GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[Richard White]

Exactly. I’m fine with a UPX station here until GO RER is built/operating. With Pearson’s Union Station West project delayed due to COVID, Woodbine GO will be an excellent airport hub in the meantime, with transfers to the UPX as a “last mile” remedy.

I’m curious what the final station name will be? Obviously the TTC already has a “Woodbine”, so I wonder if it will be “Woodbine-Highway 27”? I think “Woodbine-Pearson Gateway“ would be cool too.

Woodbine Racetrack seems optimal.

 

[robmausser]

Woodbine Racetrack seems optimal.

No no, this is Metrolinx. There will be a committee set up over 3 years to decide on the station name, with 3 public consultations.

Eventually the station will be named 'Highfield Estates' to reflect the two neighborhoods nearby.

 

[SFO-YYZ]

No no, this is Metrolinx. There will be a committee set up over 3 years to decide on the station name, with 3 public consultations.

Eventually the station will be named 'Highfield Estates' to reflect the two neighborhoods nearby.

Or more likely Metrolinx will put out an RFP and outsource the naming to a third party consulting agency, who will charge $300/hr to conduct a multi-phased community consultation and workshops over a period of 12 months, before submitting a final recommendation, which will then be scrapped last minute because of another re-org at Metrolinx with new management who will decide to hire their own consultants to start over.

This is the virtuous circle of life at 97 Front St.

 

[JasonParis]

Or just go with Racetrack.

 

[max]

Good god, why is there a UPX platform at this station...

Sounds like you are confusing and Express line with the Xpress service this link actually provides. Our Xpress trains make all local stops!

 

[Amare]

Remember, Metrolinx likes to base their station names off of the surrounding community.

So it wont be known as Woodbine, more likely we'll see names such as: Casino, Queen's Plate, or Horse Ranch. But we'll hear of confirmation after they hire and pay their consultants $500K for a name.

 

[Coolstar]

Remember, Metrolinx likes to base their station names off of the surrounding community.

So it wont be known as Woodbine, more likely we'll see names such as: Casino, Queen's Plate, or Horse Ranch. But we'll hear of confirmation after they hire and pay their consultants $500K for a name.

Queen's Plate is pretty good.

 

[ShonTron]

I don't disagree with the substance of what your saying; but for clarification, Line 2 was planned as Keele to Woodbine; Main was the first extension.

Woodbine opened in 1966, Main in 1968.

Main would have been built in the late 60s and presumably planned a few years earlier.

But you can see a difference in scale at Main vs Woodbine indicating different planning period.

None of which changes your material point, which is that GO was started after Main was planned and during Main's construction.

Main Station's size has a lot to do with its location on the edge of the old Zone 1/Zone 2 fare boundary, with a larger-than-average bus terminal and fare gates in the mezzanine level, instead of street level, because some routes (like the Dawes, Gerrard East and Danforth Road buses) were separate fares from the Main Street, Cosburn buses and the Carlton Streetcar.

The Bloor-Danforth-University subway was a megaproject simply built in phases.

 

[ShonTron]

Good god, why is there a UPX platform at this station...

So that passengers from Brampton, Guelph, and Kitchener have a logical point to transfer without backtracking?

With frequent GO train service, the Weston stop can be cut.

 

[Amare]

Queen's Plate is pretty good.

I figured, why not loop in a sensical name into that non nonsensical station list Metrolinx probably has in front of them right now

 

[robmausser]

So that passengers from Brampton, Guelph, and Kitchener have a logical point to transfer without backtracking?

With frequent GO train service, the Weston stop can be cut.

Ah great, so we spent $30 million unnecessarily upgrading the Weston station for UPX, and now spend more money doing it to Woodbine, only to probably replaced again with different infrastructure once electrification and new trains are implemented.

Its barely a backtrack if you are coming from so far away on VIA. It would save maybe 10 minutes to move the station. Weston is fine.

 

[hw621]

One of the ideas thrown out there by GO's operations staff was that VIA trains would also stop here. This would allow a much more convenient connection to the airport to travellers from the west.

Dan

So Union West?

 

[Coolstar]

Ah great, so we spent $30 million unnecessarily upgrading the Weston station for UPX, and now spend more money doing it to Woodbine, only to probably replaced again with different infrastructure once electrification and new trains are implemented.

That's a good point considering that Metrolinx (hopefully) plans to upgrade the UP Express so that it's properly integrated with the rest of the GO RER network. Of course, there are no concrete plans on how this will occur. It's not even implied in any recent reports in general.

 

[robmausser]

That's a good point considering that Metrolinx (hopefully) plans to upgrade the UP Express so that it's properly integrated with the rest of the GO RER network. Of course, there are no concrete plans on how this will occur. It's not even implied in any recent reports in general.

Right so it would be foolhardy to add anything more to the existing UPX until plans of what the next iteration will be

 

[Undead]

Exactly. I’m fine with a UPX station here until GO RER is built/operating. With Pearson’s Union Station West project delayed due to COVID, Woodbine GO will be an excellent airport hub in the meantime, with transfers to the UPX as a “last mile” remedy.

I’m curious what the final station name will be? Obviously the TTC already has a “Woodbine”, so I wonder if it will be “Woodbine-Highway 27”? I think “Woodbine-Pearson Gateway“ would be cool too.

Union West East