Pickering Airport (Transport Canada/GTAA, Proposed)

[Woodbridge_Heights]

If the Missing Link gets built, then the Midtown Corridor terminating at this airport would certainly be possible. It just wouldn't be linked to Pearson.

And why not? The Pickering site is roughly 60 Km away from Pearson, a trip that could be done in 30 mins. As some have pointed out already there is the potential to have someone land in Pickering and have their next flight at Pearson (or vice versa), it all depends on what kind of service winds up at Pickering. If Pickering were a true competitor to Pearson with flights from other destinations potentially serving both airports (a la Heathrow/Gatwick) than perhaps there would be less connections between the two. However, if Pickering were a regional, or Low Cost Airline, or Charter (Sun destination airlines) there would be demand for someone going to/coming from Pearson and catching their regional flight at Pickering (a la Heathrow/Stansted).

 

[robmausser]

And why not? The Pickering site is roughly 60 Km away from Pearson, a trip that could be done in 30 mins. As some have pointed out already there is the potential to have someone land in Pickering and have their next flight at Pearson (or vice versa), it all depends on what kind of service winds up at Pickering. If Pickering were a true competitor to Pearson with flights from other destinations potentially serving both airports (a la Heathrow/Gatwick) than perhaps there would be less connections between the two. However, if Pickering were a regional, or Low Cost Airline, or Charter (Sun destination airlines) there would be demand for someone going to/coming from Pearson and catching their regional flight at Pickering (a la Heathrow/Stansted).

They could easily have the midtown GO train terminate at Pickering Airport, but also run the UPX to it as well.

The GO train could be hourly from midtown GO station (old north toronto train station) and the UPX could be every 15 minutes from Union, and go up the Don Branch that Metrolinx acquired from CP a couple years back.

You could also have the new HFR Via train stop semi daily there as well, theres nothing stopping all services from running to it if the station is built right.

 

[gweed123]

If the Missing Link gets built, then the Midtown Corridor terminating at this airport would certainly be possible. It just wouldn't be linked to Pearson.

If the full Missing Link gets built (including improvements to the existing York Sub), it may be possible to run a direct service via the York Sub between the two, perhaps with a mid-way stop at Yonge & Clark (connection to a future Yonge Subway extension). This is of course in addition to an expanded UPX.

 

[44 North]

If the Missing Link gets built, then the Midtown Corridor terminating at this airport would certainly be possible. It just wouldn't be linked to Pearson.

I don't see why a direct Pearson-Pickering Int'l connection via Midtown couldn't work. The connection between GTS and CPR is still intact, and would just need a few switches to get from UPX's mainline. Considering the level of demand for airport-to-airport travel, the frequency probably wouldn't even merit grade-separation at Old Weston.

 

[jcam]

A "Pickering Lands Aviation Sector Analysis" is ongoing, "update supply and demand forecasts for aviation traffic in southern Ontario; develop and evaluate options for the type of airport and its potential role in the southern Ontario regional airport system; and provide an assessment of the revenue-generating potential and economic impact of these options."

Reference

 

[kEiThZ]

First off, it's a long ways away from commercial service. Most of this will be general aviation.

Second, given security rules these days, interairport transfers are avoided. No airline will split its operations. Neither will any airline alliance.

This won't be JFK-LaGuardia. More like Heathrow-Gatwick. Put the discounters in one airport. And the full service carriers in the main hub. And all that is still decades away. For now, it'll be a busy general aviation airport with flight training, corporate travel and delivery shuttles.

 

[gweed123]

First off, it's a long ways away from commercial service. Most of this will be general aviation.

Second, given security rules these days, interairport transfers are avoided. No airline will split its operations. Neither will any airline alliance.

This won't be JFK-LaGuardia. More like Heathrow-Gatwick. Put the discounters in one airport. And the full service carriers in the main hub. And all that is still decades away. For now, it'll be a busy general aviation airport with flight training, corporate travel and delivery shuttles.

The cargo aspect here is something that can't be understated as well. Pearson has huge cargo operations, taking up a lot of runway time. Think of the advantages if CN or CP decides to built an intermodal yard near the Pickering airport. Off the plane, onto the train. Or even if it's someone like UPS or FedEx (truck based), direct access to the 407 and 412, and in turn the 401 would be a huge plus.

