Jump to content

Recommended Posts

6 hours ago, soo8513 said:

QUESTION:  I`m a senior. When I purchased ny PRESTO card four years ago I had it set to SENIOR by showing my driver`s licence to the GO ticket agent at GO Meadowvale.  Since then Burlington, Oakville, MiWay, Durham, YRT, TTC, Brampton all recognize that I`m a SENIOR and I pay senior rates.

 

The UP Express PRESTO website seems to indicate that I require to do a UP Express registration if I wish to receive SENIOR fare discounts.

Is PRESTO and PRESTO-UP two different organizations

You should get charged the senior rate. My father took UP in the summer and was deducted a senior fare without having to register again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lansdowne Bridge Work Continues this Weekend

UP Express service will be impacted

TORONTO: April 12, 2016 – As part of our plan to expand regional GO Transit service, we will be doing further work on Lansdowne Bridge this coming weekend. As a result of the construction work, UP Express service will be impacted this weekend including periods of 30 minute service and intermittent periods of rail shutdown. Airport travellers and local commuters are encouraged to plan ahead and check the website for service impacts and alternatives.

The work includes replacing two bridge spans on the north side of the Lansdowne Avenue Bridge as well as upgrading the bridge abutments. Bridge replacement construction will begin Friday April 15 until Sunday April 17 and can only be completed when there is minimal or no train activity.

When tracks for UP are shut down, airport customers will be able to catch a replacement bus service between Union and Pearson stations. Bus service will not be provided at Bloor or Weston Stations during rail shutdown. Customers should check the website for further details before heading out. Keep informed by following @UPexpress on Twitter or Facebook or by calling customer service at 1-844-438-6687.

We are making every effort to minimize the planned service disruption while we complete the necessary bridge work. Metrolinx appreciates customers’ patience and understanding.

Details of Service Impacts:

Fri. April 15

Regular service until 8pm

8pm to 1:00am – Train service suspended

Sat. April 16

5:30 to 2 pm – 30 minute service

2pm to 1:30 am – Train service suspended

Sun. April 17

5:30 am to 11:00am – Train service suspended

11:00 am to 1:30am – 30 minute service

Mon. April 18

Regular 15 minute service resumes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was at Bloor station today and watched over 2 dozen Union riders get on the UPX, that was haft full and about 10 minutes before the GO train arrive.

That 15 minute service with the same GO fare has done well for UPX, but drops the GO numbers down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, drum118 said:

I was at Bloor station today and watched over 2 dozen Union riders get on the UPX, that was haft full and about 10 minutes before the GO train arrive.

That 15 minute service with the same GO fare has done well for UPX, but drops the GO numbers down.

I think it's a good thing. It creates more capacity on the GO trains for the people who actually needs to go further than Weston. Although the trains at 4pm are never full. Probably good for the busy 5-6pm period. The 7am inbound trains aren't that full either. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 6 months later...

I was on the GO train last night around 5:30 passing Bloor station and spotted a UP Express train pulling into the station signed BLOOR.  I didn't even know that they could short-turn those trains!  Is this a regular occurrence or did I catch something that doesn't normally happen (or did the operator punch in the wrong code?!).  I guess they're signed when they leave Pearson, so if you were heading downtown you'd know not to board this particular train.

In the event of a subway shutdown, and Metrolinx had the capacity to run extra trains, could they do short-turn runs between Union and Bloor?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The UPX is actually somewhat annoying of you wait at Weston. They have 3 platforms and trains can technically show up anywhere since they are bidirectional. One would have to check the screen before proceeding to the platform.

If someone is coming from the north side of the street. The bridge leads to platform 3 (outer side). They'll have to cross through the tunnel afterwards.

In rush hour, trains could be held up at Union.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

Hey guys. Short turning or departing immediately is only done if the trains are late. Sometimes after signal, traffic or switch issues you will find trains all back to back. 

 

As for platforms. Yeah they switch all the time usually were on tracks 2 and 3 in the morning and around 1400 switch tracks or directions but use the same tracks. At night they usually start to use track one as well. 

 

Very important to look at the tracks on the monitors all the time. Even if there is a stuck train somewhere we will need to go around it somehow. 

On 04/01/2017 at 5:43 PM, Gil said:

I was on the GO train last night around 5:30 passing Bloor station and spotted a UP Express train pulling into the station signed BLOOR.  I didn't even know that they could short-turn those trains!  Is this a regular occurrence or did I catch something that doesn't normally happen (or did the operator punch in the wrong code?!).  I guess they're signed when they leave Pearson, so if you were heading downtown you'd know not to board this particular train.

In the event of a subway shutdown, and Metrolinx had the capacity to run extra trains, could they do short-turn runs between Union and Bloor?

As an operator we have no codes. The gsr in the middle just logs on a trip number and the rest is automatic. 

 

We never short turn at bloor. It would mean getting paper work from the rtc and operating at way slower speeds for a bit. Would just not be efficient but can yes still happen. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Since this thread hasn't been updated in over a year, I've just wanted to follow up with some of the observations while at the UP Express platform at Union Station:

The standard PRESTO readers (the green ones that are used elsewhere on the GO Transit network have been covered up, no word on when another silver reader will be coming back). This is to reflect GO 10km or less fare change (if I'm not mistaken). If a user who tapped on a standard PRESTO reader and then boards the UP Train off-peak, what is going to happen? How will the attendant knew if the rider is travelling on the UP but tapped on the green devices?

