Linia 3 a metroului din Toronto (linie de metrou de suprafata) va fi inlocuita cu autobuze din 2023:

The Toronto Transit Commission board has voted to replace the aging Line 3 Scarborough RT with new, express buses as of 2023 due to increasing infrastructure failures.

Details on the Line 3 replacement service are set to be released later in 2021. Staff will look at implementing express buses on a yet-to-be-determined route between Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations as well as rejigging existing bus routes to service Lawrence East, Ellesmere and Midland stations.

Officials were directed to further assess two options for providing bus service as of 2023.

The first option would see new, dedicated buses begin to service the corridor at a higher, upfront cost, which wouldn’t impact the existing bus network.

The second option would see taking buses from the existing spare bus ratio until new buses could be purchased between 2027 and 2029, reducing the number of buses available should there be a need during subway line failures or other events impacting TTC service.

During Wednesday afternoon’s meeting, board members also voted to direct staff to include the option of a dedicated busway on the existing Line 3 corridor as part of public consultations on the replacement transit service. The consultations will include options for the future potential uses of the current Line 3 station lands.

“I just think nobody wanted to see this come to this point, but here we are,” Coun. Jaye Robinson, who is chair of the board, said Wednesday afternoon.

The decision to replace the Line 3 Scarborough RT with buses follows TTC staff’s recommendations for implementing new and revised bus services by in central Scarborough until the Line 2 subway extension opens, which is scheduled for 2030.

Staff said factoring in life-cycle costs, the TTC would need $522.4 million to keep trains operating until the extension opening — something they didn’t recommend. Officials also said there would still be a “high risk” of not having the trains operate as required.

The five-station, 6.4-kilometre Scarborough RT line, which runs above ground between Kennedy subway station and McCowan Road past Scarborough Town Centre, first opened in 1985 and was only designed to operate for 25 years. In 2019, it was estimated that approximately 35,000 passengers a day used Line 3 and 75 per cent of those passengers passed through Kennedy and Scarborough Centre stations.

Overhauls began in 2012 to extend the life of the RT so it could be used for the 2015 Pan Am Games. The TTC did a second, more extensive overhaul of equipment beginning in 2018 to keep the line operating, including address “major” train structural issues.

Extreme temperatures and inclement weather, combined with failing equipment, have meant dozens of days of speed restrictions and reduced train intervals.

TTC staff were working to keep the line open until 2026, which was in line with the previously forecast opening of the Scarborough subway extension. However, changing transit plans and other delays have pushed the anticipated opening to 2030.

Sursa: Global News

Austrian contractor Strabag and the Aecon-led West End Connectors consortium have been named “first negotiations proponents” to design, build and finance tunnels for two mass transit projects in Toronto by Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and transit operator Metrolinx.
The two schemes are the Scarborough Subway Extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension projects, which are expected to have a total combined value of about US$3.5bn.

Metrolinx and IO will now work with each team to finalise their request for proposals with the aim of reaching financial close in the spring and breaking ground some time next year.

IO commented on its website: “Of the shortlisted teams invited to submit bids, those chosen were the highest ranked after the proposals were evaluated. Criteria included design and construction methodology, approach to managing the project and the collaborative behaviours of key individuals of the proponent teams.”

If all goes according to plan, Strabag will undertake the Scarborough Subway Extension project. This is a 7.8km extension of the Toronto Transit Commission’s Bloor–Danforth Line 2. As well as tunnelling, the scope includes the supply of a tunnel boring machine.

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A first draft of the planned Scarborough extension (Metrolinx)

The Strabag team includes UK consulting engineer Arup and Toronto engineer Brian Isherwood & Associates.

West End Connectors would build the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, which will add 9.2km to Toronto’s Line 5 and connect Mount Dennis Station to Renforth Drive.

The team is made up of Canadian contractor Aecon (40%), Spain’s Dragados (40%) and Italy’s Ghella (20%).

Joshua Engel-Yan, programme sponsor for the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, said in a Metrolinx blog: “Once it’s built, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension will not only provide the local community with access to rapid transit, but it will also close a key transit gap for the region, allowing people to travel easily from the east end of Toronto into Mississauga.”

IO and Metrolinx plan to issue separate contracts for the remainder of the two projects, which will include the construction of stations, fitting out of the tunnels and installing and commissioning the systems to put trains into service.

Sursa: Global Construction News

Metrolinx, the public transport authority of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, has presented the latest analysis on the way Toronto’s Yonge North Subway extension will make commutes faster and easier for tens of thousands of people travelling between York Region and Toronto.

