GO/VIA Transit

[SteelTown]

VIA already announced they'll come to James St North. This fall they are suppose to work on building the platforms. After that I would expect some fund of announcement regarding GO Trains and VIA service to the new Station.

The Feds has set aside money for VIA Station renewal and Hamilton is listed so perhaps the Feds will announce specific funding to build a new Station along with the $3 million platforms.

[realcity]

Thanks for the info Steel.

Is VIA a Crown Corp.? GO is Provincial Corp, Is it Not?. So getting Ottawa/Queens Park to coordinate something together is quite an accomplishment.

[SteelTown]

GO bus service expands at McMaster

September 08, 2009
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/630414

Starting with the new school year, GO riders will benefit from expanded services from McMaster University. Changes to some buses that run from McMaster will give a greater service delivery to students who rely on public transportation.

Quotes

"Beginning next week, this additional services by the GO bus public transportation network offers our community more and better choices. This is great news for McMaster University."

-- Ted McMeekin, MPP Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough- Westdale

"Increased GO service from McMaster will help me commute back to Mississauga and Brampton. Seeing family and friends back home is an important part of my experience at McMaster."

--Kyle Balkissoon, a fourth-year economics student

Quick facts

April 2007: Opening of new GO Bus Terminal at McMaster University, to accommodate more than 2,000 riders per day, with five bus bays, heated shelters and other amenities (provincial investment of $750,000)

April 2002: Extension of Highway 407 West GO bus service to Hamilton GO centre and McMaster University. Highway 407 GO bus service offers service to locations in Hamilton, Halton and Peel, as well as to York University. Trip frequency has increased continuously each year since introduction

[markbarbera]

Thank goodness, more secure bike parking is coming to Hamilton GO Centre:

GO unveils rush-hour bike parking
Starting at Hamilton and Burlington stations


September 18, 2009
Carmela Fragomeni

A new GO Transit pilot project in Hamilton and Burlington will allow cyclists a secure place to park their bikes when travelling by GO train or bus during rush hour.

Cyclists can currently take their bikes with them on buses (on racks in front) and trains, but not during rush hour. They can also park their bikes at outside unsecured bike racks.

The $85,000 new pilot gives cyclists the opportunity to double lock their bikes -- first onto an individual bike rack, and secondly in a glassed-in room that is locked and accessible only through a microchipped security key mechanism.

The secure bike parking is available for $50 a year starting Oct. 1 and can be obtained through applications available on GO’s website, at the Hamilton and Burlington GO stations, and at Toronto’s Union Station customer service.

The Hamilton station has 25 parking spots and there are 20 in Burlington.

This comes a little late for my friend who had her bike stolen from this station last month, but it's a vast improvement to the present bike rack situation.

I'm wondering if this will be a new locker area, or if they will be modifying the existing covered bike shelter out front by adding sliding doors with the microchip key system.

[SteelTown]

Liberal MPP ted McMeekin unveils GO's new bike-parking area at the Hamilton station

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

VIA already announced they'll come to James St North. This fall they are suppose to work on building the platforms. After that I would expect some fund of announcement regarding GO Trains and VIA service to the new Station.

The Feds has set aside money for VIA Station renewal and Hamilton is listed so perhaps the Feds will announce specific funding to build a new Station along with the $3 million platforms.

Looks like the government will finally flush out details about VIA Stations renewal soon.

Station upgrades

Ontario: 66 projects, $24 million

[SteelTown]

GO looks at new Niagara Rail Service Expansion
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../17/c8463.html

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2009 /CNW/ - GO Transit is set to start an environmental assessment (EA) that will look at what infrastructure upgrades would be required to expand rail service to the Niagara Peninsula including prospective building sites for new rail stations and potential improvements to the existing rail line. The EA begins this week, with completion scheduled for summer 2010.

Following the EA and subsequent public review period, there will be an assessment to determine whether a business case exists for this service.

"The potential service expansion along the Niagara corridor will depend on various factors such as fleet availability, capital and operating funds and supportive business partnerships with the railways," said Gary McNeil, GO Transit's Managing Director. The Niagara rail line service expansion is outlined in GO Transit's Strategic Plan: GO 2020, and is part of GO's vision for better, expanded service for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. For more information, visit the Publications page at gotransit.com.

