News   Feb 25, 2026
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News   Feb 25, 2026
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News   Feb 25, 2026
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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

I rode the Kitchener line yesterday and observed that there was work (of one sort or another ) in progress pretty much all the way from King St all the way up to Rogers Road, and again at Resources Road. As usual, nothing happening at Randolph. Precious little at Woodbine.

From what I could tell, the work in progress was mostly utility and telco and.or railway telecom related, plus there is a tender out to renew the couple of bridge spans needed for the additional tracks south of Dundas.

Lots of work on the Barrie line just south of Dundas street, as I understand it this is a major sewer project. Sound walls appear to have been completed on the east side of the tracks.

There appeared to be earthmoving going on around Dundas, and a stockpile of concrete ties has begun south of Dundas also.

Roadbed is pretty much ready for track laying from Dundas to Bloor.

St Clair station work has started. Of note, the interchange track between CPKC and ML, which is used by CN nightly to reach CPKC Lambton Yard, appears to be getting a relocation, with a new control point on the CPKC further north from today's location. This will add a little width through the St Clair station. One wonders if anything is getting roughed in towards eventually connecting a Bolton GO line to the Weston Sub.

Bottom line - most of this is prerequisite work that has to happen before the additional tracks (needed for 2-tracking the Barrie line, and 4-tracking the Kitchener line) can be put down. Why none of it has been started before now is a good question, given all ML's decade long promises of "bringing you 2WAD to Kitchener and Barrie" - but it's forward motion at last. But given all the remaining steps needed, nothing likely to be ready this year.

On a more celebratory note, yesterday was my first trip on the LSE east of Union in a while, and I noted that the new fourth track has started to be laid west of Smalls Creek. This was a "wow" moment for me - it will be years before we have a working four track main line through that stretch, but after years and years of talking and waiting, and then years of watching preliminary work such as grading and retaining wall construction, the line is finally four tracks wide in one spot. That's a huge milestone even if not ready for use.

- Paul
 
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I rode the Kitchener line yesterday and observed that there was work (of one sort or another ) in progress pretty much all the way from King St all the way up to Rogers Road, and again at Resources Road. As usual, nothing happening at Randolph. Precious little at Woodbine.

From what I could tell, the work in progress was mostly utility and telco and.or railway telecom related, plus there is a tender out to renew the couple of bridge spans needed for the additional tracks south of Dundas.

Lots of work on the Barrie line just south of Dundas street, as I understand it this is a major sewer project. Sound walls appear to have been completed on the east side of the tracks.

There appeared to be earthmoving going on around Dundas, and a stockpile of concrete ties has begun south of Dundas also.

Roadbed is pretty much ready for track laying from Dundas to Bloor.

St Clair station work has started. Of note, the interchange track between CPKC and ML, which is used by CN nightly to reach CPKC Lambton Yard, appears to be getting a relocation, with a new control point on the CPKC further north from today's location. This will add a little width through the St Clair station. One wonders if anything is getting roughed in towards eventually connecting a Bolton GO line to the Weston Sub.

Bottom line - most of this is prerequisite work that has to happen before the additional tracks (needed for 2-tracking the Barrie line, and 4-tracking the Kitchener line) can be put down. Why none of it has been started before now is a good question, given all ML's decade long promises of "bringing you 2WAD to Kitchener and Barrie" - but it's forward motion at last. But given all the remaining steps needed, nothing likely to be ready this year.

On a more celebratory note, yesterday was my first trip on the LSE east of Union in a while, and I noted that the new fourth track has started to be laid west of Smalls Creek. This was a "wow" moment for me - it will be years before we have a working four track main line through that stretch, but after years and years of talking and waiting, and then years of watching preliminary work such as grading and retaining wall construction, the line is finally four tracks wide in one spot. That's a huge milestone even if not ready for use.

- Paul

re 4th track on LSE. I saw it too recently. Couldn't get a good pic. Maybe @kotsy can :)

1771949517809.png

1771949530667.png

 
isnt that 4th track a storage track for construction or something?
remember reading a notice awhile back

It is being used on a short term basis as a siding for storing construction equipment, as ML is still building its logistics bases, but as things progress it will become a main line track. It is being built to main line standards.

- Paul
 
It is being used on a short term basis as a siding for storing construction equipment, as ML is still building its logistics bases, but as things progress it will become a main line track. It is being built to main line standards.
It is odd though that the local communication we get is about a 4th siding and not main line track. Yes, it is main line track ... temporarily used as a siding; but once again Metrolinx's communication sucks ass.
 
It is being used on a short term basis as a siding for storing construction equipment, as ML is still building its logistics bases, but as things progress it will become a main line track. It is being built to main line standards.

- Paul
I did indeed see concrete ties. A UT member fav.
 
re 4th track on LSE. I saw it too recently. Couldn't get a good pic. Maybe @kotsy can :)

View attachment 717166

View attachment 717167

I live right against the tracks just to the east of smalls creek on the northside. I've watched the construction for a long time and have been wondering when they'd actually lay down track. Right now the signal tower footing east of Woodbine is smack dab in the middle the path for the 4th track, I haven't seen anyone behind our row of houses since July. Also guessing the noise wall ML promised us is not happening now.
 
It is being used on a short term basis as a siding for storing construction equipment, as ML is still building its logistics bases, but as things progress it will become a main line track. It is being built to main line standards.

- Paul
Will the process of bringing this track into service make the rails level with the three tracks in the corridor? To the uninformed (me) it looks awkward sitting below the existing ballast in the corridor.
 
Will the process of bringing this track into service make the rails level with the three tracks in the corridor? To the uninformed (me) it looks awkward sitting below the existing ballast in the corridor.

Mostly Yes and possibly only maybe in places.

Once the new track is ballasted, the railhead will rise as a certain amount of the ballast is tamped forming a layer underneath the crossties. Certainly on overpasses where the track rests on the same structure as existing tracks, the vertical elevation will be identical. That will also be the case at interlockings where there are crossovers between new and existing tracks,.

I don't know whether the new roadbed is at the same grade throughout. There may be places where it hasn't been built at the same level. In some locations it may be a whole new roadbed rather than a widening of what was there. In those locations there is no real need for identical elevation.

- Paul
 
Shot this today while riding the Barrie train up to Downsview. Is this the double tracking for the Barrie Line, or the fourth track for the Kitchener line?


Both. ML hasn't divulged its immediate plan, but full build would add two tracks to Barrie and one to Bloor, removing the turnout at Parkdale.

Looking at the bridge spans and unused signal masts, I am guessing only two tracks for the moment. Possibly the turnout at Parkdale will be reconfigured to allow a further track from there northwards.

- Paul
 
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