The release of an updated business case is an important step forward for the project, which calls for roughly 8 km of new metro service on TTC’s Line 1, extending north from Finch station to Richmond Hill.

The planning teams investigated three options for the route, or alignment, the extension will follow. One of the more noticeable and innovative changes in the updated plan is how the line will run at ground level in the northern part of the extension, linking up with the CN rail route in the area of Langstaff Road, instead of tunneling all the way to Richmond Hill. Adjusting the route of the line in this area will better position the project to serve the Richmond Hill Centre and Langstaff Gateway urban growth centres, which are poised for significant development. Creating stronger connections here will mean better connections to transit, including the Richmond Hill GO train line, and less traffic congestion as communities grow. This shift will also ensure the project can be built in less time by minimising lengthy and disruptive excavations, in turn reducing inconveniences to neighbouring communities.

The adjusted plans also protect for further extension of the line in the future by positioning the northern end of the project along a pre-existing rail corridor. Since building above ground is also less costly, this approach maximises the number of stations included in the project. It also positions the northern stations at sites that provide better transit connections and more opportunities for nearby communities to grow and evolve.

Stations’ plan
The station previously referred to as Richmond Hill Centre has been tentatively re-named High Tech station and moves slightly south-east of the original site. It will be built at surface level. The Langstaff station mentioned in the previous proposals now moves east and slightly north, to be built at surface level between Highway 7 and Highway 407. This station is tentatively called Bridge station that will provide a convenient connection to the Richmond Hill GO train line and many local and GO Transit bus services.

While all six previously envisioned stations were studied in the business case, detailed analysis shows that the CAD 5.6 billion (USD 4.45 billion) funding envelope announced for the project can accommodate four stations, if the extension follows the newly proposed alignment.

Steeles, Bridge and High Tech stations were determined to be essential for maximising the benefits of the project which will significantly improve access to frequent rapid transit services.

During construction, the project is expected to support the equivalent of 4,300 full-time jobs each year, leading to new opportunities for businesses and workers that provide the services and equipment needed to build and operate the extension.

The Yonge North Subway extension will have a capacity of 94,100 boardings per day and put 26,000 more people within a 10-minute walk to a station. The project is expected to reduce commute times to downtown Toronto by as much as 22 minutes.

It’s predicted that the metro extension will reduce the total distance travelled by cars during the morning rush hour by 7,700 km, leading to a reduction of 4,800 tonnes in road-related greenhouse gas emissions each year.

Sursa: Railway Pro

The Ontario government has officially broken ground on the future three-stop of Scarborough Subway extension which will deliver better, faster, and more reliable transit that the people of Greater Toronto Area need.

“This long overdue project will create thousands of jobs, significantly increase ridership capacity and cut down daily travel times for more than a hundred thousand Scarborough commuters,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said.

The project is estimated to support as many as 3,000 jobs annually during construction and unlock better access to employment spaces, schools and other key destinations throughout the city for Scarborough residents.

In May, the Ontario province announced that Strabag consortium won a fixed-price contract of CAD 757.1 million (USD 616.3 million) to design, build and finance the tunnel for the Scarborough metro project. The consortium comprises Arup Canada and Brian Isherwood & Associates Ltd as the design team.

To expedite work on the extension, tunnelling for the 7.8-km extension from Kennedy Station to McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue will take place first. Advanced tunneling will be followed by contracts for the balance of the work.

The metro line will extend the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Line 2 7.8 km further into Scarborough, with stations at Lawrence Avenue and McCowan Road, Scarborough Centre, and Sheppard Avenue and McCowan Road.

It is expected that the extension will provide an estimated 38,000 people with walking distance access to rapid transit and see 105,000 daily boardings by 2041. The extension will reduce the number of vehicle kilometres travelled during rush hour by 30,000 km, significantly reducing traffic congestion and road-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 10,000 tonnes annually.

The “groundbreaking is an important step forward in getting the Scarborough Subway Extension built. This delivers on a commitment made by the City, provincial and federal governments to the residents of Scarborough,” John Tory, the Mayor of Toronto said.

The project is part of a CAD 28.5 billion (USD 23.2 billion) investment announced by the province to modernise and expand the transit system in Greater Toronto Area. In addition to the Scarborough Subway extension, the plan includes the all-new Ontario Line, the Eglinton Crosstown West extension and the Yonge North Subway extension.

In May, the Canadian Government agreed to pay 40 per cent share, up to CAD 10.7 billion (USD 8.7 billion), of Ontario’s four nationally significant metro projects. The Ontario budget for 2021, outlines the province’s investment of CAD 61.6 billion (USD 50 billion) over 10 years to build new and expanded transit infrastructure across Ontario.

