GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Allandale25]

Here's what was announced today for Niagara Region:

New Weekday GO Rail Service Planned Between Hamilton and the Niagara Region
Province Increasing Travel Options to Help Manage Congestion
June 28, 2016 1:00 P.M.
Ministry of Transportation

Ontario is planning to bring new weekday GO rail service between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and the Niagara Region starting in 2021, with service to Niagara Falls by 2023.

Subject to a final agreement with CN Rail, Metrolinx will start the consultations, planning and design work required to implement the service including:

• Track improvements
• New and upgraded rail stations
• A new layover facility in Niagara Falls
• Additional GO rail fleet to provide service along the corridor
• Adding more than 30 kilometres of new track.

Three other stations are proposed along the corridor in addition to the Confederation GO Station - a new station on Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby as well as upgraded VIA rail stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Expansion of the regional rapid transit network will help support economic development, increase travel options and manage congestion. Work will begin in 2017 to plan, design and retrofit the existing VIA stations, with completion expected in 2023. Service is estimated to reach Grimsby in 2021, and construction would be completed by 2023 to enable service to Niagara Falls.

Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12 years. This is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.

Investing in priority transit infrastructure is part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

Quick Facts

• The Niagara Falls GO rail extension will operate on approximately 60 km of track between the future Confederation GO Station in Hamilton and Niagara Falls.
• Construction on the new Confederation GO Station in Hamilton is expected to start in 2019, with completion expected in 2021.
• Since 2003, Ontario has extended GO’s rail network by nearly 90 kilometres, opened 14 new GO stations, rebuilt four existing stations, and added more than 31,000 new parking spots across the system.
• Metrolinx is transforming the GO rail network to provide faster and more frequent GO train service across the region, with electrification of core segments of the network. Weekly trips across the entire GO rail network are expected to grow from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 over 10 years.

 

[44 North]

Daily GO service to Niagara Falls? That's pretty far. I guess with KW done, that leaves Peterborough, Brantford, and Cambridge to be next in line?

 

[robmausser]

Daily GO service to Niagara Falls? That's pretty far. I guess with KW done, that leaves Peterborough, Brantford, and Cambridge to be next in line?

Past extension plans have been Brantford, Peterborough, Cambridge, Uxbridge, Bloomington, Bowmanville, Niagara Falls and Bolton.

Bowmanville and Bloomington are official.

Brantford is easy as its on CN tracks and exsiting station.

Niagara Falls also easy as it's CN and existing station, but need infill stations and to upgrade a bridge.

Uxbridge somewhat easy as it's Metrolinx line, but have to negotiate with the current special train service on it. Also tracks need repair.

Peterborough more difficult due to CP tracks (although infrequently used) and in dire need of repair. Also would need to enable/repair the Don Branch. Also VIA may be eyeing these tracks for HFR.

Cambridge very difficult due to CP mainline. Need new trackage and/or Missing Link.

Bolton very difficult due to CP mainline. Need extra trackage.

 

[TOareaFan]

Yesterday was a complete CF - having all 7 lines delayed at rush is quite a feat even with adverse weather and they did it without it. Congratulations all around to all involved.

On another note, we have yet another track fatality - on Kitchener line.

AoD

lots of delays being tweeted out this afternoon too.......and, ironically, this one from a few hours ago:

 

[crs1026]

30 km of new track ????? Where ??????

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

A little over half that(16km) would constitute rebuilding the second track between CN Nelles Rd(mile 26.8) and CN Jordan at 15th Street(mile 16.6). The last 2 miles of track into Niagara is 105 right not, basically a yard track. So if they count the replacement of that track and the addition of second that's about 4miles/6km bringing the total to 22km. As for the other 8km who knows... maybe they added the lengths of the yard tracks from the future layover yard in the total? lol


edit* my 2000th post

Would they also be counting the new third track between Bayview Junction and West Harbour?

 

[mdrejhon]

Daily GO service to Niagara Falls? That's pretty far. I guess with KW done, that leaves Peterborough, Brantford, and Cambridge to be next in line?

This train doesn't go to Toronto.
It's Hamilton-Niagara only, and also described at www.niagarago.ca

This announced Niagara train uses Hamilton as the terminus -- as far as I know, it is the first regular GO train that doesn't go to Toronto.

I expect all-day 2-way GO service implemented between Toronto-Hamilton, as the connecting service for this Hamilton-Niagara GO train.

I have been monitoring the situation, and unlike what Wynne claims, I see evidence that West Harbour/Confederation are the only ones capable of all-day 2-way service to Hamilton. It also increases the important of the Hamilton LRT A-Line.

As proposed by NiagaraGO.ca (And what is apparently implied by this announcement -- but not said yet) it does makes sense that Hamilton, Ontario becomes a new GO train transfer hub (the first one outside Union AFAIK) given the lavish $50M spent on a very nice-looking West Harbour GO station that currently serves only about 100 commuter a day.

All the spending on the Niagara-side elements, but zero spending on Hunter-side elements, I call the Hunter bluff -- all day GO service is never going to Hamilton downtown GO, but it's almost certainly coming to West Harbour GO by ~2021-ish.

