[dowlingm]

I would assume they will use the TMC at Mimico. Lots of room even if they want their own dedicated maintenance building.

- Paul

They might want to but what’s in it for VIA, given the disruption a retrofit for electric operations would likely cause? Unless, like the REM and the tunnel, the idea is to simply take it from them?

 

[nfitz]

They might want to but what’s in it for VIA, given the disruption a retrofit for electric operations would likely cause? Unless, like the REM and the tunnel, the idea is to simply take it from them?

Technically the VIA portion is in New Toronto. Mimico's north of the GO mainline and east of Dwight Avenue.

 

[crs1026]

Technically the VIA portion is in New Toronto. Mimico's north of the GO mainline and east of Dwight Avenue.

This is an interesting bit of railway trivia. I have never heard anyone make this distinction, and clearly people who trace the history of Mimico relate it to the railway yards generally, while New Toronto was associated with an adjacent industrial land base that depended on, but was separate from, the railway yard. New Toronto had only a small railway station that disappeared rather early in the game. But the lines on the map have always been there to see !
Just don't tell Metrolinx, or they will rename their yards something obtuse, to match other transit lines.

- Paul

 

[crs1026]

They might want to but what’s in it for VIA, given the disruption a retrofit for electric operations would likely cause? Unless, like the REM and the tunnel, the idea is to simply take it from them?

There has been a trend in other places for railcar manufacturers who land maintenance contracts along with the build contract to erect their own dedicated facilities, run by themselves for that particular brand of trainset. In effect the TMC and MMC are moving towards that model with the Venture trainsets. The same would likely happen with Alto.

Relying on nothing more precise than Google maps - My inexpert eye says there is still enough vacant trackage on the south side of the TMC property (possibly still owned by CN rather than VIA) to allow one more maintenance building. Seems like a more probable location than Leaside.

Would Ottawa force VIA to divest that land? You bet. Ottawa wants legacy VIA gone. Cannibalising its assets is quite within their mindset.

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

Just don't tell Metrolinx, or they will rename their yards something obtuse, to match other transit lines.

The Metrolinx signage says Willowbrook. I admit I haven't done any work there in over 40 years, but they 100% called it Willowbrook at that time. I've only heard the facility called Mimico here - though that part is certainly in Mimico! And was once CN's Mimico Yard.

Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[crs1026]

The Metrolinx signage says Willowbrook. I admit I haven't done any work there in over 40 years, but they 100% called it Willowbrook at that time. I've only heard the facility called Mimico here - though that part is certainly in Mimico! And was once CN's Mimico Yard.

Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The CN terminology has always been Mimico Yard, old newspaper articles always referred to "the CNR yard in Mimico". New Toronto seldom was acknowledged, but clearly the south half of the old yard wasn't in Mimico at all.
I imagine that when GO came along, they needed a name other than Mimico to keep it operationally distinct - CN remained active there for the first couple decades of GO's tenancy - .... and maybe separate themselves from whatever local legacy the CNR had created over the decades.
Operationally GO crews have a couple of names for parts of it, particularly the crew base which is east of Islington.....and with GO setting up auxiliary buildings along Judson, certain points in the complex are identified at times by street address.
I'm just amused that nobody ever pointed this out before.

- Paul

 

[smallspy]

Is there enough of Leaside yard available with the Ontario Line yard just south of there? The old CP Leaside station was knocked down recently, along with other structures in Metrolinx's way.

The whole of Leaside Yard - and even if the CP mainline was moved to the northern edge of the property - is considerably larger than all of the land used for the Ontario Line's maintenance facility.

They could have repurposed the yard for the Ontario Line and still had room left over for storage of a good half-dozen or more GO trains from downtown.

Relying on nothing more precise than Google maps - My inexpert eye says there is still enough vacant trackage on the south side of the TMC property (possibly still owned by CN rather than VIA) to allow one more maintenance building. Seems like a more probable location than Leaside.

- Paul

Not CN anymore - that land is now owned by Metrolinx. And is used by them as a maintenance-of-way depot.

Dan

 

[Bordercollie]

The whole of Leaside Yard - and even if the CP mainline was moved to the northern edge of the property - is considerably larger than all of the land used for the Ontario Line's maintenance facility.

They could have repurposed the yard for the Ontario Line and still had room left over for storage of a good half-dozen or more GO trains from downtown.


Not CN anymore - that land is now owned by Metrolinx. And is used by them as a maintenance-of-way depot.

Dan

Isn't the Obico yard lands owned by Metrolinx also? That would be closer than Agincourt and would not interfere with in service trains to deadhead to the yard.

 

[crs1026]

Isn't the Obico yard lands owned by Metrolinx also? That would be closer than Agincourt and would not interfere with in service trains to deadhead to the yard.

Well, Metrolinx may have other uses for that land. We are talking about where Alto - or its trainset provider - might want to set up shop.

- Paul

 

[dowlingm]

I have been reminded in a PM that the RFQ for high speed stipulated that the successful bidder is expected to run services in the existing corridor as part of their remit, with only LD service excluded. They would also be responsible for maintaining VIA owned Corridor infra.

VIA would still run LD/remote service, but by then the LD fleet replacement would be partially or fully complete and maintenance work may be done by the OEM anyway.

 

[crs1026]

I have been reminded in a PM that the RFQ for high speed stipulated that the successful bidder is expected to run services in the existing corridor as part of their remit, with only LD service excluded. They would also be responsible for maintaining VIA owned Corridor infra.

VIA would still run LD/remote service, but by then the LD fleet replacement would be partially or fully complete and maintenance work may be done by the OEM anyway.

It makes sense that the contractor would keep all its activities at one site…. But the custom tooling for the Venture trainsets might not mesh with the needs of whatever trains Alto uses, so two facilities might be needed… and with different vendors, any number of things might mean keeping their operations separate. So maybe Alto finds its own site for the high speed fleet.
- Paul

 

[jcam]

The Metrolinx signage says Willowbrook. I admit I haven't done any work there in over 40 years, but they 100% called it Willowbrook at that time. I've only heard the facility called Mimico here - though that part is certainly in Mimico! And was once CN's Mimico Yard.

Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They tore down the buildings at the corner SE corner of Horner and Kipling, adjacent to Willowbrook. Anyone know if that's MX expanding, or other redevelopment?

 

[micheal_can]

With the mess of the Air Canada strike, and the fact Air Canada is part of the consortium that is building and running ALTO, will this strike taint the project at all?

 

[Thaboss]

With the mess of the Air Canada strike, and the fact Air Canada is part of the consortium that is building and running ALTO, will this strike taint the project at all?

By the time alto ia ready to announce anything, the strike and anything associated with it will be long forgotten

 

[Allandale25]

Reminder for today:

Hello,

This is a reminder for Alto’s 2025 Annual Public Meeting, which will take place:

Thursday, August 28, 2025

At 10:45 AM (EDT)

Click here to access the webcast

We look forward to your participation!

Best regards,
[The Alto Team]