Metro Vancouver Transit Discussion II

[teriyaki]

First thing that stood out to me is the weird placement of that captain chair at the very front window.

I have a feeling that the seat is going to be used more as an improper footrest.

[MIPS]

I still think that there's way too little space allocated for seating in place of standing areas.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I still think that there's way too little space allocated for seating in place of standing areas.

During peak hours, the trains are getting close to full, and with the completion of the Broadway Extension and SLS they're going to need the capacity. It's nice to have seating, but it doesn't matter if people can't get on the train. Capacity to meet demand has to be prioritized.

[mcj]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I still think that there's way too little space allocated for seating in place of standing areas.

I count 137 seats per train, seems like plenty. And they look much more spacious than the Mk1 trains these will be replacing.

Speaking of which, don't think we've seen a breakdown of how many of the Mark Vs will be allocated where but it's included in the buzzer post:

With this ahead of us, we’re getting ready with the SkyTrain Expansion Program. As part of this, we’re adding more than 200 new SkyTrain cars:

125 cars (25 trains) to replace first-generation Mark I vehicles that entered service in 1985 when the SkyTrain opened and to support the Broadway Subway Project
80 cars (16 trains) to improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium Lines
30 cars (6 trains) for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project

[VancouverOfTheFuture]

6 trains doesnt seem enough for the SLS Project. its a long extension. are they not running all trains all the way to Langley?

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

6 trains doesnt seem enough for the SLS Project. its a long extension. are they not running all trains all the way to Langley?

That's on top of "80 cars (16 trains) to improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium Lines" - and from what I remember not all of the trains will travel to Langley.

[aberdeen5698]

Originally Posted by madog222

A look inside 6011-6025. Seating count for the Mark V confirmed at 137, end cars have 22 each and centre cars 31.

For cars optimized for standees I think they really need to have more than just that centre overhead grab bar - they need bars down the sides as well. And loops on the side ones for shorter people would be nice.

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

6 trains doesnt seem enough for the SLS Project. its a long extension. are they not running all trains all the way to Langley?

I expect that a lot of trains will short turn at King George so that the frequency all the way out to Langley will be reduced. 6 trains over 16 kilometers doesn't seem all that unreasonable to me, but time will tell. They can always reallocate trains to some degree to match demand.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

I expect that a lot of trains will short turn at King George so that the frequency all the way out to Langley will be reduced. 6 trains over 16 kilometers doesn't seem all that unreasonable to me, but time will tell. They can always reallocate trains to some degree to match demand.

I checked and trains will short turn at 140th.

[nname]

During peak hours:
1/3 will go to Langley
1/3 will terminate at 140th
1/3 will go to Production

[mcj]

Seems like these were the original order of 205 cars:

125 cars (25 trains) to replace first-generation Mark I vehicles that entered service in 1985 when the SkyTrain opened and to support the Broadway Subway Project
80 cars (16 trains) to improve capacity on the Expo and Millennium Lines

And these are just the beginning of the 400 car option that Translink has open until 2035 (we will likely see more ordered over the next decade):

30 cars (6 trains) for the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project

[logan5]

So what is considered "ultimate capacity" now, assuming you run all 5 car Mark V trains (or newer)? The Daily Hive article from today states that at crush capacity, the Mark 5 trains can hold 1207 passengers. At 40 trains per hour, you have a theoretical ultimate capacity of 48 000 pphpd. That can't be a realistic expectation, but at 900 passengers, which is well below 1207, you still get 36 000 pphpd, which is much higher than the number Translink has quoted for years - 25 700 pphpd.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by logan5

So what is considered "ultimate capacity" now, assuming you run all 5 car Mark V trains (or newer)? The Daily Hive article from today states that at crush capacity, the Mark 5 trains can hold 1207 passengers. At 40 trains per hour, you have a theoretical ultimate capacity of 48 000 pphpd. That can't be a realistic expectation, but at 900 passengers, which is well below 1207, you still get 36 000 pphpd, which is much higher than the number Translink has quoted for years - 25 700 pphpd.

