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Union Station Rail Corridor Improvements

E

Ed007Toronto

Guest
GO Transit Begins Work On Union Station Rail Corridor

Ontario Government Invests $37.6 Million To Help Modernize Station's
Track And Signal System

TORONTO, July 31 /CNW/ - Work has begun to upgrade Union Station's track
and signal system to prepare for expected GO Transit ridership growth,
Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield and GO Transit Chairman Peter Smith
announced today.
"Union Station is the heart of the GO network," said Cansfield.
"Forty-seven million riders annually use GO Transit and ridership is expected
to double within 20 to 30 years. That's why it's essential that we upgrade the
system now to accommodate future growth of transit riders."
The Ontario government is investing $37.6 million to help GO replace
track switches in the station's rail corridor. This will make way for future
replacement of its entire signal system, which controls all train movements at
Union Station. The result will be a modern, faster more efficient signal
system which will allow GO to move trains in and out of the station faster,
making it possible to add more train trips in the future. The entire
replacement of the signal system is expected to be completed in 2014.
"This work will not only set the stage for the signal system's
replacement, but it will also give trains two more approach tracks into the
station, improving on-time performance and customer satisfaction," said Smith.

<<
GO has begun work that includes:
- Replacing 100 track switches with new ones that will allow trains to
move at higher speeds, creating the potential for more rush hour
trains into Union Station. The new switch design will also improve
service reliability and lower maintenance costs for GO Transit.
- Realigning the tracks at John Street and adding two approach tracks
into Union station to make it more flexible for trains to use
different tracks and different platforms
- Realigning curves at Cherry Street and Parliament Street to increase
train speed
- Installing hot air blowers to remove snow from track switches in bad
winter conditions, minimizing train delays.
>>

The work is being done by Toronto Terminals Railway Company, GO Transit's
operations and maintenance contractor for its Union Station rail corridor.
"Investing in transit means cleaner air and healthier Ontarians," said
Cansfield. "One train can take 1,400 or more cars off the road reducing
congestion for commuters and the $1.2 trillion worth of commercial goods that
move across Ontario highways every year."
The McGuinty government is on the side of commuters and Ontario families
with transportation plan that:
<<
- Opened the first provincial High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on
Highways 403 and 404 in December 2005 so commuters and transit users
will spend less time in traffic
- Invested $1.2 billion in 2006 to improve public transit, municipal
roads and bridges across the province
- Introduced legislation to create a Greater Toronto Transportation
Authority (GTTA) to take an inter-regional approach to creating
seamless and integrated transit in the GTA and Hamilton.

Disponible en français

www.mto.gov.on.ca
www.gotransit.com
>>


For further information: Media Contacts: Neal Kelly, Minister's Office,
(416) 327-9134; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, (416) 327-1158; Stephanie
Sorensen, GO Transit, (416) 869-3600 ext. 5231
 
Expect a hell of a lot more delays and unreliability until 2014. Installing a signalling system on a brand-new transit system that isn't even carrying passengers yet still takes months of testing and plenty of troubleshooting. Doing it in an active rail corridor just adds to the complication.

Just like Pearson Airport with its years of construction, it may be fustrating at times, but it's gotta be done.
 
Any plans to upgrade the platform area and the roof. It needs to be modernized too !!!!
 
I repeat. Re the whole save-or-scrap-the-Bush-sheds controversy; why not just reassemble them somewhere else as some tres-Euro high-design "community facility".

But not, I repeat, *not* at The Docks...
 
Glad to hear this project is getting underway. It is these types of projects, boring, unsexy, not likely to make much news, that are the most exciting to me since ultimately they will tend to be the ones that help create the infrastructure backbone needed to really made better intercity, regional and even innercity rail transit possible.
 
They will have the new retaining wall built by the end of the month for the flyunder at the Bathurst Yard Area. Once done, work can start on installing the new 3rd track and the building of the new signal mast tower.

The new slip switch is in place to connect to the siding track on the north side at John St that will become the new #1 track for the Air Link access to platform 3.

All kinds of slip switches have been replaced on the east side of the station with more to be replace.

The switches and track work at the Bathurst bridge area cannot take place until the new grade separation at Strachan Ave is built so the new sloping grade can be done.

Still no word if a new south platform 28 is going to be built.

The biggest issues now and in the future is the unloading of 12-16 cars trains on the small platforms and the lack of fast off loading of the platforms due to lack of stairs.
 
Here they are the plan :)

2wm12iw.jpg


What do you think ?
 
It isn't the vision of any agency I know about. They are having trouble paying for a small pedestrian bridge over the rail corridor where there was once a land bridge planned. In the location near Union Station where the street would be 3 to 4 storeys below requiring elevators to access and which would have a far more significant cost but far less benefit in terms of pedestrian trip connectivity I can't see it ever being realized as a vision. For something to be built on top of the elevated corridor near Union Station there would need to be offices or residences built on top of the corridor.
 
EnviroTO said:
It isn't the vision of any agency I know about.
Click to expand...

Why do you think only agency can have a vision. I live in Toronto as well :)

EnviroTO said:
They are having trouble paying for a small pedestrian bridge over the rail corridor where there was once a land bridge planned. In the location near Union Station where the street would be 3 to 4 storeys below requiring elevators to access and which would have a far more significant cost but far less benefit in terms of pedestrian trip connectivity I can't see it ever being realized as a vision. For something to be built on top of the elevated corridor near Union Station there would need to be offices or residences built on top of the corridor.
Click to expand...

The financial question is the right one. Here they is the story about railroad baron Collis P. Huntington, who visited Eiffel Tower just after its completion. When an interviewer for a Paris newspaper asked him for a critique, he said: “Your Eiffel Tower is all very well, but where’s the money in it?” According to one estimate,more than $120 billion worth of Eiffel Tower souvenirs has been sold since 1897.
Source: http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/conference/annual08/08192NEU10.pdf

Green initiatives are very popular. There are two Financial areas right now, so, the City must build parks anyway. Sky park is very non-expansive solution , well, and very effective. Also it is cool and attractive. The City will definitely would save a lot of money.

The best global example, probably would the the Atocha train station in Madrid. They build very expensive tropical park inside the train station, and have never regretted about it.

1248037834wk25NSy.jpg
 
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Cool idea. But where do you suggest we get the funds from?

And realistically, this is not going to sell as many souvenirs as the Eiffel tower.
 
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