GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[wopchop]

1) RER is not ending at Aurora, 15-minute off-peak service is ending at Aurora. RER will extend up to Allandale Waterfront in Barrie with 30-minute peak and 60-minute off-peak electrified service.

Did not know that, fair enough.

2) Aurora's GO ridership is much, much higher than Newmarket's. Ergo, more service is needed to meet the demand. Newmarket's service is being exponentially increased, just not to the same extent as Aurora's.

That's true. But it still seems rather silly, when all the planning and investment seems to be related to turning Newmarket into the growth centre and not Aurora.

I think right now that the ridership for East Gwillimbury & Newmarket stations is about half of Aurora's ridership. Aurora also has much more parking spaces than Newmarket GO and East Gwillimbury GO combined. I know that parking availability has always been an issue for people using Newmarket GO.

Do we know what percentage of people in the south end of Newmarket might be heading to Aurora GO station?

 

[ShonTron]

The fact that the RER is ending at Aurora is idiotic.

One of the province's designated Urban Growth Centres is located at Davis Drive and Yonge Street, a short bus ride away from the GO Train Station along Davis Drive, where YRT just constructed a new rapidway for the VIVA bus.

Aurora does not have any designated Urban Growth Centres, and it's development is much more constrained than Newmarket.

I'm amused that the map above still shows some of the Toronto & York Metropolitan Radial line, abandoned in 1930.

 

[Megaton327]

I think right now that the ridership for East Gwillimbury & Newmarket stations is about half of Aurora's ridership. Aurora also has much more parking spaces than Newmarket GO and East Gwillimbury GO combined. I know that parking availability has always been an issue for people using Newmarket GO.

Do we know what percentage of people in the south end of Newmarket might be heading to Aurora GO station?

I agree that EG and Newmarket combined are probably around half of Aurora. Maybe a little less...unfortunately I can't find any actual, recent, per-station ridership stats.

With the parking availability situation, I'd imagine that, certainly, anyone south of Mulock is better off using Aurora (plus, not backtracking for a southbound trip).

Also, keep in mind that Mulock GO station has been greenlit. It was initially stated that it would not receive 15-minute service, but more recent discussion revealed that this was simply a placeholder from the existing plan to have reduced service levels past Aurora, and had not been re-evaluated once Mulock GO was determined to be happening. I think Metrolinx is reviewing the possibility of 15-minute service to Mulock, at least, which would be much better for Newmarket residents. There are, however, some things to sort out--for one, I think Aurora GO was supposed to actually have a 3rd track, with 1 side platform at the current location and one centre platform in the middle of the second and third tracks, so that they could park a train there from time to time as needed, a must-have as a 15-minute terminus station. I'm not sure there'd be room at mulock for 3 tracks. TBD...

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The fact that the RER is ending at Aurora is idiotic.

One of the province's designated Urban Growth Centres is located at Davis Drive and Yonge Street, a short bus ride away from the GO Train Station along Davis Drive, where YRT just constructed a new rapidway for the VIVA bus.

Aurora does not have any designated Urban Growth Centres, and it's development is much more constrained than Newmarket.

1) RER is not ending at Aurora, 15-minute off-peak service is ending at Aurora. RER will extend up to Allandale Waterfront in Barrie with 30-minute peak and 60-minute off-peak electrified service.

2) Aurora's GO ridership is much, much higher than Newmarket's. Ergo, more service is needed to meet the demand. Newmarket's service is being exponentially increased, just not to the same extent as Aurora's.

3) GO is likely to run the hourly trains coming southbound from Barrie as express nonstop trains from Aurora to Union, i.e. 3 of 4 southbound trains per hour from Aurora will be local, and one express having come from Barrie. This will provide riders in Newmarket with a faster trip downtown than the majority of the milk run trains from Aurora.

Did not know that, fair enough.


That's true. But it still seems rather silly, when all the planning and investment seems to be related to turning Newmarket into the growth centre and not Aurora.

I think right now that the ridership for East Gwillimbury & Newmarket stations is about half of Aurora's ridership. Aurora also has much more parking spaces than Newmarket GO and East Gwillimbury GO combined. I know that parking availability has always been an issue for people using Newmarket GO.

Do we know what percentage of people in the south end of Newmarket might be heading to Aurora GO station?

I agree that EG and Newmarket combined are probably around half of Aurora. Maybe a little less...unfortunately I can't find any actual, recent, per-station ridership stats.

With the parking availability situation, I'd imagine that, certainly, anyone south of Mulock is better off using Aurora (plus, not backtracking for a southbound trip).

Also, keep in mind that Mulock GO station has been greenlit. It was initially stated that it would not receive 15-minute service, but more recent discussion revealed that this was simply a placeholder from the existing plan to have reduced service levels past Aurora, and had not been re-evaluated once Mulock GO was determined to be happening. I think Metrolinx is reviewing the possibility of 15-minute service to Mulock, at least, which would be much better for Newmarket residents. There are, however, some things to sort out--for one, I think Aurora GO was supposed to actually have a 3rd track, with 1 side platform at the current location and one centre platform in the middle of the second and third tracks, so that they could park a train there from time to time as needed, a must-have as a 15-minute terminus station. I'm not sure there'd be room at mulock for 3 tracks. TBD...

