GO Transit Electrification | Metrolinx

[north-of-anything]

The first line to be electrified will likely be Barrie, because of the as mentioned before limit place on the EA for diesel trains travelling over the Davenport Diamond, and because the vendor will likely not wanna start with LSW, LSE due to those projects being more complex. And lastly and most significantly, because it passes through the heart of Doug Ford's Conservative base.

Bramalea/Pearson would likely be second.

The Barrie line is also a relatively quick win where electrification would strengthen the case for some infill stations - particularly Caledonia, Highway 7, Mulock, and Innisfil/Alcona. It's also not like Metrolinx can't make headway on multiple corridors at once.

 

[just east of the creek]

The Barrie line is also a relatively quick win where electrification would strengthen the case for some infill stations - particularly Caledonia, Highway 7, Mulock, and Innisfil/Alcona. It's also not like Metrolinx can't make headway on multiple corridors at once.

I cannot see where there would be any obvious choice besides LSE/LSW - ridership, potential to grow ridership with better/faster service (west to Hamilton and beyond?, east to Bowmanville and beyond?), population densities. After that, additional lines could be added to build on service and ridership improvements.

And if you were next extending electrification to Milton, Guelph, Kitchener and perhaps London, would you not look at that in conjunction with VIA HFR to points beyond? You could then look at the same model working eastwards , adding improved HFR towards Kingston and beyond.

I think HSR is a pipedream, one the politicos will love to talk about. But electrified regional GO, along with continuing incremental HFR build is a possibility, and one more palatable when balancing the $ needed to invest in other public transit (TTC), Pearson, Billy Bishop, and road networks.

CN/CP are working entities that are not handing over track for no reason at all, and if anything should be seeing and recruiting new and expanding services. However, they have corridors that are largely rail friendly and follow population densities. Those are the routes HFR needs to build on, and if they cannot be acquired, then GO/HFR should improve as either as joint/shared capacity or twinned capacity.

Unfortunately you have multiple levels of government and agencies involved (and even a new one apparently) and I am sure that will be a hurdle of Olympian proportions.

i first remember picking up my parents from the Clarkson Road GO stop when GO used ONR equipment. Obviously in terms of NAM rail we have come a long way, and we continue to seem to have a more pro transit, pro rail attitude towards steady improvements and capital investment then other jurisdictions. But drive the highways of the GTA any day of the week and you know we are only reaching a fraction of possible ridership (and I would include bus and all possibilities of higher average speed bus transit)

 

[smallspy]

The first line to be electrified will likely be Barrie, because of the as mentioned before limit place on the EA for diesel trains travelling over the Davenport Diamond, and because the vendor will likely not wanna start with LSW, LSE due to those projects being more complex. And lastly and most significantly, because it passes through the heart of Doug Ford's Conservative base.

Bramalea/Pearson would likely be second.

And where will these electrified trains be maintained and stored?

Dan

 

[drum118]

And where will these electrified trains be maintained and stored?

Dan

Whitby as original plan since it was to be electrify first as well the east end. The footing are in place for the OS as well other things for Whitby at this time..

There is nothing stopping having equipment store in Barrie as well one of the 2 Union yards.

They would be maintain in Whitby until Willowbrook is converted to handle eclectic equipment. Dead heading is a killer for Whitby at this time, but no different like the Milton line. Have never look at Barrie complex to see if it could do any maintenance there and leave that to you since you know all.

 

[north-of-anything]

And where will these electrified trains be maintained and stored?

Dan

There is a train layover facility planned in Bradford West Gwillimbury to handle overnight train storage, and it's intended to support the additional trains that electrification will allow GO to run on the line. A Metrolinx presentation on the facility from 2016 can be found here.

 

[generalcanada]

There is a train layover facility planned in Bradford West Gwillimbury to handle overnight train storage, and it's intended to support the additional trains that electrification will allow GO to run on the line. A Metrolinx presentation on the facility from 2016 can be found here.

theres a difference between electric locomotive train storage....and train maintenance
i specifically say the locomotives specifically because were keeping the bi-levels.

 

[smallspy]

There is a train layover facility planned in Bradford West Gwillimbury to handle overnight train storage, and it's intended to support the additional trains that electrification will allow GO to run on the line. A Metrolinx presentation on the facility from 2016 can be found here.

I'm well aware of the new Bradford layover location. And the potential expansion at Barrie.

But neither of those can or will be used for maintenance, and so the trains will have to travel along either a portion of the Lakeshore West or the entirety of the Lakeshore East line in order to be serviced. So it really doesn't make sense that Barrie would be done first.

