407 Rail Freight Bypass/The Missing Link

[crs1026]

While we wait for news on the Bypass (ie name of the Technical Advisor, EA timeline, indication on if the new government will even go ahead with this), this article caught my eye. Not directly related to the Bypass of course but indirectly related.

In early July CN put out a series of press releases, one for each province, regarding its capital plan. Somewhere someone tweeted a map showing all of the projects, but I havent been able to find it online.

Ontario’s expansion is fairly modest - a new siding up north is helpful, but a fraction of the capacity being added in the west. The rest is all renewal maintenance, and one would hope CN does that work.

There is plenty of capacity on the Halton line, so I would not expect any investment from CN there. Especially with ML knocking at the door.

- Paul

 

[TOareaFan]

^ True, just meant as examples. Although the only other big thing I can think of is the Legal Agreement. I got the impression, and could me mistaken in my speculation, that the work of the Technical Advisor and EA was going to commence and take place in parallel to the legal discussions. That seems to me to be the case given the GO COO mentioned at the April 20th townhall how often (recently) he was in Montreal (at CN HQ).

I don't think CN have ever publicly stated they agree that if a bypass is built they will move off of the current route and allow GO unfettered use.

I remember statements that there was an agreement in principal to discuss building a bypass....but i would be very wary of spending much (any?) public money on this until CN agrees that they are moving off of the current corridor.

 

[Allandale25]

^ And I wasn't suggesting in my comments that any legal agreement would take CN completely off the Kitchener Line. There was a press conference in June 2016 to announce the agreement in principal, and subsequent references in reports that a legal agreement was the next step. CN would still need to do local switching for the industries in Brampton.

 

[drum118]

I still expect CN to run trains over the Halton Sub to/from the new Milton yard, as well service the other on line business between Bramalea GO Station and Kennedy Rd, regardless using the new bypass tracks.

This bypass is still a decade or more down the road.

Time to build the 4th track that is missing, as well built the 3rd track Downtown Brampton. Best to have all GO tracks & Platforms on the north side and having a fly under at Bramalea.

 

[Allandale25]

While we wait for news on the Bypass (ie name of the Technical Advisor, EA timeline, indication on if the new government will even go ahead with this), this article caught my eye. Not directly related to the Bypass of course but indirectly related.

I hadn't seen the actual press release until now and found this detail interesting:

• Investments in a satellite intermodal facility near CN’s Brampton Intermodal Terminal to provide temporary capacity

(emphasis added). I wonder where "near" means?

 

[smallspy]

I hadn't seen the actual press release until now and found this detail interesting:

(emphasis added). I wonder where "near" means?

They've rebuilt and reactivated part of the former Malport Yard (immediately east of Torbram, and south of BIT) and turned it into a temporary intermodal facility until the Milton facility is completed.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Allandale25]

^ Thanks

 

[ShonTron]

I still expect CN to run trains over the Halton Sub to/from the new Milton yard, as well service the other on line business between Bramalea GO Station and Kennedy Rd, regardless using the new bypass tracks.

This bypass is still a decade or more down the road.

Time to build the 4th track that is missing, as well built the 3rd track Downtown Brampton. Best to have all GO tracks & Platforms on the north side and having a fly under at Bramalea.

The new Milton yard will be on the south end of Milton, so I don't see why the Halton Sub through Georgetown would be required by CN if a bypass is built, except to serve a few customers in Milton north of Highway 401.

 

[Allandale25]

^ Had the same thought.

 

[drum118]

The new Milton yard will be on the south end of Milton, so I don't see why the Halton Sub through Georgetown would be required by CN if a bypass is built, except to serve a few customers in Milton north of Highway 401.

For some strange reason, I had the yard north of the 401, not south of it as plan. With me thinking the yard was north of the plan yard, train would use the current line to drop off and pickup traffic than have trains backup off the bypass to do it.

Still expect to see local switching to service the area north of the 401 by current route and that could be a night.

This would allow Metrolinx to get away with 3 track that are currently there for KW, but best to plan for 4 in the long run. Still need that 3rd track in Downtown Brampton.

