Air Rail Link

Air Rail Link
An artist's rendering of the future ARL vehicle.
Overview
Type	Airport rail link
Status	Under construction
Locale	Toronto and Mississauga
Stations	Toronto Pearson International Airport Weston Bloor Toronto Union Station
Operation
Opened	2015 (projected)
Owner	Metrolinx
Technical
Line length	23.3 km (14.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Standard gauge
Route map Legend LINK Train Pearson GO Transit  D  to Kitchener Weston Bloor  2  Dundas West GO Transit  A   C   E  & VIA Rail west Union  1  Union GO Transit  B   F   G  & VIA Rail east This route map: view talk edit

The Air Rail Link (ARL) is an airport rail link service under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It will run between Canada's two busiest transportation hubs: Union Station in downtown Toronto, and Toronto Pearson International Airport in the City of Mississauga. The project is to be completed in time for the 2015 Pan American Games.^[1]

Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency that manages and integrates transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, is responsible for the design, construction and operation of the ARL. Metrolinx is also the parent company of the GO Transit regional transit system; the Air Rail Link is to be a distinct service from GO with unique identity, vehicles and fares that will nonetheless share some common facilities, including signalling systems and maintenance facilities.^[2]

Most of the ARL's line is being constructed as part of GO's Georgetown South Project, which is improving infrastructure along the Kitchener line between Bathurst Street and Highway 427 for current and future GO Transit ridership demand.^[1][3] It will also require a newly constructed 3.3 km (2.1 mi) rail spur to the airport.^[4] ARL service will consist of 140 train trips per day, running every 15 minutes, seven days a week, eliminating an estimated 1.2 million car trips each year.^[1] Initially, the plan will utilize diesel trains and will eventually, at an unspecified date, electrify the Georgetown rail line and the Air Rail Link.^[5]

History

Improved transit connections to Pearson Airport have been of interest since the late 1980s. Before the specific pursuit of an airport rail link, three formal studies were conducted, and released in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The latter two presented options for either making a connection from the GO Georgetown train line, or the Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) Bloor/Danforth subway line.^[3]

The original Blue22 service proposed by SNC-Lavalin would have used refurbished Budd Rail Diesel Cars. Pictured are two cars currently used by VIA Rail.^[6]

Transport Canada made a request for proposals for an airport rail link in April 2001. In May 2003, the submissions were parred down to four pre-qualified private consortia, who were then invited to submit business cases. A SNC-Lavalin subsidiary named the Union Pearson AirLink Group was selected as the successful respondent to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the ARL on November 13, 2003.^[7] The service was to be called Blue22, as a trip would take 22 minutes to or from Pearson with a stop at the Bloor GO/Dundas West TTC Station. Trains were to be refurbished Budd Rail Diesel Cars, and were expected to begin running between 2008 and 2010.^[6]

In June 2008, the Ontario government revised the environmental assessment process from a required three-year period to six months. Furthermore, the high speed link received public statements of strong support from Premier of Ontario Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor David Miller and the federal government. However, there had not been significant progress on the project to that point, due to failed consensus in negotiations, regulatory hurdles and community opposition.^[8]

In November 2008, Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency for Greater Toronto and Hamilton transportation, released its Regional Transportation Plan titled The Big Move, outlining how the ARL was part of a strategy to establish multi-directional high-order transit connectivity to the Pearson Airport district, alongside Highways 427 and 407, the Mississauga Transitway, and other major streets.^[3] In December 2008, Metrolinx became the proponent of new EA that would simultaneously assess a combination of both Union Pearson AirLink's project and GO Transit's Georgetown South Service Expansion.^[9] The final Environmental Project Report was released on 30 July 2009.^[3]

A GO Train operating along the Kitchener line. The ARL project is combined with the Georgetown South project, which is improving the infrastructure along the line for future GO Train service and the ARL.^[1]

After two years of failed negotiations and financing difficulties, the public-private partnership between Ontario and the Union Pearson AirLink Group was called off. However, the project did not die with it; Metrolinx was handed responsibility to own and operate the ARL.^[2][10]

