GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[reaperexpress]

You 100% can run electrified service w/level crossings.

Whether GO would choose to is a different question.

In the case of the Stouffville line, we have a clear answer regarding GO's choice. Metrolinx is currently working with Toronto and York Region to grade separate every single crossing on the electrified portion of the line (south of Unionville).

However, this is not actually due to electrification, it's just due to the frequent train service that will operate on the electrified segment.

Project websites:
Stouffville Grade Separations (Denison, Kennedy, Passmore, McNicoll, Huntingwood, Havendale, Progress)
Milliken Station Improvements (Steeles)
Scarborough Junction Grade Separation (Corvette, Danforth)

Heading south from Unionville:

Denison Street

Kennedy Road

Steeles Avenue (under construction):

Passmore Avenue

McNicoll Avenue

Huntingwood Drive

Havendale Road (pedestrian only)

Progress Avenue

Corvette Avenue (pedestrian only)

Danforth Road

This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment.

 

[Allandale25]

^ Great to see this all in one place.

 

[robmausser]

Both Stouffville to Unionville and Kitchener to Bramalea will basically be subway systems once the electrification with EMUs is complete. Pretty awesome.

 

[Coolstar]

Both Stouffville to Unionville and Kitchener to Bramalea will basically be subway systems once the electrification with EMUs is complete. Pretty awesome.

Which leads me to this: GO-ALRT or GO RER?

 

[ShonTron]

SMARTTRACK!

 

[DSC]

Proposed Don Valley Layover Facility - City of Toronto

See: https://www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/ntf_13aug2020_don_valley_layover_comp.pdf

 

[11th]

In the case of the Stouffville line, we have a clear answer regarding GO's choice. Metrolinx is currently working with Toronto and York Region to grade separate every single crossing on the electrified portion of the line (south of Unionville).

However, this is not actually due to electrification, it's just due to the frequent train service that will operate on the electrified segment.

Project websites:
Stouffville Grade Separations (Denison, Kennedy, Passmore, McNicoll, Huntingwood, Havendale, Progress)
Milliken Station Improvements (Steeles)
Scarborough Junction Grade Separation (Corvette, Danforth)

Heading south from Unionville:

Denison Street
View attachment 265790

Kennedy Road
View attachment 265793

Steeles Avenue (under construction):

Passmore Avenue
View attachment 265795

McNicoll Avenue
View attachment 265794

Huntingwood Drive
View attachment 265792

Havendale Road (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265791

Progress Avenue
View attachment 265796

Corvette Avenue (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265788

Danforth Road
View attachment 265789

This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment.

Let's hope these road under rail crossings will have adequate/proper drainage, seeing how severe rainfall becomes more frequent events.

 

[robmausser]

Let's hope these road under rail crossings will have adequate/proper drainage, seeing how severe rainfall becomes more frequent events.

and proper separated bike lanes

 

[robmausser]

Proposed Don Valley Layover Facility - City of Toronto

See: https://www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/ntf_13aug2020_don_valley_layover_comp.pdf

I hope this doesnt interfere with using this line in the future, or for VIA HFR potentially, but rather upgrades the track to modern rail standards.

 

[stevensontransit]

In the case of the Stouffville line, we have a clear answer regarding GO's choice. Metrolinx is currently working with Toronto and York Region to grade separate every single crossing on the electrified portion of the line (south of Unionville).

However, this is not actually due to electrification, it's just due to the frequent train service that will operate on the electrified segment.

Project websites:
Stouffville Grade Separations (Denison, Kennedy, Passmore, McNicoll, Huntingwood, Havendale, Progress)
Milliken Station Improvements (Steeles)
Scarborough Junction Grade Separation (Corvette, Danforth)

Heading south from Unionville:

Denison Street
View attachment 265790

Kennedy Road
View attachment 265793

Steeles Avenue (under construction):

Passmore Avenue
View attachment 265795

McNicoll Avenue
View attachment 265794

Huntingwood Drive
View attachment 265792

Havendale Road (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265791

Progress Avenue
View attachment 265796

Corvette Avenue (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265788

Danforth Road
View attachment 265789

This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment.

