News   Apr 25, 2024
 381     0 
News   Apr 25, 2024
 1.1K     4 
News   Apr 25, 2024
 1.1K     0 

GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

and with RER, trains are back on the corridor in a huge way.

In the 1980's the stouffille line probably averaged 3 trains a day. One GO train in and out in the morning rush hours, and MAYBE one freight train. Probably sat empty on weekends.
It still sits empty on weekends
 
There are many places across NA where land owners sold a bill of goods to home owners that that RR track was going to be remove down the road to the point some were, but are now being reinstall.

Over the decades, the number of RR companies have decrease with mergers to the point some lines were abandon to help the bottom line and improve service, but are being rebuilt since there is too much traffic on those other lines due to the increase of traffic. Some of those mainlines have gone from 1 track to 4 track and still need more, but no room for those extra tracks.

Some of the the corridors were held in trust as land bank for future transit use, with some have path built on them. In Maryland, one of these path is to become the Purple LRT line that saw many lawsuits to stop it including one where judge allow the suite even though his wife was part of the suite. In the end, the line is being built. There are a few more like this in the last 10 years.

Real Estates agents goal is to sell a house and some either fail to tell buyers what around them or tell them something untrue, where the home owner is caught holding the bag in the end.

Based on various land grants RR where given to build tracks, they got people to build their homes next to the tracks so they could have access to trains, but that change over the decades as stops were removed and became longer and longer between them.

The cities and towns has allow homes to be built next to RR corridor as industries die to generate tax money and think nothing about the noise on home owner and this includes schools.

Today, its buyer be aware and do your homework to see what next to you and around you and if you don't, you have no rights to bitch about those surprises and noise.

There are large number of places removing bells and horns of train for quite zone today, as long there are flashing lights and gates at the crossing.
 
Won't for long though. Probably going to have weekend service in the next year or two, and come 2025, it's going to have a train every 7.5 minutes all day long.
Weekends see a lot of work taking place since crews don't have to stop working as a train like they do when one approaches during the week day. Until that 2nd track is in place, no weekend service unless its a special.

There was work taking place on Sunday when I saw the sites, but not in all areas.
 
and with RER, trains are back on the corridor in a huge way.

In the 1980's the stouffille line probably averaged 3 trains a day. One GO train in and out in the morning rush hours, and MAYBE one freight train. Probably sat empty on weekends.

There was semi-regular freight service to Lindsay until 1990, when Union Carbide closed its plant there, and that is why CN abandoned the track past Uxbridge. That Lindsay train would have also served customers in Uxbridge, Stouffville and Markham. CN had a few other customers beside Union Carbide, but they on their own didn't have enough traffic to warrant rail service.

The track was definitely empty on weekends with only four trains a day at most otherwise. GO didn't add a second round trip until January 1990.
 
After 6 years of this thing going on, they will want to build a whole new canopy and entrance. Incredible.
More excuses!

So first of all, the project that was originally reported as "completed" (by AMA) is actually not complete, as the elevator is not even commissioned.

Secondly, they feel that what they designed, built, and presumably paid for is NOT ADEQUATE!?! The tunnel has been inadequate since before the BMO Field expansion. This is not a surprise. Someone should be fired over this blatant misuse of public funds.

Thirdly, As TOAreaFan said, opening a third entrance could do no harm at all. Why do they need the elevator to open it? They already have an elevator that works. It's not like there is another track in place that actually needs to be crossed.

Finally - 2023? Fuck off.
 
Last edited:
There are many places across NA where land owners sold a bill of goods to home owners that that RR track was going to be remove down the road to the point some were, but are now being reinstall.

Over the decades, the number of RR companies have decrease with mergers to the point some lines were abandon to help the bottom line and improve service, but are being rebuilt since there is too much traffic on those other lines due to the increase of traffic. Some of those mainlines have gone from 1 track to 4 track and still need more, but no room for those extra tracks.

Some of the the corridors were held in trust as land bank for future transit use, with some have path built on them. In Maryland, one of these path is to become the Purple LRT line that saw many lawsuits to stop it including one where judge allow the suite even though his wife was part of the suite. In the end, the line is being built. There are a few more like this in the last 10 years.

Real Estates agents goal is to sell a house and some either fail to tell buyers what around them or tell them something untrue, where the home owner is caught holding the bag in the end.

Based on various land grants RR where given to build tracks, they got people to build their homes next to the tracks so they could have access to trains, but that change over the decades as stops were removed and became longer and longer between them.

