget; Metrolinx doesn't even try to set a time line and rarely even provides an end goal.
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
especially in light of the Auditor General report on the project a short while ago.
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I may not have seen the USRC portions of this report. Mind if you link -- I'd like to read-up. Given the info, this may indeed be, yes, another FUBAR element.

Electrification is a fine excuse -- but retendering 3 times? Wow.
 
mdrejhon said:
I may not have seen the USRC portions of this report. Mind if you link -- I'd like to read-up. Given the info, this may indeed be, yes, another FUBAR element.

Electrification is a fine excuse -- but retendering 3 times? Wow.
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http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/annualreports/arreports/en12/309en12.pdf (p. 19 PDF)

Anyways, electrification isn't that fine an excuse either - the whole point of planning ahead is to avoid changes that could stop projects on its' tracks, if you may pardon the pun.

AoD
 
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I just have a question why do we have to keep the ugly mess thath the old train shed has become. Why can't we just take it down and replace it with something nice like they did with the middle of it.
 
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