GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[PShells]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2013997601645846535

Since the weekend closure referenced in the video that was used to upgrade sewer, drainage and installed a proper retaining wall for the signal mast south of Agincourt GO more concrete blocks have stacked up against the recently installed retaining wall.

There could be retaining wall construction occurring elsewhere on the Stouffville line. For instance, Mount Joy GO is definitely going to need a significant retaining wall for its future second platform.

I’ll eat my hat if the April major weekend closure is the start of building a proper retaining wall to support the construction of the second track south of Agincourt GO.

The project data was scrubbed from the autumn 2025 GO Expansion update to the City of Toronto, but the 2024 update stated a summer 2026 major completion (doesn’t mean track in service though).

 

[crs1026]

On today’s GO ride I noted a couple things in progress
- Strachan to Parkdale: continuing work on telecom conduits and bridges preparatory to adding new track
- Parkdale : beginning to lay out crossties for the fourth track towards Bloor on the Kitchener line
- Parkdale: piling excavation and concrete pour south of Dundas on the north side - and yes a railpath sized pillar has been poured
- Downsview Park - platform forms and heavy machinery working on the Sheppard bridge to build the second station platform
- Concord-Maple - progress towards readiness to lay track to accomplish double tracking from Concord to Maple - this section looked like it might happen in the not too distant future
Ontario Line/LSE - in addition to the bridge pours, the right of way for the third and fourth LSE track is pretty much complete with only one remaining excavation for telecom still underway. Much material and equipment has been removed, making the subgrade for the added tracks pretty much finished. One rail welding crew on site joining the sticks of rail into continuous rail. Clearly, lots of tracklaying about to commence however no sign of mobilization to tie it in at Danforth.
At Pape, a large supply of rebar “tubes” has arrived, suggesting that secant piling will begin to happen at the OL tunnel portal shortly.
No sign of activity at Danforth station.
Site prep under way at Birchmount, but no workers on site.

- Paul

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Resources Road Logistics Hub today

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

so with yesterday's announcement, what type of movement should we expect on the milton and kitchener lines?

 

[crs1026]

so with yesterday's announcement, what type of movement should we expect on the milton and kitchener lines?

This may be pessimistic, but...

Last provincial election was 2025, so no rush to the polls in Ontario. Mississauga/Halton went solidly blue, so even the promise of moving on Milton GO would be sufficient to power a couple years of empty talk until something tangible begins in time for the next election. Lots of bragging points available before 2029 on the already in progress projects.

The concern with the Kitchener Line is a) the Kitchener terminal is not being rushed, and not much point in increasing service until it is completed and b) all the recent announcements have talked only about an agreement with CN "to acquire land" - a good first step, but not an announcement of a construction contract or launch..

Guelph, Kitchener, Hamilton, London, and Niagara all would be gains for the Tories but not necessarily likely based on other factors or even necessary given the seats already held. Possibly there would be fear of the 905 going red, so perhaps those areas would get promises.

And then there is the problem of cash flow. Bills have not yet arrived for the biggest ticket items on any of Ford's biggest subway/LRT projects. Just how much added money are we expecting while these are consuming capital? Good to see the Waterfront LRT join the funding stream, but that pushes out other things - the right prioritisation decision, IMHO, but an obstacle for announcing more.

There may be a short term need to find work for the construction sector in light of the current slowdown, but if the other stimuli eg development charge deferrals actually work, there will be a rebound in that sector and that will compete with new transit projects. Announcing new transit projects may trigger design work, but shovels in the ground won't happen overnight so not really impacting on currently idle construction resources. Whereas there are many designed and approved building projects deferred but that could launch immediately if the economics are fixed.

So in all I'm admittedly pessimistic that there will be expedited action on any new announcement. Just more promises. I truly hope to be proven wrong, but it is what it is.

PS - the biggest crunch that everyone is focussed on is Highway 401 congestion especially Milton to Kitchener and Dixie to 400. Kitchener and Milton GO would directly impact that, but if I were to predict anything being accelerated, it would be 10-laneing the 401 west of Milton. Sorry to be gloomy but there you have it.

