GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[drum118]

March 2024 satellite image of Confederation GO - you can see the north station building, the new bridge structure for the platform over Centennial, and a rough outline of the future platform. Ideally I hope the station provides a south side access, but I think that may be delayed until a later phase when additional parking is needed and the south parking lot is developed:

View attachment 561868

From what I seen in the last year, there is provision to have a connection to the south side at a future date when it is needed. The tunnel under the tracks was built to the south retaining wall and one reason I was saying there was going to be a south platform there.

With the centre platform now being built in the old CN corridor in place of the 2 corridors, there is no need for a south platform now, but leaves open the option of having a south parking lot there some day if needed

 

[Dan416]

I have used those stair as well not only to use Go, but to rail fan at the station as well photographing the construction of the station. Those stairs will have to be relocated when the north track gets built considering they are not OADA compliance in the first place and force accessibility riders to take a very long trip to get to that platform. I don't think there is enough room from the street to the platform to have a ramp that meets OADA requirements. People can slip and slide on those ramps if not clear during the winter months just like stairs.

Yeah the stairs are directly in the path of where tracks would go.

But at the rate that Milton expansion is happening, I don't see those stairs needing to be relocated for years and years to come.

If and when they do relocate them, the station better stay accessible directly from Hurontario. I have no desire to trek all the way to the main station building.

In regards to the need for a ramp, is that really required? How many GO stations have ramps? They typically have elevators.

 

[drum118]

Yeah the stairs are directly in the path of where tracks would go.

But at the rate that Milton expansion is happening, I don't see those stairs needing to be relocated for years and years to come.

If and when they do relocate them, the station better stay accessible directly from Hurontario. I have no desire to trek all the way to the main station building.

In regards to the need for a ramp, is that really required? How many GO stations have ramps? They typically have elevators.

Barrie is 100% ramp if I remember correctly.

Port Credit, Bronte, Guelph, Milton have ramps to the platform along with elevators for the tunnels that come to mind. Far cheaper to have ramps than elevators as they don't have failures or not out of service like elevators. Have not visit every GO station nor looked if there are ramps for the ones I have been to.

You still can put in a walkway from Hurontario to the platform when the 3rd track gets place at some future date. It will not meet OADA requirements. One reason the walkway to the LRT was removed as well crossing Hurontario.

 

[Allandale25]

Posted on May 6th.

Key progress update for Kitchener GO Line

Preparing for future two-way service, with recently finished work at Guelph GO and Breslau.

www.metrolinx.com

"A key package of work on the Kitchener GO Line, between Georgetown and Kitchener, is now complete."

There is also a video tweet here:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1788208916590944630

 

[crs1026]

"A key package of work on the Kitchener GO Line, between Georgetown and Kitchener, is now complete."

Pretty sad how ML is celebrating victory while some of the "key packages" which were formerly on the plan as priorities and active projects (Guelph passing siding, Acton siding, Heritage Road layover yard) have been kicked down the road to a future phase.

This is pretty slow progress, and the truly enabling elements that still aren't ready are now limiting service additions that are desperately required (eg reverse direction peak service to Kitchener).

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

^ Along these lines, someone else commented to me that:

Good to finally see some completion and a 2024 timeline on some of these projects. This is the small stuff that was likely easier to advance. Prep work on Acton was started some time ago. There hasn’t been much evidence yet in terms of the Heritage Road layover facility.

We still need to see evidence of progress re:

• third track through downtown Brampton;

• third track over the Credit River at Georgetown (which will likely include a south platform at Georgetown); and

• a definitive decision as to whether there will be some sort of solution towards the crossover dilemma at Georgetown.

I mention the Georgetown elements because these are essential to achieving true two-way service across the Kitchener corridor. It could be that Metrolinx needs to get the layover relocation project out of the way in order to start reworking the Georgetown property in its entirety.

While the above is well-known to frequent visitors here, posting it anyways as there are sometimes new UT members who drop by here and ask, what's happening with the Kitchener Line?

 

[crs1026]

^While I'm grumbling about the Kitchener line, I might as well note that the fourth track through Weston station still has not been cut in, signals have yet to be activated. Apparently the fourth track is not needed for the recently upgraded 30 minute service. Service at Etobicoke North remains hourly, the 401 tunnels remain unused..... and not a survey crew in sight with no stakes in the ground let alone shovels for Woodbine station.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

^ I'll just add that in reference to this update dated February 15, 2024 for the February 2024 Metrolinx Board meeting:

"In December [2023], CN began the process of awarding a contractfor the design of track and civil works on the Halton Subdivision that will enable more GOtraffic to travel over this CN-owned segment of the line."

