GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[crs1026]

If Doug Ford understood the first thing about transit, he would make a meal of this. But he doesn’t, so it will go unremarked.

The price tag for the white elephant is close to $90M.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Tracks place on the new 3rd track bridge in Hamilton with a string of gondola cars sitting on the track beside it. Getting ready to cut the new track into the CP track.

The west parking lot and lower level parking still close to riders for the station.

Any pictures?

 

[drum118]

Any pictures?

Way down the list since as I am still working on Feb 27 photos, with about 2,000 to be done yet.

 

[steveintoronto]

Garage Mahal.

Needs a Tim Hortons.

And a Loblaw pick-up locker.

Honestly, if this was an RER station I would be more understanding. Thing is, this is a station that will see 6 trains a day and is located in what is essentially a rural location.

If Doug Ford understood the first thing about transit, he would make a meal of this. But he doesn’t, so it will go unremarked.

The price tag for the white elephant is close to $90M.

Thank you all. I was aghast seeing that, even though I'd seen the renders before. It's like an ancient lost city in the jungle...which is what it is but brought up to date, with taxpayers sacrificed and thrown in the pit as an offering to the Almighty Car.

As for Ford (I was thinking Aztec, but hey), the only response he'd have is to build a subway to it. And add a ferris wheel for a better view of the sacrifice.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Thank you all. I was aghast seeing that, even though I'd seen the renders before. It's like an ancient lost city in the jungle...which is what it is but brought up to date, with taxpayers sacrificed and thrown in the pit as an offering to the Almighty Car.

Somehow I giggled at the mental imagery of Steven del Duca as Mola Ram.

AoD

 

[steveintoronto]

Somehow I giggled at the mental imagery of Steven del Duca as Mola Ram.

AoD

I was thinking more Dodge Ram. (His brother)

 

[crs1026]

I wonder what Justin Trudeau will wear to the ribbon cutting.

- Paul

 

[felix123]

I wonder what Justin Trudeau will wear to the ribbon cutting.

- Paul

What's wrong with a bit of fashion, anyway? I can understand the disgruntlement over FPtP and pipelines, but the fashion/selfie/clothing jokes are wearing thin.

 

[crs1026]

What's wrong with a bit of fashion, anyway? I can understand the disgruntlement over FPtP and pipelines, but the fashion/selfie/clothing jokes are wearing thin.

Fashion is fine. Fashion over substance and context isn’t. Being nice to look at only gets you so far.

I was playing off the “Garage Mahal” comment, which was delightful and apt. Justin kinda blew his last ‘Mahal’ visit, clothing and selfies having set exactly the wrong tone.

- Paul

 

[felix123]

Fashion is fine. Fashion over substance and context isn’t. Being nice to look at only gets you so far.

I was playing off the “Garage Mahal” comment, which was delightful and apt. Justin kinda blew his last ‘Mahal’ visit, clothing and selfies having set exactly the wrong tone.

- Paul

The Garage Mahal comment had to do with the grandeur of Taj Mahal, not Trudeau's bizarre trip to India, but nice try.

Track has been place on the new 3rd track bridge in Hamilton with a string of gondola cars sitting on the track beside it. Getting ready to cut the new track into the CP track.

The west parking lot and lower level parking still close to riders for the station.

By the looks of things, a 3rd track is to be added east of the Bayview junction.

Exciting news. What are the current timelines looking like for increased service at West Harbour?

 

[mdrejhon]

Track has been place on the new 3rd track bridge in Hamilton with a string of gondola cars sitting on the track beside it. Getting ready to cut the new track into the CP track.

The west parking lot and lower level parking still close to riders for the station.

By the looks of things, a 3rd track is to be added east of the Bayview junction.

Concur. I see the third track installed. It looks like the new West Harbour infrastructure is almost ready to go live. Hopefully it means 4 more trains per day (2 extra morning, 2 extra evening) as a spring/summer electioneering announcement. The parking garage is ready to open. Probably a few months before trains trundle the new south track.

 

[felix123]

Concur. I see the third track installed. It looks like the new West Harbour infrastructure is almost ready to go live. Hopefully it means 4 more trains per day (2 extra morning, 2 extra evening) as a spring/summer electioneering announcement. The parking garage is ready to open. Probably a few months before trains trundle the new south track.

Thanks for the update, mdrejhon. A couple more trips each way is progress, though it will be nicer to one day be able to do GO train day trips to Hamilton from Toronto. It's a cool city.

 

[drum118]

April 14
Looks like a new 3rd track west of the junction to go in based on signal mast.

The west Bridge entrance has missing ceiling tiles as well insulation on the floor and stairs. A number of shelters were fog up while others were normal. The ramp to the lower parking area as well the west parking lot fence off. No fencing between the rails in the station. The north station track has a guard rail in 2 spots, as well one in the CN #2 track for some reason

 

[mdrejhon]

Looks like the new platform track is live! Good sign it'll begin to be used this year.

Thanks for the update, mdrejhon. A couple more trips each way is progress, though it will be nicer to one day be able to do GO train day trips to Hamilton from Toronto. It's a cool city.

