GO-ALRT
| GO-ALRT | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Rapid transit |
| System | GO Transit |
| Locale | Greater Toronto, Ontario |
| Termini | Hamilton Oshawa |
| Stations | 25+ |
| Services | 2 |
| Operation | |
| Owner | GO Transit |
| Operator(s) | GO Transit |
| Rolling stock | modified ICTS Mark I (articulated) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 200 km (approximate)[1] |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Operating speed | 120 km/h |
GO ALRT (Government of Ontario Advanced Light Rail Transit)[1] was a light rail system proposed by GO Transit in 1982. The ARLT system would have been implemented along two new lines in the Greater Toronto Area. It would have used a new electric train to provide interurban service along the existing and new GO corridors. The system was based on an enlarged UTDC ICTS vehicle that was designed to offer a good compromise between passenger capacity and the level of infrastructure needed to support it. The project was cancelled due to budget cuts of the Tory government in 1985, although a number of the proposed lines were later implemented using conventional heavy rail systems.
Fleet
No fleet details were provided as the system and the cars were prototype only, so GO Transit had not made a final decision on the size of the ALRT fleet.
Cars
| ICTS Mark ? | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Urban Transportation Development Corporation |
| Constructed | 1980s |
| Number built | None |
| Formation | 2 car trains (1 set permanently mated articulated pair) |
| Capacity | 124 or 147 seated, 42+ standing |
| Operator(s) | GO Transit |
| Line(s) served | ALRT |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Aluminum |
| Car length | 36.0 m (118 ft 1 in) or 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in) |
| Width | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) |
| Doors | 8 or 12 per married unit |
| Maximum speed | Design: 120 km/h (75 mph), Service: 70 km/h (43 mph) |
| Weight | 57,050 kg (125,770 lb) |
| Acceleration | 1.3 m/s2 (4.3 ft/s2) |
| Electric system(s) | 600 V DC |
| Current collection method | Third rail |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The proposed line would have used a modified version of the Urban Transportation Development Corporation's ICTS car. This proposed ALRT car was a two-car articulated vehicle, as opposed to individual cars with articulated bogies. The original vehicle design consisted of a unit of three married articulated ICTS cars forming a single train. As time progressed however the dimensions of the cars increased mainly in length until they reached the same length of a regular passenger rail coach. Also, the GO-ALRT cars were to have used an overhead catenary for power pickup instead of an alternating current third rail, and conventional traction motors were to have been used instead of a linear induction motor. The decision to launch the program was made after a study was published examining several options including the use of electric multiple units, standard diesel trains, electric trains, and ALRT.
- Design 1: 124 passengers - 36.0 m articulated car set
- Design 2: 147 passengers - 45.6 m articulated car set
Stations
List of some the planned stations on the ALRT routes:
- Pickering
- Ajax
- Whitby
- Hopkins
- Stevenson
- Harmony
- Hamilton
- Aldershot
- Burlington
- Appleby
- Bronte
- Fourth Line
- Oakville
Cancellation
The GO-ALRT program died at the hand of the Peterson government in 1985, but there are other factors that were considered:
- unproven technology and concerns over problems with the same ICTS on the Scarborough RT[2]
- access to right-of-way on the southern route[3]
Since the cancellation, there has been no similar plans for GO in Toronto. GO Transit does operate bus service along Highway 401 that parallels the northern ALRT route. Expansion of the Lakeshore line also provides similar servicing offered in the southern ALRT route.
As for ICTS technology, it was acquired by Bombardier Transportation when it acquired UTDC and is now showcased in the Bombardier Advanced Rapid Transit platform.
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- (ALRT) "GO-ALRT Electrification System Study", GO Transit, 29 July 1983
