GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[nfitz]

GO and Metrolinx have wanted to build a fifth track through there since the mid-2000s. The hold up is the City with the 4 bridges over the tracks in the South Parkdale area. Once those are replaced (Dufferin goes in 2016), they'll finally be able to do it.

The fifth track, new platform, and tunnel extension at Exhibition station has been under construction for some time.

The new bridge at Dufferin won't be finished until 2019. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=b3beb41a4ff51410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD I'm not sure at what stage they can get a 5th track under. Though presumably the other bridges further west would be the final constraints.

BTW, here's a picture from the demolition of the old Dufferin bridge last year. You can see the stairs on the right leading to the old GO station platform that they removed years ago when they moved Exhibition station to it's current location much further east of Dufferin.

 

[gweed123]

Hopefully when they do the work for the 5th track in that area they'll be able to at least leave space for a new Roncesvalles Station, if not actually build the station at the same time. Would be a shame to reconfigure all the tracks in the area and then have to do it again when they want to put in a station there.

 

[smallspy]

The fifth track, new platform, and tunnel extension at Exhibition station has been under construction for some time.

The new bridge at Dufferin won't be finished until 2019. http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=b3beb41a4ff51410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD I'm not sure at what stage they can get a 5th track under. Though presumably the other bridges further west would be the final constraints.

The fifth track through Exhibition has been under construction for quite some time, yes. It's the rest of the stretch through to Mimico that GO/Metrolinx really wants, however.

That completion has been delayed to 2019 however is surprising.

Hopefully when they do the work for the 5th track in that area they'll be able to at least leave space for a new Roncesvalles Station, if not actually build the station at the same time. Would be a shame to reconfigure all the tracks in the area and then have to do it again when they want to put in a station there.

GO/Metrolinx have never had a plan to rebuild the station at Parkdale/Roncesvalles.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[drum118]

Lakeshore, from Union to Willowbrook, and Union to the new East Maintenance Facility, will require more tracks for deadheading capacity, will they not? Things seem to be congested during rush hour.

The plan I have seen show 6 tracks with a possibility of a 7th track. Very tight for 7 tracks and a lot of retaining wall on both sides of the corridor as well sound barrier.

To do this would require all overpass bridges to be rebuilt for 6/7 track clearance. This also applies to various bridges support the tracks.

The bottleneck is getting in/out of Willowbrook Yard. They can only fuel 2 trains at a time, but mostly 1 when I been there. The time to fuel a train is only a matter of a few minutes.

Once the east yard comes on line in a few years, it will take the pressure off the Willowbrook.

I wonder if Metrolinx has look at using VIA yard since it mostly empty these days as a sub yard??

 

[smallspy]

The plan I have seen show 6 tracks with a possibility of a 7th track. Very tight for 7 tracks and a lot of retaining wall on both sides of the corridor as well sound barrier.

To do this would require all overpass bridges to be rebuilt for 6/7 track clearance. This also applies to various bridges support the tracks.

I don't know where you're finding your plans, but the engineering drawings for the City only allow for 6 tracks underneath Dufferin, and GO has never envisioned any more than that along the stretch. And considering that the City consulted with Metrolinx/GO during the design....

The bottleneck is getting in/out of Willowbrook Yard. They can only fuel 2 trains at a time, but mostly 1 when I been there. The time to fuel a train is only a matter of a few minutes.

Fueling at Willowbrook is not an issue. There are so many other locations where trains get fueled on a daily basis that it simply isn't necessary to have more than two stands.

Once the east yard comes on line in a few years, it will take the pressure off the Willowbrook.

Maybe in terms of maintenance, but not in terms of traffic into and out of. There will be very few, if any, trains stored in the middle of the day at the east yard.

I wonder if Metrolinx has look at using VIA yard since it mostly empty these days as a sub yard??

Bombardier is already using half of the facilities at TMC, and the UPX trainsets are tentatively going to be stored and maintained there.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I'm going to the metrolinx meeting September 5th. I better see people there. Where is the political pressure for more GO service?

 

[vegeta_skyline]

Re;

The union and the company have come to a memorandum of settlement, coincidentally shortly after the union began sending out our strike vote, though they didn't advise us of that until this past week. Seems the possibility of a strike has given them the impetus to act now after having gone more than a year and a half without a contract. As for the settlement, everyone is still disseminating the information within so its too early to tell which direction the wind is blowing there. In any case a ballot to vote on the settlement has been sent out to us and is due on Aug 14, the results of which will be known by the 15th. If the vote is in the negative at that time, the very real possibility of a strike exists and the GTA will have to brace for transpo-armageddon, as I've been calling it. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but lest now you can't say I didn't warn yah. I'll provide an update on the situation at that time.