Sursa: Railway Pro

Metrolinx selected Bechtel as the delivery partner for the Ontario Line in Toronto which will create a more connected regional transit system.

Bechtel, with sub-vendors Bantrel and Comtech Group will provide resources, experience, and knowledge in preparation for the construction of the 15.6 km (9.7 miles) rapid transit line through the city of Toronto. Over half of the route is planned to run underground through new tunnels, with the remainder running along elevated and at-grade rail corridor sections of track.

The line will stretch across the city from northeast to southwest. The northern terminus will be located near the Science Centre and a critical connection to the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit line. The project’s southern terminus will be at or near Exhibition Place and Ontario Place along the City’s waterfront. The project includes 15 stations, 6 interchange stations and over 40 new connections to GO train lines and existing metro Lines 1 and 2, the future Eglinton Crosstown LRT, and numerous bus lines. Under the project, a maintenance and storage facility and passenger pick-ups and drop off areas at the interchanges will be built.

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The Ontario Line is being delivered as three separate public-private partnership procurement contracts. For the rolling stock, systems, operation and maintenance, a RFP was issued in December 2020. For the Southern civil, stations and tunnel the RFP was launched in December 2020, while for the Northern civil, stations and tunnel, a RFQ will be issued early 2022.

The Ontario Line will be the first new metro line project in 50 years, and it was proposed in 2019 as the four priority transit projects Metrolinx is leading for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

The line will be the largest single expansion in Toronto’s metro history, helping to ease congestion on existing transit lines throughout the city and bring transit to underserviced neighbourhoods.

The project is expected to be completed in 2030.

Sursa: Railway PRO

A fost dezvăluit look-ul noilor garnituri de metrou ce vor fi construite de Hitachi și vor fi livrate pentru noua "Ontario Line" din Toronto:

Despre potențialul liniei 4 de metrou și despre dezavantajul liniilor scurte de transport public:

Momentan, linia 4 e deservită de depoul Davisville (aflat pe ramura estică a liniei 1), care poate deservi și linia 1. Extensia spre fosta Downsview (actuala Sheppard West) ar fi mai degrabă utilă în perspectiva mutării serviciului liniei 4 la depoul Wilson, care ar fi mai aproape de aceasta și ar face economie la numărul de km•tren. Așa ar fi o altă soluționare a problemei deservirii liniei 1 (prin aceeași metodă, de altfel).

Planurile TTC pentru linia 4 sunt mult mai mari și aproape total diferite față de cele din videoclip. În primul rând, extensia spre vest e inexistentă, nu apare în planurile de dezvoltare ale TTC. În al doilea rând, extensia spre est planificată este muuult mai mare, ajungând până la Water Tower (ceea ce înseamnă 26 de stații noi). Aceasta "ratează" curba către linia 2 și merge drept pe sub Sheppard Avenue. Momentan, încă se lucrează la definirea conceptului, dar poate ar putea reprezenta o variantă mai bună decât cea din videoclip.

Sunt de părere că dacă se extinde mult mai mult spre est atunci devine cu atât mai necesară extinderea spre vest și crearea unei corespondențe suplimentare, pentru că altfel tot fluxul de călători îl ambuteiezi în T.

Da... Și nu. Să nu uităm că și linia 2 de metrou va fi extinsă (iar linia 3 va fi desființată, indicativul se va duce la Ontario Line), ceea ce va crea un nou nod de corespondență cu linia 4. Corespondența cu linia 2, care este foarte centrală, va evita un ambuteiaj la Sheppard-Yonge.

E drept, scenariul nu e unul ideal din motivele descrise în videoclip, iar o extensie spre vest, către Downsview, e indicată, chiar stringentă. Cu toate acestea, nu e nici catastrofal, atâta timp cât perspectiva dezvoltării mobilității din zonă e pozitivă și exploatată corespunzător. Să vedem, totuși, cum va arăta conceptul final.

P.S. Definirea conceptului ar trebui să ne spună și cum va evolua linia 4. Cele 26 de stații noi precizate de mine par să fie parte a scenariului orientat spre conversia în metrou ușor, ceea ce, iarăși, nu ar fi ideal.

Reportaj despre "cât de vechi" sunt garniturile de metrou de pe linia 2 din Toronto și cum nu există fonduri pentru achiziția de garnituri noi. Trenurile au cel mult 27 de ani, ceea ce este complet normal și nicidecum "aproape de vârsta de pensionare" pentru un metrou. Se pare că nu numai la noi presa face orice din țânțar armăsar...