(03-22-2023, 11:42 PM)CP42 Wrote: I recently moved into an apartment near the GO Transit layover yard between King and Park Streets and although it hasn’t bothered me too much, I’ve noticed that the trains parked there seem to idle all night from the time they arrive in the evening until the time they depart in the morning.
Some articles on the issue of idling noise from when GO trains first came to the region in 2010 had quoted “GO Transit says the trains will only start up and run for 30 minutes to an hour” (https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mobile/resi...y-1.578209). However, it appears they are idling for the entire time they are at the layover facility.
I am a huge advocate for increased GO service from Kitchener to Toronto. However, I’m not sure why the trains need to idle all night? Unless there is a valid reason, this doesn’t seem like a good thing for both noise and pollution in the area.
Any ideas why this might be the case? If there’s no valid reason, would there be any way to convince GO to only idle the trains 30-60 minutes prior to departure as previously stated in 2010 rather than for the entire ~10 hours at the layover facility?
Train engineers dislike having to shut them off due to how long they take to get going again and that's especially true for diesel locomotives. Be it the air brake pressure, engine concerns (important with diesel engines), cooling systems etc. GO Transit may have said they'll ideally only start them up just before they're needed...but anyone who knows trains will tell you that's just a friendly lie to placate NIMBY neighbours. Unless there is a real good reason, locomotives are rarely turned off and that's especially true in colder months.
Edit: Fuel usage is also a very, very big reason. It can often take more fuel to cold start an engine up again than it would to just let it idle for 12 hours straight. Likewise, cold starting engines can often be more hazardous to the environment due to the amount of shit they spew out trying to get up and running. It's economically unfeasible (cost of fuel, engine maintenance, time wasted while it warms up/brake lines re-pressurize) to do this every single night just so people who willingly moved next to trains...don't have to hear trains.