GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[drum118]

Dec 15
Huge stock piles of concrete ties on the curb of Obico Sub and Metrolinx has being doing some track work. Looks like cable being install as well. Saw a CP local taking 4 hopper cars down the sub and a long time seeing a CP on the sub.

 

[Andy_in_Toronto]

Sorry for asking, but what purpose does this Obico sub serve?

 

[drum118]

Sorry for asking, but what purpose does this Obico sub serve?

Faster way to get trains to/from Willowbrook to/from Milton Yard for service. Faster way to have equipment delivery to GO since you don't need for CP to transfer equipment to CN who will turn it over to GO in Aldershot. CP drop equipment off on a siding today and GO picks it up. Cheaper shipping cost.

It will allow GO trains a bypass route for the Lakeshore corridor to allow bridge and track replacement for the Lakeshore Line as well the construction of 4 new road bridges by the city of Toronto that supposed to get underway around 2020. A bridge still has to be torn down, but can't be until new ones are in place. It will also allow the Milton trains a bypass if something happens on the Weston Sub.

There been talk that another yard could be built on the existing site as well a new TTC yard. If TTC build a new yard there, the all new subway cars can be delivery by rail than truck, reducing the cost of shipping them.

Lots of unknown and guessing for the excess use of the land that came with the sub, but the right thing to do.

Going out on the limb and thinking long term, You could have trains using the Crosstown GO Line running service to Hamilton or what every.

 

[smallspy]

Sorry for asking, but what purpose does this Obico sub serve?

The line is called the Canpa Sub - short for CANadian PAcific - and it existed solely as a means for CP to get to what is now GO's Oakville Sub.

Over 100 years ago, CP needed access to Hamilton. CN's predecessor roads had built a direct line in, but CP's predecessors had built their east-west lines further north, and thus further away from the City. Thus, they managed to negociate an agreement with CN's predecessors in which they could use their lines from Etobicoke to the Dejardins Canal to get into Hamilton. As part of this agreement, CP was also allowed to service the industries along the line. (CP later rectified this by building the line south from Guelph Junction, located immediately west of Campbellville, to connect with the TH&B in Hamilton.)

Fast-forward to a couple of years ago, and CP no longer decides it needs to use the CN trackage. It closes the agreement and sells the Canpa Sub to Metrolinx. (Paul will know better than I when the agreement between the two ended, but the Metrolinx purchase was finalized in November 2015.)

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Dec 15
Huge stock piles of concrete ties on the curb of Obico Sub and Metrolinx has being doing some track work. Looks like cable being install as well. Saw a CP local taking 4 hopper cars down the sub and a long time seeing a CP on the sub.

Why would they be stockpiling concrete ties here and doing more work? The Canpa Sub just underwent large upgrades. Is it possible that Metrolinx is trying to rehabilitate the western "wye" rail to the Milton Line?

 

[crs1026]

^CP was still using the Canpa Sub for through movements til about 2005, but it was on and off after about 2000. I’m not at my keyboard and would have to hunt for the official end date, but it was prior to the sale to Metrolinx. The release of trackage rights was due to a combination of factors: CP lost its lucrative contract to serve Ford in Oakville to CN; other switching business along the Oakville Sub dried up; CN raised the charges for using the line; and increased frequencies of GO trains meant curfews at certain times of days and generally more difficult operations.

A tidbit of trivia I did uncover from a quick search is that GO did run detours of Milton trains 150 aand 152 down the Canpa on 9/11/2009, due to a fire in a scrapyard around Jane and Dundas that closed the CP mainline for a few hours during the morning rush hour.

- Paul

 

[smallspy]

Why would they be stockpiling concrete ties here and doing more work? The Canpa Sub just underwent large upgrades. Is it possible that Metrolinx is trying to rehabilitate the western "wye" rail to the Milton Line?

They are getting the concrete ties delivered here. They then get transloaded to their own cars and shipped to where they need them.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[ShonTron]

It will allow GO trains a bypass route for the Lakeshore corridor to allow bridge and track replacement for the Lakeshore Line as well the construction of 4 new road bridges by the city of Toronto that supposed to get underway around 2020. A bridge still has to be torn down, but can't be until new ones are in place. It will also allow the Milton trains a bypass if something happens on the Weston Sub.
.

Road bridges? Are you referring to the Dufferin/Dunn/Jameson/Dowling bridges? When will they finally be replaced?

 

[smallspy]

Road bridges? Are you referring to the Dufferin/Dunn/Jameson/Dowling bridges? When will they finally be replaced?

The City finished the EA on the replacement of the Dufferin bridges (both the rail bridge, and the one over the Gardiner) in 2011. I thought that they were scheduled to start construction on the single replacement bridge next year, but it looks like it's been pushed out again.

As for the other bridges, the City has seemed to have stopped the EA process for them. I can't find any reference to it on it's website.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[raptor]

Back to the Rutherford station project. A new rendering appears in the IO press release:

Compare with the previous rendering:

The biggest difference is that the station building is no longer integrated in the parking garage, but is now a separate building. Also, they included the pedestrian bridge to the second platform (which was planned all along). I hope they didn't change the domed platform canopy (refresher below).

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Back to the Rutherford station project. A new rendering appears in the IO press release:

Compare with the previous rendering:

The biggest difference is that the station building is no longer integrated in the parking garage, but is now a separate building. Also, they included the pedestrian bridge to the second platform (which was planned all along). I hope they didn't change the domed platform canopy (refresher below).

Would love to see this put on hold for some Transit-Oriented Development, just like Grimsby. But eh, it's great for car drivers, so not sure this gov't would be in a rush to kibosh it.

 

[raptor]

Would love to see this put on hold for some Transit-Oriented Development, just like Grimsby. But eh, it's great for car drivers, so not sure this gov't would be in a rush to kibosh it.

A. The contract was already awarded last week.
B. Clearly, you don't live in the area and not use this station.

 

[raptor]

Back to the Rutherford station project. A new rendering appears in the IO press release:

Compare with the previous rendering:

The biggest difference is that the station building is no longer integrated in the parking garage, but is now a separate building. Also, they included the pedestrian bridge to the second platform (which was planned all along). I hope they didn't change the domed platform canopy (refresher below).

The domed canopy is gone. shame but I'm still excited! From link:

 

[jje1000]

The domed canopy was overbuilt for a location like that IMO.

As long as passengers are shelted on the platforms, they should be fine.

 

[DatTranzitGuy]

I have a friend who used to work for GO transit and she said that Whitby station was due for the construction of a new station building on the south side but we haven’t seen anything done about it. Are there any plans for a second building at Whitby station?