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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

crs1026 said:
Wait until the cab car enthusiasts find out that DB doesn't see any need to rush those recently refurbished cab cars into service after all.... ;-)
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Oh man can’t wait to see that in the equipment thread, along with “theories” on why they aren’t in service yet
 
ShonTron said:
For decades, it was Brampton that was left out of GO Transit service and infrastructure. I still remember when there was only a Union Station bus every three hours. Hamilton had it pretty good with the QEW bus in comparison.
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The Hamilton QEW bus was amazing, especially back in the off-peak and pre speed-limiter days where the bus drivers would floor it and hit 120+ kph down the QEW.
You could depart Union at 10:00 p.m. and reach the first stop in Hamilton at 10:45. If you instead waited for the 10:13 GO train west to Aldershot, by 10:45 you would still only be leaving Clarkson on approach to Oakville station.
 
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Jonny5 said:
The Hamilton QEW bus was amazing, especially back in the off-peak and pre-speed limiter days where the bus drivers would floor it and hit 120+ kph down the QEW.
You could depart Union at 10:00 p.m. and reach the first stop in Hamilton at 10:45. If you instead waited for the 10:13 GO train west to Aldershot, by 10:45 you would still only be leaving Clarkson on approach to Oakville station.
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Yeah. GO had a few infamous leadfoot bus operators!
 
dowlingm said:
When you say "below the brow" can you be more specific for those of us less familiar? The topography in that area is pretty challenging, and the sprawl severs a lot of potential options. Also, how does CP access Hamilton's industrial area and where does its intermodal yard near McMaster go?

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CPKC descends "down the (escarpment) brow" just northwest of where it says "Vinemount" on your map, that strip of green, and completes the grade change by Centennial (Road 56 on your map).

A CPKC connection for Hamilton Harbour is a good point, exclusive service by CN would not bode well for the harbour lands. This would need running rights, or some nighttime running arrangement like Waterloo Central Railway does along the ION tracks in Waterloo.

Again, this is pie in the sky thinking.
 
Took the weekend Niagara train for the first time yesterday. The 30mph zone extending from Bayview Junction to Red Hill Valley Pkwy is very noticeable and seems to add a fair amount of time. There seemed to be some shorter slow zones further along between Beamsville and St. Catherines. Are there any plans increase speed/ what work would need to be completed?
 
Toronto1834 said:
Took the weekend Niagara train for the first time yesterday. The 30mph zone extending from Bayview Junction to Red Hill Valley Pkwy is very noticeable and seems to add a fair amount of time. There seemed to be some shorter slow zones further along between Beamsville and St. Catherines. Are there any plans increase speed/ what work would need to be completed?
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Daily occurrence for Toronto bound commuters out of West Harbour and Hamilton GO. It's due to the complicated switching in that section of the alignment. No, there is no plan to improve it. I've been complaining about it in this forum for years. Need a dedicated flyover.
 
TheHonestMaple said:
Daily occurrence for Toronto bound commuters out of West Harbour and Hamilton GO. It's due to the complicated switching in that section of the alignment. No, there is no plan to improve it. I've been complaining about it in this forum for years. Need a dedicated flyover.
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The CN switching seemed to be west of West Harbour Station. What about the 8km from James Street to Red Hill Valley?
 
Toronto1834 said:
The CN switching seemed to be west of West Harbour Station. What about the 8km from James Street to Red Hill Valley?
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I think that's due to the numerous grade level crossings. Not sure though. Someone else on here probably knows better than I do.

It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
 
TheHonestMaple said:
I think that's due to the numerous grade level crossings. Not sure though. Someone else on here probably knows better than I do.

It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
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Thanks. They would definitely need to increase the track speed then. As at top speed of 48km/h (plus acceleration and deceleration) there is no way 8.5km could be covered in 5 minutes. I wonder what is in the works.
 
TheHonestMaple said:
I think that's due to the numerous grade level crossings. Not sure though. Someone else on here probably knows better than I do.

It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
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Where are you getting 5 minutes from? I haven’t heard that travel time estimate before and from what I can see there is no active work happening along the corridor that would speed trains up
 
TheHonestMaple said:
I think that's due to the numerous grade level crossings. Not sure though. Someone else on here probably knows better than I do.

It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
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The 30-35 mph zone speed from about MP 39 (historical City of Hamilton limits, roughly Woodward Ave) westwards goes back to at least 1942 and seems to be connected to a very early ban on whistling in that zone. There would have been a great deal of switching and yard moves in the area in past years, but the service tracks on both sides are mostly gone.

Over the years, a track speed of 65 to 70 was allowed from MP 39 east to the Seaway.

I certainly don't see anything preventing an upgrade provided the right crossing protection and sightlines are part of the deal. Sure hope that is in ML's agreement with CN.

- Paul
 
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TheHonestMaple said:
I think that's due to the numerous grade level crossings. Not sure though. Someone else on here probably knows better than I do.

It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
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Crossings are all currently being upgraded.
 
TheHonestMaple said:
It is supposed to be just 5 minutes though from Confederation GO to West Harbour GO once that is done. Which implies an average of 75km/h.
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There's a math problem here. It's about 9.2 km from West Harbour GO to Centennial GO. If it only takes 5 minutes, then that would average 110 km/hr. Not 75 km/hr!

They aren't doing it in 5 minutes.

I hadn't realized that it's so far from East Harbour to Centennial. With that kind of distance, another station in between is worth considering. Perhaps at Gage Avenue?
 
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