doady
Senior Member
Any word yet on all-day service for the Milton Line?
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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
That would be a very logical location. Straddle it between Highway 7 and the 407, that way you can have connections to VIVA along Highway 7 at one end, and connections to the 407 BRT at the other end.
Overall, I think with electrification there will be many more places inside of the City of Toronto (or the inner 905), where infill stations can be placed. For the Barrie line in particular, I think new stations at Eglinton and Dupont would be warranted (Dupont for future connection to the Midtown).
nfitz
Superstar
The most recent preferred alignment for the 407 Transitway had a proposed GO station called Concord on the Barrie Line between Highway 7 and 407 where Concord Storage currently is. The Transitway would pass just north of 407 at this point.
Dan416
Senior Member
I remember reading that before too, probably on here. Seems logical.
drum118
Superstar
Only when the current EA flying below the radar surface and 3/4 tracks are in place for the line.
I would say somewhere around 2016-22.
You are fighting with CP and who will not bend over backward on their mainline.
andrewpmk
Senior Member
The lack of good rail service between Mississauga and Toronto is embarassing. The GO buses between Square One and Union are packed and now have 30 minute frequencies most of the day so clearly more service is needed, this is got to be the busiest GO bus route from Union now. Plus there is massive commuter flow between Mississauga to Toronto in both directions now, the 401 and Gardiner/QEW are both heavily congested both ways in rush hour, and there has been a lot of new development in the Mississauga City Centre area. The section between Cooksville and Union could EASILY support subway-like frequencies and have packed trains.
GO needs to bite the bullet and make this line 4 track the entire length between Milton and Union, with Cooksville-Union being top priority, giving GO 2 dedicated passenger tracks. This certainly won't be cheap, since certain sections of the Milton line (particularly around Cooksville) will need lots of expropriation and/or tunneling to expand.
TOareaFan
Superstar
While things could always be better, when I think of cities with "embarrassing" levels of rail connections to Toronto, Mississauga does not come immediately to mind.
What does 'sauga have......3 separate GO rail lines that stop in the city (other than Toronto I do not believe any other municipality can say that).....one of those lines has 7 day a week, bi-directional service, 9 separate GO train stations spread over those 3 lines......2 of those stations are on the full service bi-directional line.
Sure, things could be better....but if Mississauga's level of rail service is embarassing, what do we call the rest of the GTA's
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reaperexpress
Senior Member
It's funny to see UT'ers proposing stuff that's actually happening.
York U station will indeed close when Downsview Park station opens, and GO does plan to build a "Concord" station at Hwy 7. I had a Metrolinx PDF with information about both (down to details such as switch locations and sidings) but I can't find it now.
Looks like Metrolinx is more on-the-ball than people thought.
York U station will indeed close when Downsview Park station opens, and GO does plan to build a "Concord" station at Hwy 7. I had a Metrolinx PDF with information about both (down to details such as switch locations and sidings) but I can't find it now.
Looks like Metrolinx is more on-the-ball than people thought.
nfitz
Superstar
In the Big Move, Metrolinx did propose a high-frequency Square One express train, in the post-25 year plan. If only Mississauga would advocate for transit, it might happen sooner. Can you imagine the infrastructure Mississauga might be getting sooner if they pushed the way York Region did?
drum118
Superstar
Given the fact to upgrade the Milton Line is over a Billion $$ and no funds for it at this time, hard for GO/Metrolinx to bit the bullet.
At the same time, there is major issues what to do with the industry between Dixie Rd and Dundas St in the west, as the ROW is not wide enough for 4 tracks, as well tracks to service some of those industry.
Then you got to build a flyunder over by Lampton Yard and using the 2 south tracks 100% for GO. CP use the #1 track at Kipling as a storage track for the Auto-racks cars these days and can't remember the the last time GO used that track.
Then what do you do with all the grade crossing, especially Mississauga Rd that is on a curve with no room to put any grade separation without destroying that area. There are 16 grade crossing at this time.
The bridge at Cawthra had its centre support extended a few years ago for 4 tracks when work was done on the existing 3 track bridge. 2 other 3 track bridges would need a 4th track and that no issues. One of those bridges is over 403. There are a few bridges crossing creeks that will have to be rebuilt.
9th line crossing is to be grade separated once the 2nd track is added for the Lisgar station. The new #1 track will go on the north side of the current platform and will require tunnels and elevators to it.