Good news, there will no transpo-armageddon(strike) afterall, seeing as the memorandum of settlement has been ratified(61% approval). The contract is for five years, starting Jan 1st 2013, so really three and a half now lol. But anyways it was a fair deal and I'm surprised it took as long as it did. I'm thankful there was no strike myself, never had any interest in that for my own personal reasons and of course its never a good idea to do so in an industry that would have such a negative effect on the general public.

 

[Northern Light]

I don't know where you're finding your plans, but the engineering drawings for the City only allow for 6 tracks underneath Dufferin, and GO has never envisioned any more than that along the stretch. And considering that the City consulted with Metrolinx/GO during the design....

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

From the EA for the new Dufferin Bridge:

The increase in the span length of the bridge over the rail corridor to accommodate two
additional tracks requires a greater structure depth, which has the effect of raising the roadway
elevation further (
Figure 3.4

http://www1.toronto.ca/city_of_toro...n_street_bridges/files/pdf/mcea_final_esr.pdf

P.14

I have also see this referenced more recently in another report (it escapes me where; but it specifically noted 7 tracks to pass under Dufferin

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Re;



Good news, there will no transpo-armageddon(strike) afterall, seeing as the memorandum of settlement has been ratified(61% approval). The contract is for five years, starting Jan 1st 2013, so really three and a half now lol. But anyways it was a fair deal and I'm surprised it took as long as it did. I'm thankful there was no strike myself, never had any interest in that for my own personal reasons and of course its never a good idea to do so in an industry that would have such a negative effect on the general public.

Nice to hear, glad it worked out.

 

[Jonny5]

Random: Digging around a junk drawer today at an elederly relatives nouse, I stumbled upon a years worth of the semi-mythical GO/TTC Twin Passes from 1994. If anyone is interested I can scan one set. Would anyone like to guess the cost of a Twin Pass for TTC plus GO from Hamilton to Union in 1994? Current cost is 404.30.

 

[nfitz]

Would anyone like to guess the cost of a Twin Pass for TTC plus GO from Hamilton to Union in 1994? Current cost is 404.30.

I didn't even know that they was a current price? Where is this listed?

Hmm. Monthly GO from Hamilton to Union is currently $353.15. Metropass is $133.75 - so $487 if you buy both.

Back in 1994 Metropass was about $68. About half of today.

So one would guess that the combined pass was about half of $404.30 - about $200. But GO prices have increased much faster than TTC prices.

I'll guess $120.

 

[Northern Light]

I stand corrected.

After some searching; I see the City has just put out the engineering tender for the new bridge at Dufferin. It specifically says '2 additional tracks'

This assignment includes preliminary design of modifications to the roadway profile of Dufferin St., Springhurst Ave., TTC property, private property driveways, etc., to accommodate the minimum 7.01 m vertical clearance and the additional horizontal clearance (to allow for two (2) additional tracks) required by Metrolinx/GO Transit.

https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/pmmd/calls.nsf/0/13C22CA94F5598D685257D2700692D31?OpenDocument

 

[Jonny5]

I didn't even know that they was a current price? Where is this listed?

Hmm. Monthly GO from Hamilton to Union is currently $353.15. Metropass is $133.75 - so $487 if you buy both.

Back in 1994 Metropass was about $68. About half of today.

So one would guess that the combined pass was about half of $404.30 - about $200. But GO prices have increased much faster than TTC prices.

I'll guess $120.

I intended to note my calc methodology, but it didn't get in somehow. I assumed MDP pricing and deducted 15% for the tax credit, which did not exist back then.

Your guess is way off, it was much more.

 

[BurlOak]

I stand corrected.

After some searching; I see the City has just put out the engineering tender for the new bridge at Dufferin. It specifically says '2 additional tracks'

This assignment includes preliminary design of modifications to the roadway profile of Dufferin St., Springhurst Ave., TTC property, private property driveways, etc., to accommodate the minimum 7.01 m vertical clearance and the additional horizontal clearance (to allow for two (2) additional tracks) required by Metrolinx/GO Transit.

https://wx.toronto.ca/inter/pmmd/calls.nsf/0/13C22CA94F5598D685257D2700692D31?OpenDocument

I would have built the Gardiner Bridge using concrete boxes - similar to the railway bridge. 1200mm deep boxes could be used for a 35m span which would actually be 150 to 200mm shallower than the steel option. Also, box girder usually requires a lower clearance (4.8m vs. 5.0m) than the steel beams that are more susceptible to damage from overheight hits. This 0.4m lowering of the structure (at the south end) may allow the grade going into the Ex to be flattened from 6% to about 5.6% - not much, but a bit better.

 

[Jonny5]

I intended to note my calc methodology, but it didn't get in somehow. I assumed MDP pricing and deducted 15% for the tax credit, which did not exist back then.

Your guess is way off, it was much more.

I'll post a scan Monday, but it was $276.00

It's a good example of how GO fare increases fell disproportionately on shorter trips for decades.