Toronto GO Transit: Davenport Diamond Grade Separation | ?m | ?s | Metrolinx

Will the grade separation increase the speed limit and will that reduce travel time compared to the diamond condition? Trains seemed to noticeably slow near the diamond.

The travel time most likely won’t decrease past Downsview park, because trains still need to meet and pass at the siding near Rutherford

For the few remaining off peak/weekend trains, and once they reintroduce the bulk of that service, there should be significant improvements to on-time performance and they may be able to tighten the schedules a bit. I haven't taken the train since before the pandemic but used to take it weekday offpeak and weekends frequently before that. The vast majority of those trips, both directions, we'd stop for between 5 and 15 minutes to wait for a freight train at the diamond; I don't recall this ever having been an issue for rush hour trains as I expect GO had an agreement with the freight line to have those times to themselves, but offpeak was a different story and it was extremely rare to make the trip without a lengthy delay (relative to the ~50min scheduled trip time). Actually, even the rare occasion that my train wasn't delayed at the diamond, it's exactly as @Willybru21 said, the trains need to meet at the Rutherford siding--I recall times I was on a southbound train and we stopped at the siding for about 10 minutes waiting for the northbound train which had been held up at the diamond. Of course, there were more severe issues affecting the line e.g. almost every Monday and Thursday the trains were cancelled, at least north of Maple, between about 10AM-2:30PM for the freight service to the lumber yard just north of King City GO; this persisted for years and Metrolinx kept those trains on the schedule despite the fact they were cancelled at least 90% of the time. But the diamond's 5-15min delay affected nearly every single offpeak/weekend train I took, and the removal of that routine delay will allow for better adherence to the scheduled meet near Rutherford.
 
Random question, perhaps it's already been answered, but what is the second set of tracks doing over the new bridge? It doesnt look like it's connected on either end, is the plan to eventually have bi-directional travel on the full line?
Photo Credit to @ProjectEnd

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As you can see in this image, the temporary bypass track that was built prior to the start of construction is in the way of where the ramp for the 2nd track is supposed to go. As such, the current plan is to start running trains over the guideway (Done), remove the temporary bypass track, then finish the ramp, and once we have the other tracks connected up (or some signalled switches), then we'll have a proper double tracked bridge.
 
will they eventually double track this part of the route?

ML says that double tracking construction is in progress from Maple to Rutherford, coincident with adding a second platform at Maple. Rutherford is already a 2-track station, although only one platform is used. The double track begins to the south within sight of Rutherford, so I'm confident that it will be extended all the way down. So there will soon be solid double track from Maple (perhaps even connected at the north end to the existing double track between Kirby and Teston) all the way down to Steeles Ave.

South of there, ML is already preparing a second track subgrade down to Lawrence.

There is less progress from Lawrence down to Davenport, but that part of the line was doubled (well, mainline and a service track) most of the way down, so it can't be too hard to do eventually.

So the short answer is - it's definitely happening, albeit in bits and pieces.

- Paul
 
…and our front page story, with a detailed history of the planning and work here, is here.

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will they eventually double track this part of the route?
Have to double track when time comes to build the Caledonia and St Clair Stations as well Bloor, May see it come 2027-30
 
…and our front page story, with a detailed history of the planning and work here, is here.

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Robert MacKenzie is one of the best writers UT has employed through the years; it's a good and thorough piece.
 
Have to double track when time comes to build the Caledonia and St Clair Stations as well Bloor, May see it come 2027-30
St Clair station is not on this line. Caledonia and Bloor/Lansdowne are.
I don't understand why the Caledonia GO station wasn't built at the same time as the Caledonia crosstown station (nor Bloor & Lansdowne as part of the guideway)
 
St Clair station is not on this line. Caledonia and Bloor/Lansdowne are.
I don't understand why the Caledonia GO station wasn't built at the same time as the Caledonia crosstown station (nor Bloor & Lansdowne as part of the guideway)
Are you sure it not??
 

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