SkyTrain Station Renovations

[Mac Write]

Well today we were parked outside King George outband they said they were clearing trains. We finally move and 5 feet later (1-2s) the train slams the Emergency Breaks on!

A couple months ago I was on the train with my boss and we did a "Fast stop" not emergency stop but a slower faster then normal stop. Anyone ever had that were is stops fast but not an emergency stop?

Rolling Block. Anyone remember when in 2007(?) when there was like 7 trains piled up outside of Broadway station? Trains were parked about 60ft apart waiting to get into the station.

[Millennium2002]

I have a feeling that TransLink may want to invest a whole weekend or two into the project to smooth out some of the jarring stops and slow spots that have popped up all over the network of late.

[GeeCee]

It's not really 'all over the network' so much as directly because of the power rail replacement project.

[mr.x]

I had the impression they were pulling a Canada Line with how they were slowing down near the track switches, to prevent further wear down and system disruptions.

[Waders]

Train is definitely being slowed down to cross track switch for the past few months. Once the whole train passes the switch area, it then accelerates to compensate for the lost time. But then it has to decelerate again as it approaches the next station.
It is much less wear on the switch but more wear on the train itself. And I find the ride not as smooth as before.

[MIPS]

I think the failures of so many switches so close together is an indication that it's time they were overhauled and TransLink has either sidelined that replacement too far into the future or as said they don't want to do that so instead they're going to screw with train speeds as a way to squeeze a bit more life out of them until they have no choice left to replace them.

[red-paladin]

This is what happens when people from the suburbs yell and scream about Translink wasting money ... that and my Employee Pass >:[

[GlassCity]

So I'm not crazy, the Canada Line doesn't run at full speed? Because I find myself getting almost frustrated at how slow it feels. Yesterday I rode both the Millennium Line and the Canada Line, and the Millennium Line felt significantly faster.

[officedweller]

The Canada Line doesn't run at full speed because it is running to an established schedule (i.e. X trains per hour)
If it ran at full speed between stations, the dwell times would be much longer at each station to maintain the same schedule.
Or, if it ran at full speed end to end, you'd have a longer wait between trains.

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by officedweller

The Canada Line doesn't run at full speed because it is running to an established schedule (i.e. X trains per hour)
If it ran at full speed between stations, the dwell times would be much longer at each station to maintain the same schedule.
Or, if it ran at full speed end to end, you'd have a longer wait between trains.

But it uses the same signalling system as the rest of the rail network. Expo/Millenium doesn't seem to have long waits when it runs full tilt and it does that at least twice a day.

[GMasterAres]

That and on Canada Line a few of the larger corners or S bends (Yaletown stretch to Vancouver City Center, or up the hill to King Ed) are not banked I believe so while the train is capable of going around those corners quicker, the ride wouldn't feel that nice. I mean you can hear it now when it putz around those corners all the wheel grinding and squeeling.

All the curves on the Expo/Millenium line are banked to maintain full speed and be comfortable.

Just want to correct a previous post though, I don't know where the notion of all those "people from the suburbs" screaming about Translink wasting money. I haven't seen a topic on these forums about transit that is asking Translink to spend less money. On the contrary, people in the suburbs are screaming for Translink and the Province to fix their funding issues so they can SPEND MORE on transit.

I don't know why some people need to blame those that live in the suburbs for everything. Apparently we're to blame for screaming for Translink to spend less money but we're also to blame for screaming for Translink to spend more money for more transit. So which is it? My experience on these forums is actually quite the contrary, every time someone "from the suburbs" pipes up asking for something like maybe a B-Line finally, or transit expansion, or skytrain extension, people "not from the surbubs" say "NOT BEFORE BROADWAY NO MONEY FOR ANYTHING ELSE GO AWAY SUBURBS!!!"

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by MIPS

But it uses the same signalling system as the rest of the rail network. Expo/Millenium doesn't seem to have long waits when it runs full tilt and it does that at least twice a day.

I should have inserted "because InTransitBC is only contractually obligated to run to an established schedule ..."

