GO Transit: Construction Projects (Metrolinx, various)

[robmausser]

Just a small thing but cool to see the tie-in illustrated on this graphic.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658845132165185538

I get that this is CN's corridor, but surely the track going to West Harbour and the tie in track are technically Metrolinx tracks? Or are they built and owned by CN, being their corridor?

Also, once the tie in track is there, does anyone know if the VIA/Amtrak trains will everstop at West Harbour? Its crazy to me that VIA doesn't service Hamilton at all.

 

[rbt]

I get that this is CN's corridor, but surely the track going to West Harbour and the tie in track are technically Metrolinx tracks? Or are they built and owned by CN, being their corridor?

I don't think GO owns any track west of Brant Street between Burlington and Aldershot stations. CN owns it, including the current dead-end track at West Harbour GO.

IIRC, Aldershot is not being electrified for this reason.

 

[drum118]

I get that this is CN's corridor, but surely the track going to West Harbour and the tie in track are technically Metrolinx tracks? Or are they built and owned by CN, being their corridor?

Also, once the tie in track is there, does anyone know if the VIA/Amtrak trains will everstop at West Harbour? Its crazy to me that VIA doesn't service Hamilton at all.

CN & CP will say: You want an extra track, we will built it for you and we will invoice you the cost to do it. There will be maintenance fee as well.....Oh, by the way, we will use that track if we need to.

 

[Northern Light]

I get that this is CN's corridor, but surely the track going to West Harbour and the tie in track are technically Metrolinx tracks? Or are they built and owned by CN, being their corridor?

Also, once the tie in track is there, does anyone know if the VIA/Amtrak trains will everstop at West Harbour? Its crazy to me that VIA doesn't service Hamilton at all.

I don't think GO owns any track west of Brant Street between Burlington and Aldershot stations. CN owns it, including the current dead-end track at West Harbour GO.

IIRC, Aldershot is not being electrified for this reason.

@rbt is correct.

This is the rail ownership map for the area from the Canadian Rail Atlas:

You can see where the green (Metrolinx/GO) ends, where the CN Halton sub comes down (more or less at Brant Street. )

 

[crs1026]

^Ml has, however, recorded places where they have had to pay for track or other infrastructure that the freight railways have required as incremental to freight operations. There has been evidence of this in A-G reports and in documents/plans that have reached the public domain.

I don’t know for a fact, but I would think that the railways also track this so that their asset count is not inflated by tenant investment. Otherwise, it would be entirely reasonable for Ml or VIA to ask for equity shares when they build track on railway lands. And to satisfy shareholders, if the railways own those assets, they would likely require the tenants to deliver a return on those assets at a rate equal to what the freight is earning…. notwithstanding that the assets were provided by the tenant.

I don’t know how this is managed contractually, but I’m confident that it is tracked and accounted for.

- Paul

 

[mind_the_gap]

Have bus stops straddle the side of the 407 [403] Vancouver Style.

This was such a missed opportunity for the Mississauga Transitway 403-section. They could’ve easily implemented stops this way at Creditview/Mississauga Rds. Not for cars to gain access to the highway, but so that nearby residents could easily board the buses passing them by.

 

[Lake Ontario]

Grade separation recommendations within Mississauga, from the Mississauga Transportation Master Plan (TMP):

https://www.mississaugatrip.ca/ , under "Rail Grade Separation" and "Recommended Network Phasing"

Kitchener Line:
Scarboro Street - Consider Road Closure
Proposed Drew Road Crossing - Planned Grade Separation

Milton Line (contingent on Milton Line expansion):
Wolfedale Road - Consider Grade Separation
Erindale Station Road - Consider Grade Separation
Queen Street/Mississauga Road - Consider Grade Separation
Thomas Street - Consider Grade Separation
Tenth Line (shown as Winston Churchill) - Consider Grade Separation
Ninth Line - Consider Grade Separation

Lakeshore West Line:
Haig Boulevard - Consider Grade Separation
Ogden Avenue - Grade Separation Feasibility Study
Alexandra Avenue - Consider Road Closure
Revus Avenue - Consider Road Closure
Stavebank Road - Consider Grade Separation
Lorne Park Road - Grade Separation Feasibility Study
Clarkson Road - Grade Separation Feasibility Study

 

[JeighsynYHM]

why dont they make another Pickering line? it makes sense if you ask me

 

[drum118]

