GO Transit Union Pearson Express

[electricron]

The new study for electrification report is to be released soon. A 2010 estimate for electrification was $450 million. Which means the costs of electrification doubles the costs of building the line.
http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story ... n-dollars/
The 22 km UP project construction is on budget near $456 million, including the costs of the 3 km aerial guideway, signal and track upgrades, 4 stations, and 18 DMUs built by Nippon Sharyo. It'll be interesting to see how much electrification will cost from the new report.

[NH2060]

As much as I've found the idea of electrifying even just the busiest GO Transit lines intriguing I'm not entirely sold on the idea. Granted their trains could accelerate and decelerate faster, etc. (they are 10+ cars long in most cases), but unless they were planning on some drastic service expansion that would make diesel power less than ideal I don't see the point of having another separate fleet when they've already got a homogenous fleet of MPI MP-40s (pardon my ignorance, but any F59s still around?) and coaches that can be used all over the GO network.

I think the UP Express will likely get electrification down the road if the level of service warrants it, but part of what makes that option attractive is that their fleet of DMUs are being built to allow for future conversion to electric power.

[dowlingm]

The economics of this are going to be interesting. They've tried hard to use provincial assets by putting one switching station in the Metrolinx Eglinton yard and the maintenance facility on the site of a provincial office building. I wonder what the awareness of the MSF is in that particular locality since until not that long ago the idea was to service in Willowbrook.

If I was Metrolinx I would be hoping that if the early numbers in 2015-16 are only so-so, and the people in Weston realise that a 3 car DMU even at 15 minute per direction headway is not the same noisemaker a GO MP40 or a VIA F40 is, that the electrification project can be pushed far to the right without political fallout. Of course Mike "day 1 electric" Sullivan always made out you could electrify for 10 bucks and a box of timbits. His NDP colleague Rosario Marchese is looking for the Metrolinx business case for UPX which has so far not been forthcoming.

There is a past (albeit aged) thread on this: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... on#p895253" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For me I'd rather see bespoke EMUs than messing around re-engining and sticking a transformer/panto on the DMUs - there's a lot of applications a lightly used modern 79mph FRA DMU could be put to north or south of the border, especially in existing high floor territory.

[electricron]

FYI, the initial married-pair set for SMART has finished factory testing in Japan and will be shipped soon to Illinois for further corridor testing.

[dowlingm]

The Union Pearson folks have been teasing the new trains
http://www.upexpress.com/en/project/fol ... rains.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And this from two days ago:
https://twitter.com/upexpress/status/492010450708856832" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MattW]

Does anyone know what route they took from Savannah? I assume either NS or CSX to Atlanta, but any idea which specific route?

[kaitoku]

Video of the railcar being trucked from the N-S plant in Toyokawa to the seaport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-JE9B_RE9M" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kaitoku]

Testing on Metra's Rock Island district:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcBxWLAm3bU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[electricron]

Testing on Metra's Rock Island district:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcBxWLAm3bU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the video link. These will make great express trains.

[kaitoku]

Trainset has arrived in Toronto:
http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/exclusive-sne ... -1.1965058" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[kaitoku]

A direct rail link between downtown and Pearson Airport becoming close to reality. The first pair of diesel Union-Pearson Express trains are now in Toronto, making test runs out of Union Station.

Over the next six weeks, the trains will be tested on the Lake Shore, Kitchener, and Barrie GO transit lines during off-peak hours, Metrolinx says. The remaining 16 trains in the order will be similarly evaluated once they are delivered from Japan.

more:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2014/09/firs ... n_toronto/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RRCOMM]

Look at the readers comments section in the referenced article from the last post. The level of ignorance, misinformation and trivial concern is amazing.

[mtuandrew]

Look at the readers comments section in the referenced article from the last post. The level of ignorance, misinformation and trivial concern is amazing.

Something something 1970s colors something something RAWR BOMBARDIER something something old and/or young people are dumb.

It reminds me of the pre-wet noodle CN paint scheme. Anyone else see the resemblance? http://trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photo ... l/3000.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dowlingm]

UPX train pulling into Pearson Terminal 1 during commissioning tests. Note the Tim Hortons cup at bottom right - this might be a premium service but none of your damn Starbucks or indie coffee at the sharp end.
http://instagram.com/p/ttCBAhRxAt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[NH2060]

Rather belated, but a Pre-Notice of Proposed Procurement for proposed electrification was posted in RailwayAge early in November (Fair use quote below):

Upcoming Requests for Proposals

Metrolinx intends to issue a Qualification Based Selection (‘QBS’) Request for Proposal for this program of works as follows.

Electrification Project

The scope of this project involves two elements necessary for the electrification on the network.

Part One: Overall project support including technical advisement for electrification of Metrolinx’s GO Transit rail network.

Part Two: Complete a system wide Environmental Assessment (EA) for electrification, identifying the impacts of key electrification system requirements and including consultation with stakeholders and the public.

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/RFP ... sment.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;