A successful weekend excursion train service was offered this summer linking Niagara Falls and Toronto, and ran between Toronto's Union Station, Port Credit GO Station, Oakville GO Station, Burlington GO Station, St. Catharines VIA Rail Station and Niagara Falls VIA Station.

GO introduced year-round weekday and weekend bus service to Niagara Falls on September 5 between Niagara Falls VIA Rail station and Burlington GO Station with stops in Stoney Creek, Grimsby, and St. Catharines. This service connects with GO's Lakeshore west train service. GO encourages travelers to take the Niagara Falls bus service as an alternative to driving to this popular destination area.

[matt602]

Man, if you used GO and VIA's service maps as a geography lesson of Canadian cities, you might not even realize that a city of half a million people lies between Toronto and Niagara Falls. They certainly don't seem to realize it exists, especially VIA.

It's called Hamilton and it could really use some better transit options.

[SteelTown]

If they want GO Trains to the Niagara Region they'll first have to deal with Hamilton. So in a way it's good news as this EA will deal with GO Trains from east of the GO Station and on to the Niagara Region, be it east of TH&B GO Station or future James St North Station (likely this one) or perhaps merging the two lines together somewhere East of Hamilton.

[markbarbera]

I wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at a Niagara connection via the CP tracks east of Hamilton GO Centre. The CP track is less travelled than the CN line and it would be easier to fit in GO pasenger train schedules along this line of track. Also, it would be easier (and cheaper) to acquire the land needed for park-and-ride stations along the CP track. Previous construction announcements for the Hamilton Junction grade seperation and widening of the Hunter Street tunnel seem to indicate a leaning toward higher utilization of the CP tracks.

[Zaz]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

If they want GO Trains to the Niagara Region they'll first have to deal with Hamilton.

... unless they just choose to ignore and bypass it altogether, like they did this summer with Niagara Falls service. I see Burlington possibly taking a far more prominent position as the gateway to the Niagara region, no?

[SteelTown]

They passed by Hamilton altogether because we don't have any GO Stations along the CN Niagara tracks.

It's not a problem running weekend and holiday GO Trains to the Niagara Region and take a two hour trip, remember they don't own the rail tracks. But you'll need to do some serious upgrades if you wish to have GO Trains going to the Niagara Region during the weekday and rush hour.

Metrolinx/GO Transit will have to do upgrades to the Hamilton area in order to serve the Niagara Region during weekdays and rush hour. Remember the province already has a funding agreement with the Federal government to improve the Hamilton Junction.

[Zaz]

^^ good to know!

[SteelTown]

I would suspect with funding in place construction for the Hamilton Junction should be completed by 2015. I don't believe Metrolinx/GO Transit has begun the EA yet.

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by markbarbera

I wouldn't be surprised if they are looking at a Niagara connection via the CP tracks east of Hamilton GO Centre. The CP track is less travelled than the CN line and it would be easier to fit in GO pasenger train schedules along this line of track. Also, it would be easier (and cheaper) to acquire the land needed for park-and-ride stations along the CP track. Previous construction announcements for the Hamilton Junction grade seperation and widening of the Hunter Street tunnel seem to indicate a leaning toward higher utilization of the CP tracks.

But CP has such a hate-on for passenger trains that we can't even get another morning run into Toronto after the 7:17. We were told the tracks were just too busy that time of day.

The whole elevated section of track east of the GO is reduced to single track even though the right of way is wide enough for 3. That's easy enough but the storage facility that they just put in takes up 2 track widths. To completely return to double track would mean moving that thing they just built. I don't know why they put it there and not one of two sites further down the line that were already railyards in the past.

I used to think maybe CP would be sweet talked into giving up more track time if the Hunter Street Tunnel was reconstructed with public funds as part of the Lakeshore line electrification. If the motivation for all of this is to reach Niagara, the storage facility will have to be dealt with as well and not to mention, building a new connection to the CN line. In the country that astonished the world with railway engineering feats 100 years ago that were deemed technically unfeasible at the time, apparently building 10km of track in the country is technically unfeasible today.