Time to wait for Steven Del Duca to set up a podium in Hamilton. But when? Maybe after the LRT reaffirmation vote.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

A little over half that(16km) would constitute rebuilding the second track between CN Nelles Rd(mile 26.8) and CN Jordan at 15th Street(mile 16.6). The last 2 miles of track into Niagara is 105 right now, basically a yard track. So if they count the upgrading of that track and the addition of second that's about 4miles/6km bringing the total to 22km. As for the other 8km who knows... maybe they added the lengths of the yard tracks from the future layover yard in the total? lol


edit* my 2000th post

Congrats!!!!
When will the track situation be fixed at West Harbour so Hamilton can get all the service?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Here's what was announced today for Niagara Region:

Daily GO service to Niagara Falls? That's pretty far. I guess with KW done, that leaves Peterborough, Brantford, and Cambridge to be next in line?

Past extension plans have been Brantford, Peterborough, Cambridge, Uxbridge, Bloomington, Bowmanville, Niagara Falls and Bolton.

Bowmanville and Bloomington are official.

Brantford is easy as its on CN tracks and exsiting station.

Niagara Falls also easy as its CN and existing station, but need infill stations and to upgrade a bridge.

Uxbridge somewhat easy as its Metrolinx line, but have to negotiate with the current special train service on it. Also tracks need repair.

Peterborough more difficult due to CP tracks (although infrequently used) and in dire need of repair. Also would need to enable/repair the Don Branch. Also VIA may be eyeing these tracks for HFR.

Cambridge very difficult due to CP mainline. Need new trackage and/or Missing Link.

Bolton very difficult due to CP mainline. Need extra trackage.

This doesn't go to Toronto.

This uses Hamilton as the terminus -- it is the first GO train that doesn't terminate in Toronto.

Moving summer service from Burlington to Hamilton?

 

[crs1026]

I'm guessing they are counting the extension of the fourth track west from Canpa to Port Credit.

It's hard to argue with improving rail service on a line that runs parallel to, and in sight of, a freeway as busy as the QEW.

This is really good news - too bad it can't happen faster.

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

Moving summer service from Burlington to Hamilton?

No, this probably will not affect the Niagara seasonal which will continue to be a single continuous train trip. Being a seasonal, it is not subject to the GO guarantee (AFAIK).

This is a separate weekday commuter service with independent Toronto-Hamilton and Hamilton-Niagara legs, using Hamilton as GTHA's only other GO train transfer hub.

This seems to make sense because Welland Canal delays will mess up Hamilton-Niagara, but all-day Toronto-Hamilton service is unaffected, preserving the Service Guarantee.

The Hamilton-Toronto service would be mostly freed from freight conflict thanks to the new Hamilton Junction Expansion. This enables Lakeshore West GO service to be extended all the way to Hamilton (via West Harbour and Confederation), as a transfer train for the Hamilton-Niagara train.

They might change things and make the train continuous (no transfer), but as written at www.NiagaraGO.ca and the wording of the Ontario announcement is apparently 100% consistent with this (so far), this is weekday all-day Hamilton-Niagara GO train that doesn't go to Toronto. So that apparently is what stands.

 

[crs1026]

Where was the decision to make this a transfer service announced? I'm curious as to the details!

- Paul

 

[mdrejhon]

Where was the decision to make this a transfer service announced? I'm curious as to the details!

Same. We might not know for years.
It could be a train-to-bus transfer for now (e.g. GO Bus #12). Ugh.
But whatever it is, what was announced was a train that definitely doesn't reach Toronto. Which is a brand new concept for GO Transit.

The tease of electric GO trains to both West Harbour and Stoney Creek now makes a lot more sense, even if unfunded. Electfify the Toronto-Hamilton leg and get high-frequency train service on that. Then have a less frequent Hamilton-Niagara train.

People can then transfer either at West Harbour or Confederation. Service disruptions on Hamilton-Niagara (by Welland) doesn't matter, people just wait for the next all-day 2-way Lakeshore West train.

This is what I think. Or I hope.

 

[mdrejhon]

Here's the service concept from www.NiagaraGO.ca as they've been heavily tweeting today's event, and the announcement text was fully consistent with the NiagaraGO plan.

Interesting reading can be had at www.NiagaraGO.ca/business-case/

Being apparently a GO train that doesn't even reach Toronto, it is a new Metrolinx development to decouple any GO train service partially from Toronto.

With the possible apparent new Metrolinx mindset of allowing a non-Union GO train -- one can wonder if there are other theoretical service concepts waiting in the wings over the next 20 years? (Hamilton-Brantford GO train, anyone?)

What else can a beautiful but underutilized new $50M GO train station in Hamilton potentially do? (Arguably one of the prettier ones anywhere on GO's network)

This also dramatically increases the importance of the Hamilton A-Line LRT. And raises its usefulness for out-of-town visitors -- especially in 20 years if Hamilton International Airport can stand-in instead of Mirabel 2 (Pickering Airport)...

Either way, this won't happen quick, but few ever dared to think of these concepts -- until this surprising GO train that doesn't even go anywhere near Toronto.

 

[crs1026]

Maybe those UPE DMU's won't end up in TTC colours after all ;-)

- Paul