25700 pphpd was the plan when Translink expected to stick with the MKIIs until at least 2031.

The math there was each train would be a standard 2-car MKII coupled to a "3-car MKII" (unspecified), and since the published standard capacity for the 2-car MKII is 256, if we extrapolate that means a 5-car MKII would have a standard capacity of roughly 640.

40 trains per hour per direction * 640 passengers per train = 25600 pphpd. Math checks out.

To be fair, I'm sure the MK-IIs under crush capacity can probably carry more than 256 passengers. The published standard capacity for the 5-car MKVs is 672 which isn't all that much more than 640.

[Sheba]

Just found this in my e-mail...

Good day:

Thank you for taking the time to write on this important matter.

The Government of Canada's commitment to a permanent source of federal support for public transit, with funding starting to flow in 2026-27, will provide communities with the predictable transit funding they need to plan for the future. Working with all levels of government and with key transit partners, we will create more opportunities for communities across Canada to make longer-term transit plans that work hand in hand with housing and strategic infrastructure to build cohesive, connected communities.

This commitment builds on the unprecedented $30 billion the Government of Canada has invested to date in over 1,400 transit projects across the country since 2015, which support the maintenance and enhancement of our public transit systems. In British Columbia alone, the Government of Canada has invested more than $4 billion in over 200 transit projects since 2015. In Metro Vancouver, this includes support for important expansions of the region's fast-growing infrastructure such as the Surrey Langley SkyTrain project and the Broadway extension of the Millenium Line, as well as upgrades to the existing Expo Line and Millenium Line. We are also investing to help fund the planning for the potential extension of the Millenium Line SkyTrain to the University of British Columbia.

Investing in public transit infrastructure will build strong communities in British Columbia and across the country and deliver a better quality of life for all Canadians. The federal government will continue to invest in projects that best support our recovery, create middle class jobs and economic growth, and help us reach our climate targets. Together, we are building a Canada that is cleaner, more competitive and more inclusive for generations to come.

Please accept our best regards.

Sincerely,


Silviu Nicolae
Executive Correspondence Unit, Infrastructure Canada

[GenWhy?]

I forget who funds the initial design work typically, but it sounds like Federal funding for the UBC extension's design work by 2026 (potentially) sounds interesting.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

I forget who funds the initial design work typically, but it sounds like Federal funding for the UBC extension's design work by 2026 (potentially) sounds interesting.

The federal government committed funds 3 years ago. Unfortunately UBCx has been pretty much stalled for 2 years. Hopefully we start to see things pick up against once construction of the Broadway Extension starts ramping down.

https://skytrain.ubc.ca/about-the-pr...ject-timeline/

[idunno]

I don't think UBCX has been stalled for two years. What about the new contract for detailed design that the Province set out last year? https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-...-business-case

[mcj]

Originally Posted by idunno

I don't think UBCX has been stalled for two years. What about the new contract for detailed design that the Province set out last year? https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-...-business-case

Probably will start hearing more about this during the upcoming election cycle as well.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by idunno

I don't think UBCX has been stalled for two years. What about the new contract for detailed design that the Province set out last year? https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ubc-...-business-case

Last week, Transportation Investment Corporation — the provincial crown corporation overseeing the management of major provincial transportation infrastructure projects — launched its procurement process for seeking a private contractor to complete highly detailed technical work that will be used to form the business case supporting the project.

This private contractor is expected to be selected by June 2023, and they will complete their work by December 2024, at which point the provincial government will use the provided information to create its own “Provincial Business Case” for extending the Millennium Line from its 2026 terminus of Arbutus Station to UBC.

Did this happen?

[madog222]

Expo LIM Rail Replacement

The scope of this work encompasses the design of 40km of Expo Line LIM rail and handrail. A pilot of 3000 linear meters will be completed in 2025, hereinafter referred to as the 2025 implementation scope. Construction review services of the 2025 implementation scope is included in this work.

https://discovery.ariba.com/rfx/19649679

[cganuelas1995]

How much would on-time performance improve it we did all-door boarding on every bus?