GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[ZEBuilder]

One curious item from the Kitchener "mission" is the statement that the grade separation (flyover?) will be at Silver Jct and not over near the Credit River, as previously conjectured.

Having the grade separation on the west side of Georgetown GO station implies a re-arrangement of that station, with the GO platform needing to be on the south side rather than the north. That might make some sense in that the parking lot is to the south.... but it's one more capital project needed to implement 2WAD.

In either case, one question is whether the Credit bridge will be "shared" or will GO have two dedicated tracks? The latter may imply extending the bridge piers yet again, as well as adding the spans to the existing but unused third track piers.

Hope to learn more detail on this.

- Paul

I can't say much but there will be major work from Silver Junction to the 407. The flyover is planned to the east of the Credit River Bridge before Winston Churchill.

The Credit River Bridge is planned to be 3 tracks, I don't recall how tracks are being split across the bridge. The corridor will expand to 4 tracks to the east of the bridge before the flyover with 2 tracks for CN and 2 for GO.

 

[Northern Light]

I can't say much but there will be major work from Silver Junction to the 407. The flyover is planned to the east of the Credit River Bridge before Winston Churchill.

Just to clarify, you're suggesting the above maps are misleading/false? (they show the flyunder as being at Silver Junction, clearly west of the Credit River. )

 

[ZEBuilder]

Just to clarify, you're suggesting the above maps are misleading/false? (they show the flyunder as being at Silver Junction, clearly west of the Credit River. )

Yes. The current plan (30%) is to the east of the Credit River.

 

[WB62]

I’ve always wanted a proper visualisation of what this section would look like when it’s fully built out, but Metrolinx has never released renderings like that.

it’s not the best I tried to do it myself:

 

[Allandale25]

Yes. The current plan (30%) is to the east of the Credit River.

Makes sense to me. I think that's why the two northern parcels were acquired. Only a small piece of the southern parcel is adjacent to the tracks. The 2015 reference I'm sure is just the general vicinity. Images posted again below as they are now back a few pages.

Also, amazing to hear it's now at 30%. That's the first specific update we've heard since the Leave to Appeal for the OLT decision for the expropriation was settled with the property owner out of court.

 

[urbancog]

Yes. The current plan (30%) is to the east of the Credit River.

I think this means there's no need for a 2nd platform at Georgetown GO. Hourly trains can pass on the 2-track grade separation, and at Acton, Guelph, & Shantz. Roughly equal distances apart.
But there'll be no "slack" in the system, one late train will disrupt the service.

 

[ash_iwn95]

View attachment 698257

I’ve always wanted a proper visualisation of what this section would look like when it’s fully built out, but Metrolinx has never released renderings like that.

it’s not the best I tried to do it myself:

View attachment 698255

This is epic!! After all the crooked line MS paint style drawings we've all done in here in anticipation

 

[crs1026]

Indeed. Just to visualize this from the GO RER Initial Business Case Appendix A-J (2015):

View attachment 698093
View attachment 698095

The Heritage Road Layover location per the 2022 EPR:

View attachment 698099
Note: PDF page 1,159 notes there was a reduction in the Heritage Road Layover design from the 2015 image noted above:

 

[smallspy]

What happens when we "eventually" electrify the lines and noise is no longer an issue?

What makes you think that the noise disappears with electrification?

Dan

 

[Metroscapes]

Yes. The current plan (30%) is to the east of the Credit River.

Well that resolves a lot of confusion I had about the map. The terrain west of Georgetown is tricky, and with all the land secured east of the river, things weren't adding up.

Other things I note:

• Station upgrades for Georgetown GO aren't noted. I'd like to chalk that up to the disclaimer "not all projects are shown", but they also highlight a new signal and pedestrian crossing, and make Innisfil two bubbles...
• Woodbine is confirmed again as being a joint UPX stop. 5 intermediate stops on on express train
• "3 tracks Strachan to Bloor" I presume means filling out 4 Kitchener / UPX + 2 Barrie + 1 Milton through the Strachan trench to past Parkdale
• What's being improved with the Bathurst Interlocking?
• Electrification only to Pearson is certainly a climbdown, but wondering if the newly negotiated CN agreement for Halton is a factor (trackwork is bigger fish to fry)

 

[crs1026]

Note: PDF page 1,159 notes there was a reduction in the Heritage Road Layover design from the 2015 image noted above:

A contact of mine who works in municipal government out that way and was involved in the planning for this facility has kept me entertained for years with anecdotes from this project, depicting it as metrolinx project planning at its worst: multiple iterations and designs with little rationale as to why the last design was torn up and rethought; endless meetings populated by contingents of ml staffers from different departments with diffused accountability who had never compared notes or reached a common position beforehand, consultants with airy ideas who had to have basic concepts of how railroads work or practical considerations affecting siting a rail yard explained to them.

Happily, something is now being built.

I do wonder about some of the planned capacities cited. At 15 minute headways, an 8 train yard amounts to feeding two hours' worth of trains towards Toronto in a service model that assumes trains coming the other way and turning back. I'd sure love to know the rationale for those earlier versions.

- Paul

 

[Bojaxs]

What makes you think that the noise disappears with electrification?

Dan

It doesn't. I'm familiar with the "wooshing" sound a lot of these higher speed, electric trains make as they fly by.

Just wondering why in England, people will live right beside a busy mainline, and the noise from the trains passing by doesn't seem to bother them. But here in Ontario we have to erect massive, sun blocking, noise walls inorder to appease the folks who live right beside the tracks.

 

[crs1026]

It doesn't. I'm familiar with the "wooshing" sound a lot of these higher speed, electric trains make as they fly by.

Just wondering why in England, people will live right beside a busy mainline, and the noise from the trains passing by doesn't seem to bother them. But here in Ontario we have to erect massive, sun blocking, noise walls inorder to appease the folks who live right beside the tracks.

A lot of the merit of those walls is security and not just noise abatement. And to be clear, in the UK (and elsewhere) , it's not uncommon to ride for miles staring out at a high embankment or stonework or vine-covered fencing. Sure the stonework is 100+ years old, so it looks nicer, but it's not there for passenger enjoyment.

Hopefully with time the ML noise walls will at least be covered with vegetation and that will end the tagging blight (my standing offer of providing shoots from the stuff in my garden that I am unable to fully remove still stands!) Yeah, the walls are a lot less charming than the old view - pretty close to riding the subway in spots - but they serve a purpose. Our grandchildren will be glad they are there.

- Paul

 

[chrisw]

Woodbine is confirmed again as being a joint UPX stop. 5 intermediate stops on on express train

They don't mention all stop so it's possible, there's some express configuration for UP?

 

[nfitz]

They don't mention all stop so it's possible, there's some express configuration for UP?

That was the plan - I think each train would stop at 3 of the 6 intermediate stations, but there were public objections, so they cancelled it.