Dan

 

[Tofee_beef]

I'm well aware of the new Bradford layover location. And the potential expansion at Barrie.

But neither of those can or will be used for maintenance, and so the trains will have to travel along either a portion of the Lakeshore West or the entirety of the Lakeshore East line in order to be serviced. So it really doesn't make sense that Barrie would be done first.

Dan

I'd be inclined to think they would do the work concurrently on the Lakeshore lines given how the OL is already building on the embankment? Also, wouldn't it be difficult to electrify the Barrie lines without finishing the davenport diamond construction and accounting for changes in the structure?

 

[rbt]

I'm well aware of the new Bradford layover location. And the potential expansion at Barrie.

But neither of those can or will be used for maintenance, and so the trains will have to travel along either a portion of the Lakeshore West or the entirety of the Lakeshore East line in order to be serviced. So it really doesn't make sense that Barrie would be done first.

Agreed entirely.

Union Station has a ton of work to be done restructuring tracks and platforms. I wouldn't be surprised if several lines were 90% electrification ready with the unfinished 10% being wholly in the Union corridor. Whatever line uses the new combined platform 24 to 27 area (Union Station Enhancement Project) will most likely be the first line to be electrified, and I expect that to be Lake Shore. Kitchener Line (perhaps only Pearson to Union) would be the other candidate as DB will want to eliminate UPX rolling stock. It's awkward for Barrie Line to access those new platforms.

So my bet is Oakville to Oshawa, and Union to Pearson Airport. Both within months of the new south platforms/concourse opening date (not yet known).

That said, it's entirely possible Oakville to Aldershot is one of the last portions converted.

 

[ssiguy2]

Without going thru 100 pages............when will the RER sections of the lines be electrified by?

 

[Allandale25]

Without going thru 100 pages............when will the RER sections of the lines be electrified by?

I don't think we know publicly for certain yet and the previous RER documents might the superceded by the two-year "development" phase with ON Express noted here back in July 2022.

GO Expansion enters vital development phase - Metrolinx News

CEOs from five of the largest transportation and construction companies are coming together to accomplish an unprecedented transit expansion.

blog.metrolinx.com

 

[generalcanada]

Without going thru 100 pages............when will the RER sections of the lines be electrified by?

adding to allendale, i cant find when, but i swear there was a date of 2032 mentioned by MX before.

service increases should start happening by 2026

 

[ssiguy2]

I thought 2032 deadline was for electrification of ALL the routes from Hamilton to Bowmanville to Kitchener? What about just the original RER {why did they get rid of that name?} sections?

 

[Allandale25]

I thought 2032 deadline was for electrification of ALL the routes from Hamilton to Bowmanville to Kitchener? What about just the original RER {why did they get rid of that name?} sections?

Bramalea-Kitchener and Bowmanville-Oshawa/Burlington-Hamilton are not part of the "On Corridor" contract for electrification and never have been. The name changed sometime after the June 2018 election when the government changed.

 

[Sunnyside]

Bramalea-Kitchener and Bowmanville-Oshawa/Burlington-Hamilton are not part of the "On Corridor" contract for electrification and never have been. The name changed sometime after the June 2018 election when the government changed.

Are there actual plans, however conceptual, to extend electrification into any of these places? Extending into Kitchener would presumably require more dedicated tracks and all the fuss electrification would entail with CN. Hamilton has a whole host of issues, despite the relatively short distance from Aldershot; you'd have to decide which station/corridor to use (CP/CN- Hunter vs. WH) likely build more dedicated tracks, and then somehow tackle improving Hunter GO and its tunnel approach, even if we choose to electrify to West Harbour for future Niagara expansion. I am not familiar with Oshawa-Bowmanville, but as far as I know, there aren't any freight considerations and might actually be relatively straightforward.

If HFR/HSR is ever going to be tackled, I see it being a Federal-Provincial project leaning towards the former. That billion dollars for the Milton Line has been pretty quiet, and if HFR West is ever going to get off the ground it is going to require Caltrain-like coordination with the local agency in the GTHA (GO). Extending electrified GO to Kitchener via an HFR package makes some sense, but the opportunity cost of using the money on the Milton line would achieve the goals of HFR and satisfy the existing commitment of providing adequate, if not exemplary GO service to Mississauga and Milton. The Milton line is either going to be upgraded significantly by the feds or, failing that, replaced by something else (a similar RER-like service targeted at commuters). If I were the feds, I'd use the money we've already spent and use the corridor they already plan on fixing up. Obviously, the feds can choose to do a Milton line expansion and electrify to Kitchener via the Kitchener Line, but I see that as creating two projects when they may only need to deal with one.