Service

Features

The ARL is described as having a focus on customer service. Multiple features are to be provided on board, including power outlets, onboard refreshments, Wi-Fi internet, luggage facilities, flight information screens, and airline check-in and ticketing machines.^[11] The Presto card will be available for use on the system., March 2012 

Route

A typical run to the airport will originate from Toronto Union Station, and run northwest through west-end Toronto between Bathurst Street and Highway 427 along tracks on the Metrolinx-owned Weston Subdivision. This section of track has to accommodate the ARL, GO Transit, Canadian National, and VIA Rail.^[3] Beyond the 427, a 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) spur line will run to the airport.^[4] The line will have 4 stations: Union Station, Bloor GO/Dundas West subway station, Weston GO station and Toronto Pearson International Airport Terminal 1. Connections to other terminals will be made via LINK Train.^[12]

Construction and procurement

On 1 March 2011, it was announced that Metrolinx had chosen to buy twelve two-car diesel multiple units from Nippon Sharyo, at a cost of C$53 million, for the service.^[13] It was also announced on 24 October 2011 that consortium AirLinx Transit Partners was selected to complete building the ARL. The consortium comprises some of Canada's largest construction companies such as Aecon and Dufferin Construction.^[14] Construction on the spur line and passenger station at Pearson is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012, at a cost of $128.6 million.^[15][16]

Public concerns

Residents living along the Weston section of the proposed route have objected to alterations to accommodate the trains. Concerns include the division of Weston from the closing of level crossings, noise levels, air quality and property values.^[2][8] In April 2009, the Clean Train Coalition, representing the communities along the rail corridor, formed to put pressure on Metrolinx and the province to immediately prioritize electrification of the densely populated Georgetown South corridor and Union-Pearson Rail Link on opening day.^[17] However, both the province and Metrolinx Chairman Rob Prichard have indicated that using diesel trains is the only way to prevent significant delays. "We believe the Greater Toronto Area needs this project as fast as possible, and that means going with the cleanest diesel technology in the world," stated Prichard.^[16]

The proposed service is also in the same railway corridor as the West Toronto RailPath multi-use trail. Conflicts may occur between future planned expansion of the RailPath and the Georgetown South expansion.^[18] Although Toronto City Council has funded and continued to support the RailPath, the outcome following meetings between Metrolinx and Toronto city and community representatives remains to be determined.^[19]

Alternatives

Transit

The Toronto Transit Commission operates the 192 Airport Rocket express bus link from the airport to Kipling subway station. Cash fare for the TTC is $3.00, and allows passengers transfer to other routes to complete their journey, without an additional fare.

GO Transit operates two bus routes connecting to Pearson. Route 40 operates express service each hour between Richmond Hill Centre and Pearson. Route 34 provides daily service to Brampton and the York Mills Bus Terminal, stopping at Pearson along the way.^[20] Fares for these services range between $4.20 and $5.65, depending on the distance travelled.^[21]

The original Eglinton Crosstown LRT was projected to connect Pearson with the main TTC transit network by 2018 as part of Transit City.^[22] However, Mayor Rob Ford announced the cancellation of Transit City on the day that he took office.^[23] The redesigned Eglinton–Scarborough Crosstown line announced four months later included the Scarborough RT, but the line will terminate at Black Creek Drive instead of connecting to the airport.^[24] A future extension could eventually reach the airport, completing the line as envisioned.

Commercial

The Toronto Airport Express is a privately-operated airport bus service from the airport to downtown Toronto.^[25] As of 2011, a single ride to or from downtown Toronto costs $24.^[25] Taxis and limousines are available, at both variable and flat-rates, depending on which zone in Toronto the trip will originate or terminate, and are the most expensive form of transport – other than driving a car and paying the parking fees at the airport.

See also

• Union Station (Toronto)
• Toronto Pearson International Airport
• MoveOntario 2020

References

External links

• Official Metrolinx project home page (as a combined project with Georgetown South Service Expansion)
• Union-airport rail link on way (17 June 2000)
• Transport Minister Announces Winning Proposal for Toronto Air-Rail Link (13 November 2003), with included map
• Clean Train Coalition
• Weston Community Coalition