GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[drum118]

The first train from Allandale Waterfront in Barrie today had less than 2 dozens riders on it and it pickup another 8 at King City from what I saw. Arrived 8 minutes before the first train arrive. Arrived at Maple as that first train was departed.

The 2nd train from Barrie pickup about a dozen at Rutherford. It was supposed to be 6 cars with an F59 but arrived with 10 cars and an MP40 on point.

Last night, the 10:53 and 00:23 arrived as 6 cars trains with F59 pushing them. Less than a dozen riders got off both trains.

 

[steveintoronto]

The first train from Allandale Waterfront in Barrie today had less than 2 dozens riders on it and it pickup another 8 at King City from what I saw. Arrived 8 minutes before the first train arrive. Arrived at Maple as that first train was departed.

The 2nd train from Barrie pickup about a dozen at Rutherford. It was supposed to be 6 cars with an F59 but arrived with 10 cars and an MP40 on point.

Last night, the 10:53 and 00:23 arrived as 6 cars trains with F59 pushing them. Less than a dozen riders got off both trains.

Not dissimilar to some runs in from Mount Pleasant.

 

[drum118]

Was looking at the double track work for the Barrie Line at Langstaff Rd crossing when I saw a car traveling eastbound at high speed and hit the crossing with enough force to rip off his front bumper. So much for speeding and being a smart ass. The 2nd track need some road work.

Hard to say where the double track goes back to single track and could be just south of the Rutherford station.

The bridge to the south has been built to support 3 tracks with track 1 missing at this time

 

[44 North]

On Saturday I saw Via's Canadian going down the valley. Is there a reason for this? Thought they stopped that years ago.

 

[reaperexpress]

Was looking at the double track work for the Barrie Line at Langstaff Rd crossing when I saw a car traveling eastbound at high speed and hit the crossing with enough force to rip off his front bumper. So much for speeding and being a smart ass. The 2nd track need some road work.

Yeah, that crossing has been really rough since it was put in. I wonder if it's a temporary crossing just for construction - it also uses wooden ties whereas the rest of the new construction uses concrete ties.

Hard to say where the double track goes back to single track and could be just south of the Rutherford station.

In my construction update from May 2017 you can see that the switch is located just south of Rutherford station (this video is heading northbound to Rutherford):

On Saturday I saw Via's Canadian going down the valley. Is there a reason for this? Thought they stopped that years ago.

Eastbound trips use the Bala Subdivision (Richmond Hill line) into Toronto, while Westbound trips head out northbound using the Newmarket Subdivision (Barrie line), then do a 3-point turn at Snider Junction (just north of York University station) to head east along the CN York Subdivision where they can turn north to rejoin the Bala Subdivision toward Vancouver. This is because the trains are so long there's no way of turning them around other than driving around the entire city in a loop.

 

[Leo_Chan]

Would it be a possibility that when Concord GO Station (Highway 7 on Barrie Line) gets built, that the bridge will be rebuilt to allow for Highway 7 to be widened for 2 lanes of the Viva Rapidway (with bike lanes/sidewalks) to connect to Centre St? I'm asking this because it seems that the bridge is already wide enough for double tracking, so it may be an "unnecessary capital burden" to rebuild it.

 

[Megaton327]

Would it be a possibility that when Concord GO Station (Highway 7 on Barrie Line) gets built, that the bridge will be rebuilt to allow for Highway 7 to be widened for 2 lanes of the Viva Rapidway (with bike lanes/sidewalks) to connect to Centre St? I'm asking this because it seems that the bridge is already wide enough for double tracking, so it may be an "unnecessary capital burden" to rebuild it.

I believe current corridor expansion, namely bridges, is being undertaken with the aim of at least having the capability for future triple-tracking in case express service is implemented. I think one idea that's been floated for 15-minute RER is to have 3 of the 4 trains per hour run locally making all stops from Union to Aurora, and have the 4th train run express nonstop Union-Aurora then local making all stops Aurora-Allandale. I don't believe the actual track construction is triple tracking at the moment, just double, but I know Downsview Park GO has been planned with 3 tracks, the Davenport Diamond Grade Separation is definitely planned with 3 tracks, and I believe the other bridges/grade separations are also intended to have room for 3 tracks.

 

[Leo_Chan]

I believe current corridor expansion, namely bridges, is being undertaken with the aim of at least having the capability for future triple-tracking in case express service is implemented. I think one idea that's been floated for 15-minute RER is to have 3 of the 4 trains per hour run locally making all stops from Union to Aurora, and have the 4th train run express nonstop Union-Aurora then local making all stops Aurora-Allandale. I don't believe the actual track construction is triple tracking at the moment, just double, but I know Downsview Park GO has been planned with 3 tracks, the Davenport Diamond Grade Separation is definitely planned with 3 tracks, and I believe the other bridges/grade separations are also intended to have room for 3 tracks.

So yes?

 

[dowlingm]

On Saturday I saw Via's Canadian going down the valley. Is there a reason for this? Thought they stopped that years ago.

The Canadian usually comes down the Don Valley and goes up the Barrie line (briefly).

What stopped was using the Don Valley track bidirectionally, because Canadian got too long to be turned.

 

[dowlingm]

I was at Corktown Common yesterday (east of Cherry Street) and noted that incoming and outgoing VIA/GO trains were still sounding bells at that location. Is there work going on in the area? Otherwise what would require trains to make the extra noise that far from Union? Thanks in advance.

 

[drum118]

I should note that GO crews were working on the new wooden mini platform on the Uxbridge line on Sat at Lincolnville station.

Not sure how the York Durham runs will fit in, but GO will be using that line for the new service instead of the current platform.

I expect they will use the F59 short train and the 8 car train with MP40 on it for the new service.

 

[Fritter]

I should note that GO crews were working on the new wooden mini platform on the Uxbridge line on Sat at Lincolnville station.

I always wondered how operationally Linconville would fit into an extension to Uxbridge. I wondered if the north end of the yard would re-connect back into the mainline or if Uxbridge trains would just bypass Linconville.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

From the RER Report:

• "Tender for the design of the Oriole Station temporary relocation released April 2017"

Is this related to the construction work?

 

[innsertnamehere]

I always wondered how operationally Linconville would fit into an extension to Uxbridge. I wondered if the north end of the yard would re-connect back into the mainline or if Uxbridge trains would just bypass Linconville.

an Uxbridge extension would probably see an additional, small yard constructed in Uxbridge with maybe 2 or 3 trains. The only trains that service the town would be those that sit in that yard, with all others terminating at Lincolnville. Or at least that's always how I figured it would work. The demand from Uxbridge is just never going to be that high, the town is hemmed in by the greenbelt limiting population growth. It won't ever need more than a few trains in the peak hour.

 

[Allandale25]

an Uxbridge extension would probably see an additional, small yard constructed in Uxbridge with maybe 2 or 3 trains. The only trains that service the town would be those that sit in that yard, with all others terminating at Lincolnville. Or at least that's always how I figured it would work. The demand from Uxbridge is just never going to be that high, the town is hemmed in by the greenbelt limiting population growth. It won't ever need more than a few trains in the peak hour.

Sorry I'm a little confused. Does this report imply that train service to Uxbridge is actually happening? If so, when?