Grade separation recommendations within Mississauga, from the Mississauga Transportation Master Plan (TMP):

https://www.mississaugatrip.ca/ , under "Rail Grade Separation" and "Recommended Network Phasing"

View attachment 479455View attachment 479457
Kitchener Line:
Scarboro Street - Consider Road Closure
Proposed Drew Road Crossing - Planned Grade Separation

Milton Line (contingent on Milton Line expansion):
Wolfedale Road - Consider Grade Separation
Erindale Station Road - Consider Grade Separation
Queen Street/Mississauga Road - Consider Grade Separation
Thomas Street - Consider Grade Separation
Tenth Line (shown as Winston Churchill) - Consider Grade Separation
Ninth Line - Consider Grade Separation

Lakeshore West Line:
Haig Boulevard - Consider Grade Separation
Ogden Avenue - Grade Separation Feasibility Study
Alexandra Avenue - Consider Road Closure
Revus Avenue - Consider Road Closure
Stavebank Road - Consider Grade Separation
Lorne Park Road - Grade Separation Feasibility Study
Clarkson Road - Grade Separation Feasibility Study

It been a over a 10 year fight between Mississauga and ML to close Scarboro Street with Mississauga wanting a pedestrian walkway tunnel in place of huge walking distance to get around the closure of the street and ML has refused to build the tunnel. ML is out to lunch for not doing the tunnel. Easy to get to the other side by car, but not for pedestrians.

Alexandra and Revus can never be grade separation as they are too close to Atwater

Clarkson separation has a number of issues including heritage building in the way.

Mississauga/Queen Separation a major problem and very costly to do.

Surprise at leaving 2 streets grade level in Streetsville, but it been a rear push back from the locals to keep the streets open and not close like ML has wanted to do for over a decade.

The rest should be grade separation. A fair number been on the city wish list for grade separation well over a decade. Getting CP to kick in funds for a few of them has been an issue.

 

[drum118]

This was such a missed opportunity for the Mississauga Transitway 403-section. They could’ve easily implemented stops this way at Creditview/Mississauga Rds. Not for cars to gain access to the highway, but so that nearby residents could easily board the buses passing them by.

The plan is still to build the missing section of the Transitway once there is funds to do so. The retirement development has opposed any station at Mississauga Rd

 

[drum118]

@rbt is correct.

This is the rail ownership map for the area from the Canadian Rail Atlas:

View attachment 478825

You can see where the green (Metrolinx/GO) ends, where the CN Halton sub comes down (more or less at Brant Street. )

If ML has purchased the tank farm and CN yard property at Burlington Junction, wouldn't it mean that ML own the tracks from Brant St to this area?? This would also included the last remaining tracks for the Burlington waterfront line.

ML paid for the trackwork to Aldershot and the new west connection from Burlington Junction..

 

[enter username]

Expansion pics of the Kingston main line from Birchmount (NE then SW)

 

[crs1026]

The 401 was a mess today, so I took a back route home to look at progress on the siding at Breslau. There has clearly been a fair bit of work done, but the contractor that was doing the basic grading has left the scene and there is no sign of the next steps.

The grading begins west of the bridge at Shantz Station Road, and ends just east of Fountain St.

At some point I will check in on Guelph, and Acton, but today that just wasn't happening.

I had hopes that we might see this work completed quickly to enable some better counter peak service to Kitchener. Having seen the slow progress to date at Breslau, I'm rather pessimistic about that. Maybe in late 2024.

- Paul

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The 401 was a mess today, so I took a back route home to look at progress on the siding at Breslau. There has clearly been a fair bit of work done, but the contractor that was doing the basic grading has left the scene and there is no sign of the next steps.

The grading begins west of the bridge at Shantz Station Road, and ends just east of Fountain St.

At some point I will check in on Guelph, and Acton, but today that just wasn't happening.

I had hopes that we might see this work completed quickly to enable some better counter peak service to Kitchener. Having seen the slow progress to date at Breslau, I'm rather pessimistic about that. Maybe in late 2024.

- Paul

View attachment 480041View attachment 480042

Thanks as always Paul. The best we could expected this year is all day to Mt Plesant, and that's dicey.

 

[KevinT]

My friend group meets for brunch at Frannie's every Saturday, so I drive under the Kitchener line at Shantz Station Rd weekly. There's definitely been a lot of grading work at the northwest corner of the bridge embankment in the past month. Secretly I was hoping that they were setting up to twin the bridge, as I believe the abutments were built large enough for two tracks, and the north side is where the second span would go.