Rapid Transit

[Innsertnamehere]

So construction not until 2026 at the earliest.

[SteelTown]

Future LRT project will bring reliable, light rail transit through Hamilton’s downtown core.
Nov. 6 – The Hamilton LRT has reached a major procurement milestone.

https://www.metrolinx.com/en/news/ha...g-step-forward

On Nov. 6, 2024 Metrolinx released the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for the civil and utilities contract for the Hamilton LRT. The RFQ is the first step in the procurement process to select a team to deliver the first package of work for the project.

Procurement stages
The project is being procured in multiple packages of work – with this first RFQ for civil works including utilities, roads and structures.

Metrolinx will evaluate various submissions to shortlist teams with the relevant experience and financial capacity to deliver a project of this type, size and complexity. Following the RFQ, those shortlisted teams would submit proposals in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP). The proposals will outline how they would deliver the first package of work. Once all proposals have been thoroughly evaluated, an alliance partner will be selected to proceed into the Alliance Development Phase (ADA) where detailed designs, schedule and costs will be prepared. The alliance model is a form of contract where project delivery risks are shared by the owner and non-owner and allow all parties to reach the best solutions for the project.


An artist's rendering of the future Parkdale stop. (Metrolinx image)

The future Parkdale Avenue stop is an at-grade open air stop on the future Hamilton LRT. The stop will be steps away from Parkdale Park, Pat Quinn Arena and facilitate connection to HSR buses.


Caption: An artist's rendering of the King Street East grade separation. (Metrolinx image)

The future King Street East underpass will allow the light rail vehicles (LRVs) to travel under the existing CPKC rail line. Separating the two lines will ensure reliable, continuous movement along the LRT route and a smooth convenient journey for customers.

[SteelTown]

• Video Link

[matt602]

Those two new renders are gettin me pretty excited. The grade separation rendering in particular is interesting because it doesn't reflect whats on slide 11 of these drawings from 2 years ago: https://www.hamilton.ca/sites/defaul...c2-mapping.pdf

Theres also an entire floor missing from one of the houses in the rendering, so I'm not sure if they were just getting creative with the rendering or if it actually represents a change in design.

[ScreamingViking]

Hopefully CP intends to increase the use of that grade-separated rail line. The two or so "trains" per day that use it now aren't an economic reason for putting the LRT route under the train tracks.

I don't know if this announcement means all that much. Considering that the current government cancelled this in the midst of the original procurement.

[bigguy1231]

Just wait until they get the actual proposal with a price tag of 10 billion and watch how fast this will be cancelled. The province is drawing this out just looking for an excuse to cancel. And, in what fantasy world are 50,000 people a day going to use this. That is probably more per day than the current whole HSR transports in a week. Correction, apparently the HSR carries 55,000 per day currently, who knew. So once the LRT is built it's going to be used by 50,000 of those people.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Hopefully CP intends to increase the use of that grade-separated rail line. The two or so "trains" per day that use it now aren't an economic reason for putting the LRT route under the train tracks.

The only thing that line is used for is servicing the industries in the north end, from their yard at Gage and Lawrence. Don't think theres really any way they could increase usage of it unless more heavy industries located in the north end, which isn't looking likely.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by bigguy1231

Just wait until they get the actual proposal with a price tag of 10 billion and watch how fast this will be cancelled. The province is drawing this out just looking for an excuse to cancel. And, in what fantasy world are 50,000 people a day going to use this. That is probably more per day than the current whole HSR transports in a week. Correction, apparently the HSR carries 55,000 per day currently, who knew. So once the LRT is built it's going to be used by 50,000 of those people.

I agree with you that the government is probably looking for excuses. We will see.

As for the "fantasy world", this is about planning for higher-order service in the busiest transit corridor in the city, a corridor that could use it today never mind 10+ years from now. The buses that get freed up can be used on other routes to improve service in other areas. And the intensification that's planned all across the central lower city will need this level service to support the transportation needs of the people who will live there -- can't have the development without the improved transportation, and we need somewhere to put the people the province projects will be living in Hamilton 25 to 30 years from now... despite the back and forth about extending the urban boundary, they cannot all live in new homes on greenfield sites; the municipal government simply won't be able to afford services and infrastructure for them, and the gridlock that would be created is unsustainable.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by matt602

The only thing that line is used for is servicing the industries in the north end, from their yard at Gage and Lawrence. Don't think theres really any way they could increase usage of it unless more heavy industries located in the north end, which isn't looking likely.

