[drum118]

June 7
More up on my site

When time comes to replace the centre 2 track bridge over Danforth, the existing side piers will be move a few feet from where they are to match the 2 side bridges to allow Danforth to be come a 6 lane road, At the same time, the centre pier will be rebuilt to match the 2 side bridges that will increase the clearance compared to what exist today. Raising of the Warden Ave centre bridge will happen also when that bridge is replace.

As far as I could see, grading is taking place for the 4th track for Warden and Danforth area.

 

[reaperexpress]

So bizarre how sales are down from the closure of this MUP but when you build bike lanes on the street they magically kill businesses instead of bring more customers.... huh....interesting indeed...

That being said its nice to see some data that particular MUPs like these are actually economic benefits and not just some fancy parks for people to walk their dog in as some people view them.

It's not to do with the type of infrastructure, it's to do with change. If you add a bike lane, businesses complain. If you remove a bike lane, businesses complain.

https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2...esses-tell-ford-to-back-off-bloor-bike-lanes/

In the end, planners and politicians need to account for the fact that people have an intrinsic fear of change, and the demands of the community doesn't necessarily align with the best interest of the community.

https://tcat.ca/resources/bloor-street-economic-impact-studies/

 

[PL1]

In the end, planners and politicians need to account for the fact that people have an intrinsic fear of change, and the demands of the community doesn't necessarily align with the best interest of the community.

Many politicians have an intrinsic fear of change, especially our premier wrt bike lanes

 

[reaperexpress]

Is anyone familiar with what the final track layout will be for Confederation Station? Will there simply be a track shift and the Grimsby Sub will run through the platforms?

The full built-out design is for 4 tracks: 2 GO tracks on the south side with an island platform, and 2 CN tracks on the north side.

On opening day there won't be 4 tracks, probably just 2 or 3. Not sure which tracks will be installed.

Would the lack of a switch impact the ability of Confederation to act as the terminus of a Q60 minute regimen or are there switches further West in Hamilton that can perform this function? I say this only because there has been little information about what frequency Confederation is expected to launch with, if it's going to match West Harbour or just be essentially a new Niagara station.

I think installing a 3rd track (south side of the island platform) would be very useful, to enable trains to terminate at Confederation without obstructing either of the 2 mainline tracks.

Like @crs1026 mentioned, extending the hourly service to Confederation would require redoing the entire Lakeshore schedule to get trains to pass at West Harbour, but I'd rather have the station served by the Hamilton-Toronto trains rather than slowing down Niagara-Toronto trains. From Confederation station there are already onward connections to St. Catharines Downtown / BrockU via GO Route 11 and to St Catharines Fairview / Niagara Falls Station via GO Route 12.

If no new services are introduced and all existing services stop at the station, here's what the schedule for Confederation would look like. In addition to the 3 trains that pass Confederation en route to/from Niagara Falls, there are 3 trains that pass by en route to/from Lewis Yard. As you'd expect, those trains pass by very early in the morning or very late at night, leaving Niagara train as the only the PM Peak service.

I think at minimum there needs to be an additional peak period round trip from Lewis Yard to Union via Confederation.

 

[drum118]

June 7
Construction has started on track 3 & 4 in the Pape Area with protection in place between them and the current 3 tracks. A pile of rail on the eastside of Pape walkway and not sure if it is the new tracks or where the Ontario Line 3 branches off at Logan Ave. Shoring taking place west of Logan.

 

[crs1026]

June 7
Construction has started on track 3 & 4 in the Pape Area with protection in place between them and the current 3 tracks. A pile of rail on the eastside of Pape walkway and not sure if it is the new tracks or where the Ontario Line 3 branches off at Logan Ave. Shoring taking place west of Logan.

Work is definitely coming along quickly - the excavation and replacement of fill for the next two tracks is happening quickly. Limiting factor will likely be how long the abutments and spans for the bridges take.
I have been wondering whether we will actually see a fourth track laid, or whether only one track will be restored and the remaining width will stay used as a separation strip with jersey barriers etc so that the Ontario Line proper can be built with minimal need for all the flagging and related constraints on rail operations. The fourth GO track may actually be the last thing to be accomplished once construction of the Ontario Line has been completed.
East of the Danforth interlocking, it’s a different story - while the grading and the new bridges has mostly been finished to Scarborough Jct, track can’t be productively installed until Danforth station gets its fourth platform, and the Birchmount overpass is rebuilt These are both fairly long lead items and are still in design stage.
All of which makes me think, three tracks is all there will be for some years yet.

