NEWSLETTER

V o l u m e 3 4 N u m b e r 3 S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

BOAT CRUISEAUG166 PM Boarding to 9:30 PM DockingMariposa Cruises,207 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto

7th ANNUAL MEET & GREETOCT06Steam Whistle Brewing CompanyThe Roundhouse255 Bremner Blvd., Toronto

82ⁿd ANNUAL DINNERDEC02 Fairmont Royal York Hotel100 Front Street West, Toronto

1

SAVE THESE DATES!

COMING EVENTS

6 PM

6 PM

7 PM

Since 1931

IN THIS ISSUE

May Luncheon........Page 1

March Luncheon....Page 2

CN’s Safety

Technology..............Page 3

Valentine’s

Dinner & Dance......Page 4

MAY BUSINESS LUNCHEON

Ted Graham is the Innovation leader at PwC Canada where he helps to turn ideas into invoices. Ted spoke to the Toronto Railway Club’s May 20 Business Luncheon about the three things he learned about disruptive innovation as an UberX driver and how it’s possible to apply some of these lessons across a multitude of industries on the cusp of disruption.

Uber is part of what’s being called the sharing economy, a phenomenon that has wide reaching implications well beyond the taxi business. Uber and other companies should serve as a warning to all industry that complacency isn’t an option.

Ted learned three important things about innovation as an occasional Uber driver over a 12-month period:

Ted noted that by 2020, more than 50 percent of the world’s workforce will be freelance – that’s 60 million-plus people in the United States and 2.2 billion glob-ally.

The sharing economy sector revenues – peer-to-peer; lending and crowd fund-ing; on-line staffing; peer-to-peer accommodation; car sharing; music and video sharing – will grow to $355 billion by 2025 from $15 billion in 2013.

• Form strong partnerships – spend the same kind of energy and resources on recruiting your partners as you do on your customers.

• Feedback with consequences – the fact that Uber drivers and customers mutually rate each other leads to greater efficiency. • Balancing risk and reward – be ready to assess the two; there are opportunities for Uber drivers but also unintended conse-quences from an insurance perspective.

PwC Canada’s Ted Graham talks about corporate lessons learned from being an UberX driver

TTC’s Mike Palmer compares and contrasts Toronto’s subway system and the London Underground

MARCH BUSINESS LUNCHEON

2

Mike Palmer, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), addressed the Toronto Railway Club’s Business Luncheon at the Hotel Novotel on March 18 about the similarities and differ-ences of the Toronto Transit Commission’s subway network and the London Under-ground.

Mike worked for 29 years with the London Underground (LU) before coming to work for the TTC in April 2014. Mike is responsible for the operation of the four TTC subway lines, including drivers and transit control as well as responsibility for rolling stock and shops, track, signals, power and infrastructure with a team totalling 2,600 staff.

The two systems have different approaches to funding and fares. Toronto has the lowest subsidy in North America – TTC subsidy per rider remains the lowest in North America at 92 cents. Its budget is dependent on political lifecycles and there is a low emphasis on 3Ps and contracting out. In London, capital investment lifecycles are enshrined in law, there are some 3Ps, and the operating budget is dependent on the City (Transport for London). LU has the highest fares in Europe.

At the TTC there is a great wealth of talent, both home grown and imported. There is strong diversity, including women in transit, and a strong pride in “moving people.” At the end of the day it’s all about the people.

Mike’s address wasn’t all facts and figures. In his so-called “Rant Time,” Mike made a humorous comparison of things he likes and dislikes about Toronto and London. One of the things he likes about Toronto is “decent real ale – better (but gassy and strong). Among the things he misses from London now that he’s in Toronto – “non-gassy beer – real ales on hand pumps.”

Mike said two systems have different track gauges – LU 4 feet, 8 1/2 inches, while the TTC – except the Scarborough Rapid Transit gauge is 4 ft, 10 7/8 inches.

He said the TTC and LU offer three types of capital projects – good (quality); cheap (price), and fast (duration). Mike noted that the TTC and LU struggle with some capital projects. In both organizations, you’re only as good as the last project.

As well as day to day delivery of the subway service and ensuring asset availability, key activities contributing to TTC's five-year plan include resignalling to ATC of line 1. (Yonge University Spadina line), completion of the introduction of "Toronto Rockets" to line 1, asset and service improvement, and delivery of a successful transportation service to the Pan American Games and Para Pan Ameri-can games in the summer of 2015.

