Toronto Transit Commission
Design Optimization for the Sheppard Subway

RAILSIM helped Toronto Transit Commission through the design and optimization of its first new rapid transit line since 1987.  The Sheppard Subway, a 6.4 kilometer, $557 million extension went into service in November, 2002 and serves five stations through two tunnels under Sheppard Avenue East, from Yonge Street to Don Mills, with trains running at five to six minute headways.  TTC used RAILSIM to design a new fixed block wayside signaling system with trip stops for the line.

RAILSIM has been in use at the TTC since 1992 when, with its detailed simulation model of the entire TTC transit network, it automated the train control design process and evaluated the operating impacts of planned system extensions.

When the TTC began construction of its Sheppard Subway, RAILSIM:

• tested the initial SYSTRA-developed operating plan, which includes includes complex operating patterns between the newly expanded Wilson Yard and Sheppard West Station for trains entering and leaving revenue service,

• confirmed that the new extension design could support the required headways, and

• confirmed the safe braking distances of TTC's block design, including distances provided for station timing cutbacks. 

RAILSIM's detailed modeling capabilities accommodated the expansion of the 1992 TTC simulation database to incorporate the extension of the Spadina Line to Sheppard West Station.  RAILSIM's physical plant database includes the 1.3 mile extension between Wilson and Sheppard West, as well as complex interlockings for access to Wilson Yard, which is located between the two stations.

The RAILSIM database includes each signal control line, grade time and station time signaling and timer settings, interlocking route and route locking within the extension area.

RAILSIM's support of both metric and imperial units is particularly important to efforts such as the Sheppard Subway expansion.  While the existing TTC network uses imperial units, the Sheppard Subway extension uses metric units.  RAILSIM's dual-units support allows each to exist in the same model.

Sheppard Subway transports some 11 million riders a year, some 800,000 of whom are new subway passengers since the extension opened.  These figures represent twice the ridership over the same territory as when only bus service was available on Sheppard Avenue.  The TTC reports that ridership continues to increase, and that several of the connecting bus services are enjoying increased ridership as a result of the new service.