ION - Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit

[Pheidippides]

The document I referenced in the winter walking thread also defines, among other things, non-compliant track geometry and spells out the fines for non-compliance for track geometry ($20,000 per non-compliance event).

Well, this is one good explanation for the recent track corrections.

Doesn't explain why they weren't found and fixed earlier though. GrandLinq has been lucky the LRVs have been so late to have this much slack in their schedule.

[Canard]

They don’t though. They’re now holding up LRV delivery!

given that the crossovers are not designed to make opposite-direction running convenient (except on the Spur Line of course).

ijmorlan: the Spur half-crossovers are the exact same trailing point configuration as the two urban ones. There is no added convenience.

[timc]

Idle speculation time: does having two tracks at the terminal ends give more flexibility in scheduling? I'm trying to think of a scenario in my head, but it isn't working.

[Canard]

Yes, it does - it allows a train to come in on Platform 1, and sit for a little bit longer (gives that operator a moment to take a washroom break, etc.). Next train comes in and uses Platform 2, and does the same thing. Now the first train that came in on Platform 1 can leave. It doubles the time that a particular LRV can wait at the end. If it's lunch time for that operator, it might sit there for a couple of cycles. etc...

(basically, exactly what you said - it affords flexibility.)

One end of G:link was done as a single track but it's actually double tracks and they extended a "temporary-ish" platform over the second tracks. It has a single half crossover IIRC. As many of the same system partners built our line I'm assuming they decided it seemed like a good idea on paper to do that but in reality the extra flexibility to have two terminus tracks would be nice to have, and added it into our design.

[ijmorlan]

They don’t though. They’re now holding up LRV delivery!

given that the crossovers are not designed to make opposite-direction running convenient (except on the Spur Line of course).

ijmorlan: the Spur half-crossovers are the exact same trailing point configuration as the two urban ones. There is no added convenience.

Not the one just south of Northfield. I mean immediately south of the platform. And the reason for it is that single-track operation is planned late at night. So by “on the Spur Line” I mean that the single-track operation will be on the Spur Line. Southbound traffic will use the facing-point crossover to get onto the northbound track, and stay there until near Erb and Caroline, where the “wrong way” traffic returns to the southbound track the normal trailing-point crossover.

You know this, but for the benefit of anybody who sees the track configuration near Erb and Caroline and wonders, there is a “facing-point” crossover also, but I understand it is only for the freight train and only has temporary overhead wire installed for testing.

[timc]

Not the one just south of Northfield. I mean immediately south of the platform. And the reason for it is that single-track operation is planned late at night.

Why will there be single track operation on the spur line? The freight usage will be outside of ion service hours, right?

[ijmorlan]

Yes, it does - it allows a train to come in on Platform 1, and sit for a little bit longer (gives that operator a moment to take a washroom break, etc.).  Next train comes in and uses Platform 2, and does the same thing.  Now the first train that came in on Platform 1 can leave.  It doubles the time that a particular LRV can wait at the end.  If it's lunch time for that operator, it might sit there for a couple of cycles.  etc...  

(basically, exactly what you said - it affords flexibility.)

One end of G:link was done as a single track but it's actually double tracks and they extended a "temporary-ish" platform over the second tracks.  It has a single half crossover IIRC.  As many of the same system partners built our line I'm assuming they decided it seemed like a good idea on paper to do that but in reality the extra flexibility to have two terminus tracks would be nice to have, and added it into our design.

I would say that if two LRVs are regularly present at the end of the line, just get rid of one of them. Even if the operators need a substantial layover, the vehicles don’t. There is no reason to keep operators attached to their vehicles. This is especially so at the headways we are planning — with never less than 7 minutes between trips, there should not be any terminal congestion at all. Having said that, having a place to stash a vehicle out of the way isn’t a bad idea. But then again, that’s also true in places not at the ends of the line, and we don’t have any storage tracks at all (other than at the OMSF).

I’ll be interested to see how the tracks actually get used at the ends of the line, as potentially evidenced by rust and wear patterns, once the system has been open for a time.

An in-between terminal solution is used at Santee Town Center on the San Diego Trolley. The two tracks reduce down to one after the 2nd-last station, and continue to the last station, where they split into two tracks serving two platforms. This gives almost all the benefits of the double crossover and extra platform track. The only limitation is that you can’t have a train arriving and leaving simultaneously. But at our headways that is never necessary anyway so it’s not a real limitation. If I recall correctly the second platform’s rails are fairly rusty but it’s been a while since I was there so I might be wrong or things might have changed.

