[DonValleyRainbow]

The good news keep on coming today...
Request for Proposals Issued for Union Station Enhancement Project

Development of a new contiguous concourse area below, extending from York to Bay Street, providing an east-west functionality through the station.

Is this talking about optimization of the back area where you get to 24/25 and 26/27? North of the ACC?

 

[gweed123]

So this will overall provide wide platforms with level boarding for 4 tracks..

I'm really interested to see final service planning for RER and how Metrolinx plans to fit all their services into Union.

I would have thought they would have wanted at least 4 tracks within the train shed and another 2 on the south side in order to support RER.

Also, one of the flow patterns I'd like to see is one platform used exclusively for boarding while another is used exclusively for alighting. In this setup, the existing Platform 3 would be for boarding WB, while a new Platform 4 would be used exclusively for EB and WB alighting. A new Platform 5 would be used exclusively for EB boardings.

If GO wants to reduce dwell times at Union, having non-conflicting passenger flows would speed things up immensely.

 

[DSC]

I hope that this project (if it happens!) will do something to properly connect the PATH that runs through the ACC towards Queens Quay with the PATH that leads to and through Union Station. Now there is a very steep and long staircase leading to/from ACC lobby area or a very small and unreliable elevator that ends outside in the 'plaza'.

 

[Leo_Chan]

I would have thought they would have wanted at least 4 tracks within the train shed and another 2 on the south side in order to support RER.

Also, one of the flow patterns I'd like to see is one platform used exclusively for boarding while another is used exclusively for alighting. In this setup, the existing Platform 3 would be for boarding WB, while a new Platform 4 would be used exclusively for EB and WB alighting. A new Platform 5 would be used exclusively for EB boardings.

If GO wants to reduce dwell times at Union, having non-conflicting passenger flows would speed things up immensely.

So the current Spanish Solution configuration but with wider and level platforms?
Or with double track between platforms?

 

[Leo_Chan]

I hope that this project (if it happens!) will do something to properly connect the PATH that runs through the ACC towards Queens Quay with the PATH that leads to and through Union Station. Now there is a very steep and long staircase leading to/from ACC lobby area or a very small and unreliable elevator that ends outside in the 'plaza'.

You mean connect this

With this

And potentially this

In order to bypass this

And this

?

 

[DSC]

You mean connect this

Indeed I do!

 

[sikandar]

I hope that this project (if it happens!) will do something to properly connect the PATH that runs through the ACC towards Queens Quay with the PATH that leads to and through Union Station. Now there is a very steep and long staircase leading to/from ACC lobby area or a very small and unreliable elevator that ends outside in the 'plaza'.

An escalator that runs between Union and the ACC PATH in front of the Galleria entrance is the long-term solution, just a matter of when. I’m sure between the city, MLSE and maybe even Southcore developers, they could find enough money to fund a legitimate connection. MLSE would benefit greatly by leveraging their second floor gate for crowd control, and the rest of Southcore could confidently say they’re PATH connected to Union. Right now you almost have to put an asterisk next to that claim.

 

[DSC]

The Executive Committee are looking at Smart-Track next week - among the documents is https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2018/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-113935.pdf It deals with enhancements to Union Station

 

[cdosrun]

I was reading somewhere that the CEO of Union Station indicated they would like to move towards the platforms being wider like in European stations, I guess by doubling up platforms and tracks, instead of platform-track-platform-track. But they just renovated the pillars under the tracks, and dug down and extended them, so how are they supposed to go about doing this? Also, without taking the old roof off, wouldn't that also be an issue? I wish they would have planned this from the get go and put a nice big dome over the platforms.

 

[cplchanb]

I was reading somewhere that the CEO of Union Station indicated they would like to move towards the platforms being wider like in European stations, I guess by doubling up platforms and tracks, instead of platform-track-platform-track. But they just renovated the pillars under the tracks, and dug down and extended them, so how are they supposed to go about doing this? Also, without taking the old roof off, wouldn't that also be an issue? I wish they would have planned this from the get go and put a nice big dome over the platforms.

+1 it's always been my opinion and belief that they should've extended this crystal cube thing to the ends of the platform. The current design just looks incomplete as if they aborted part way through. I do hope that if and when they do come about to rebuilding the platforms that they'll raise it so that it'll be level boarding like the rest of the world. Even montreal's platforms are flush with the trains.

 

[idc24]

I have been to London England and the city has about twelve major railway intercity British Rail stations. Some of the stations like Paddington opened in 1854 which is around 73 year prior to union and it contains high level platforms under its heritage train shed. It was oringinally built with high level platforms.

View outward on Paddington Platforms 4/5. Hawksworth '9400' class, 1962
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londo...n_tank_geograph-2571974-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

 

[DSC]

I have been to London England and the city has about twelve major railway intercity British Rail stations. Some of the stations like Paddington opened in 1854 which is around 73 year prior to union and it contains high level platforms under its heritage train shed. It was oringinally built with high level platforms.

Though level boarding is obviously better, we need to remember that when Union was built it was primarily to serve inter-city and cross-country trains and in most parts of the country trains used stations (or simply 'halts') with virtually no facilities and one boarded from the earth. In Britain, which has and had, higher population density, even tiny villages had 'proper stations' with real platforms so having level boarding was normal. In Canada it was not.

 

[sikandar]

Here is the reconfigured entrance from Union Plaza, with a new ramp and stairs going down to the retail level instead of the concourse. Not sure if they’ll do the same to the other half of the ramp.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Here is the reconfigured entrance from Union Plaza, with a new ramp and stairs going down to the retail level instead of the concourse. Not sure if they’ll do the same to the other half of the ramp.

View attachment 140197

OOOO...Sneaky!

 

[DSC]

Here is the reconfigured entrance from Union Plaza, with a new ramp and stairs going down to the retail level instead of the concourse. Not sure if they’ll do the same to the other half of the ramp.

From a discussion at a public meeting a while ago I think the other half of the ramp is also to be removed and made into the other half of this new staircase. The question is will it be stairs or an escalator?