GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[generalcanada]

A bridge and a deal: Metrolinx’s plan to get GO trains across Hwy. 401

After years of work and study to bring the GO train north of Hwy. 401 in Oshawa, there’s a plan and an agreement to make it happen.

www.durhamregion.com

"Originally, it looked as if GO trains couldn’t get over the GM bridge with its sharp bend and steep incline. Metrolinx worked out a way to get lighter, shorter passenger trains across the spur bridge."

Would this mean new rolling stock? Maybe they would use UP Express equipment from Bowmanville to Oshawa if it's replaced by electric rolling stock as part of the On Corr deal?

"The GM bridge reopening means Metrolinx will build a second bridge right next to the spur bridge, which may be a better way forward, according to Verster. It means passenger trains won’t have to pull over to wait for freight trains to pass. Operationally, the GO trains and CP freight trains will be very separated as they cross the highway."

UPDATE: Just realized this was posted in the GO Service thread.

wait what?
Wasnt the main reason to use that gm spur instead of the old plan of crossing the 401 and closing the go station because they didnt have to build a large bridge over the 401?

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/20200220/20200220_BoardMtg_Bowmanville_Initial_Business_Case.pdf

if they have to build a new bridge, What the hell was the point of redrawing the bowmanville business case over the last 2 years

 

[Allandale25]

^ Hugging the existing CP bridge by building beside it is a much shorter, and probably easier/cheaper bridge than the previous proposal. I can post a comparison image later.

 

[Allandale25]

The whole plan of the Bowmanville extension to continue through Oshawa GO, and not a spur, the whole reason for this is to have a single seat ride to Union.

So transferring to another train is out of the question.

I'm hopeful by the time this gets built, several Dual Mode Panto/Battery EMU's will be on the market. Recharge while running along the electrified portion of track, and then run on the battery out to Bowmanville.

I've heard from others who believe that the current plan is for a transfer.

 

[Allandale25]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1357750883396771841

 

[innsertnamehere]

I wonder when the station will actually open. The original plan was for 2020..

 

[robmausser]

I've heard from others who believe that the current plan is for a transfer.

It literally says from Verster in the article

however the GO trains will be outfitted for both and riders will be able to embark on one train and stay on until they arrive at their destination, according to Verster.

 

[robmausser]

^ Hugging the existing CP bridge by building beside it is a much shorter, and probably easier/cheaper bridge than the previous proposal. I can post a comparison image later.

Not only that but it allows for through-running of Oshawa GO station and not a spur with a separate station North on Thickson Road, which was an epic redundant waste of money in my opinon. The Knotts Berry Farm station downtown is still possible with this plan, a station thats actually worth building.

 

[Allandale25]

It literally says from Verster in the article

Apologies, you're right. I meant to expand on my comment. I meant to qualify it by saying that a resident I spoke to who is active in transportation advocacy in the region mentioned the transfer still existing when we were discussing the article, so I pointed out the quote from Verster you mentioned as maybe they missed it and weren't aware, or they had heard something else years ago and were misremembering or misheard. Thanks for clarifying. Definitely intriguing to think of what they'll use to handle the requirements and use overhead wires and portions of the track without wires.

 

[generalcanada]

Not only that but it allows for through-running of Oshawa GO station and not a spur with a separate station North on Thickson Road, which was an epic redundant waste of money in my opinon. The Knotts Berry Farm station downtown is still possible with this plan, a station thats actually worth building.

I thought the original plan was for a tear down of the old station and moving across the 401?

 

[crs1026]

I thought the original plan was for a tear down of the old station and moving across the 401?

That was the *old* original plan. A year or two back, ML revisited the whole thing, proposing that the CN line be used all the way to Bowmanville. That plan got quickly shot down. The current routing - up the CP using the GM bridge - emerged as a compromise.

- Paul

 

[robmausser]

I thought the original plan was for a tear down of the old station and moving across the 401?

I posted this in the other GO thread but ill put it here too. The original plan never proposed tearing down the old station. It proposed a spur line with the old station still in service, a terrible idea in my opinion.

This is the old plan

All that is being gained is another station at Thorton's Corner. Which is also far out of Oshawa and will be a commuter parking lot type station. The only advantage is that its "slighty" closer to some low density housing.

The disadvantage is now you have a spur line with the existing GO Oshawa station serving some trains, and the Thorton Station routing serving others.

Heres a graphic from 2016 showing the spur service plan.

