Officially Unofficial Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan Thread

[RedRocket191]

The main problem is that the station-building there isn't a station anymore. Its a banquet hall. The government would have to buy the building at market rate or expropriate it. Right now, we should be happy to get a platform - buying the building will have to be a future investment... but shouldn't be forgotten.

 

[Dan416]

Anyone know how much it would sell for at "market rate"?

 

[unimaginative2]

I wish they'd just spend a few bucks on improving (buying!) the tracks to the TH&B station for GO. It's a magnificent building with impeccable transit connections and location. Splitting service between it and the James St. GOshack is not a recipe for successful transit.

I'm not surprised about VIA. After all, how many Tory ridings are there in Hamilton? VIA was seriously planning this, and they had done studies and everything. This decision was clearly made at the political level.

 

[Dan416]

I wish they'd just spend a few bucks on improving (buying!) the tracks to the TH&B station for GO. It's a magnificent building with impeccable transit connections and location. Splitting service between it and the James St. GOshack is not a recipe for successful transit.

I'm not surprised about VIA. After all, how many Tory ridings are there in Hamilton? VIA was seriously planning this, and they had done studies and everything. This decision was clearly made at the political level.

What's this TH&B station you're referring to? Sorry I don't know Hamilton.

Maybe someone could post photos of all these different stations under consideration, and their locations relative to one another.

 

[unimaginative2]

There are two historic stations in Hamilton. The CN station is on James Street north of downtown, and it used to house GO and VIA before the latter packed up and went to Aldershot and the former moved to TH&B, now called the Hamilton GO Centre. It's now LIUNA Station, a beautiful banquet hall. TH&B was designed by the same architectural firm as Grand Central Terminal in the Art Deco style. It's located on Hunter Street right downtown. GO renovated it and added a bus terminal in the 90s, and have used it for their trains and buses ever since. It's also Hamilton's intercity bus terminal. Unfortunately, CP still owns the tracks through there, and they've never been friendly to passenger rail. In particular, there's a single track tunnel adjacent to the station that CP wants them to expand if they're going to allow more trains through. In the long run, though, they know that CP's going to jerk them around, so they're giving up and moving back to the CN tracks despite the large investment in the gorgeous TH&B station on CP's line. The other problem with TH&B is that it's not set up for trains continuing from Hamilton on to Niagara. That makes it unsuitable for VIA and limits GO's expansion opportunities.

I've said my opinion before. They should renovate the Belt Line a bit so that CP can use the CN tracks to bypass downtown Hamilton and run back down to the TH&B corridor in the east end. If they do enough work on it, they could even run passenger trains back north from the TH&B tracks up to CN, allowing Niagara-bound trains to stop at the GO Centre. It would cost several million to rehab the Belt Line, and several million more to buy CP's tracks once and for all. In the long run, it's more than worth it considering what's been spent on the GO Centre already, and the value of an integrated transit terminal right in the downtown core of one of Canada's biggest cities. Hamilton deserves better than a shack up on James Street. They're never getting the station back from LIUNA.

Here's TH&B Station/Hamilton GO Centre taken from websites:

The CN/LIUNA station:

 

[Dan416]

Both stations are quite beautiful. Wouldn't it be possible to service both stations? Is the whole point of GO trying to move to LIUNA to get away from the TH&B one? If that were the case that would be a shame. They should stay downtown Hamilton.

 

[Kiwi]

But you see this is Hamilton, no one wants to invest millions in Hamilton. Sure invest millions to Peterborough.

GO Train will continue to serve TH&B Station for rush hour service. GO Bus will stay at TH&B Station as well, GO Bus is used more than GO Train in Hamilton anyways. During non-rush hour service GO Train will serve the new waterfront GO Station. Therefore resulting all day GO Transit service to Hamilton between two Stations. I wounder what the new name of the Station will be? Perhaps James GO Station?

Here's a satelite shot of the LIUNA area. All of the blue line is where LIUNA will allow GO Transit use for GO Train. I'm assuming LIUNA will lease out the property to GO Transit, as the land is all LIUNA's. The red is what I believe what will be the new Station. Currently I believe it's used for storage.

 

[unimaginative2]

For $3 million, pretty much the only thing you could do is put up a little shelter building and a platform. It just seems to me like the height of cheapness to split GO service between two stations, especially when one is beautiful, well-located, and has great connections.

 

[nfitz]

Is that TTC font in the signage inside that station "EXIT TO STREET ..."?

 

[Dan416]

The only reason I see to use LIUNA station is to go beyond Hamilton, since the tracks go straight to Niagara Falls (I followed the tracks on google maps lol). Oh and why is LIUNA capitalized? Anyhow, unless GO is going to service Niagara Falls, they should stick with the building they have. But if they can't run all-day service there, that's a big issue.

 

[CDL.TO]

Oh and why is LIUNA capitalized?

Ask the all-knowing Wikipedia

 

[Kiwi]

The only reason I see to use LIUNA station is to go beyond Hamilton, since the tracks go straight to Niagara Falls (I followed the tracks on google maps lol). Oh and why is LIUNA capitalized? Anyhow, unless GO is going to service Niagara Falls, they should stick with the building they have. But if they can't run all-day service there, that's a big issue.

Mayor Fred and Councillor Bratina (member of the GO Transit) all want to eventually extend GO Train to Stoney Creek and eventually Grimsby. After that who knows. I can see a GO Centre at Centennial Parkway and QEW area within 5 years and it'll come included with a VIA stop lol.

 

[Kiwi]

VIA rail will indeed stop at the new station now......

Via trains will stop at LIUNA after all

Andrew Dreschel
The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 2, 2008)

The on again, off again return of Via passenger service to downtown Hamilton is back on track.

Via spokesperson Catherine Kaloutsky says the Crown corporation's trains will pull into LIUNA Station on James Street North when GO Transit builds the $3-million platform facility promised by Ontario.

"If GO is able to entrain and detrain passengers at that location, Via will stop some of its trains as well," Kaloutsky said in an interview.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/348491

 

[Dan416]

VIA rail will indeed stop at the new station now......

Via trains will stop at LIUNA after all

Andrew Dreschel
The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 2, 2008)

The on again, off again return of Via passenger service to downtown Hamilton is back on track.

Via spokesperson Catherine Kaloutsky says the Crown corporation's trains will pull into LIUNA Station on James Street North when GO Transit builds the $3-million platform facility promised by Ontario.

"If GO is able to entrain and detrain passengers at that location, Via will stop some of its trains as well," Kaloutsky said in an interview.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/348491

This is good news, and only logical. Good thing it's confirmed now.

 

[unimaginative2]

Absolutely. They couldn't possibly be that dumb! I wonder if Niagara-bound trains will still stop in Aldershot. I assume so. (When I type Aldershot, I always have to correct myself from typing an 'i' in place of the 'o'...)