(04-04-2021, 09:22 PM)tomh009 Wrote: More seriously, what's the acceleration/deceleration time for the current GO rolling stock? How much time would we save with all new rolling stock?
I can't give you the numbers, but I can explain why electrification is such a big deal:
A 12-car GO train with a single engine has 52 axles, only 4 of which (those in the engine) are powered. An electrified 12 car GO train has 48 powered axles, can brake by back-feeding power to the grid rather than burning up brake pads by scrubbing them against metal discs, and eliminates a heavy diesel engine, generator, and fuel tank. Yes, it probably could accelerate/decelerate in just 45 seconds.
If we're also serious about increasing the frequencies with electrification, then the cars would be single level with more doors and the platforms raised, so passengers could get on and off far more quickly than they can with the current bi-level cars with just two sets of doors. The increased frequency offsets the loss of capacity from eliminating the second level in the cars.
...K