From the link

GO Transit goes east | The Oshawa Express

The province has announced it will be going forward with the long-promised project of extending GO Transit’s train services to Bowmanville, resulting in two new stations for Oshawa. Plans to expand the Lakeshore East line past Oshawa to Bowmanville were first announced as part of the province’s...

oshawaexpress.ca

Future of the current station

However, one thing that remains uncertain is what will happen with the current GO Transit station on Bloor Street West. The current site has been undergoing work since August 2015, when Metrolinx announced that it, along with VIA Rail, would be constructing a new station at the site at a cost of $12 million. The new station is currently scheduled to open next year.

When asked by The Oshawa Express as to the future of the current site, Nichols says there are currently no plans to shut it down.

“Our plans to date for the Lakeshore East GO corridor involve bringing frequent two-way, all-day electric train service to the existing Oshawa GO station. In light of the announcement this morning regarding the extension of GO rail service between Oshawa and Bowmanville, MTO and Metrolinx will be reviewing these plans to determine how we can best ensure enhanced transit service for Oshawa – and, more broadly, Durham Region – residents,” Nichols states in an emailed response.

“Once further technical analysis and the negotiations with CP Rail are completed, we will be in a position to confirm service levels at each of the existing or proposed stations in Oshawa. There are no plans to close the existing Oshawa GO Station at this time.”

Totally not worth it imo.

 

[generalcanada]

ok so im misinformed then. thanks for the correction

I posted this in the other GO thread but ill put it here too. The original plan never proposed tearing down the old station. It proposed a spur line with the old station still in service, a terrible idea in my opinion.

This is the old plan

View attachment 298493

All that is being gained is another station at Thorton's Corner. Which is also far out of Oshawa and will be a commuter parking lot type station. The only advantage is that its "slighty" closer to some low density housing.

The disadvantage is now you have a spur line with the existing GO Oshawa station serving some trains, and the Thorton Station routing serving others.

View attachment 298494

Heres a graphic from 2016 showing the spur service plan.

From the link

GO Transit goes east | The Oshawa Express

The province has announced it will be going forward with the long-promised project of extending GO Transit’s train services to Bowmanville, resulting in two new stations for Oshawa. Plans to expand the Lakeshore East line past Oshawa to Bowmanville were first announced as part of the province’s...

oshawaexpress.ca

Totally not worth it imo.

Ok i was misinformed then, thanks for the correction

 

[robmausser]

ok so im misinformed then. thanks for the correction

Ok i was misinformed then, thanks for the correction

No problem.

Honestly the only reason I think they wanted to keep the existin Oshawa GO was because they had just started a huge expensive restoration of the station.

One of those left-hand doesnt know what the right-hand is doing things, and now we have to save face and say we were thinking of having a spur line this whole time.

The logical conclusion would have been to close the existing Oshawa and build a new station north.

But, even then, there are advantages to having a station where VIA and GO connect.

I think this new plan is better overall.

 

[Bordercollie]

So the train past Oshawa will be smaller? But it says people will stay seated during the entire ride meaning they are going to couple the trains together to get to Union?

I wonder what rolling stock they got since we have not seen a tender go out for it.

 

[robmausser]

So the train past Oshawa will be smaller? But it says people will stay seated during the entire ride meaning they are going to couple the trains together to get to Union?

I wonder what rolling stock they got since we have not seen a tender go out for it.

The plan for all of the RER lines is to have two types of service, one express and one local, and sometimes two types of trains to serve that need.

For some lines that are fully electrified, like Stouffville and Barrie, that will probably just be the same type of bi-level EMU train running in the RER section, and the express service out to Barrie etc. For Kitchener, because of the CN portion, that will probably be EMU trains for the RER section, and dual mode locomotives pulling the existing bilevel GO cars out to Kitchener. The same goes for Lakeshore West past Aldershot.

So the precedent to use two different types of trains on one line will already be set. And those trains that go to the outer edges of the network will bypass most RER stations, running express to union.

With that precedent in mind, a similar service to Bowmanville would probably be set. With a special train, perhaps a dual mode single level D/EMU running from Bowmanville to Pickering GO (the current terminus of the express services), and then express to Union.

This would be no different than the way all the other GO RER lines will operate, and the use of a different rolling stock to serve this area will be no different than some of the other RER lines as well.

The only difference will be the type of rolling stock used, specific to meet the needs of this line.