[Metroscapes]

That’s interesting. The N&NW spur gets its name from the Northern & Northwestern Railway, a short-lived entity that was the merger of the Northern Railway (from Toronto north to Barrie, Collingwood, and Orillia and into Muskoka) and the Hamilton and Northwestern Railway that ran from Port Dover through Hagersville, Hamilton, Milton, Georgetown, to Barrie and Collingwood.

The Grand Trunk swallowed that up, and later became part of CN.

CPKC's connection into the industrial area is less exciting: the "Gage Spur". Mapping of the main parts are here.

Does anyone know if today's Niagara trains indeed used the new West Harbour tie in track? I assume that MX would want to eliminate that pesky reverse move ASAP. I also hope that weekend trains start stopping at West Harbour soon.

The April 5 schedules suggest they have not factored in the time savings. (current)

 

[reaperexpress]

The unusual part is the new 45mph switch (the green dot marked 3) it’s overkill unless ML intends to raise the zone speed east of the depot, maybe part of the. Confed extension. Even so, it only is useful on one routing because the T1-T2 switch (9, in orange) is only good for 25 mph.

I also found it interesting that they installed a 45 mph switch on a 30 mph railway, but the more optimistic view is that Metrolinx envisions fixing the Grimsby sub to resolve that notorious 30 mph slow zone through Hamilton. They will presumably be sticking to the south side of the corridor where practical given that Lewis Yard and West Harbour are both on the south side. So while there's only a single route served by 45 mph switch, that route will almost certainly be the most common route.

 

[drum118]

April 1
More up on my site

Looks like concrete base pour in the area for UP platform

No idea what is plan for this area next to the stair and elevator at Bloor

When did ML moves to these screen's as it been a while since I been to the Bloor Station?

 

[drum118]

April 1
Is ML still planning on building the walkway from Dundas to the Bloor Station as the land is there for it??

I noticed today there is a pad at Bloor Station for a sub station as well some ducts for power along the west side of the corridor. Also, there is a wide space between the crash wall and the fence of the apartment tower and who is responsible for that area?? One could say that the existing sidewalk in the corridor could be move there.

 

[innsertnamehere]

from what I recall metrolinx owns that space and it is reserved for a future pick-up and drop-off area.

 

[Northern Light]

Look @innsertnamehere this morning........... dropping helpful info in thread after thread......

Must be a slow start to work at the office..... LOL

 

[crs1026]

I noticed today there is a pad at Bloor Station for a sub station as well some ducts for power along the west side of the corridor.

If this is so, it's interesting because there is no mention of a substation near Bloor in either the UP TPAP or the Electrification Addendum TPAP..... although the EA reports and documentation for the Kitchener line are a bit convoluted and I may have missed something.

- Paul

 

[bearcat]

What looks like a walkway from Dundas West station and the new pick-up drop-off area from the plans for adjacent developments (from their perspective threads).

 

[drum118]

April 6
Doing stuff in the Hamilton area this weekend, took a quick trip to Confederation Station.

If this station is to see service come September or fall as noted, lots to be done before CN does their work to get the station open for those dates. Elevator being installed and lots of flashing, other finishing materials and platform edge to be install, let alone work on the southside of the station.

I stand to be corrected for the station platform track. There are 3 options to deal with the platform track for the northside.

Option 1: Grading has to take place west of the station where the new track would cut into the CN south track as well lay the base in the station area before trackwork can take place. The east end is graded. Once the grading and the station base is in place, track for the station area can be install as well to the east short of the existing track. Once done, then CN cuts in the switches at both end.

Option 2: Grading and base work still has to happen regardless. Since switches cost money as well require maintains, CN will either cuts the ends of the existing track at both ends leaving track in place the between the cuts and shift the ends to match the station platform track that happens to be where CN track was original located.

Option 3: The existing track is shifted back to its original located over a weekend or days depending on CN. Most likely the north track will be shifted back as well.

When the south platform track is install, a lot of grading will have to be done on the west end and that maybe done at the same time of the north trackwork being done. The west end is setup already when the track and switches are install. As it stands from what I have seen, there is no 3rd track to the Lewis Yard at this time, and could be wrong since I cannot get a first hand view of the area east of the station.

The dealership area used for the station construction is in the process of been turn back to them with paving still to be done and an ML fence on the retraining wall now.

 

[PShells]

There have been three pieces of railroad equipment parked on the unused platform at Unionville for more than a week.

Does anyone know if this weekend’s upcoming Stouffville/LSE construction closure will include more construction than the LSE track shift.

 

[Northern Light]

@Allandale25 made note of this in the GO Service thread as well, but it has a place here.

The province's Hamilton presser this morning is for completion of the West Harbour related works (including new track-tie in)

Ontario Newsroom

news.ontario.ca

From the above:

 

[nfitz]

With the connection complete, I wonder if we'll see Amtrak trains serving Hamilton for the first time in decades.

 

[ShonTron]

With the connection complete, I wonder if we'll see Amtrak trains serving Hamilton for the first time in decades.

I doubt it. VIA – which operates that Amtrak train within Canada – would surely prefer having just one station within the Hamilton area. That was the whole point of consolidating the stations in Aldershot.

 

[just east of the creek]

I doubt it. VIA – which operates that Amtrak train within Canada – would surely prefer having just one station within the Hamilton area. That was the whole point of consolidating the stations in Aldershot.

I understand VIA's point of view. But Aldershot is around the bay from Hamilton itself. I am not sure of the ridership levels currently through Aldershot but perhaps, one day, having a VIA station located at West Harbour would make more sense. The rest of us can hop on the GO and pick up the train then, either at West Harbour ro Oakville. With the possibilities of electrification, higher speeds, and Hamiltons nodal reach, this might be a better long term idea.

 

[Metroscapes]

I understand VIA's point of view. But Aldershot is around the bay from Hamilton itself. I am not sure of the ridership levels currently through Aldershot but perhaps, one day, having a VIA station located at West Harbour would make more sense. The rest of us can hop on the GO and pick up the train then, either at West Harbour ro Oakville. With the possibilities of electrification, higher speeds, and Hamiltons nodal reach, this might be a better long term idea.

The downside of relocating it is it could nix any London-Niagara transfers. Not sure if that's a large amount of riders, and I highly doubt it outweighs serving Hamilton, but it's a good bureaucratic excuse.