Do you remember the original scheme to link Toronto Union Station to Pearson Airport? It was to have been called 'Blue-22'...(
taking 22 min)... and was to use similar 60 year old re-built Budd RDCs. Now that would have been a great first impression for International travelers arriving in Toronto!
The Union-Pearson Express - Transit Toronto - Content
Eventually UP Express (Union-Pearson) was started using the same type Nippon Sharyo DMUs that SMART uses in Sonoma, Calif. And I remember UP got off to a rough start with it's $27 fare and hardly anyone riding. The fare was cut in half and riders soared!
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There's so many layers to that it could be its own topic. As it relates to RDC's however, it's important to note that the rebuild of the 4-7 VIA RDC's did not take place until Blue-22 was dead and buried. That's not to say it wouldn't have happened earlier and to more units in order to provide rolling stock for the airport train, but it didn't. At the time the rebuild was commissioned the Victoria, BC, train was still being discussed, as was using RDC's during off-peak times on the Skeena route. (Note the pic of them in Jasper before or after the test run.) Neither of those came to fruition of course, leaving the Sudbury route as their sole recipient. Although started with a single unit, demand - especially for baggage - required the addition of a second and that's what was running pre-Covid AFAIK.
The enhancements the RDC's received were as follows:
- Fully-rebuilt diesel engines that meet Euro II emission standards
- Fully-rebuilt air brakes
- New controls, electrical wiring, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems
- New interiors and fully-rebuilt seating with improved accessibility for passengers with special mobility needs
- New, fully-accessible washrooms and toilets
- New LED interior lighting.
We can probably debate all day whether these would have been "nice enough" to greet arriving airline passengers - they'd certainly need more luggage space, however I'd probably go with the argument that it's better than what was there before - the Pacific-Western contracted Airport "Express" buses to downtown. (Think 45 minutes in rush hour.) Obviously you'd prefer shiny new trains and I would too, but sometimes you have to play with the cards available.
As I said above, the UP Express is probably a whole new topic, with enough "rabbit trails" to keep us and other historians busy for awhile. Collenette and his cronies saw this a premium service modelled on the Heathrow Express and that mentality carried over to Metrolinx in the early days. Factor in that the thing was greatly overbuilt from the originally-envisioned spur line off the Georgetown Sub. Someone had to pay for the monorail-style approach tracks, the high-end stations and brand new rolling stock. After the "farebox rebellion" that someone turned out to be taxpayers. That said, it's an excellent service and the fact that you can through-ticket to most GO stations is a bonus - something I exploited when living in the eastern 'burbs and flying on business.