Union Station Rail Corridor Improvements

[mburrrrr]

Today
Railing removed and I’m assuming the concrete deck & wall was cut back a few feet similar to Sherbourne last month.

 

[reinventingthewheel]

Just now:

 

[mburrrrr]

Metrolinx update

The two new replacement high voltage feeders have been installed underground at The Esplanade (Sherbourne) transformer station. The overhead cables and 7? towers will be coming down soon.

“From March 22 to mid-June 2025 (timeline subject to change), decommissioned cable lines followed by hydro towers will be removed as part of the Union Station Enhancement Project. Hydro utility infrastructure has already been removed and relocated on the south side of the Union Station Rail

Corridor east of Union Station, as we continue the GO Expansion Enabling Works leading up to the bridge extensions at Lower Jarvis Street and Lower Sherbourne Street rail bridges. This work will begin in the Don Yard and will continue westward.”

Over the last ~5 months they have been working on the transfer of the HV terminations.

Overhead cables terminated at the Sherbourne tower.

~7 towers as seen from CIBC square park.

Edit:
New partially buried HV line.
I forgot to mention the two lovely new tagged permanent conduit bridges at Parliament and Cherry St.

 

[crs1026]

While I'm not sorry to see those pylons come down, they were a feature of so many old photographs of trains taken along that stretch of track....an identifier that along with the old signal towers placed the shots. In that respect, they are a favourite bit of the past scene.

- Paul

 

[Civdis]

Happy to see those towers go, pretty ugly, not mention that underground transmission is more resilient and reliable. As someone who sees a lot of the Union rail corridor everyday, I am really hoping it looks nicer from above once complete. It looks like a mess right now. Of course, covering it with buildings and parks would be best, one can dream

 

[Bojaxs]

Happy to see those towers go, pretty ugly, not mention that underground transmission is more resilient and reliable. As someone who sees a lot of the Union rail corridor everyday, I am really hoping it looks nicer from above once complete. It looks like a mess right now. Of course, covering it with buildings and parks would be best, one can dream

Just wait till we electrify the GO trains. Union station will look messy once again when all the overhead wiring, cantenaries and masts are installed.

 

[nfitz]

Just wait till we electrify the GO trains. Union station will look messy once again when all the overhead wiring, cantenaries and masts are installed.

Messy? No more so than taking all the beautiful forest and building downtown Toronto instead. Better than breathing diesel.

 

[Civdis]

Just wait till we electrify the GO trains. Union station will look messy once again when all the overhead wiring, cantenaries and masts are installed.

I actually don't mind the look of the overhead wires and masts of an electric corridor. I was speaking more about the old rail, ballast, weeds etc etc in the corridor.

 

[Metroscapes]

While I'm not sorry to see those pylons come down, they were a feature of so many old photographs of trains taken along that stretch of track....an identifier that along with the old signal towers placed the shots. In that respect, they are a favourite bit of the past scene.

- Paul

I'll be sad, but that's because I have a strange obsession with hydro corridors and a loose familial history connected to this corridor.

 

[mburrrrr]

It looks like they are set up to remove the formerly high voltage cables today. No one stole them for scrap!

Assuming they are winding the cables onto reels by the Don GoTrain storage (south of the Wilson yard) and using two bucket trucks to keep some tension on the cable between towers?
Or does the cable drag on the ground?
Or does Wile E. Coyote get pulled through all the wheels and ends up in the Don River with a tower crashing down on him?

Sherbourne tower before The Esplanade Transformer Station in the two pictures below.

Next tower west of Sherbourne. All the remaining towers to the river have wheels installed.

 

[mburrrrr]

After a drive down the Gardiner the two east end towers are now cable free.
I’m curious how they are releasing the cable up and down the wheel. No time to watch.

 

[DSCToronto]

After a drive down the Gardiner the two east end towers are now cable free.
I’m curious how they are releasing the cable up and down the wheel. No time to watch.

They use the same process when hanging new TTC cables.

 

[mburrrrr]

This makes more sense now. Wheels installed on the last west end tower.
North side cables removed. South side, it looks like just the stringer cables remain.
Sherbourne tower.

 

[mburrrrr]

Assuming all the cable has been removed now.

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/v1742483131/Documents/Metrolinx/2025.03.19_HydroTowerRemovalNotice.pdf?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TorontoEast_BiWeeklyNewsletter_EN_20250429&utm_term=Const+Update+EN+-+Hydro+Cable+Removal&utm_id=955963&sfmc_id=78194536

Sherbourne Bridge lift in place Oct 4th & 5th weekend

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/v1744809088/Documents/Metrolinx/2025.04.14_Sherbourne_Backgrounder_-_Long_Term_Closure_Notice_JS.pdf?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TorontoEast_BiWeeklyNewsletter_EN_20250429&utm_term=Const+Update+EN+-+Sherbroune+Street&utm_id=955963&sfmc_id=78194536

Jarvis bridge lift Oct 11th & 12th Long weekend

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/v1744809166/Documents/Metrolinx/2025.04.14_Jarvis_Backgrounder_-_Long_Term_Closure_Notice.pdf?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TorontoEast_BiWeeklyNewsletter_EN_20250429&utm_term=Const+Update+EN+-+Lower+Jarvis+Street+&utm_id=955963&sfmc_id=78194536

 

[dufferin1]

April 29th: