[Dan416]

A peak behind the curtain: There IS money allotted for Milton Corridor Expansion. Shhh!

Oh. Happy to be wrong on this point then!

 

[chrisw]

Nice to see acrylite panels that offer a peek behind the curtain.

 

[drum118]

Considering there's no funding for Milton line expansion, I find it hard to believe they'll be adding a track anytime soon. I doubt CP would do it on their own.

I can see Ford kicking in money as there is no option to put in an ML corridor from Streetsville to Humber and he has stated the corridor is coming with help from the feds.

It would a mass disastrous of removing everything existing next to the exist corridor as well double to triple the cost if not more to do than what Ford said it will cost for that ROW. Other than Streetsville, GO has full control of the north side as far as I know with the line flipping to the south side at Humber.

As a note, when I looked at Lambton a few weeks ago, I cannot recalled when I last saw the yard almost empty, but it was a long time ago.

Far cheaper to put in the piers now while there is still time to do it than come back at a later date to do it. This will have no real impact on the LRT work other than having only one lane of traffic in each direction when the guideway gets built along with the station. GO riders will be effect during the construction as they will have to do a long walk to/from the station.

You stated there was a person from CP at the meeting you saw and they will be responsible for building the 3rd track and bridge with ML paying for it. The 4th track will be 50-50 to keep CP happy.

 

[drum118]

According to OADA standards, the ramp has to be 1:10 to 1:12 with a landing or 2 part way up.

It is hard to say what the height is at the platform end compared to Hurontario sidewalk as the corridor is on a slope along with the station. My guess is about 15-20 feet over 200 feet +/- which is close to OARA requirement at this time.

This is where I see the ramp to be. Any thought having it by the fence will not fly for safety reasons, manly having to cross the track to get to the platform. The plywood edge to the right is where the platform is with the ramp sidewalk moving to the left and about a foot of the centre of the track to the left. 2 retaining walls will have to be built for the new ramp with the south wall being about 1-2 left of the inside safety strip. That wall lines up with the bridge retaining wall.

 

[Dan416]

According to OADA standards, the ramp has to be 1:10 to 1:12 with a landing or 2 part way up.

It is hard to say what the height is at the platform end compared to Hurontario sidewalk as the corridor is on a slope along with the station. My guess is about 15-20 feet over 200 feet +/- which is close to OARA requirement at this time.

This is where I see the ramp to be. Any thought having it by the fence will not fly for safety reasons, manly having to cross the track to get to the platform. The plywood edge to the right is where the platform is with the ramp sidewalk moving to the left and about a foot of the centre of the track to the left. 2 retaining walls will have to be built for the new ramp with the south wall being about 1-2 left of the inside safety strip. That wall lines up with the bridge retaining wall.
View attachment 563883

I was referring to the fence along Hurontario actually, where there are clear desire lines / dirt from where people walk to avoid the stairs. It's not really visible on google maps or street view, but when you take it frequently like I do, it's pretty clear.

EDIT to add photos of what I’m referring to:

 

[reaperexpress]

It's a puzzle. If you analyse the likely timings of the GO trains, the Acton and Guelph sidings may be more critical to 2WAD. It's almost exactly 30 minutes running time from Georgetown to Guelph, so if trains meet at Georgetown, hourly 2WAD only needs the Guelph siding to maintain the current GO schedule. Breslau and Acton provide contingency for delays, and for non-core trains eg VIA and peak GO service.

The configuration of the switches at Breslau seems to imply a "running meet" design - the length of the siding, plus the 45 mph turnouts, suggests that two trains timed to meet there will normally be able to meet without either stopping, assuming the most frequent amount of variation in timekeeping. This is done at the price of forcing every train to slow to 45 mph at one end or the other. Possibly GO does intend to speed up running times so trains pass at Breslau instead of Guelph, but that seems a bit optimistic for the moment.

- Paul

Acton is no more important than Breslau, for the reasons you stated. The pairs of sidings need to be 30 min apart so the basic hourly service will either use Breslau and Acton, or Guelph and Georgetown. Acton is useless without Breslau.

When I mocked up the two way timetable (for fun in my spare time) I needed to add 4 minutes travel time each way between Kitchener and Georgetown to get the peak period 30 minute service to line up with the passing track locations. It's either that or somehow save 15 minutes between Georgetown and Breslau which is not plausible.

The extra peak-period service needs to run express skipping Breslau and Acton because those stations only have a platform on one track.

 

[crs1026]

Had a chore in Acton today so I had a look at the station - lots of new spray locate/cable layout markings and a bit of brush clearing, but no further activity towards the planned siding work.
This appeared to be mostly related to shifting buried telco and crossing protection wiring, no evidence of prep work for the east end siding switch or signals.
The rail and tieplates from the decommissioned end of the siding had dates back to 1927 so one can be confident that what is there will be torn out and relaid.
The west end of the siding is a stub end affair used for storing work equipment.
All in all, early days yet.

- Paul

 

[Fritter]

Was working on Saturday un Maple, so I thought I'd post a few photos of the ongoing construction at the station. It appears to me that there will be a third track going through the station in between the two tracks with platforms

 

[WB62]

It appears to me that there will be a third track going through the station in between the two tracks with platforms

There is space intentionally left for a third track, like at Rutherford and Downsview, but it’s highly unlikely to be used

 

[SaugeenJunction]

There is space intentionally left for a third track, like at Rutherford and Downsview, but it’s highly unlikely to be used

Yup. Most of the Barrie Corridor is being built out to allow for future 3rd track for express service. There is no timeline for the third track being built.

 

[reaperexpress]

There is space intentionally left for a third track, like at Rutherford and Downsview, but it’s highly unlikely to be used

Once the full corridor is double tracked to Bradford, a third (centre) track through Rutherford and Maple stations could be used to allow express trains to overtake locals, with express trains using the track in alternating directions

 

[WB62]

Once the full corridor is double tracked to Bradford, a third (centre) track through Rutherford and Maple stations could be used to allow express trains to overtake locals, with express trains using the track in alternating directions

I wouldn’t put your money on Barrie Line express trains, but if they did happen then what you described is exactly what would end up happening

 

[Bojaxs]

So we're talking about the possibility of express trains running to & from King City?

Is there space for a third, centre track through Downsview?

 

[crs1026]

So we're talking about the possibility of express trains running to & from King City?

Is there space for a third, centre track through Downsview?

The Don River bridge near Langstaff Road is the southernmost bit of infrastructure that has a third track roughed in. From there north to Major Mac, a third track is possible, but from that point north, a third track would again require a lot of work.
Great to see the new construction roughing in the third track, but there are so many grade separations that would need to be altered to connect the roughed in bits that I don’t see this coming to fruition for decades.
I do wonder if we will see a tail track for turnbacks and layovers at Aurora or elsewhere. That would improve on the current need to deadhead south to Kirby when there are theough trains to Barrie in the mix.


- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

The Don River bridge near Langstaff Road is the southernmost bit of infrastructure that has a third track roughed in. From there north to Major Mac, a third track is possible, but from that point north, a third track would again require a lot of work.
Great to see the new construction roughing in the third track, but there are so many grade separations that would need to be altered to connect the roughed in bits that I don’t see this coming to fruition for decades.
I do wonder if we will see a tail track for turnbacks and layovers at Aurora or elsewhere. That would improve on the current need to deadhead south to Kirby when there are theough trains to Barrie in the mix.


- Paul

I think the bridge over Finch is large enough to support 3 tracks, is it not?

****

My overall read of the corridor is that 3 tracks look feasible (bridge replacement issues aside), south to Finch, after that the corridor tightens up a bit.