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Ownership of rail lines in Toronto

G

GregWTravels

Guest
So, I was reading about Union Station today, and was surprised to see that GO owns the tracks between Strachan and the Don Valley. I had thought that all the tracks were owned by the two big rail companies (CN and CPR).

I did some digging on line, and found this map:

www.proximityissues.ca/Ma...to_sub.pdf

...which I believe shows the ownership of the line. Solid lines in the colour indicate ownership (solid green - GO, solid blue - CN, solid red - CPR). The lines with the small, green perpendictual lines show where GO runs.

Does anyone know if this is accurate, and if my intrepretation is correct?

Thanks,
Greg
 
God bless the Canadians for speaking (and writing) the Queen's English.

I choked back a tear when I saw 'Railway' on that map ;)

nice map, I've always been fascinated with Canadian Railway history, not least the mindflapjack that is ownership :lol

interesting you should ask the question about ownership, there's been a torrent of rumours rail lines line GO lines are to undergo subwayification and have their air-rights above sold to pay for the sinking all across inner Melbourne.

with the likes of GO owning a serious piece of real estate right smack bang in the middle of town, what's stopping them from doing like something Federation Square?
 
Not sure exactly how the "diesel-electric" locomotives work that GO uses (can they switch to just electric power), but wouldn't there be an issue with exhausting fumes from the locomotives?

Greg
 
they got around that issue 150 years ago by creating arched roofs in the terminii, but it's nothing a modern exhaust extraction system couldn't handle don't you think?
 
Greg,

They have been dealing with smoke for 150 years. Google "ichabod kingdom brunel" and tunnel. He suggested that the smoke was beneficial to sufferers of respritory ailments. Seriously, exhaust fans, shape of the roof, holes (just like the current Union train shed).
 
True, true. But obviously a train shed would require less work to vent than a 2.4 km tunnel (length of track from Strachan to Union Station. Development in the air rights above this area would offset of the cost of building all the ventillation required, I suppose.
 
I think you're over-stating ventilation issues though, it's like a metro/subway, the train itself acts as a ventilator.

But are there any bureacratic / political pressures on GO that inhibits them from exploring these kinds of options?
 
I really have no idea - I was just asking the question about ventilation.

As for air rights development, the only mention I could find of it was in a 2001 report that the city of Toronto has on their site.

www.toronto.ca/taf/pdf/st...ummary.pdf

In addition, the strategy recommends that consideration be given to electrification of GO Transit lines starting with the Lakeshore corridor. The benefits of electrification would include lower noise and air pollution, higher acceleration (more efficiency; shorter headways) and potential for air rights development in high density areas. It is estimated that electrification of GO Transit lines would cost in the range of $1.7 billion.

So, at least the city is behind the idea.

Perhaps once the GTTA is created, it'll be a way for the agency to actual have some money of it's own for development projects?
 
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