The cities and towns has allow homes to be built next to RR corridor as industries die to generate tax money and think nothing about the noise on home owner and this includes schools.

Today, its buyer be aware and do your homework to see what next to you and around you and if you don't, you have no rights to bitch about those surprises and noise.

There are large number of places removing bells and horns of train for quite zone today, as long there are flashing lights and gates at the crossing.

Completely agree. I've noticed in several US states where obviously long abandoned rail lines are still intact, as opposed to here where tracks are ripped up the day after the abandonment is approved. I have always assumed that is the result of different tax rules.

Real estate agent will always accentuate the positives of a potential sale and minimize -at the most - any negatives. It is ultimately up to the client to do their due diligence. Absent any legislative protection similar to the Right to Farm Act, I would support some sort of covenant related to rail lines, airports and possibly other legal land uses being tied to residential title of new builds within a certain radius.
 
Completely agree. I've noticed in several US states where obviously long abandoned rail lines are still intact, as opposed to here where tracks are ripped up the day after the abandonment is approved. I have always assumed that is the result of different tax rules.

Real estate agent will always accentuate the positives of a potential sale and minimize -at the most - any negatives. It is ultimately up to the client to do their due diligence. Absent any legislative protection similar to the Right to Farm Act, I would support some sort of covenant related to rail lines, airports and possibly other legal land uses being tied to residential title of new builds within a certain radius.

I’m no grand authority on these things, but my name and email is out there freely enough in the rail enthusiast community that I have received the odd inquiry from home buyers doing ‘due diligence’ on listings, particularly the CP mainline in the west end, along the line of “the agent told us that the freights will all be gone in three years - is that true?” And even “If Doug Ford gets elected, will that speed things up?”
Some of those realtors’ claims deserve to get their licenses pulled, IMHO.

- Paul
 
RER should be slowly eliminating crossings too. Finch and Steeles are gone immediately as part of RER, and they are going to continue pushing forward with more separations on the stouffville line.

The problem with the stouffville line is that there are very few separated crossings, and almost all of them are going to be way, way above the typical level of conflict to need a separation once RER is done. With RER service levels, only the most minor at grade crossings should be remaining.. which certainly won't be the case with 8 at grade crossings south of Unionville, 16 south of Mount Joy.

The root cause of that problem though is that the development adjacent to the line through Markham was not future-proofed like the development through Scarborough (and most other GO lines) to leave room for grade-separated road structures. This makes eliminating those crossings much less palatable than the grade separations which are currently proceeding, such as Finch and Steeles on the Stouffville line in Scarborough, as well as Rutherford and McNaughton on the Barrie Line in Vaughan.
 
I want to see what Doug will do about Milton and Richmond Hill. I also want to see fast agreement with CN for Brampton Service and late night service on the barrie line, with two way, all day extensions to Newmarket, Bradford, and Barrie completed. And the Bowmanville extension to be moved up.
 
I want to see what Doug will do about Milton and Richmond Hill. I also want to see fast agreement with CN for Brampton Service and late night service on the barrie line, with two way, all day extensions to Newmarket, Bradford, and Barrie completed. And the Bowmanville extension to be moved up.

I would bet the opposite. ML may be told to abandon any discussion with CN. Too pricey, and no longer any political gain to be had.

The most interesting debate will be about the South Halton Intermodal Terminal. Will Doug weigh in to help CN overcome local opposition? I doubt it, he just won those seats.

- Paul
 
Again, The PC's had a big promise to bring all day GO to Kitchener. And that requires the Bypass. So CN will be moved.
I would bet the opposite. ML may be told to abandon any discussion with CN. Too pricey, and no longer any political gain to be had.

The most interesting debate will be about the South Halton Intermodal Terminal. Will Doug weigh in to help CN overcome local opposition? I doubt it, he just won those seats.

- Paul

I disagree. I think CN is at the mercy of the province. Doug won huge in Brampton. Bypass is coming. I'm more worried about Richmond Hill and Milton at this point.
 
Last edited:
I would bet the opposite. ML may be told to abandon any discussion with CN. Too pricey, and no longer any political gain to be had.

The most interesting debate will be about the South Halton Intermodal Terminal. Will Doug weigh in to help CN overcome local opposition? I doubt it, he just won those seats.

- Paul

I think he will actually say its good for business in the GTA and assist CN. This will help show businesses that Ontario is open again.
 

Back
Top