GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[mdrejhon]

RAIL BYPASS!!!!

 

[Allandale25]

Patrick Searle @Patrick4ONT


#KitWat: Premier @Kathleen_Wynne & Transport Minister @StevenDelDuca are in town Tuesday. It's GOnna be big. #onpoli

 

[mdrejhon]

Hot damn.

This is true 100% organically Biiiiiiig news.

Rail bypass (407?) & electrified Kitchener by 2024!
Even with delays to 2030, this is still Biiiiiig.

 

[Northern Light]

I expected the Kitchener extra trains, but the CN news tidbit is an intriguing add-on. One wonders if it's a regular "Metrolinx funding an additional track in CN corridor" being spun into a CN positive as if they're doing something noble -- but regardless, more tracks, and efficient juggling of which trains use which corridor -- moving towards all-day Brampton and Kitchener GO train service.

Extra track through Brampton? I hope?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...e-kitchener-toronto-wynne-announces-1.3634285


Sounds like a new corridor.

 

[ShonTron]

Hopefully the announcement of the all-day Bramalea-Waterloo express bus means additional trains (evenings/weekends, counter-peak) to Mount Pleasant in September.

Yes, I'm happy that CN and the province are in talks for a new rail corridor. That is big news.

 

[mdrejhon]

Let me guess: CN is doing the 407 Rail Bypass.

This won't solve CP issues (e.g. Milton) but obviously CN thought it was economically lucrative, given the dangle/incentives. Apparently, Federal must be also lubricating things pretty well behind the scenes (e.g. federal regulated issues) and enough stakeholders (Hydro, CN, Metrolinx, Toronto, etc) has agreed that everyone was comfortable making this announcement!

I wonder what drum118 thinks.

 

[Northern Light]

Let me guess: CN is doing the 407 Rail Bypass.

This won't solve CP issues (e.g. Milton) but obviously CN thought it was economically lucrative, given the dangle/incentives. Apparently, Federal must be also lubricating things pretty well behind the scenes (e.g. federal regulated issues) and enough stakeholders (Hydro, CN, Metrolinx, Toronto, etc) has agreed that everyone was comfortable making this announcement!

I wonder what drum118 thinks.

Don't really see any other obvious route that takes CN off the existing Brampton trackage. There appears to be ample ROW along the 407 at most points.

The only question to me would be whether they follow 407 all the way or cut off a bit sooner, though presumably the latter would involve expropriating private land, unless there's unopened ROW somewhere.

 

[Allandale25]

Don't really see any other obvious route that takes CN off the existing Brampton trackage. There appears to be ample ROW along the 407 at most points.

The only question to me would be whether they follow 407 all the way or cut off a bit sooner, though presumably the latter would involve expropriating private land, unless there's unopened ROW somewhere.

I also wonder if it will follow CP rail to Milton starting at Meadowvale, or if it will follow the 407 on the north side to avoid CP Rail? Time to have some fun with maps.

 

[Northern Light]

I also wonder if it will follow CP rail to Milton starting at Meadowvale, or if it will follow the 407 on the north side to avoid CP Rail? Time to have some fun with maps.

No suggestion at the presser of an agreement with CP, perhaps that is telling. Also CP just grade separated throughout Milton in the last few years, the crossings appear to accomodate 3 tracks, not sure if that would be sufficient at this location for both CN/CP and GO

 

[innsertnamehere]

That's past the Milton go station however.

 

[44 North]

Agreement in principle. Hopefully the devil isn't in the details. Personally I've grown weary/leery of big promises, but mostly just weary of the current Prov government. Tho there's no question we need to free up our rail corridors to improve both freight and passenger service. So this is a big first step.

Time to have some fun with maps.

Crayon time is any time. Definitely one of the best things about any announcement is when the public can start having fun with maps.

 

[crs1026]

No suggestion at the presser of an agreement with CP, perhaps that is telling. Also CP just grade separated throughout Milton in the last few years, the crossings appear to accomodate 3 tracks, not sure if that would be sufficient at this location for both CN/CP and GO

I can't imagine Milton would be happy if CN jogged onto CP through town.. There's still (barely) enough room left to route CN around the northwest of town.

One hopes that the routing will preserve a connection to allow CP to join the routing at some later point. (They wouldn't overlook that detail, would they?)

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

It is up in Ontario's newsroom.
Even mentions federal involvement on the Bypass.

https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2016/06/ontario-expanding-go-rail-service-to-waterloo-region.html

You can bet, with Fed involvement, CP provisions (e.g. Corridor space) will be left in (even if for later) as an incremental bypass migration. CN is simply first, since it's easier, and solves the Kitchener/Brampton "Question".

 

[Allandale25]

Crayon time is any time. Definitely one of the best things about any announcement is when the public can start having fun with maps.

Here are some the local transit advocacy group in Brampton posted.

 

[Northern Light]

It is up in Ontario's newsroom.
Even mentions federal involvement on the Bypass.

https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2016/06/ontario-expanding-go-rail-service-to-waterloo-region.html

You can bet, with Fed involvement, CP provisions (e.g. Corridor space) will be left in (even if for later) as an incremental bypass migration.

Good find!

Also in the tidbits is that the 2 new runs to/from K-W in September are actually both 'extensions of current Georgetown runs.