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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

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^This is why I try to save a copy of as many briefing and public meeting documents as I can as ML proceeds. The hand is quicker than the eye. Most of this is already known, but stuff gets repackaged and moved around.... a convenient way to avoid commitments or answering for things not moving.

- Paul
 
So basically they identified the need for a new layover on the Lakeshore East and West lines. Wonder why - are the planning to increase service on those lines above what they planned in February?
 
So basically they identified the need for a new layover on the Lakeshore East and West lines. Wonder why - are the planning to increase service on those lines above what they planned in February?

My (optimistic) speculation is that, as the DBFOM RFP has unfolded, proponents are pointing out showstoppers - ie areas of uncertainly or high risk, and/or suggesting improvements to the plan... and ML is tackling some of these off line in the interest of reducing bidders' risk (and therefore their pricing) or project timeframes.

Bidders may have spotted areas where they feel that past EA's were insufficient, and would be unwilling to take legal risks until/unless any t's are crossed and i's dotted with the EA foundation.

The layover yards are interesting - the RFP is long term and therefore the ultimate short-headway end system service plan must be fleshed out. One new objective may be to minimise deadheading especially in the congested USRC area. Fifteen minute service means four equipment moves an hour in each direction for each route just to get started in the morning, without counting peak service or express trains.

I also note A5 - a LSE turnback track at Eglinton GO... hadn't seen that before (or did I miss it?).

- Paul
 
You didn't; that's new.
It's not new for the Eglinton turnback track, though the midland layover as part of the Scarborough junction grade separation is new.
No one in the Feb open house can answer me why the Eglinton layover is needed for some reason.

All the numbers are shifted by 1 due to the new layover at Walkers Line
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It's not new for the Eglinton turnback track, though the midland layover as part of the Scarborough junction grade separation is new.
All the numbers are shifted by 1 due to the new layover at Walkers Line
View attachment 264071

I stand corrected; has to happen once per decade! :p
 
Where's the new layover proposed for LSW?

There are actually two. "Beach Yard" is a 16-train facility proposed west of Burlington station:
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and "Walkers Line Layover Facility" is a 9-train yard proposed about 1.5 km west of Appleby:
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The LSW line could really use some west-end layovers, trains do an awful lot of deadheading at the moment. I particularly like the Beach site: trains would be able to pop out of the yard directly into service at Burlington Station. Nifty!

I assume for "A7: New Third Track, Thickson Rd Bridge Expansion, and New Track and Island Platform at Oshawa GO" it'll help enable the Bowmanville Extension using the GM spur. I think the abutments on the north side were added to the Thickson overpass during the Whitby Rail Maintenance Facility project.

The stated purpose is to make it easier to get from the yard to the platforms at Oshawa, but yes it would continue to be useful when the line is extended.

The one that caught my eye is the "new track around York U GO". The line was already double-tracked in that area a couple years ago (and the station itself already head a second track long before that), so I'm really not sure what that would be about. Maybe they actually meant Downsview Park, which is still single-tracked at the moment? But the map does also highlight the area around York U.
 
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Considering that the Midland layover and Eglinton Turnaround Track is less than 1 km, Metrolinx might just as well connect them together. *The 4th track*
 

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