In his Toronto Railway Club talk comparing the London Underground and TTC subway operations, Mike noted the significantly differ-ent scope of operations between the two carriers. Toronto’s subway, opened in 1952, has 69 stations, four lines, 1.1 million passen-gers a day. LU, opened in 1863, has 270 stations, 402 kilometres of track, and 4.8 million daily passengers.

For news and updates on events, check our website:

www.torontorailwayclub.com

Mailing Address:Toronto Railway Club

200 Bay St., P.O. Box 64039Toronto, ON M5J 2J0

Mike Palmer of the TTC (left) and Bob McKeracher, president of the TRC.

3

CN continues to roll out Safety Innovation Program as part of its broader agenda to enhance the safety of operations

CN recently announced the launch of the third year of its Safety Innovation Program. The Program is part of CN’s broader safety agenda that is focused on enhancing the safety of operations and making the company the safest railway in North America.

For the third year in a row, CN is stepping up its efforts to leverage new technol-ogy to bolster its Safety Management System that is designed to minimize risk and continually reduce accidents and injuries. CN’s general approach is to develop more lines of defence against accidents. The Company’s 2016 Program, which supplements on-going investments in track infrastructure main-tenance and safety culture, brings the total applied to the Safety Innovation Program to C$67 million since 2014.

The 2016 portion will involve spend-ing C$28 million on a series of initia-tives, including:

• The installation of new Wayside Inspection Systems at additional locations specifically identified as a result of CN’s corridor risk assessment program;

• The acquisition of additional hi-rail trucks that measure track geometric parameters such as rail gauge and cross level, and

• Predictive analytics and data management initiatives to assess mechanical trends and identify opportunities for pre-emptive main-tenance work, as well as give engineering forces a better under-standing of track health so that they can prioritize maintenance and capital programs.

A major step in upgrading CN’s detec-tion technology was the completion in 2015 of a new Track Evaluation System car that was upgraded with the latest technology for assessing track geom-etry, identifying missing and broken track components through optical imaging, as well as objectively evaluat-ing tie condition. CN also employs outside contractors who conduct ultrasonic technology inspections to detect internal rail defects that are not visible.

CN has the densest network of wayside detection technology in North America and has increased the number of wayside inspection detectors on its network by more than 30 per cent in the past decade, and increased the number of wheel impact load detectors by 60 per cent over the same period. CN has also doubled the frequency of ultrasonic flaw detection over the last 10 years.

The application of new technologies to detect and prevent mechanical and engineering flaws is an important part of CN’s safety mindset. This approach and rigorous safety processes and the continued strengthening of its safety culture are integral to CN’s unwavering commitment to safety.

TorontoRailwayClubNews

Published by the Toronto Railway Club for its members

The Toronto Railway Club provides a networking forum for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in connection with the construction, operation and maintenance of railways and other forms of transportation, together with the equipment and supplies used therewith, for the benefits of the members and the companies they represent.

Editorial Commitee:

Bob McKeracher - President

Dennis Ryan - Club Treasurer

Editor: Mark Hallman

Email: mark.hallman@cn.ca

4

Andy Scrafford of Bird Kiewit Construction and his wife Shirley

Sue Sherman of AECOM and her husband Don McCuaig

Michael Sheahan of Aecom holding the microphone with Paul Kerry of Canadian Pacific to his right

Dave Landreth, Divisional Manager of PNR Railworks with his wife Shelly

About 170 people attended the Toronto Railway Club’s annual Valentine’s Dinner-Dance at the Chateau Le Jardin Conferenece & Event Centre in Woodbridge, Ont., on February 6, 2016.

Valentine’s Dinner - Dance + Casino

The Toronto Railway Club thanks the following event sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors

PNR Railworks Inc.CAD Railway Industries

Gold Sponsors

Plan GroupAnsaldo-STSHardt EnterprisesMechanical Systems RemanufacturingToronto Railway Club

Silver Sponsors

Diesel ElectricBlack & McDonaldRonsco Inc.Natsco Transit SolutionsVIA Rail CanadaGlen Eagle Golf Course

Bronze Sponsors

AECON

Thanks also to the Toronto Railway Club Valentine’s Committee

Michael and Grace Sheahan

Dennis and Diane Ryan

Bob and Melva McKeracher

Mary Proc

Ezer Cruz