GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[crs1026]

Major GO projects I can think of right now:

Extension to Guelph Sub Silver to Georgetown

The public domain reports to the GO Board are ridiculously non-transparent about all this. There ought to be a projects-in-progress matrix that outlines them all, with deadlines, percent completion, and percent spend metrics. There is little or no public accountability about what GO may be doing (or not doing).

- Paul

 

[rbt]

There is a lot going on, but to compare it to Georgetown South is kind of silly. Georgetown South was GOs largest ever project.

Yes, they have a wide variety of projects that individually fly under the radar pretty easily.

You can add things like the Union Station corridor switch replacement program and resignalling too. The original question I responded to was about photographs on this thread; in that regard the current set of major GO projects aren't worth getting off the couch to go photograph.

When Georgetown was proposed, I thought GO was getting into a TTC mode of plan X service, build X service (single package), run X service. Not only has that not happened (GO service in Georgetown still seriously under-uses that new infrastructure), but they still seem afraid of large scale projects.

Crosstown run exclusively by Metrolinx without TTC pulling their teeth may well have been a 15 separate tenders spread over 30 years; they certainly seem unwilling to broaden scope on East/West extensions until the central portion is finished.

Construction will begin to ramp up more soon though. The next big project will be the completion of the Stouffville double tracking and the new 3rd track to Pickering.

It'll be a sight to watch them go through $13B over a 6 year period after the last few years of $200M/year of capital expenditures work.

 

[steveintoronto]

but they still seem afraid of large scale projects.

It's unmistakable! Most of the infrastructure is there to do RER south from Bramalea, the City is on their case, and City now ostensibly with pending cash in hand from the Feds (and we all know that SmartTrack can only exist in name, not function, and that means even more pressure to do RER Weston leg), and...nothing! A dear frozen in the headlights shows more movement.

Perhaps the UPX debacle has them completely in a bind?

 

[crs1026]

Perhaps the UPX debacle has them completely in a bind?

GTS/UPX was where they learned how to hide things from the public.

UPX declared at the end that they had come in on budget
https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2014/12/union-pearson-express-ready-for-spring-launch.html

The budget figure cited by the end of the project was $456M
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...11/20141211_BoardMtg_UP_Express_Report_EN.pdf

Never mind that in 2010 the budget was $300M http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/6-AirRailLinkUpdateFINAL.pdf

See Gary MacNeil's report to the Board on Sept 15 2011
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/20110915/PresidentsReportJuly312011.pdf

In it, he reported that all construction float for UPX had already been expended. This was before the ice storm that froze the tunnels solid, before some groundwater issues in the tunnels, before a lot of things that would have added unplanned cost to the project There's only one way to recover from that and stay on budget.....you cut scope on GTS, and move the money to UPX. Nothing was ever said about that. The whole GTS/UPE spend was a shell game.

By the end of UPX/GTS, I'm sure the commentary at ML was "Yeah, let's not talk about deliverables or cost publicly. That only raises questions".

- Paul

 

[steveintoronto]

Excellent links and reference, Paul. To tie this back to the Nippon Sharyos (and with sensitivity to the forum's premise), the other muddy foot is yet to drop on costs. And it's going to be a huge one. A lawyer will always counsel their client: "Never say more than you have to". Perhaps that should be MX' motto?

 

[mdrejhon]

Stouffville extra track
Barrie extra track
Gormley GO
Lewis Yard
Shirley Yard
Niagara track upgrades to the Lewis Yard
East Rail Maintenance Facility
South Blair grade separation
403 Transitway
Burlington GO renovations
James North GO station

Also under way too:

Downsview Park GO/TTC interchange -- a Bloor-Yonge style above-below interchange
Hamilton Rail Junction expansion (third track into Hamilton West Harbour)
Union Revitalization
Centennial Parkway Rail Bridge Expansion (prep for Stoney Creek GO)

And seems may be started soon:
Davenport GO rail bridge
Burloak Grade Separation

 

[mdrejhon]

GTS/UPX was where they learned how to hide things from the public.

"Learned"?

I thought financial sheningians have been going on in all kinds of government budgets for much longer than that.

The question I have is cost efficiency and recovery -- the GTS project, after a few incremental upgrades (that should have been done at outset without budget shift to UPX elements) -- definitely has great dividends for our upcoming RER.

And how much UPX can be merged into RER, now that it is being fare-integrated with GO.

York TTC is also over budget and had to pull from other TTC budgets as I understand. The now hugely popular HS1 high speed line in UK uses a revitalized St. Pancras station which cost almost £1bn after originally estimated at £300M.

Understandably, the electorate can only take so much. Metrolinx is learning from many mistakes and doing some good moves, they need to make sure not to do further major cost screw-ups going forward, on the scale of UPX.