Well Newmarket's station is seperated from it's go bus station, and is constrained by one track. Here is the image https://goo.gl/maps/bUCJ8fVPtH82 Aurora's go bus stop and train are in one are so it makes a huge difference in ridership. Go should have bought building to the north and demolished it. What is being done in Aurora and Maple right should be going on at Newmarket. Or one of the bus station or train station should be moved. I think if they can't get a second track in at Newmarket, they should stop the 15 minute service at Mulock Dr. @Megaton327 I would love to know the discussions around Mulock and the 15 minute service.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Barrie Line double tracking update from Sunday 14 May 2017, riding northbound from YorkU to Rutherford.

Since last month (during which time there have been 2 weekend closures), they've completed the second track through Rivermede Road and installed the switch just south of Rutherford station. There may have also been some work further south, but I don't know because last month's video conked out south of Rivermede.

At Maple Station, there's little indication of the pedestrian tunnel work - just two suspiciously fresh segments of platform and some weird pillars sticking up beside the tracks.

Looking north at the south end of the station:

Looking north from the station building, a second similar site:

Looking south from the station building, you can clearly see where the second track will go.

With the current/under-construction track layout you can have 60-minute service to Aurora (using the YorkU-Rutherford siding), or 75-minute service to Newmarket (using the Maple-King City siding). To get service every 60 minutes to Newmarket you'd need another siding exactly 30 minutes north of York University station. Definitely a worthwhile investment, but not going to happen within a year.

Interesting, thanks for the info. I would do 75 to Newmarket. I get why they are doing 60 min to Aurora, but that is such a nothing burger.

 

[dowlingm]

Major grading taking place for the Metrolinx Obico lands today

Can you expand on this - does it have a hump that is superfluous for GO purposes?

 

[TransitBart]

Major grading taking place for the Metrolinx Obico lands today

For what?

 

[drum118]

For what?

No idea, but the lands needs to be clean of what there before they can build anything there other than tracks.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Major grading taking place for the Metrolinx Obico lands today

I thought that CP owned Obico still? Do you mean the Canpa Sub? I know Metrolinx has been working on that (upgrading the tracks) for a while. Please more info!

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

If you're not happy about the plan's for Barrie and want the service extended to Newmarket, let metrolinx know here
https://www.letgoknow.com/S.aspx?s=...d1d8&so=true&a=956&as=10x70Bh2uc&fromdetect=1

 

[SaugeenJunction]

RQQ-2017-CLE-010: Technical Advisory Services - Rail Service Expansion Project

"Metrolinx is accepting bids (“Requests”) for RQQ-2017-CLE-010, which Work relates to the provision of Technical Advisory Services to support the design/planning, procurement, construction and post construction phases as well as the functional services that are applicable and may contribute to all phases of the Bowmanville Rail Expansion Project, as more particularly described in this Request Document as required by Metrolinx."

Tender closes on the 28th of June. Glad to see this project chugging along.

 

[reaperexpress]

Do you think they'd do a 75 minute schedule, or short turn-every-other-train? (60 min Aurora, 120min Newmarket)

At least till the extra siding gets built.

I was thinking 60 minute Aurora service would come first, but there has been a fair amount of outcry from Newmarket residents about the current arrangement. Extending the 75 minute trains up to Newmarket GO might be a worthwhile olive branch. We'll see.

I tried my hand at some conceptual schedules showing the various scenarios.

First, the current schedule. The 16:56 northbound is a deadhead that meets the 16:48 southbound train at the York University siding. It can't be in service because there's no platform on that track.
On top of each run, I've indicated my best guess for the trainset that might be operating it. Numbered trainsets originate from Barrie yard, while "U" trainsets originate downtown. Trainsets 1 and 3 are 6-car sets, while trainsets 2 and U are 10-car sets.

Next, the 60-minute Aurora schedule. As far as we can tell, the current plan is to move to something like this within a year.
With service moved from York U to Downsview Park, I took the liberty of switching the current deadhead to an in-service run to Aurora, which allows the Barrie-bound train to operate express, providing a very respectable 1:28 travel time from Union to Barrie Allandale - a 77 km/h average speeed.

The alternative to that would be a 75-minute schedule to Newmarket, which is basically identical to the schedule currently in use, except that trains continue north to East Gwilimbury rather than sitting around in Aurora for 46 minutes. Again I've switched the northbound deadhead to an in-service express, but this time it has to be the Aurora trip based on the siding locations.

I tried to do a 60/120 turnback schedule, but I couldn't get it to work out. It doesn't seem practical to get the trains evenly spaced in both directions south of Aurora.

Finally, once we get double track at Aurora and Downsview Park stations, we could run an hourly service to Bradford. I've shown Trainset 1 heading back to Barrie in the afternoon, with the corresponding southbound trip being handled by Trainset 4 which deadheads from the yard to the siding at Bradford before the northbound trip gets there.

Interestingly, all four of these schedules have the same equipment requirement: four trainsets (and the last one could equally be run with three sets by not sending Trainset 1 back to the yard in the afternoon). Based on that, my guess is that their operating costs would only be slightly higher than today, while their potential ridership is far greater.

 

[TOareaFan]

three stations on the KW line (Brampton, Malton and Georgetown) have this identical notice posted on the GO website

 

[SaugeenJunction]

three stations on the KW line (Brampton, Malton and Georgetown) have this identical notice posted on the GO website

View attachment 109623

Maybe this is pre-planning for the $750 million the Feds committed to upgrading the Kitchener corridor (including 40km of new track from Union to Mount Pleasant GO)? I know Brampton GO would require a significant rework to allow for a 3rd track. But thats just a guess.

 

[raptor]

Future Maple Station (From link):