Also, I believe that the TTC/UP (and TTC/GO) co-fare for PRESTO users will remain unchanged.

I'm not sure if I had given accurate information, but please advise.

 

posted from my Samsung Galaxy S9

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That pretty much sums it up. I think transfers to/from TTC are unchanged.

I'd assume the attendant on UP would see from their device, if the rider had tapped on GO or TTC instead of UP, as it's set up as a different company.

The real losers here are those that ride GO and transfer to UP to get to stations like Weston and Bloor. Not a big deal in rush hour, when there's GO service.

But what about someone going to a game at Exhibition on a weekend when there are no GO trains on the KW line? There old GO fare from Exhibition to Weston was $5.02. Now you have to pay a $3.70 GO fare plus a $5.02 UP fare, totalling $8.72. That's a 74% fare hike!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I also don't like the isolation of the UPX platform from the rest of the Union station. It makes transfers to GO trains more complex and that something that has to be addressed to provide a smooth, efficient implementation of RER. Since the UPX platform track actually continues as the track on platform 3 in the main station, perhaps a corridor directly connecting the two could be a possibility?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Transit geek said:

Since the UPX platform track actually continues as the track on platform 3 in the main station, perhaps a corridor directly connecting the two could be a possibility?

That corridor already exists. It's called "Platform 3".

 

Dan

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Transit geek said:

I also don't like the isolation of the UPX platform from the rest of the Union station. It makes transfers to GO trains more complex and that something that has to be addressed to provide a smooth, efficient implementation of RER. Since the UPX platform track actually continues as the track on platform 3 in the main station, perhaps a corridor directly connecting the two could be a possibility?

 

6 hours ago, smallspy said:

That corridor already exists. It's called "Platform 3".

 

Dan

Platform 3 is the emergency exit from the UPX platform.  I've seen the odd person try to get from platform 3 to the UPX platform, completely ignoring the signs to go through the Skywalk.  It's essentially set up as "exit through the gift shop" as they want people to use all of the extra amenities that were built into the station.  I don't know how much passenger traffic is transferring between GO and UPX that they'd need a more streamlined transfer route.  The only reasonable traffic that would be making the transfer would be Lakeshore East <> UPX.  Aside from the Kitchener Line itself, if you needed to get anywhere else in the GTA the GO bus services would be easier (albeit not as frequent).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, Gil said:

Platform 3 is the emergency exit from the UPX platform.  I've seen the odd person try to get from platform 3 to the UPX platform, completely ignoring the signs to go through the Skywalk.  It's essentially set up as "exit through the gift shop" as they want people to use all of the extra amenities that were built into the station.  I don't know how much passenger traffic is transferring between GO and UPX that they'd need a more streamlined transfer route.  The only reasonable traffic that would be making the transfer would be Lakeshore East <> UPX.  Aside from the Kitchener Line itself, if you needed to get anywhere else in the GTA the GO bus services would be easier (albeit not as frequent).

If you've walked along Platform 3 all the way to the emergency exit at the UPX platform, than you've missed the proper doorway. There is a set of doors over York St. that allow people go to from the Skywalk directly to Platform 3. Doing so allows you to minimize and double-backing along the route, and to bypass much of the crowds. These doors, while perhaps not as obvious on the Skywalk side, are very obvious on the platform.


Dan

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
12 minutes ago, Shaun said:

Most of these seem to be things that were either supposed to happen with the original RER proposal or the original UPX proposal. Electrification was always key for the line and I doubt they want to convert the Sharyo's. The platform thing is probably the big question mark, either they're going to convert everything to high floor (which I honestly hope they do), or they're going to reduce the UPX station platform heights (in my eyes, a stupid idea). The other option is 2-boarding level EMUs (ie KISS trains), but even those seem unlikely. The platform height increases at union seem to only be a few inches. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Shaun said:

Seems more sensible than throwing good money after bad to electrify them, and buy more vehicles.

Perhaps VIA Rail would like some newer RDCs cheap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, nfitz said:

Seems more sensible than throwing good money after bad to electrify them, and buy more vehicles.

Perhaps VIA Rail would like some newer RDCs cheap.

When buying the cars on the back of SMART order in 2013/14, it was going to cost $1 million per car to do the conversion back then and what will it be today?? These cars can go to SMART since they are going to need more cars and trains for expansion.

VIA is going to a new fleet like Bright in Florida that is coming in various sizes and UPX trains are useless to them as well being too slow.

Better off getting a new fleet that can go anywhere in GO System and interchangeable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

These cars can go to SMART since they are going to need more cars and trains for expansion.

All the better, if SMART wants more cars.

 

1 hour ago, drum118 said:

VIA is going to a new fleet like Bright in Florida that is coming in various sizes and UPX trains are useless to them as well being too slow.

I thought the new VIA trains were in fixed-length consists. RDCs could be useful for restoring service to some of the smaller routes - such as Sarnia to London.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They would need to convert platforms to support higher doors. But that's not hard. The question is can they be reliable enough to be used on services in the fringes. 

If one engine fails, is the other unit able to tow the train and meet the schedule like with the Budd cars?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...