- Paul

 

[Bojaxs]

so with yesterday's announcement, what type of movement should we expect on the milton and kitchener lines?

Hopefully the freight bypasses.

 

[lastcommodore]

the Kitchener terminal is not being rushed, and not much point in increasing service until it is completed

respectfully disagree, i don't see how the current terminal cannot handle even 30 minute service
Is there some problem with the current terminal I don't see, other than it's kinda old and kinda a walk from the ion?

 

[crs1026]

respectfully disagree, i don't see how the current terminal cannot handle even 30 minute service
Is there some problem with the current terminal I don't see, other than it's kinda old and kinda a walk from the ion?

If you consider the time required to come west from Breslau, make a station stop with crew reversing ends, and then heading back to Breslau to clear the next train....it needs to be more than a single platform behaving like a stub end track. Might be barely doable for 30 mins service but likely needs some redundancy especially to turn around consists at peak..

Possibly one could move the track around, but as a matter of value engineering I would predict ML would choose to simply defer implementing more service until the new station with a second track and platform is ready.

- Paul

 

[Sauga89]

Metrolinx says it will be working on the King Street bridge on the Barrie and Kitchener lines next month as part of the work to add tracks.

There is also more work scheduled around the new Woodbine and St. Clair stations.

 

[ZEBuilder]

respectfully disagree, i don't see how the current terminal cannot handle even 30 minute service
Is there some problem with the current terminal I don't see, other than it's kinda old and kinda a walk from the ion?

Respectfully no. If the Province spent millions of dollars on Bloomington GO which exists in the middle of literal nothing and only has 4 departures and 5 arrivals a day from it, why on earth can KW not get a GO Station that connects to the billion dollar LRT system? Kitchener GO already has 20 departures and arrivals a day which is more than Bloomington and it has the capability to connect to the busiest public transit routes in KW (LRT, 7, 8) why on earth would one not want that? KW isn't some tiny thing in the middle of nowhere, there's well over 400k people living in the cities, yet if you want to get from the LRT to the GO Station you need to walk ten minutes down a busy and unfriendly road or you take a bus connection from the LRT which are on routes that operate every 15-30 minutes, that's quite frankly ridiculous.

Your comment also reinforces the fact that the province generally seems to forget that KW exists, it's not like they're a small region. When you look at public transit every other city just gets money thrown at them for capital cost without the cities paying for anything, obviously they are Metrolinx projects so ownership is with the province but even still the cities should still pay their fair share. Hamilton, Hurontario, Finch, and Ontario Line all have the cities paying for nothing, meanwhile you got Waterloo Region paying a third of the LRT cost the least they can have is a GO Station that connects right to the LRT after the Region spent so much on the LRT, it really isn't that big of an ask.

 

[nfitz]

They new Kitchener Central station is moving forward at least, finally.

I don't know what happened for the plans for a station on the west side of Kitchener in Baden. That was supposed to have a ton of commuter parking, and all the storage/fuelling for the line. They certainly pissed off enough Nimby's with the public consultation

 

[ZEBuilder]

They new Kitchener Central station is moving forward at least, finally.

I don't know what happened for the plans for a station on the west side of Kitchener in Baden. That was supposed to have a ton of commuter parking, and all the storage/fuelling for the line. They certainly pissed off enough Nimby's with the public consultation

It's still in the works, the Region of Waterloo owns land for it and has started preliminary engineering works, but for obvious reasons the KCTH has been the main focus.

 

[Metroscapes]

It's still in the works, the Region of Waterloo owns land for it and has started preliminary engineering works, but for obvious reasons the KCTH has been the main focus.

I understand it was originally proposed just west of Greenhouse Road, now it's further west towards Fountain Street.

 

[nfitz]

I don't know what happened for the plans for a station on the west side of Kitchener in Baden. That was supposed to have a ton of commuter parking, and all the storage/fuelling for the line. They certainly pissed off enough Nimby's with the public consultation

I understand it was originally proposed just west of Greenhouse Road, now it's further west towards Fountain Street.

I thought it was near Nafziger Road.

 

[Metroscapes]

I thought it was near Nafziger Road.
View attachment 726047

I got confused, I thought we were talking about Breslau station.