This shift would allow Pearson to increase capacity through adding more gates, without necessarily having to add more runways.

 

[rbt]

That is a funny thought!

Don't underestimate people, I am sure it will end up happening!

Airlines wouldn't book a trip like that but resellers (Expedia and the like) certainly would.

There is no shortage of people landing at Midway with departures from O'Hare.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I don't see why a direct Pearson-Pickering Int'l connection via Midtown couldn't work. The connection between GTS and CPR is still intact, and would just need a few switches to get from UPX's mainline. Considering the level of demand for airport-to-airport travel, the frequency probably wouldn't even merit grade-separation at Old Weston.

Well that's just it. Why are we talking about a northern airport-to-airport train? Who would that cater to? Is there seriously a large amount of people that would land at Pickering, take a train to Pearson, and fly out (or vice-versa)? Why wouldn't airlines just configure connecting flights at each airport? Saves a lot of time and risk for the passenger.

If the full Missing Link gets built (including improvements to the existing York Sub), it may be possible to run a direct service via the York Sub between the two, perhaps with a mid-way stop at Yonge & Clark (connection to a future Yonge Subway extension). This is of course in addition to an expanded UPX.

So this is a function I could see: a Richmond Hill to Pearson/Pickering Express (RHPX?). But please show me the demand and a cost-benefit ratio on that, vs boosting service on the viva Highway 7 Rapidway.

 

[kEiThZ]

The cargo aspect here is something that can't be understated as well. Pearson has huge cargo operations, taking up a lot of runway time. Think of the advantages if CN or CP decides to built an intermodal yard near the Pickering airport. Off the plane, onto the train. Or even if it's someone like UPS or FedEx (truck based), direct access to the 407 and 412, and in turn the 401 would be a huge plus.

This shift would allow Pearson to increase capacity through adding more gates, without necessarily having to add more runways.

The days of separate cargo operations are gone. Most cargo is now belly loaded on passenger aircraft. For this reason, cargo tends to now be concentrated at major aviation hubs. The only separate cargo ops will be the cargo operators (Fedex, DHL, UPS, etc.). But they usually prefer co-location as well. The Pickering airport will be useful for high value deliveries. You have some of this activity for the auto sector, into Oshawa and Buttonville.

 

[44 North]

Well that's just it. Why are we talking about a northern airport-to-airport train? Who would that cater to? Is there seriously a large amount of people that would land at Pickering, take a train to Pearson, and fly out (or vice-versa)? Why wouldn't airlines just configure connecting flights at each airport? Saves a lot of time and risk for the passenger.

I don't see it being a northern rail line, or an "airport train" in the conventional sense. But rather a Midtown Union bypass commuter rail line that happens to terminate at both airports. Part would be similar to the GO2020 / Big Move proposal, part like what the failed UPX morphed into. From a commuter standpoint it could be more optimal for those wanting to get between north Scarb to north Etobicoke (rather than using Crosstown, or SELRT->Line 4->Line 1->FWLRT). Perhaps 3-car consists run hourly.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I don't see it being a northern rail line, or an "airport train" in the conventional sense. But rather a Midtown Union bypass commuter rail line that happens to terminate at both airports. Part would be similar to the GO2020 / Big Move proposal, part like what the failed UPX morphed into. From a commuter standpoint it could be more optimal for those wanting to get between north Scarb to north Etobicoke (rather than using Crosstown, or SELRT->Line 4->Line 1->FWLRT). Perhaps 3-car consists run hourly.

Okay, then wires are getting crossed. I'm in agreement that GO service should tie into the Midtown corridor that CP currently operates on, not the northern line along CN's York Sub everyone else is talking about. But as for tieing all that into Pearson, I think that will already be achieved via BRT along the 427 from Kipling GO.

 

[darth_freeman]

It seems like people are missing the obvious here...

The airport will be serviced by the proposed MTO Bus transitway along 407. The PDR has already been done - a new interchange will start construction next year at 407 between York-Durham Line and Brock Road: http://www.407transitway.com/kennedyToBrock/downloads/Roll plot PIC boards-Plate 3.pdf

The only transit will be buses...you know, like what Pearson Airport had for 40 years.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Will this be an a international airport?

 

[Johnny Au]

Will this be an a international airport?

It better include more international destinations than just the United States.