dowlingm
Senior Member
Even if Hunter Street could be twinned, can GO push enough trains through Bayview Junction in both directions to justify it, while also maxing the potential of a completed east exit from West Harbour?
Probably not, which is why I dream about the day Metrolinx gets serious and builds a flyover or two at the canal. The trip is painfully slow between West Harbour/GO Centre and the Royal Botanical Gardens, like 15km/h slow at some spots.Even if Hunter Street could be twinned, can GO push enough trains through Bayview Junction in both directions to justify it, while also maxing the potential of a completed east exit from West Harbour?
Even if Hunter Street could be twinned, can GO push enough trains through Bayview Junction in both directions to justify it, while also maxing the potential of a completed east exit from West Harbour?
If you have a way of doing so please feel free to share. As of right now the Hunter Street tunnel only has a single track that has the responsibility of running both CP and GO in and out of hamilton. Whilst the tunnel is theoretically wide enough to support two tracks, the tunnel isn't tall enough to support double-stack freight trains in such a configuration (hence why its single track currently). If you want to expand the tunnel to offer more service, there are 2 general ways to do so: Make the tunnel taller so that a track on the side of the tunnel could support double stacks, or make the tunnel wider. The former cannot be done whilst also preserving CP's access to Hamilton GO, so you'd have to somehow build some sort of temporary bypass that CP trains could use whilst work is being done on the tunnel. Then you could theoretically move the track to a side of the tunnel, and deepen the tunnel one half at a time (I'm not an engineer, and there's a really high chance this isn't even feasible, but I'm working with extremely optimistic scenarios here). Even then work could probably be done way faster by just... closing the tunnel and not doing half a tunnel at a time.
You could widen the tunnel, but that would almost certainly have to be done using cut and cover construction, and expropriating/paying heavy easements to all of the residents/business owners along hunter street, and once again while it might be possible to keep current CP/GO service levels here, doing so would almost certainly jack up the construction timeline, and thus increase cost.
I feel like expanding the Hunter Street tunnel is not something that needs to disrupt current service levels. It's the 21st century, this can be well planned out to maintain a single track. Metrolinx is spending billions elsewhere for less important projects north of Toronto, im sure they could put some attention to downtown Hamilton.
Also, yes, we're supposedly getting billions of dollars in investment for the Hamilton LRT. But when?? It's now over 15 years since they first proposed it..... still nothing.
I was deliberately vague about what the alternative would look like, but realistically if it were to happen, it would probably be forcing CP to use the CN tracks during construction. I didn't want to outright suggest it though because I think both CP and CN would have a few choice words regarding such an arrangement.A tunnel by-pass isn't realistic, at that point, you're literally building a new tunnel, on a new alignment. But you made me laugh, I pictured forcing CP and GO to street-run on Hunter Street!
I was deliberately vague about what the alternative would look like, but realistically if it were to happen, it would probably be forcing CP to use the CN tracks during construction. I didn't want to outright suggest it though because I think both CP and CN would have a few choice words regarding such an arrangement.
Somewhere I believe there is further work on the planning books to improve the Junction. Timing and planning elude me right now, but other sources may have information.Even if Hunter Street could be twinned, can GO push enough trains through Bayview Junction in both directions to justify it, while also maxing the potential of a completed east exit from West Harbour?
I was referring to the Grimsby sub. In terms of how to get there it looks like there's room to build some sort of temporary track connection between the CP yards and that sub, although I can't comment on the logistics of such a maneuver. Is that the "Belt Line" you're referring to?You were thinking of sending CP down the 'Belt Line" ?
What on earth makes you think that a province where a side platform and garage costs 100m can do anything of what you suggest for like money? Bloomington was technically easy and it adds a smidge of ridership to a line not under capacity pressure, so they did it. They can run out of the North-facing layover, pick people up which changing ends and head south.I mean ya, I would definitely consider increasing service to Ontario's third largest CMA (Hamilton) a higher priority than say....the colossal waste of money that is Bloomington. That station cost 100 million dollars and is barely used. For that price they could easily have doubled the track at the Hunter Street tunnel, and probably built some additional track at the Desjardin Canal so that both Hamilton GO Centre and West Harbour could have increased service. That's what i'm talking about when I say less important projects north of Toronto.
You just proved my point. Again, that station added essentially zero additional riders to the system and cost tax payers 100 million dollars. Complete vanity project. That money should have been used in places where there is real demand for public transit, like in downtown Hamilton. The hunter street tunnel could have been expanded for 100 million. Easily.What on earth makes you think that a province where a side platform and garage costs 100m can do anything of what you suggest for like money? Bloomington was technically easy and it adds a smidge of ridership to a line not under capacity pressure, so they did it. They can run out of the North-facing layover, pick people up which changing ends and head south.
In a province where a bike path and some bridges costs 50% more? Can we stop the vibes posting please.You just proved my point. Again, that station added essentially zero additional riders to the system and cost tax payers 100 million dollars. Complete vanity project. That money should have been used in places where there is real demand for public transit, like in downtown Hamilton. The hunter street tunnel could have been expanded for 100 million. Easily.
In a province where a bike path and some bridges costs 50% more? Can we stop the vibes posting please.
All approved and the memorandum of understanding is signed. It's all in Metrolinx's court now. Hamilton council signed off on final approvals like almost a year ago now. We've been waiting for RFP/RFQ to go out for minimum 12 months. Not the place to continue that discussion, so I'll leave it there, but there's a thread in infrastructure to chat about this topic I've been slightly obsessing over it because of the lack of progressLast I checked (and someone could correct me on this), but the capital funding is already there and available to be used. The only thing that's holding it back is Hamilton City Council approving it, and willing to put forth their own money to operate and maintain the line.