The pressure is on Metrolinx to pull off a successful $13.5bn electrification/RER initiative.

 

[Allandale25]

These are very helpful lists. Thanks folks. Also good to be back on topic.

Major GO projects I can think of right now:

Stouffville extra track
Barrie extra track
Gormley GO
Lewis Yard
Shirley Yard
Niagara track upgrades to the Lewis Yard
East Rail Maintenance Facility
South Blair grade separation
403 Transitway
Burlington GO renovations
James North GO station

There is a lot going on, but to compare it to Georgetown South is kind of silly. Georgetown South was GOs largest ever project.

Construction will begin to ramp up more soon though. The next big project will be the completion of the Stouffville double tracking and the new 3rd track to Pickering.

Also under way too:

Downsview Park GO/TTC interchange -- a Bloor-Yonge style above-below interchange
Hamilton Rail Junction expansion (third track into Hamilton West Harbour)
Union Revitalization
Centennial Parkway Rail Bridge Expansion (prep for Stoney Creek GO)

And seems may be started soon:
Davenport GO rail bridge
Burloak Grade Separation

 

[Adjei]

Also under way too:

Downsview Park GO/TTC interchange -- a Bloor-Yonge style above-below interchange
Hamilton Rail Junction expansion (third track into Hamilton West Harbour)
Union Revitalization
Centennial Parkway Rail Bridge Expansion (prep for Stoney Creek GO)

And seems may be started soon:
Davenport GO rail bridge
Burloak Grade Separation

How is this interchange supposed to look like? I havent seen any pictures of it.

 

[Megaton327]

How is this interchange supposed to look like? I havent seen any pictures of it.

The TTC's TYSSE Downsview Park station is being built on GO's Barrie line. The subway platform/tracks will run in an east-west direction beneath the GO tracks; above the platform there will be a below-ground concourse level, then above the concourse on the surface there will be two station buildings, one on the west and one on the east side. In the middle of the two station buildings there will be two platforms for northbound/southbound GO Barrie line trains.

You can find pictures here: TTC Station, and UT page

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

I guess this belongs here....but Metrolinx have, apparently, purchased property in Brampton....an office building (which has some surface parking behind) that has always had trouble leasing up (not sure it has ever been more than 50% leased). If you are familiar with the area, this is the property.

View attachment 71370

source: http://cfbb.ca/

Very interesting. Maybe it's for the Hurtontario LRT when it gets extended, but maybe its for a broader vision to reconfigure the Brampton GO as a hub.

 

[TOareaFan]

Very interesting. Maybe it's for the Hurtontario LRT when it gets extended, but maybe its for a broader vision to reconfigure the Brampton GO as a hub.

Doubt it is for the LRT....not that far from Main but far enough that it likely has likely very little utility for that. Most likely either demolish the buildings (noted today as I walked by them the "for lease" signs that have been a permanent feature are gone) or work them into parking somehow.

Funny thing is that about 18 months I was asked for a professional opinion on these buildings (can't say much more for client confidentiality reasons) and at the time I said "how many cars can you park inside it....that's all it's good for".

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Doubt it is for the LRT....not that far from Main but far enough that it likely has likely very little utility for that. Most likely either demolish the buildings (noted today as I walked by them the "for lease" signs that have been a permanent feature are gone) or work them into parking somehow.

Funny thing is that about 18 months I was asked for a professional opinion on these buildings (can't say much more for client confidentiality reasons) and at the time I said "how many cars can you park inside it....that's all it's good for".

'Let's work on getting more people onto transit. Let's also build more parking for cars!' ಠ_ಠ

But my thought train is if it is compensatory; if they are removing parking somewhere else for something else and placing new spots here to replace them.

 

[drum118]

'Let's work on getting more people onto transit. Let's also build more parking for cars!' ಠ_ಠ

But my thought train is if it is compensatory; if they are removing parking somewhere else for something else and placing new spots here to replace them.

Most likely to replace the lost parking at the station once construction starts on the 3rd track and relocating the existing VIA Rail Station. Need room to put in a centre platforms between the new #1 track and the current one as well lengthening the tunnels.

A new 3 track or a single track bridge has to be built over Main as well Queen for this new 3rd track. An EA will be require for this 3rd track in the Downtown area that will also see a road close off and will Piss the car folks off more as they opposed the closing of one of the 2 roads in the first place when the 3rd track was built years ago for that location.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Most likely to replace the lost parking at the station once construction starts on the 3rd track and relocating the existing VIA Rail Station. Need room to put in a centre platforms between the new #1 track and the current one as well lengthening the tunnels.

Is that from a source drum? I haven't heard anything about such work, just UT'ers talking about it being done.