Author: chrisjamesdrew

No time off for the young Toronto Pearson rail shuttle, as it continues to carve out an iconic place in quick and convenient travels between Canada’s largest airport and the downtown core. But there is a bit of a party going on for riders.

Talk about an old transit soul in a young bloodline.

Today (June 6, 2019) UP Express marks its 4th anniversary, shuttling customers – travellers from near and very far – between Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and downtown Toronto’s Union Station.

And while still a relatively new system, it serves an estimated 11,000 riders each day – departing every 15 minutes for the 25-minute run, each direction.

UP Express began to roll on June 6, 2015, in time for the 2015 Pan American Games.

An UP Express train leaves Pearson International Airport, heading to Union Station. It’s been on line for four years.

In honour of the…

During our ongoing Crosstown Progress series, looking at every major element of Toronto’s Crosstown light rail transit project, we’ve seen work on the line, but haven’t seen the machines that will run on those rails. That changes today. Our Metrolinx light rail vehicles are being tested, and we can finally show you how they look while on the move.

Bigger than any baby, our next generation of transit vehicle is taking first public steps – and we could not be prouder.

 The giant doors of the Eglinton Crosstown Maintenance Facility, at Toronto’s Mount Dennis station, are swinging open, as Metrolinx unveils our line of new light rail vehicles (LRV). Before today, the tinkering and tightening has largely been far out of sight of the public. Now it’s time to open those bay doors and let our LRVs play – and be tested – outside.

“I had a chance…

Away from public view, the new section of Union Station is fast taking shape. Come this way to see for yourself.

A quarter inch of plywood. That’s what separates today from tomorrow for an important section of Canada’s most vital transit hub.

For customers and travellers who regularly use Union Station, it’s been impossible not to hear the bangs and clatter coming from beyond the construction walls at the east end of the building.

But today, we can lead you past those walls, to show you where construction on the Bay Concourse is today, and where it will head tomorrow.

A worker walks by a section of the Bay Concourse on April 30, 2019. (Photo by Matt Llewellyn)

The floors are poured, most of the railings are now being installed and later this year the City of Toronto, and its contractor, will pass over the baton to Metrolinx. At that…

A busy interchange along the future Hurontario LRT route had the potential to create major congestion. Here’s how engineers resolved the complicated obstacle, ensuring traffic flow for both the LRT and your family’s SUV.

Actually, we can get you here from there.

Rathburn Road West is home to one of Mississauga’s largest transit hubs. On any given day, 1,800 MiWay buses pass through the City Centre Transit Terminal. Meanwhile more than 630 GO buses deliver travellers to one of the region’s busiest stations just down the street. It only makes sense the Hurontario Light Rail Transit (LRT) line connects with the same stop.

Beyond transit, this bustling area also plays host to one of the largest shopping malls in the country, as well as Sheridan College’s Hazel McCallion campus.

The team working on the Hurontario LRT project faced a significant challenge – how to get commuters from Hurontario Street onto…

Not a fair comparison to how well commuter train operators know their stuff, we’ve created a small test to give you a hint at how well trained they are.

If you thought learning the rules of the road was tough – remember how much the ‘merge’ sign terrified you – try becoming a GO Train conductor.

Signal lights wait to guide trains along the Lakeshore East line. (Photo by Hung Duc Hin)

According to Paul Robinson, manager of the training department at Bombardier, on top of spending countless hours learning every route, the conductors (officially known as GO commuter train operators) also need to memorize more than 100 possible signal combinations. To pass the test, they have to get 100 per cent – leaving no margin for error.

Signals are similar to the traffic lights you might see on the road. They tell the conductor what to do at the current signal and how to approach the…