Wheres the Finch Avenue east grade separation?

 

[Coolstar]

Wheres the Finch Avenue east grade separation?

"This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment."

 

[smallspy]

True, but grade crossings are maintenance intensive and may need work blocks to fix.. When they develop a defect and work can’t be done immediately, they may attract temporary slow orders.... which can become pretty close to permanent if the maintenance budget is getting stressed. So a line with grade crossings may have some restrictions where a totally grade sepp’d line won’t. That’s not a good reason to eliminate grade crossings, but it’s an operational reality.

Sure, but none of that has any effect on the zone or line speeds of a line.

And by that same token, the same can be said about any single particular meter of track on any system. There are any number of different reasons why slow orders may be enacted. And it could be argued that the railroads would much rather operate trains than perform maintenance. But again - we're talking about zone speeds, and none of this is applicable.

I worry more about existing low bridges that may need to be rebuilt before they can be electrified than about new grade separations. Contractors are supposed to know how to work around low hanging wires. Having catenary on a shoofly around a grade separation project is no biggie.

- Paul

Thankfully, the number of bridges that need to be completely rebuilt is quite low. And quite a few of them already are planned for. For the rest, undercutting of the ballast and dropping the top of the rail several inches will be sufficient.

Dan

 

[hw621]

In the case of the Stouffville line, we have a clear answer regarding GO's choice. Metrolinx is currently working with Toronto and York Region to grade separate every single crossing on the electrified portion of the line (south of Unionville).

However, this is not actually due to electrification, it's just due to the frequent train service that will operate on the electrified segment.

Project websites:
Stouffville Grade Separations (Denison, Kennedy, Passmore, McNicoll, Huntingwood, Havendale, Progress)
Milliken Station Improvements (Steeles)
Scarborough Junction Grade Separation (Corvette, Danforth)

Heading south from Unionville:

Denison Street
View attachment 265790

Kennedy Road
View attachment 265793

Steeles Avenue (under construction):

Passmore Avenue
View attachment 265795

McNicoll Avenue
View attachment 265794

Huntingwood Drive
View attachment 265792

Havendale Road (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265791

Progress Avenue
View attachment 265796

Corvette Avenue (pedestrian only)
View attachment 265788

Danforth Road
View attachment 265789

This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment.

Wait, I thought the whole Stouffville Line will be electrified, not just south of Unionville?!

 

[hw621]

"This is every existing level crossing, except for one: Finch Avenue. Finch was previously planned to be grade separated as part of the new Finch East station, but that project was put on hold when the Ford government came in and I'm not sure of its status at the moment."

It will be dumb to grade separate all the other less busy crossings and leave Finch as it...

 

[reaperexpress]

Wait, I thought the whole Stouffville Line will be electrified, not just south of Unionville?!

Oops you're correct. The segment south of Unionville is the extent of frequent service, but the whole line is planned to be electrified.

It will be dumb to grade separate all the other less busy crossings and leave Finch as it...

Yes obviously that's not the intent, it's just a question of how best to proceed given the uncertainty around the station that was previously going to be integrated into the grade separation.

Thankfully, the number of bridges that need to be completely rebuilt is quite low. And quite a few of them already are planned for. For the rest, undercutting of the ballast and dropping the top of the rail several inches will be sufficient.

Does anyone happen know what clearance they're aiming for on the Stouffville and Barrie lines? I seem to recall that the recommended clearance above top-of-rail was based on electric wires over double-stacked container trains, but given that the Barrie and Stouffville lines would only ever be frequented by local shunter services it would presumably be possible to use a smaller structure gauge to merely accommodate GO's own bilevels and single-stacked containers.