As it is the line is only used about twice a day, often to shunt locomotives and a few rail cars to and from the north end industrial area. I can't remember seeing a longer train on those tracks (I live two blocks east, so I'm mainly going off what I can hear during the day... the crossing bells don't ring very long when they do)

If it had been planned differently it could have helped solve the problem of GO trains connecting to the Grimsby Subdivision to get to/from Niagara (and there's no way it could have been known that regional rail would become a thing, but imagine if that line had been trenched, and was busier.

[TheHonestMaple]

It always made more sense to repurpose this line for GO Transit, and never build West harbour Station. That money spent on that station could have been used to double track this length and make a connection of Confederation Station. But certain bureaucrats at Metrolinx wanted a shiny new station they could cut a ribbon at for a photo op.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

It always made more sense to repurpose this line for GO Transit, and never build West harbour Station. That money spent on that station could have been used to double track this length and make a connection of Confederation Station. But certain bureaucrats at Metrolinx wanted a shiny new station they could cut a ribbon at for a photo op.

Double-tracking would have involved a lot of expropriation, especially between Cumberland and Cannon -- those residential properties are pretty close to the tracks. A grade separation at Main and Gage may have been warranted too for increased passenger service.

I also wonder if CP would have been agreeable to having GO trains run through the Kinnear yard and the corridor west.

But the savings of not building the second station and associated track improvements may have made it all worthwhile. Despite the bottleneck of the Hunter St. tunnel, consolidating all GO service right downtown would be something I'd prefer.

I've also wondered if putting track down the Red Hill Valley adjacent to the parkway would be feasible. Double up the CP line along Lawrence Rd. (the bridge over Kenilworth is more than wide enough; it must have had several tracks in the past). The grades involved may make it problematic, and the valley is a bit tight in places, but if the parkway does eventually get expanded why not include rails too?

It'll probably never happen now that the CN corridor is being improved for GO and with more stations.

[SteelTown]

Here's the RFQ: https://www.metrolinx.merx.com/publi...tract?origin=0

Bid Intent Deadline
05-Feb-2025 12:00:00 AM EST

[SteelTown]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Here's the RFQ: https://www.metrolinx.merx.com/publi...tract?origin=0

Bid Intent Deadline
05-Feb-2025 12:00:00 AM EST

RFQ closed and now this....

https://news.ontario.ca/en/advisory/...ess-conference

Minister of Transportation to make an announcement this Wednesday.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

RFQ closed and now this....

https://news.ontario.ca/en/advisory/...ess-conference

Minister of Transportation to make an announcement this Wednesday.

I'm thinking this will be about highways, not transit.

[matt602]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

I'm thinking this will be about highways, not transit.

Was about the new track at West Harbour that ties the station into the mainline to Niagara, increased service is apparently coming soon.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by matt602

Was about the new track at West Harbour that ties the station into the mainline to Niagara, increased service is apparently coming soon.

Thank you!

Government announcing they've completed what they previously announced.

The fanfare around Confederation Station's completion and new train service will be massive. It'll give Neil Lumsden something to do for the day.

[SteelTown]

"2032 appears as a potential go-live date for LRT in the city’s newly released proposal for an overhaul of bus routes that is planned in part to prepare for — and better connect to — the LRT."


Source: https://www.facebook.com/hamiltonlightrail

[SteelTown]

The Premier, Minister of Transportation and the Mayor will be making an announcement this coming Monday.

https://news.ontario.ca/en/advisory/...ess-conference

[TheHonestMaple]

Construction imminent?

[Innsertnamehere]

I suspect it will be contract award for the RFP which went out in May.

https://www.metrolinx.com/en/news/rf...n-lrt-contract

They will then enter a development phase and construction will slowly ramp up.

This would be for the first of the two contracts too, the one which focuses on utility relocations, structures, etc.

The second contract, which hasn't been let out yet, will be for trains, tracks, etc.