GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Allandale25]

Posted on the Metrolinx IG account today. I wonder if this rail will be for the 4th track on the Lakeshore East/Stouffville Line.

 

[Fritter]

This is another case where it would have been cheaper for them to build the station for quad track with two side platforms (same as the old Exhibition layout and planned Park Lawn layout), avoiding the cost of that island platform on the express track used by trains that don't stop there anyway

Yes cheaper to build, but operationally it helps when one of said "local" tracks get blocked for whatever reason, the can use the "express" tracks and still be able to provide local service.
You see that on occasion on LSE. When one track is not able to be used, a local train operates express from Danforth to Guildwood due to no platform on the middle track at Scarborough or Eglinton.

 

[PShells]

All that’s needed is to cut eack track and make a slight shift - Track 1 east of Danforth will be connected to the new north track, Track 2 east of Danforth connects to existing Track 1, etc

- Paul

Does connecting the fourth track in this manner create a bend as trains approach Danforth GO, which would require them to slow down even if they don’t stop at the station? Stouffville, Express LSE, VIA etc.?

 

[WB62]

Posted on the Metrolinx IG account today. I wonder if this rail will be for the 4th track on the Lakeshore East/Stouffville Line.

View attachment 681870
View attachment 681871

Maybe I’m misunderstanding but isn’t the rail in that picture for the logistics hub the cars are parked at?

 

[crs1026]

Does connecting the fourth track in this manner create a bend as trains approach Danforth GO, which would require them to slow down even if they don’t stop at the station? Stouffville, Express LSE, VIA etc.?

It should not affect speed limits, if properly designed. Possibly a slight lurch, that's all.

- Paul

 

[Voltz]

There’s enough room, but there isn’t going to be any steps taken to protect the area for a 4th track, so a lot of work is going to have to be done at Long Branch whenever that happens

Guildwood Station was rebuilt like eight years ago with two island platforms, including space and structure for a fourth track to be easily dropped in. Then rail expansion plans seemed to have forgotten about it.

 

[Metroscapes]

I'm not aware of any immediate plan to add a fourth track west of Canpa - but it's a no brainer if one extrapolates the potential for growth in service along LSW.

The stretch from Canpa to Port Credit would take a lot of money, in grade separation and bridge construction... west of there, there is much more land width, but many of the existing grade separations and bridges are only three tracks wide at the moment.

However, there is a lot that could be done with better signalling to improve the throughput of those three tracks. A fourth track from Clarkson to Oakville and again further west might be enough for a decade or two.

- Paul

I can also say there was no plan for a fourth track west of Canpa, at least a decade ago.

That said, the entire corridor should be protected for...hex(?)-tracking if we are serious about high speed rail to London and Windsor, but I digress.

 

[Garuda]

Some shots of the 2nd track work heading west out of Guelph Central.

Just before the Hanlon overpass

Future Breslau Station
IMO this station should be built sooner than later. The western edge of the Kitchener Line needs a proper park and ride station. Trying to get out of Kitchener Station after a train arrives is complete bedlam.

 

[Metroscapes]

Future Breslau Station
IMO this station should be built sooner than later. The western edge of the Kitchener Line needs a proper park and ride station. Trying to get out of Kitchener Station after a train arrives is complete bedlam.
View attachment 682431View attachment 682432

I'm not sure that's where Breslau Station is going to go anymore...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/region-buys-lands-breslau-go-station-affordable-housing-1.7241032

 

[ZEBuilder]

That's correct, the Region purchased land on the other side of the tracks from the original location and next to Fountain St.

The future Dolman St extension (phase 2 of the Madwest subdivision by Madison) will intersect Fountain roughly at the entrance for the future GO station.

The area won't be high density like some stations because of the proximity to YKF but the Region is still planning on partnering with a developer to get some affordable housing built with the station.

The Region is currently extending the watermain along Fountain to serve future development around the station. There is also a significant gravity sewer project in the works that will take sewage from the East Side Lands down to Kitchener's WWTP. I haven't checked holding provisions recently but it wouldn't surprise me if there's some servicing related provisions in place for the property (there's no existing water service for example).

 

[dowlingm]

Guildwood Station was rebuilt like eight years ago with two island platforms, including space and structure for a fourth track to be easily dropped in. Then rail expansion plans seemed to have forgotten about it.

Several grade crossings either side of that station. Desiring a fourth track might force the issue on dealing with some or all of them. At the same time, the deferral or abandonment of the Scarborough flyover might mean there isn’t enough capacity in the Union direction to properly use a 4th main track?

 

[nfitz]

t the same time, the deferral or abandonment of the Scarborough flyover might mean there isn’t enough capacity in the Union direction to properly use a 4th main track?

Seems to me there's plenty of space to put a 5th pasing track on the east side - including making the platform two-sided. The tunnels are all long enough - I'd assumed that this was the plan (not the plan that they'd do it, but they'd at least protect for it). Even the existing bridge over St. Clair may have a little space - though there's well over 15-metres of space to add another span (or 2!) if it's not wide enough.

So I don't think it's even very expensive to do!

 

[WB62]

including making the platform two-sided.

The plan was (maybe still is) to demolish the south platform for extra track space, meaning Lakeshore East trains would no longer serve Scarborough GO.

 

[nfitz]

The plan was (maybe still is) to demolish the south platform for extra track space, meaning Lakeshore East trains would no longer serve Scarborough GO.

Seems like a silly idea given that there's so much space between the east (a lot more east than south!) and any structure (well other than those over-built bus-shelters.

 

[reaperexpress]

I was told once that 4 tracks to Long Branch would require a new Browns Line Bridge, fairly pricey undertaking. Plus an additional bridge over Etobicoke Creek.

And if we want the 4th track to reach Port Credit we also need an additional bridge over Dixie Rd and a widened embankment on the south side of Port Credit station including a new station building.

But a 'fairly pricy undertaking' is probably still worthwhile given that we're talking about Canada's busiest rail corridor by ridership, and the first line planned to be electrified in Ontario.

Adding a fourth track through Long Branch would help a fair bit by enabling express trains in both directions to overtake locals heading in and out of Toronto.

Quad tracks west of Port Credit into Clarkson will require a lot of work and br a tight fit with residential neighbourhoods backing onto the tracks, plus the ravines etc.

Just getting the quad track to Port Credit would already be a big improvement since Oakville-Toronto is the busiest portion of the line and of that portion, Port Credit - Toronto has the biggest average speed difference between express and local services (since express trains stop at either PC or Clarkson anyway). Keep in mind that the capacity benefit in this case comes from reducing conflict between local and express trains, not the theoretical line capacity itself, so that benefit still applies even if the Port Credit - Clarkson segment is only 3 tracks.

Signalling upgrades would be called for.

And electrification? Or at least infrastructure where it makes sense as these changes would be made.

Also Bayview. Do you extend these alterations/improvements through to the Bayview Junction (at considerable cost and multiple ownerships) and then around the corner into West Harbour and beyond?

The possibilities are large, the appetitive, well maybe more bite sized?

If it were up to me, we would start with a project to extend the quad track from Mimico to just west of Port Credit, which includes electrification and ETCS installation since both of those things are planned to start construction very soon on LSW anyway.

Bayview Junction is a mostly independent question since it's outside of the ETCS and Electrification scope. For the sake of project timelines it's probably best to prioritize any track expansions within the ETCS/Electric area (Burlington - Toronto - Oshawa) since it becomes much more expensive to shift tracks around after overhead poles are installed. At the very least they need to create a very optimistic track layout for Lakeshore and protect for that layout during the installation of catenary poles.