GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[nfitz]

Their design for the grade separation at Scarborough Junction only had three tracks continuing east on Lakeshore, with no apparent room for more, and there have been GO expansion plans in the past with four or more tracks, hence that it seems they forgot about work and plans they have already done.

Grade separation where? Midland (+ Brimley and McCowan) already has 4 tracks (though one looks like it hasn't seen service forever), and seems to be built for 5.

 

[Northern Light]

Grade separation where?

Scarborough Junction - Where the Stouffville and Lakeshore East Lines meet. (Rail to Rail Separation, not Rail to Road)

The idea was for their to be a fly under.

Midland (+ Brimley and McCowan) already has 4 tracks (though one looks like it hasn't seen service forever), and seems to be built for 5.

Work is currently underway with an eye to 4 tracks from the USRC to Scarborough Junction. There are currently 3 mainline tracks in this section.

There were plans for additional track to be added beyond the Junction out to Guildwood area.

This is the west side of Midland, and you can see here there is no operational 4th track:

That fragment of track is not connected to anything at either end.

Below is the LSE just west of Scarborough GO:

3 tracks are in operation here today, but ROW prep (grading etc.) is underway for additional track.

The 4-track segment is only on approach to and through Scarborough GO.

 

[Bojaxs]

The 4-track segment is only on approach to and through Scarborough GO.

Stouffville trains should stop at Scarborough GO in the off chance anyone on the Stouffville line wants to transfer onto the LSE and head towards Oshawa. I know, we're probably talking about 0.00001% of riders,,, but still.
Maybe stop at Danforth if that's easier for MX, but then those riders would have to backtrack to Scarborough.

 

[Coolibop]

Stouffville trains should stop at Scarborough GO in the off chance anyone on the Stouffville line wants to transfer onto the LSE and head towards Oshawa. I know, we're probably talking about 0.00001% of riders,,, but still.
Maybe stop at Danforth if that's easier for MX, but then those riders would have to backtrack to Scarborough.

Why don't you read what you wrote lol...in jest, maybe a subway to my house!

Just to compare current state, it's about 1hr Kennedy Go to Oshawa Go. 45 from Scarborough to Oshawa. Points north can catch go busses along the 401/407. Are you really saving much time? Maybe if you hit transfers bang on...

 

[nfitz]

Scarborough Junction - Where the Stouffville and Lakeshore East Lines meet. (Rail to Rail Separation, not Rail to Road)

The idea was for their to be a fly under.

I thought that idea was dead, and they'd come up with a plan a year or two ago to just to operate it conventional.

Is there some indication that a rail-rail grade seperation is still on?

 

[Northern Light]

I thought that idea was dead, and they'd come up with a plan a year or two ago to just to operate it conventional.

Not exactly, the idea was deferred to ONxpress to decide its fate.

Is there some indication that a rail-rail grade seperation is still on?

None that I'm aware of...........there should be some indication shortly of how ONxpress envisions this section operating.

 

[crs1026]

I thought that idea was dead, and they'd come up with a plan a year or two ago to just to operate it conventional.

Is there some indication that a rail-rail grade seperation is still on?

In one of his town halls, Mr Verster said that the plan was dead, and they had landed on a flat junction.

I don't have a link handy.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

In one of his town halls, Mr Verster said that the plan was dead, and they had landed on a flat junction.

I don't have a link handy.

- Paul

Based on this post by @reaperexpress it appears it was mentioned by Phil in his interview with @Reecemartin. May have been mentioned in other videos.

There was also this Steve Munro post:

The Scarborough Junction Mystery

As part of the GO Expansion plan, Metrolinx had intended to grade separate the junction at Scarborough Station on the Lakeshore East corridor to eliminate the conflict between frequent service on t…

stevemunro.ca

This post includes a reasponse from Metrolinx to Steve.

Both of these links were discussed at the time here, but there might be some new members here who didn't see them.

 

[Northern Light]

Based on this post by @reaperexpress it appears it was mentioned by Phil in his interview with @Reecemartin. May have been mentioned in other videos.

There was also this Steve Munro post:

The Scarborough Junction Mystery

As part of the GO Expansion plan, Metrolinx had intended to grade separate the junction at Scarborough Station on the Lakeshore East corridor to eliminate the conflict between frequent service on t…

stevemunro.ca

This post includes a reasponse from Metrolinx to Steve.

Both of these links were discussed at the time here, but there might be some new members here who didn't see them.

Bringing a key bit forward: (this is a quote of Steve Munro from the UT post linked by @Allandale25 )

 

[crs1026]

^Seems unlikely that a proponent would happily swallow that amount of capital investment without building it into their rate....so in the end either the proponent decides they can achieve the service commitment without it, or ML ends up paying for it, buried deep in the pricing detail that the public will never see.
A good example of how this particular style of P3 firewalls Ml from making the tough decisions and having to justify same. It's an admission that ML can't credibly make expert decisions.

- Paul

 

[urbancog]

I think Metrolinx specifically decided they weren't able to make these tough decisions or to easily employ the right people, or find experienced local consultants, to help them do so. Their first venture into delivering a new service - the Union Pearson Express - didn't play out as they'd been advised it would and this likely brought home that they'd need help from people with direct experience operating the new RER type service.