The Cooksville station area will have some issues with the NIMBY's, since the track will required to take some of their backyard. Then what do you do with the 2 bridges over Hurontario St that waiting for a pedestrian bridge that was supposed to be built this year, so the 103 can service the station safety.
Over all, Mississauga is better service than most areas feeding Toronto. All lines need more service, but you need $$$ to do it as well train crews to run the service.
Crews are in short supplied now with some more coming on line in 2012. Crews don't grow on trees like bus drivers until the government changes the 2 year rule. Again, not everyone can be a bus driver or an engineer, more so an engineer.
The one thing Metrolinx needs to do when they surface the EA for the line, have the electrification of the line in the study also, as it will have an impact on the land also. Also, land use at the major hubs with the view to get rid of these surface lots.
You will not find this EA taking the line west to Cambridge as far as I know. It may take the line west to the new west Milton station. It should include the 2 new station plan between Milton and Lisgar.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
I think it is safe to say that the Milton line will not be upgraded until the Georgetown projects are done. The province can't afford to have all the lines in a state of major upgrade at the same time. They currently have a ton of projects they are paying for right now including Georgetown, Spadina extension, Eglinton LRT, and Union Station platforms and trackage. I suspect the next wave will include Milton, Oshawa-Bowmanville, and the remaining diamonds... assuming CP can come to an agreement. Most of the other investments are being put into tracks GO actually owns... it is hard to spend money on tracks that CP would end up owning and controlling and there isn't enough space to create a separate GO sub next to the CP main line like GO did in Durham region next to the CN main line.
doady
Senior Member
Direct rail service to MCC would be a great idea, but it should be a branch of Georgetown line, not a branch or diversion of Milton... The Erindale and Cooksville stations are just too important/busy for such diversions, and the Milton corridor doesn't have the capacity for what would no doubt be a very busy branch - there is far more capacity to share with the Georgetown line.
Dan416
Senior Member
I completely disagree that the Georgetown/Kitchener line should serve Square One. I just don't see it as feasible at all. If you think a Milton diversion to serve Square One is extensive and expensive, a Georgetown/Kitchener diversion to Square One would be even more problematic.
drum118
Superstar
Given the facts that there is a lots of screws ups and cost over runs on the Georgetown Line, real work will not start until 2016. Some simple work like adding the 2 tracks is spots that will not interfere with the current line could happen before then, as well bridge widening.
At present time, the west diamond is on part hold, as they have to design the floating slab, as the waterline in not where it was supposed to be. $$ change order plus the cost of redesigning.
The sub pier support for the Queen St bridges are too short and will have to be raise about 75mm and have more grout place under it. $$ change order.
The Bloor bridge is in the wrong location and has to be shifted. On top of that, the soil investigation was flaw to the point that the current foundation needs to be beef up. $$$
The Dupont bridge had a number of problems and cases $$ change orders. Even Brock and Lansdowne bridges were not spare.
Because of timeline to meet various funding timelines, a number of things were rush out the door that caused all kinds of issues as well $$. In some cases, its going to cost more to add to some of these project because no real time was used to look at the big picture than that one item.
Contractors and trades follow the plans prepared by the consultations under GO/Metrolinx control and supervision.
The opening of the Brampton station was delay more, as the camera were forgot to be order and was noticed when the station was to open.
Gee!!! did a fair number of TTC employees switch company's, as this is the one hand not talking to the other hand problem that TTC has today.
I agree. Personally, I don't think that a diversion is needed. What should happen is that the stretch of LRT track between the 403 and Cooksville should be used by both the Hurontario LRT, and a stretch of the Eglinton LRT (which would be extended from Renforth along the same corridor as the Mississauga Transitway).
The rationale behind this is that the 403-Cooksville stretch will be by far the busiest stretch of the Hurontario LRT line. Rather than having increased frequencies on this stretch by adding trains that just serve this stretch (short turns are a nightmare in my opinion), you increase the frequency by interlining. The Hurontario LRT would continue south, while the Eglinton LRT would turn around and head back north.
I also think that rather than GO moving north to serve MCC, MCC should stretch south to meet GO. With the LRT along Hurontario as a central spine, and the Cooksville GO station at the south end, those are both pretty strong forces to pull high density development further south along Hurontario.