- Paul

 

[robmausser]

Whats the status on double tracking Barrie and Stoufville. It seems like all the attention lately is on the works related to the Ontario Line. Thanks

 

[crs1026]

Whats the status on double tracking Barrie and Stoufville. It seems like all the attention lately is on the works related to the Ontario Line. Thanks

The only bit that looks like real progress is being made is Concord to Maple. Elsewhere they are puttering along but seemingly long lead time items are not getting attended to, which does not bode well for end completion dates. It’s not clear what the critical path would be.
I’m particularly concerned about whether work is needed to fix up the bridge spans between Parkdale and Bathurst St for the added track for both Barrie and Kitchener lines. Those spans don’t look to have been touched back when GTS did the work for the three track Weston Sub construction. One would think they would be polished up well in advance so they are ready when it’s time to connect the Barrie line directly to Strachan.
As to Stouffville… the West Highland Creek Bridge remains a nonactive zone.

- Paul

 

[bearcat]

Whats the status on double tracking Barrie and Stoufville. It seems like all the attention lately is on the works related to the Ontario Line. Thanks

I recently saw some random person on Reddit on r/gotransit post this in regards to the Stouffville double tracking, not sure if what they are saying about the issues with the Highland Creek crossing is true and the cause of the delay. They claim there is some engineering challenge with regards to construction of the crossing affecting the CP railway bridge above it.

 

[cyclo]

Post above makes sense... I take the Stouffeville line and I usually eyeball the construction around the Highland creek area for signs of life as it is indeed the one area awaiting to be double tracked. It does look like construction there has been paused/halted for some time now... probably waiting for more funds to fund the "tough workaround" mentioned above.

 

[Voltz]

A very good catch!

For the moment I am differentiating between work that has already been announced and (in theory) should be under way, and things that we know ML will need to do but is not on the public record as having started.

My axe to grind with the "committed" work is that it may have been quietly deferred or maybe was never funded in the first place. ML seems to have a habit of starting procurement without a firm release of funding. And while in many cases there are shovels in the ground, some other prerequisite piece is missing (such as building platforms but not track) so while the completed piece is talked up as a victory, nothing has been accomplished. And when there are no target dates, there can be no measurement of being on track versus behind.

I agree, it's unacceptably disjointed, with no one taking accountability. But celebrations of victory with each new tweet frm ML.

- PUl

One more thing that has been popping into my mind is that they supposedly decided to implement level platforms several years ago but have done nothing to make it happen, many platforms have been built since that will have to be raised later, that could have been built to the floor level height and left there if they had begun to modify the coaches already, and if the upcoming platform consolidations and changes at Union are not built to the floor level height, then just don't bother with the whole thing.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Barrie Line double tracking prep south of Eglinton and Caledonia Station. No clear double tracking work north of Eglinton. Caledonia GO update pictures here.

 

[PShells]

Work is definitely coming along quickly - the excavation and replacement of fill for the next two tracks is happening quickly. Limiting factor will likely be how long the abutments and spans for the bridges take.
I have been wondering whether we will actually see a fourth track laid, or whether only one track will be restored and the remaining width will stay used as a separation strip with jersey barriers etc so that the Ontario Line proper can be built with minimal need for all the flagging and related constraints on rail operations. The fourth GO track may actually be the last thing to be accomplished once construction of the Ontario Line has been completed.
East of the Danforth interlocking, it’s a different story - while the grading and the new bridges has mostly been finished to Scarborough Jct, track can’t be productively installed until Danforth station gets its fourth platform, and the Birchmount overpass is rebuilt These are both fairly long lead items and are still in design stage.
All of which makes me think, three tracks is all there will be for some years yet.

- Paul

In the latest LSE Corridor Construction Update https://assets.metrolinx.com/image/...E_Early_Works_CLC_Meeting_May8_2025_Final.pdf

2025 Construction Look Ahead slide
There is no mention of the Eastern bridge.
The Queen bridge will be fully removed by August.
Bridge construction begins on the Dundas and Loan bridges in "fall/winter."

Outside of this document, there is a weekend closure for Stouffville and LSE trains on November 15-16, which hopefully means some of the 3rd rail starts being put in place before the end of 2025.

 

[Metroscapes]

Barrie Line double tracking prep south of Eglinton and Caledonia Station. No clear double tracking work north of Eglinton. Caledonia GO update pictures here.

View attachment 657351
View attachment 657352
View attachment 657353

I thought they were burying those hydro lines, perhaps they just haven't go there yet?

 

[crs1026]

I thought they were burying those hydro lines, perhaps they just haven't go there yet?

They are, and the details are further up in this or another thread. It’s not a quick project, however.
And I fear that doing so may be a prerequisite to doubling the track - it will be a lot easier to dismantle those pylons if there are fewer trains rolling by and fewer workers laying track underneath.

- Paul