[reinventingthewheel]

Raised tracks and a new platform: What it will take to build Waterloo region's new transit hub​

March 2026 now marked as the start date for construction of the new Kitchener Station. But they mention needing to raise the tracks between King and Weber. What's up with that?

I think Duke St is being grade separated and there’s insufficient distance on the NW side of the rail to send the road that deep (without severing nearby driveways.

And less of a necessity, more of a nice to have: a higher platform level will allow for one concourse level open to both sides of the rail and at the same grade as the LRT/bus loop/plaza.

 

[kotsy]

The North/West section of the Dundas East bridge is coming in 2 weeks.

 

[timio]

I think Duke St is being grade separated and there’s insufficient distance on the NW side of the rail to send the road that deep (without severing nearby driveways.

And less of a necessity, more of a nice to have: a higher platform level will allow for one concourse level open to both sides of the rail and at the same grade as the LRT/bus loop/plaza.

Duke is being closed to vehicles and turned into a pedestrian tunnel.

 

[dowlingm]

Something to consider is that VIA trains often hit a top speed of roughly 150km/h while riding on wooden ties. So what's stopping an express GO trains from doing the same? Do concrete ties really matter?

The grade to the east is a bit different, probably not enough power/weight ratio going from Union, being conservative with braking needs going towards?

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Video of Niagara-bound GO train using the new West Harbour connecting track.

 

[kotsy]

LSE Corridor update

Looking south towards Queen Street:

Old track removal:

North towards Eastern:

North towards Queen St.

 

[crs1026]

In addition to being grateful to @kotsy and others for helping us see so much tangible evidence of solid progress on this project.... I'm conscious that this stream of images is as important a heritage resource to the next 100 years of researchers as all the James Salmon (et. al.) fonds are to those looking back at how we got here..

This project is history in the making - the new built form of this corridor will likely remain for the next century, or longer..... I hope that enough of these images are archived somewhere to be useful way down the road.

- Paul

 

[kotsy]

Construction update on the LSE corridor via Metrolinx:

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Images/Metrolinx/JC_LSE_Early_Works_CLC_Meeting_Apr3_2025_Final.pdf

This updated construction schedule was included. Looks like the Queen St bridge demolition is finally coming at the end of May.

 

[PShells]

Construction update on the LSE corridor via Metrolinx:

https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/upload/Images/Metrolinx/JC_LSE_Early_Works_CLC_Meeting_Apr3_2025_Final.pdf

This updated construction schedule was included. Looks like the Queen St bridge demolition is finally coming at the end of May.

View attachment 646473

I appreciate you being on top of these documents to provide us updates. Based on the bottom of the schedule the four existing bridges will be demolished by June 2 (Eastern has been down for some time now).

That provides 5-6 months for new bridges and retaining walls to be installed and a potential 3rd and/or 4th track to be installed by the end of the year.

The new track would be approximately 15 months “late” from the “it will be 3 years from August 2021” forecast. It’s likely the new track is not in service until spring 2026 if the 2024-25 experience is an indicative construction pace.

 

[crs1026]

. The signalling system will eventually be upgraded to ETCS Level 2, for now they'll be reusing the PTC system until then.

(Shifting this comment from the OL thread to this one, as it's GO specific rather than OL specific)

I have not seen any indication of how the track will be configured after East Harbour is built - will there be any new crossovers at either end of that station, or will it be a mid-block station with only the existing interlockings at Cherry Street and Danforth retained?

There are a couple signal gantries in that stretch that will need to be replaced as they do not have enough width for four tracks - in a perfect world, ETCS would be in place so that no new intermediate fixed signals are needed once the other two tracks are installed. I suspect that may be too optimistic at ETCS will need a lot of work to install and commission, and (given potential for teething troubles) the four-track Kingston Sub section would be the wrong place for ETCS phase I.. One gantry has been replaced with a wider one already, so the others may receive similar treatment with the block spacing not changing much..... but again, adding shorter blocks to protect trains stopped at East Harbour seems desirable.

- Paul

 

[urbancog]

FWIW, the 60% design drawings for East Harbour Station (2023-07-20) contained this context plan that doesn't show crossovers in the immediate vicinity of the station.

 

[crs1026]

FWIW, the 60% design drawings for East Harbour Station (2023-07-20) contained this context plan that doesn't show crossovers in the immediate vicinity of the station.

The Cherry Street interlocking begins just to the west of the Don River, so I imagine they fulfil the need at that end of East Harbour. Turnouts on the east end might be problemmatic thanks to the curvature.
I wonder if they will adjust the block spacing to the east, however....the current approach to East Harbour is half a mile further east, meaning that westward trains following a train stopped at the platform at East Harbour would have to hold or proceed at restricted speed all the way from that point. Seems a bit restrictive on headways. Ideally a westward train ought to be able to hold very close to the east if the train ahead stops at East Harbour.

- Paul

 

[drum118]

The Cherry Street interlocking begins just to the west of the Don River, so I imagine they fulfil the need at that end of East Harbour. Turnouts on the east end might be problemmatic thanks to the curvature.
I wonder if they will adjust the block spacing to the east, however....the current approach to East Harbour is half a mile further east, meaning that westward trains following a train stopped at the platform at East Harbour would have to hold or proceed at restricted speed all the way from that point. Seems a bit restrictive on headways. Ideally a westward train ought to be able to hold very close to the east if the train ahead stops at East Harbour.

- Paul

At this stage, too early to say if there will be a block around Queen until all 4 tracks are in place since they need to get two tracks in to complete the other two as well OL line work. Given how blocks went in on the Weston Sub, can see it happening on the LSE.

 

[alexb]

Work at Maple GO is still progressing, although this past year has felt quite slow. It seems like there is almost no rush to complete works and get everything back open.
We are now reaching 3+ years which is the same time Rutherford took to do with a lot more complex work.
I get that this isn't a priority project for Metrolinx but it would still be nice for them to at least get the platforms reopened so boarding isn't a mess every morning.
1 good news update - there is an independent coffee shop opening in 120 Eagle Rock Way right next door to the new station building.

 

[crs1026]

Actually, I have been impressed with how quickly the second platform at Maple came along over the winter. The issue is how the track expansion and the platform construction lines up. It's certainly possible that the track work (which consists of extending the double track north from south of Rutherford to just north of Maple) might be finished by end of summer.

But, even if that happens.... adding track further south is still a ways off, so it's doubtful that service frequency won't be increased in a meaningful way this year.

- Paul