Regardless, until that bypass is built, need the 4/3 tracks as well a fly under at Bramalea to offer 15-30 minute service 7 days a week and deal with CN.

 

[Allandale25]

^ Why would a rail-over-rail grade separation at Bramalea be needed? I haven't seen Metrolinx release any news or plans about this. One would think they would have needed to make something public by now to meet the 2024-2025 timeline. Why couldn't they just use the southern most tracks at Bramalea for the 15-30 min service?

 

[ShonTron]

^ Why would a rail-over-rail grade separation at Bramalea be needed? I haven't seen Metrolinx release any news or plans about this. One would think they would have needed to make something public by now to meet the 2024-2025 timeline. Why couldn't they just use the southern most tracks at Bramalea for the 15-30 min service?

I agree. The south track is already the one that's usually used by GO. A flyunder/flyover would help provide more flexibility, at least until a bypass is built, but I don't see it as a necessity.

A good medium-term solution is to build another mainline track on the north side at Bramalea Station, at least as far as Dixie Road, and give the two south tracks over to GO/VIA operations. It would allow the local train turn-backs (in the southern pocket track) as well as the less frequent express services to Mount Pleasant and Kitchener while still providing two through tracks for CN operations there.

Much of Halton Sub is single-tracked with passing sidings. CN continues to be difficult, as a lot can be done with the existing infrastructure, especially after GO paid for the Credit River bridge widening, and the triple track and double track in Brampton and the second platform at Brampton GO.

 

[TOareaFan]

Much of Halton Sub is single-tracked with passing sidings. CN continues to be difficult, as a lot can be done with the existing infrastructure, especially after GO paid for the Credit River bridge widening, and the triple track and double track in Brampton and the second platform at Brampton GO.

Wait, what, public money was spent and CN did not immediately show gratitude? Shocking!

Seriously though, I would not spend another nickle in this corridor until there is an absolute and firm and binding agreement from CN that GO gets to run a full 7 day schedule, mornings, days, evenings and nights.

CN has been playing us for fools....and we seemed to be enjoying it.

 

[crs1026]

^ My call-their-bluff solution would be to extend the third track west from Mount Pleasant, adding the roughed-in bridge span, and then cross that track over to the north side in a flat diamond, becoming the station track on the north side at Georgetown. The diamond would be wired in an automatic interlocking, first come first served manner. CN gets exclusive use of the two original tracks, and GO gets exclusive use of the third track. To be pedantic, the interlockings at Peel and Brampton could be realigned 5o their old format, restoring the single track that CN had before Ontario gifted the doubletracking, and giving GO a clear track all the way from Bramalea to Georgetown.

Why this odd arrangement? Because there are so many places in North America (Rochelle Il, St Joes IN, Fostoria OH, and Portage la Prairie MB being good examples) where two railroads cross, each running 40+ trains a day, without undue hardship, using the first-come first served principle.

There are not enough CN trains on the Halton to materially delay a full 2WAD RER service, and the duration of delays to either party would be minor. Sure, situations would arise where two long CN trains show up at the same time and the crossing is blocked for 15-20 minutes, but then it will sit empty for hours until the next CN train turns up. As for the restored single track segment, that just restores the pre GO Trip configuration, which CN was quite happy with.

This is pretty close to a fantasy design, but it would put some perspective around CN’s apparent belief that GO is usurping its shareholders’ investment and impairing its operations.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Latest news from a report to the Metrolinx Board their upcoming meeting:

Kitchener Bypass The Qualification-Based Selection (QBS) document for the purpose of selecting a technical advisor to deliver options analysis, EA studies and approvals, a feasibility study, preliminary design for the preferred option, and develop appropriate procurement documentation for the Kitchener Corridor expansion work and closed on June 29, 2018. The qualifications of the submitted bidders are being reviewed and rated. This work will help confirm the appropriate option for a future Kitchener freight bypass required to allow for more frequent passenger service on the Kitchener Corridor.