[ijmorlan]

Not the one just south of Northfield. I mean immediately south of the platform. And the reason for it is that single-track operation is planned late at night.

Why will there be single track operation on the spur line? The freight usage will be outside of ion service hours, right?

The last I heard, which admittedly is some time ago so things may have changed, the rules were to be one northbound freight between 23:00 and 01:00. During this time LRT would operate using only the northbound track. From 01:00 to 05:00 no LRT traffic and freight can run as much as they want (which in practice means one southbound trip during that time).

During the period of concurrent operation, the shared trackage between northbound LRT and freight consists of the track from the switch at Waterloo Town Square to the freight crossover by the Perimeter Institute, maybe about 300m. For southbound LRT the shared trackage exists from the freight crossover to the LRT crossover, maybe 75m.

I’ve actually been a bit surprised to see freight still going north around 21:00. LRT isn’t in operation yet of course but I had been expecting the freight to start operating within the LRT restrictions by now.

[KevinL]

Not the one just south of Northfield. I mean immediately south of the platform. And the reason for it is that single-track operation is planned late at night.

Why will there be single track operation on the spur line? The freight usage will be outside of ion service hours, right?

Not under the current service model, but I've heard this is a possible way to have 24-hour service on the line, if the Region ever wants to go ahead with that.

[Pheidippides]

The project agreement actually answers a couple of questions that have come up today:

Normal Operations
A. The normal operations for the LRT lines will be a right-hand-running trains operating between the terminal stations at Fairview Mall and Conestoga Mall. Each train will stop at each LRT Stop on its route. When the trains are within Semi Exclusive Roadway Right of Way, reverse running is not permitted under normal operations. When the trains are within Semi Exclusive LRT Right of Way and under ATP reverse running is possible within the limits of Project Co design for Train Control Systems and procedures established for reverse running.
B. The normal operations for the LRT shall include the incorporation of one northbound movement of freight railroad service during evening off peak LRT service hours.


Contingent Operations
A. Project Co shall design the LRT System for contingent operations to address conditions that may result from failure management and maintenance-related operations. Reverse running within Semi Exclusive Roadway Right of Way may be necessary to remove failed trains or to use the turnback crossovers located near the Pine Street and Cedar Street stations as part of revenue service contingent operations. The design of the traffic control signals shall assist in reverse running at these designated turnback locations.
B. The continent operations for the LRT shall include the incorporation of one southbound movement of freight railroad service during off peak LRT service morning hours.


Central Control Facility (CCF)
(i) System Operating Criteria and normal hours of operations for the System shall be as set forth in the Project Agreement. Refer to the Baseline Service Plans found in Schedule 15-3, Appendix D for train schedules. Due to railroad operations on the Waterloo Spur, Project Co shall not operate revenue service LRT trains on the track section occupied by freight railroad trains after 1:00 am and before 5:00 am on weekdays. For greater clarity, Project Co may operate test or maintenance trains (for snow and ice clearing) between 1:00 AM and 5:00 PM provided there is no freight trains occupying the tracks. Project Co shall single track or control train movements on up to four designated week days that permit this freight railroad movement. 

[timc]

Well, I learned something today. Thanks!

[ijmorlan]

The project agreement actually answers a couple of questions that have come up today:

[....]

Thanks, that’s very helpful. So it sounds like in the specific location we were discussing the only likely reverse running would be a “tow” vehicle running backwards to reach a dead vehicle in order to couple up and drag it back to the OMSF.

[Viewfromthe42]

It also says that after the simulated service work during testing, "Project Co shall provide an augmented Baseline Service Plan which includes the arrival times for each LRT Stop along the Route." and that the, "Plan will include a general layover time of 4 minutes and not less than 3 minutes,"

I'm sorry, what? So, of the journey from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall, at least 48 minutes, possibly 1h04 will be dwell time, for just one direction? I know loading doesn't occur instantaneously, but surely I must be misunderstanding that the train needs to spend at least 3 minutes at each stop.

[timc]

My assumption was that the layover would be at each terminal (Conestoga and Fairview), not every station on the route.

[Viewfromthe42]

I would hope so, but that wouldn't really make sense to quantify, would it? Increased layovers only matter as they relate to shift changes (which do occur at the ends), but that being a GrandLinq responsibility (given it's their drivers), why would we be trying to quantify it?