The CN line on the other hand, has a crap load of level crossings on main roads within the city, which is something we seem to be getting rid of these days. Either way there's going to be some infrastructure.

I guess I still have hope for the TH&B. Maybe a little.

[geoff's two cents]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

In the country that astonished the world with railway engineering feats 100 years ago that were deemed technically unfeasible at the time, apparently building 10km of track in the country is technically unfeasible today.

Remarkable, isn't it? I wonder what Sanford Fleming, William Thomas et al would have to say about this. . .

[Jon Dalton]

Originally Posted by geoff's two cents

Remarkable, isn't it? I wonder what Sanford Fleming, William Thomas et al would have to say about this. . .

"F*** this, we're moving to China."

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

But CP has such a hate-on for passenger trains that we can't even get another morning run into Toronto after the 7:17. We were told the tracks were just too busy that time of day.

The whole elevated section of track east of the GO is reduced to single track even though the right of way is wide enough for 3. That's easy enough but the storage facility that they just put in takes up 2 track widths. To completely return to double track would mean moving that thing they just built. I don't know why they put it there and not one of two sites further down the line that were already railyards in the past.

I used to think maybe CP would be sweet talked into giving up more track time if the Hunter Street Tunnel was reconstructed with public funds as part of the Lakeshore line electrification. If the motivation for all of this is to reach Niagara, the storage facility will have to be dealt with as well and not to mention, building a new connection to the CN line. In the country that astonished the world with railway engineering feats 100 years ago that were deemed technically unfeasible at the time, apparently building 10km of track in the country is technically unfeasible today.

The CN line on the other hand, has a crap load of level crossings on main roads within the city, which is something we seem to be getting rid of these days. Either way there's going to be some infrastructure.

I guess I still have hope for the TH&B. Maybe a little.

The existing CP track in the stretch between Wentworth and GO Centre wouldn't require a second track to handle hourly pasenger service. Actually, I don't even think it would be necessary seeing as the middle track can be used for GO traffic when there isn't a train in layover position there.

GO is talking about a layover facility to be built in Niagara, so I can see GO keeping two trains in Hamilton layover on the northernmost tracks and the remainder held in layover in the new Niagara facilities, wherever that may be located. Barring that, there is plenty enough clearance to add another track south of the existing main line between MacNab and Ferguson. If you look at the raised area at the station, the bridges were laid to alllow an additional track on the south side without needing to widen these overpasses.

PS: GO has rights to 12 slots for passage through the Hunter tunnel. Currently they are only using 8 of those slots. There's no reason the four remaining slots could not be used to dead-head one more train into the GO Centre for rush hour service (two slots for AM departure and two for PM arrival)

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

But CP has such a hate-on for passenger trains that we can't even get another morning run into Toronto after the 7:17. We were told the tracks were just too busy that time of day.

The whole elevated section of track east of the GO is reduced to single track even though the right of way is wide enough for 3. That's easy enough but the storage facility that they just put in takes up 2 track widths. To completely return to double track would mean moving that thing they just built. I don't know why they put it there and not one of two sites further down the line that were already railyards in the past.

I used to think maybe CP would be sweet talked into giving up more track time if the Hunter Street Tunnel was reconstructed with public funds as part of the Lakeshore line electrification. If the motivation for all of this is to reach Niagara, the storage facility will have to be dealt with as well and not to mention, building a new connection to the CN line. In the country that astonished the world with railway engineering feats 100 years ago that were deemed technically unfeasible at the time, apparently building 10km of track in the country is technically unfeasible today.

The CN line on the other hand, has a crap load of level crossings on main roads within the city, which is something we seem to be getting rid of these days. Either way there's going to be some infrastructure.

I guess I still have hope for the TH&B. Maybe a little.

GO should look into buying at least some of the ROW so they own the tracks, like with the line from Pickering to Oshawa...

[markbarbera]

Further to my musings about GO potentially using CP to serve Niagara, it struck me that the TH&B tracks that CP acquired run eastward from Hamilton to Niagara and Buffalo via Welland. The track actually passes right next to the Welland International Flatwater Centre, site of the Canoe and Kayaking events for the Pan Am Games. I can see GO using this route as a rail link to connect the site to the rest of the Games as well as providing commuter rail service to Niagara.