It is not obligated to incur additional costs of running higher frequency - unless (presumably) it gets compensated for it...

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

So I'm not crazy, the Canada Line doesn't run at full speed? Because I find myself getting almost frustrated at how slow it feels. Yesterday I rode both the Millennium Line and the Canada Line, and the Millennium Line felt significantly faster.

IIRC, the Canada Line was planned so that it can be sped up once the two future stations are added without changing the overall travel time between Richmond/YVR and Waterfront.

[Meraki]

Originally Posted by Jebby

IIRC, the Canada Line was planned so that it can be sped up once the two future stations are added without changing the overall travel time between Richmond/YVR and Waterfront.

Yeah. Also the Canada Line trains from Rotem don't have steerable axles like the Bombardier trains, which means they have to slow down to make corners (and you get the wheel squealing when it does make the corner.)

The steerable axle and narrower car allow the Bombardier cars to take corners at basically full speed.

[GlassCity]

Originally Posted by Jebby

IIRC, the Canada Line was planned so that it can be sped up once the two future stations are added without changing the overall travel time between Richmond/YVR and Waterfront.

I see, the two stations being 33 and 57 Avenue? So I assume there is no longer any intention of ever building a station at Capstan Way.

[Zassk]

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I see, the two stations being 33 and 57 Avenue? So I assume there is no longer any intention of ever building a station at Capstan Way.

No, I believe that 57th is no longer contemplated. The time guarantee was with the airport authority, so the two future stations that affect that time are 33rd and YVR2. Of those two, YVR2 is the most likely to be built, since the next airport expansion will encompass it. Capstan is still planned (and may come ahead of schedule due to the pace of development funding it) but has no bearing on airport travel time.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Zassk

No, I believe that 57th is no longer contemplated. The time guarantee was with the airport authority, so the two future stations that affect that time are 33rd and YVR2. Of those two, YVR2 is the most likely to be built, since the next airport expansion will encompass it. Capstan is still planned (and may come ahead of schedule due to the pace of development funding it) but has no bearing on airport travel time.

57th is still planned - see the Pearson Dogwood Hospital redevelopment plans here - note the transit plaza on the corner (and pic of a "subway" entrance)

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=253

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by mr.x

I had the impression they were pulling a Canada Line with how they were slowing down near the track switches, to prevent further wear down and system disruptions.

Yeah, I've noticed in a few spots. But not on every switch (nor only switches).

It seems to happen on the first switch when you leave Nanaimo towards Broadway (but not it speeds up over the second and doesn't slow down the other way over either of them).

It slows down over the switch between Joyce and Patterson (I don't know why, its not like they ever use it). But it doesn't slow down over the switches outside Metrotown.

But oddest of all, is that it slows to an almost crawl when going over the expansion joint between between the Skybridge and the approach on the Surrey Side. What's going on there, there is no switch. This one is driving me the most nuts because the train used to scream on that stretch between Scott Road and Columbia, but now slows down so much.

[st7860]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

Yeah, I've noticed in a few spots. But not on every switch (nor only switches).

It seems to happen on the first switch when you leave Nanaimo towards Broadway (but not it speeds up over the second and doesn't slow down the other way over either of them).

It slows down over the switch between Joyce and Patterson (I don't know why, its not like they ever use it). But it doesn't slow down over the switches outside Metrotown.

But oddest of all, is that it slows to an almost crawl when going over the expansion joint between between the Skybridge and the approach on the Surrey Side. What's going on there, there is no switch. This one is driving me the most nuts because the train used to scream on that stretch between Scott Road and Columbia, but now slows down so much.

For the joyce/patterson one, I guess it slows down because people living in those condos complained. I heard that many years ago they slowed down trains leaving main street(westbound) because similarly, there were complaints about noise.

[Millennium2002]

Residents have no role with the latest slowdowns on the Expo Line...

As mentioned previously, trains are only slowing down at various switches and joints on the network. This is most likely due to their condition, age, and need for replacement.

If there was a slowdown ordered by residents, the system would basically have trains crawling throughout like mad...