I think ultimately the long term goal is to send daytime 2-way interurban Toronto-Hamilton-Niagara service past West Harbour (a natural expansion of Niagara summer seasonal service). While I had hoped this would happen as early as 2016, I have gotten information that 2019 is probably the time you'll be able to embark/disembark at West Harbour. I have gotten multiple confirmations from Metrolinx sources (including at the Niagara PIC) that the desire/intent is to stop the Niagara summer seasonal train in Hamilton. The big problem is they need to regrade the eastward route down by at least ~2 meters for quite a distance in a freight-compatible grade & several bridges are overdue for a rebuild -- and lots of old equipment is in the way (as photographed in my article). While I knew that, I did not realize until a few months ago, that there was a regrading needed (the service dirt road is almost 2 meters higher than West Harbour station track).

That work is coming out of the Stony Creek GO extension funding pot (~$150M), instead of the West Harbour GO pot (~$50M), so they are spending more money on the track (and multiple bridge rebuilds) between West Harbour and Confederation, than they will spend on West Harbour GO (~$50M) + Confederation GO combined (~$35M). So about >$100M of trackwork and bridgework based on the math -- and they are beginning this work this year -- and once they are further along enough, 2019 turns West Harbour in to a through station (finally).

So that means (likely) by 2019, finally -- at least 7 or 8 Friday/Sat/Sun weekend train trips during the summer that includes a Hamilton West Harbour GO stop.

They still have to finish the CN corridor capacity study (which includes the Grimsby sub), so further service expansions above-and-beyond this, is indeterminate.

Regardless, at the minimum, Metrolinx does want to stop the Niagara Summer Seasonal train in Hamilton as soon as the trackwork is sufficiently far-along enough.

I would not be surprised if they strategically decide to make a spring or early summer advance announcement (about a future Niagara stop, like 2019) about this at the same time they open the parking garage.

Theoretically in an ideal world, Metrolinx/GO might surprise us and stop the Niagara train this year (out of surprise), simply by backing the train out of the West Harbour spur and continuing along (+3 minute delay if they put train crew in both ends). But CN might not be comfortable with that, and Metrolinx may have reason to hedge based on CN and the state of overpass (bridge) repair.

 

[mdrejhon]

Okay, I've sent along a suggestion to GO Transit/Metrolinx.... To see if they could figure out how to operationally pull it off.

My idea is:
Stopping a few "guest" Niagara Summer Seasonals at Hamilton West Harbour GO station even without it being a "through station" yet. (and backed-out of the spur to continue journey?)

Friday night's Niagara summer seasonal might be the lowest-risk train to do this economically:
(A) It becomes an extra bonus evening commuter train for Toronto->Hamilton/Niagara
(B) It coincides with the monthly Arts crawl on James Street North (2nd Friday evening of every month)
(C) It provides an extra option for university students in all 3 cities.
(D) It starts to begin to market the Niagara market to Hamiltonians in prep for upcoming (2019?) full inclusion in seasonal service
(E) West Harbour GO is open Friday evening, due to existing West Harbour trains.

Operational idea to keep delay to perhaps only 3 minutes(?) despite West Harbour being a spur:
-- Reversing the train & then resuming journey could be tricky but I make these observations:
-- I've seen GO trains reverse directions in less than 30 seconds (e.g. to correct alignment on a platform) as long as drivers were already in both ends of the train at the same time, so it seems practical if Niagara trains are already being operated with 2 driver crew in cabs.
-- I notice often 2 train crew are in the cabs, there could be 1 person at both ends.
-- To allow backing-out the train quickly from the spur, and then resume journey to Niagara Falls (and vice versa for the Niagara-Toronto trip).
-- After passing west of Aldershot, 1 of 2 train crew could start walking to opposite end of the train through the hallway between coaches while train is in motion (enroute between Aldershot and West Harbour), as only 1 driver is required to be in the cab at a time
-- That puts a 2nd train driver near opposite end of the train almost immediately upon arrival at West Harbour, making it quicker to turn-around the train, for back-out of West Harbour spur. (Even if they have to wait at the last coach before locomotive, until the train is stopped)
-- Due to its status as an excursion train, the 6-coach train is short & rarely full on Fridays after passing Burlington, so there's plenty of room to walk from one end of the train to the other during the Aldershot segment.

Benefits:
- Builds ridership incrementally for Niagara summer seasonal towards future Niagara extension
- Hamilton's population is somewhat antsy about Hamilton LRT. They'd like to see some movement in incremental Metrolinx service improvements. Doing this could provide good karma for election 2018
- This gives you an excuse to announce the opening of the parking garage at West Harbour GO station (by having successfully found a way to expand West Harbour GO service quicker)
- The Niagara service could also go hand-in-hand with a pre-announcement of an incremental service expansion of other kind (e.g. 1 or 2 more other trains per day)

This idea is: What if GO can stop at least a few of the Niagara seasonal trains in Hamilton -- even before West Harbour GO is a through track?