GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[crs1026]

Rail Atlas still shows the now-defunct YDHR owning the Stouffville corridor to Uxbridge, which has never been the case. Metrolinx has always owned the corridor since they bought the rest of the corridor from CN years ago. YDHR was responsible for maintenence of the corridor as it was the only user, but Metrolinx owns it and will likely rip up the tracks over the next few years now that YDHR is no longer operating.

I believe the Atlas is intended to show the current operator as opposed to the owner of the asset. Certainly YDHr has folded and the map needs updating to reflect that, but the correction should really be to show "inactive" rather than "ML".

- Paul

 

[bpbpbpbp]

Rail Atlas still shows the now-defunct YDHR owning the Stouffville corridor to Uxbridge, which has never been the case. Metrolinx has always owned the corridor since they bought the rest of the corridor from CN years ago. YDHR was responsible for maintenence of the corridor as it was the only user, but Metrolinx owns it and will likely rip up the tracks over the next few years now that YDHR is no longer operating.

I feel like this is a mistake, MX should keep the corridor ready with a provision for a potential Uxbridge extension. Maybe that is just wishful thinking and me not wanting to see any rail removed, and it isn't even viable.

 

[ARG1]

I feel like this is a mistake, MX should keep the corridor ready with a provision for a potential Uxbridge extension. Maybe that is just wishful thinking and me not wanting to see any rail removed, and it isn't even viable.

It was listed as a potential future corridor in various late 2000s studies, but I imagine whatever plans they had are shelved.

 

[crs1026]

I feel like this is a mistake, MX should keep the corridor ready with a provision for a potential Uxbridge extension. Maybe that is just wishful thinking and me not wanting to see any rail removed, and it isn't even viable.

So long as ML retains ownership of the corridor, in railbanked state, nothing is lost.

"There are still rails in place" is irrelevant. Should GO decide to extend the Lincolnville line eastwards, 99.9% of the track materials that are in place today will have to be replaced. The current track is useless for anything more elaborate than a museum train.

- Paul

 

[Fritter]

With @crs1026 's post above, I know the railbed and tracks will need major upgrades, but in my humble opinion, I would think an Uxbridge extension would be a realitive "quick win" project. I'm not an expert but compared to other GO expansion projects, I would think it would be a realitivly easy and inexpensive project..

 

[crs1026]

With @crs1026 's post above, I know the railbed and tracks will need major upgrades, but in my humble opinion, I would think an Uxbridge extension would be a realitive "quick win" project. I'm not an expert but compared to other GO expansion projects, I would think it would be a realitivly easy and inexpensive project..

I think it will happen one day, that's why ML is retaining ownership of the row. The question is where it sits in the priorities and available funding. Uxbridge does not have that big a population, and any ridership already drives to Lincolnville - the roads are not full yet. So (picking a project at random) rebuilding Guelph to Cambridge would score higher in ridership and revenue. I can think of others. So this one is not mission critical at this moment.

- Paul

 

[innsertnamehere]

the corridor from Stouffville to Uxbridge is also quite windy - so travel times would likely be quite high even with upgraded trackage. People may still end up driving to Old Elm GO anyway as it's faster.

With YDHR gone, Metrolinx has some space at the terminus to throw up a few layover spots and space for an expanded parking lot, which may help - but they also have space now at the old Lincolnville site. Pre-YDHR defunctness, preliminary plans were for a GO Station on the edge of Uxbridge on 6th Concession. It would be cheaper and easier to instead to it at the current train station.

All it needs is new trackage, a new concrete platform, and some parking lot paving on land already owned. It really wouldn't be expensive, but also really wouldn't have a high return on investment given the low ridership.

 

[bpbpbpbp]

So long as ML retains ownership of the corridor, in railbanked state, nothing is lost.

"There are still rails in place" is irrelevant. Should GO decide to extend the Lincolnville line eastwards, 99.9% of the track materials that are in place today will have to be replaced. The current track is useless for anything more elaborate than a museum train.

- Paul

Yeah, my logic is that though the track would most definitely need to be relayed, with other upgrades such as grade crossing protections needed, as long as there was rail infrastructure in place, even unusable rail, MX would be more inclined to one day bring trains up to Uxbridge, and would probably not hear many proposals for other land uses. If rails were lifted, we would probably start hearing the community members and local politicians trying to bring recreational trails, land acquisitions and the like to the table.

 

[canarob]

Interesting video re: the Stouffville closure last weekend. No mention of the famous missing bridge, but I can check later in the week.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[dowlingm]

Isn’t part of the rationale behind not building GO out to Uxbridge that they don’t want to contribute to development pressure because of water/sewer capacity restrictions?

I have wondered if there would be any point in examining leisure/weekend service to keep rust off the rails without increasing commuting capacity. Unlike Milton and Richmond Hill, they do own the tracks.

 

[canarob]

Uxbridge is in the middle of the greenbelt with major development restrictions, so I can't see the economics of rail service ever really making much sense. This must be an extremely low priority for Metrolinx given all the demand from far more populous areas with no, or infrequent, rail service today.

 

[JasonParis]

It is still probably a natural spot for the line to eventually end though.

 

[dowlingm]

Uxbridge is in the middle of the greenbelt with major development restrictions, so I can't see the economics of rail service ever really making much sense. This must be an extremely low priority for Metrolinx given all the demand from far more populous areas with no, or infrequent, rail service today.

21K in Uxbridge. Double that in Timmins. Who can say what makes sense any more

remember, half way along the line is Goodwood, a town so small it was chosen as the shooting location for the town parts of Schitt’s Creek.

Welcome To Goodwood, Ontario (AKA The Schitt's Creek Town)

Goodwood Ontario was the perfect "one-intersection town" for the location of Schitt's Creek. But what's happened since filming started?

indie88.com

 

[lenaitch]

So long as ML retains ownership of the corridor, in railbanked state, nothing is lost.

"There are still rails in place" is irrelevant. Should GO decide to extend the Lincolnville line eastwards, 99.9% of the track materials that are in place today will have to be replaced. The current track is useless for anything more elaborate than a museum train.

- Paul

Indeed. We used to live near the line back when it was still (barely) operational and I used to walk the ROW. Many of the ties had date spikes that were all from the 1930s and 40's.

the corridor from Stouffville to Uxbridge is also quite windy - so travel times would likely be quite high even with upgraded trackage. People may still end up driving to Old Elm GO anyway as it's faster.

A couple of spots north/east of Goodwood had rail lubricators, and there is a significant (in southern Ontario terms) grade between the 4th and 5th concession.

I agree that, with the town being situated in the Greenbelt, and so long as the infrastructure, primarily sewage, restrictions exist, growth and ridership potential is very, very low. The town is not really situated to draw ridership from surrounding environs. Potential is even lower if HFR comes to fruition and Myrtle Station or someplace similar gets a stop.