As of today:

 

[adys123]

I've always been curious about the rational for platform canopies that don't cover the edge of the platform. Does anyone know what the rationale they are using for that is?

 

[cplchanb]

I've always been curious about the rational for platform canopies that don't cover the edge of the platform. Does anyone know what the rationale they are using for that is?

apparently its because freight train double stackers and autocars may be wider than the platform. hence why even the wheelchair ramp platform is set so far back as well.
honestly though i call BS on this for the lakeshore lines and any platforms on GO operated lines. theyre just being lazy on their design spec.

 

[smallspy]

apparently its because freight train double stackers and autocars may be wider than the platform. hence why even the wheelchair ramp platform is set so far back as well.
honestly though i call BS on this for the lakeshore lines and any platforms on GO operated lines. theyre just being lazy on their design spec.

It's not that cars may be wider than the platform - they can't.

It's that they would have to be so high to clear the catenary as to almost be of no use unless they just covered the full distance between the platforms. Which is a far more elaborate structure than just a simple shelter.

Dan

 

[Northern Light]

Metrolinx has a community session last night at the Danforth/Coxwell Library where they unveiled the restoration concept for Small's Creek.

Before I post the renders, I can say this, a key opponent of Metrolinx over the way they have handled this project to date is endorsing this concept.

^^^ good here is they are now looking at 100% board walk in this very wet gully. This will better protect the ravine in the future and will make the trail more accessible year round (though only to those that can handle stairs)

There's a brief discussion of the plants to be put in (very partial list). Yes to Button Bush, Black Cherry and American witch-hazel, all good choices. I do hope they have a good herbaceous component.

Their timeline suggests restoration is either underway or will begin imminently with completion by this summer.

Thanks to @Allandale25 for pointing out the source article from which the renders are taken.

Restoration of Small’s Creek part of GO Expansion plans

New boardwalk and native vegetation being added to east Toronto neighbourhood

www.metrolinx.com

 

[adys123]

It's not that cars may be wider than the platform - they can't.

It's that they would have to be so high to clear the catenary as to almost be of no use unless they just covered the full distance between the platforms. Which is a far more elaborate structure than just a simple shelter.

Dan

I guess that's why most of the places that do have coverings extend it over the track as well.

 

[Coolibop]

...This will better protect the ravine in the future and will make the trail more accessible year round (though only to those that can handle stairs)

Stairs? Year Round? Metrolinx? Now I've seen it all.

 

[reaperexpress]

^While I'm grumbling about the Kitchener line, I might as well note that the fourth track through Weston station still has not been cut in, signals have yet to be activated. Apparently the fourth track is not needed for the recently upgraded 30 minute service. Service at Etobicoke North remains hourly, the 401 tunnels remain unused..... and not a survey crew in sight with no stakes in the ground let alone shovels for Woodbine station.

- Paul

For me the biggest frustration on the Kitchener line is the lack of movement on the west half of the Guelph siding. Breslau is complete, Acton sounds like it's going to be underway shortly (and it seems pretty simple given that there was already a siding there before), so the Guelph siding is the last piece of the puzzle that is needed to enable at least 1 counter-peak trip to Kitchener, and hourly service between Kitchener and Guelph. Yet even though the Guelph second platform is complete and the east end of the second track is connected to the mainline, there does not seem to be any movement on connecting the west end of the second track to the mainline to enable trains to actually use the new platform they just built.

Weston has always been a bit of a mystery to me, since it was always possible to run 30-minute service on the tracks we already had. Weston is a fairly short passing segment so it does make more sense to just keep using the corridor as a single 3-track line rather than a 2-track line plus a 1-track line with a passing siding at Weston. If the 4th track were extended south through Mount Dennis (whose 4th platform is nearing completion anyway) the passing location would be a lot more reliable, but there doesn't seem to be any interlocking immediately south of Mount Dennis where they could tie the 4th track back in. So then they'd either need to add a new interlocking or just wait until they can get the 4th track all the way down to Bloor, and I suspect they do the latter and just wait.