Whether DB International is the right partner to bring that experience we'll only know in 10 years time but they're who won the competition.

 

[jcam]

Are we at the point soon where Metrolinx decides to shift the Richmond Hill service onto its spur that crosses over the Brickworks? We know the existing route through the valley is both slow and has a high climate risk from flooding. Doing so would be expensive needing likely at least the following:

• additional tracks parallel to the CPKC mainline from Bayview to Leslie
• widening of Thorncliffe Park trestle bridge
• fly-under / tunnel start north of Leslie/Eglinton
• tunnel under the 4.2km sector of the Don Mills/Leslie Rail Spur Trail (although from a cost benefit perspective, I really think they should just convert it back to an active corridor and perhaps add a West Toronto Rail Path style parallel trail, despite the residential opposition that may come)
• reconnect to the existing Richmond Hill line just south of York Mills

Doing this would make the line a much more 'competitive' and reliable route into the city, and would make it a better Line 1 relief alternative than it is today.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Are we at the point soon where Metrolinx decides to shift the Richmond Hill service onto its spur that crosses over the Brickworks? We know the existing route through the valley is both slow and has a high climate risk from flooding. Doing so would be expensive needing likely at least the following:

• additional tracks parallel to the CPKC mainline from Bayview to Leslie
• widening of Thorncliffe Park trestle bridge
• fly-under / tunnel start north of Leslie/Eglinton
• tunnel under the 4.2km sector of the Don Mills/Leslie Rail Spur Trail (although from a cost benefit perspective, I really think they should just convert it back to an active corridor and perhaps add a West Toronto Rail Path style parallel trail, despite the residential opposition that may come)
• reconnect to the existing Richmond Hill line just south of York Mills

Doing this would make the line a much more 'competitive' and reliable route into the city, and would make it a better Line 1 relief alternative than it is today.

Though what you propose (and what has been talked about lots here) is a good idea, it’s really not a priority compared to other regional projects. I’d rather GO focus on establishing service to new locales, like Brantford, Bolton, and a proper London Extension.

 

[Metroscapes]

Are we at the point soon where Metrolinx decides to shift the Richmond Hill service onto its spur that crosses over the Brickworks? We know the existing route through the valley is both slow and has a high climate risk from flooding. Doing so would be expensive needing likely at least the following:

• additional tracks parallel to the CPKC mainline from Bayview to Leslie
• widening of Thorncliffe Park trestle bridge
• fly-under / tunnel start north of Leslie/Eglinton
• tunnel under the 4.2km sector of the Don Mills/Leslie Rail Spur Trail (although from a cost benefit perspective, I really think they should just convert it back to an active corridor and perhaps add a West Toronto Rail Path style parallel trail, despite the residential opposition that may come)
• reconnect to the existing Richmond Hill line just south of York Mills

Doing this would make the line a much more 'competitive' and reliable route into the city, and would make it a better Line 1 relief alternative than it is today.

A couple points:

• If I recall correctly, this is corridor is in consideration for VIA HFR, so doing anything with Richmond Hill line would likely be led by that work, given its current ridership
• Good luck tunnelling / running along the Leaside Spur Trail, that will be a non-starter.
  • It may be easier to just forge a new connection at the DVP somehow.
  • Alternatively, make a tunnel under Don Mills that doubles as an Ontario Line extension.

 

[Northern Light]

Are we at the point soon where Metrolinx decides to shift the Richmond Hill service onto its spur that crosses over the Brickworks? We know the existing route through the valley is both slow and has a high climate risk from flooding. Doing so would be expensive needing likely at least the following:

• additional tracks parallel to the CPKC mainline from Bayview to Leslie
• widening of Thorncliffe Park trestle bridge
• fly-under / tunnel start north of Leslie/Eglinton
• tunnel under the 4.2km sector of the Don Mills/Leslie Rail Spur Trail (although from a cost benefit perspective, I really think they should just convert it back to an active corridor and perhaps add a West Toronto Rail Path style parallel trail, despite the residential opposition that may come)
• reconnect to the existing Richmond Hill line just south of York Mills

Doing this would make the line a much more 'competitive' and reliable route into the city, and would make it a better Line 1 relief alternative than it is today.

A couple points:

• If I recall correctly, this is corridor is in consideration for VIA HFR, so doing anything with Richmond Hill line would likely be led by that work, given its current ridership
• Good luck tunnelling / running along the Leaside Spur Trail, that will be a non-starter.
  • It may be easier to just forge a new connection at the DVP somehow.
  • Alternatively, make a tunnel under Don Mills that doubles as an Ontario Line extension.

The bolded is key. The Ontario Line will go further north, almost certainly to Sheppard, and possibly Finch (Seneca College) or beyond.

There is no way we're going to invest in duplicating work in that corridor.

Where there may be a more interesting investment on the Richmond Hill Corridor is from Don Mills (north of Lawrence) northwards, where its plausible one could have an interchange w/the Ontario Line.

Alternatively, from Sheppard northwards, since that would provide an interchange w/Sheppard's Line 4 and a connection to the Ontario Line at Don Mills Station.