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GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

Apparently there is some sort of work starting at Hamilton GO Centre on October 15.

Walkway Construction starts Oct. 15
Starting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, walkway construction work will take place at your station.
Here’s what you need to know:
  • During construction, the walkway located on the southwest side of the station will be closed to the public (James Street access to station).
  • No access to the station’s bike shelter.
  • Please follow directional signage and use caution when moving through construction areas.
  • Construction schedules may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances or weather conditions.
To access the station during construction, please take James Street to Hunter Street East. Customers looking to access the GO Bus Terminal, please use the Hunter Street East entrance during staffed station hours. During unstaffed station hours, please access the bus terminal via the John Street entrance.
Thank you for your patience while we perform this important work.
 
A bit late for summer lmao. Still very curious what is getting done. Dunno why they haven't announced it.
My guess is this is so minor that it’s not worth announcing. Hopefully.

If it’s more major, then it’s either a failure to communicate (sloppy), or it’s so sub-par or actively ‘bad’ in some way that they don’t want to talk about it.

…But that all just speaks to the importance of good communications!
 
This vid is a Classic example of what's wrong with Metrolinx culture - ie brag about every speck of an activity, not about results achieved.

This is an important project, but ML should save the cinematography for when the work is completed, and then include reference to schedule adherence and cost against budget and target. That's when credit is due, if the work has been done well.... but until you have results, there is nothing to report.

ML is a PR machine that runs trains in its spare time.

- Paul
 
I'm hoping they're completely rebuilding the stairs to be brighter (glass canopy hopefully), wider, and more accesible (wheelchair access etc). Right now, that walkway and stairs are sketchy AF. Always dirty, full of garbage and dark.

I don't think it will be minor, because the contract for the full station work was between 20 and 200 million.
 
I'm hoping they're completely rebuilding the stairs to be brighter (glass canopy hopefully), wider, and more accesible (wheelchair access etc). Right now, that walkway and stairs are sketchy AF. Always dirty, full of garbage and dark.

I don't think it will be minor, because the contract for the full station work was between 20 and 200 million.
Numbers like that suggest a few things. Perhaps preparatory work of some sort for eventual frequent and/or electric service to Hamilton. It could just as easily be updating/upgrading the bus terminal, plus general renos to bring the station up to par. Perhaps there’s *that* much of a backlog on items like accessibility.

$20M sounds like Renos and updating for non-track stuff. $200M sounds like major reconfiguration, or prep work for something bigger. Frequent or electric service is, afaik, not really inhibited by the station itself, ‘just’ the Hunter Tunnel. Making sure the station is ready for that $1B+ project would be costly, assuming some $ is going to prep work on tracks/platforms.

The only other thing I could see this being is the ‘Green Walkway’ to King street for the LRT, but I have to imagine that’s part of the LRT and not close to this at all.
 
Numbers like that suggest a few things. Perhaps preparatory work of some sort for eventual frequent and/or electric service to Hamilton. It could just as easily be updating/upgrading the bus terminal, plus general renos to bring the station up to par. Perhaps there’s *that* much of a backlog on items like accessibility.

$20M sounds like Renos and updating for non-track stuff. $200M sounds like major reconfiguration, or prep work for something bigger. Frequent or electric service is, afaik, not really inhibited by the station itself, ‘just’ the Hunter Tunnel. Making sure the station is ready for that $1B+ project would be costly, assuming some $ is going to prep work on tracks/platforms.

The only other thing I could see this being is the ‘Green Walkway’ to King street for the LRT, but I have to imagine that’s part of the LRT and not close to this at all.
Frequent electric service to Hamilton Centre is much more than upgrading the Hunter tunnel. You’d be looking at a massive reconfiguration of Bayview Jct (some sort of flyover, which is limited due to ground soil issues), and other works along the CPKC line, not to mention finally figuring out electrification and extra tracks between Burlington and Aldershot. Sadly this project is not on the books or being planned right now. I do think that with some negotiating with CPKC, you could squeeze more trains out of Hamilton Centre. Not TWAD, but a few more throughout the day.

The good news is that if rumours are correct, West Harbour will have its service doubled to half hourly in the near term.
 
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It's a shame, because Hamilton GO Centre has way higher ridership in the morning than West Harbour. I've taken both in the morning throughout the week, and I would say Hamilton GO Centre has 2-3x more people catching those early morning trains. I'm guessing because of the bus connections, and far higher residential density?
 
IMG_9990.jpeg
Milliken
IMG_9987.jpeg
GO Station. East platform not yet open so trains using other side for both directions. This area has become a high density hub since the last time that I was here! Taken 11 October.



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Frequent electric service to Hamilton Centre is much more than upgrading the Hunter tunnel. You’d be looking at a massive reconfiguration of Bayview Jct (some sort of flyover, which is limited due to ground soil issues), and other works along the CPKC line, not to mention finally figuring out electrification and extra tracks between Burlington and Aldershot. Sadly this project is not on the books or being planned right now. I do think that with some negotiating with CPKC, you could squeeze more trains out of Hamilton Centre. Not TWAD, but a few more throughout the day.

The good news is that if rumours are correct, West Harbour will have its service doubled to half hourly in the near term.
The entire section running westwards from Lemonville Rd, through the Junction and then around into the CN yard off of York Road is very constrained by geography, roads and highways, botanical gardens and cemeteries. If you were looking at a flyover, could you consider moving the flyover portion easterly to Lemonville or further? Anticipating further rebuilds of,the junction to take advantage of any flyover of course. Which would be another major project requiring political nudging to move along given the participants I think.
 
Frequent electric service to Hamilton Centre is much more than upgrading the Hunter tunnel. You’d be looking at a massive reconfiguration of Bayview Jct (some sort of flyover, which is limited due to ground soil issues), and other works along the CPKC line, not to mention finally figuring out electrification and extra tracks between Burlington and Aldershot. Sadly this project is not on the books or being planned right now. I do think that with some negotiating with CPKC, you could squeeze more trains out of Hamilton Centre. Not TWAD, but a few more throughout the day.

The good news is that if rumours are correct, West Harbour will have its service doubled to half hourly in the near term.
I guess I should have clarified that going from the station, the first and primary concern is the tunnel, not the station itself. Bayview junction is, as you’ve described, basically another $1B project on top of the tunnel, and that’s notwithstanding the corridor works needed either.

West Harbour service is a godsend- even if half-hourly doesn’t start soon, the fact that it is even possible (I’ve heard 15-minute service too is doable) Is a huge deal. That leaves me far less worried about moving things on at Hamilton Centre It’s few saving graces are the location and architecture, which should not be discounted, but do not warrant $2B+ in the near future.

With that said, I think you’ve just highlighted why this definitely is not related to enabling more service. So it’s still unclear what so much money is for.
 

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