Transit link to the Niagara Region

[SteelTown]

Hamilton eyes broader rail service

Hamilton could be on track for more passenger trains beyond expanded GO service.

Hamilton and Welland officials are pushing an idea with CP Rail of having some type of rail service return to the former Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway line that runs between the two communities and passes through Smithville, Grassie and Fenwick. Passenger service ended in 1981.

“I think there’s an opportunity there,” said Welland Mayor Damian Goulbourne.

“It’s just a question of whether the other players we need to make this a reality are going to help us.”

The move, first floated two years ago by the operator of a short-line railway in Port Colborne, comes after the province approved spending $3 million to build a platform near the former CN station (now LIUNA Banquet Centre) for new GO trains that could roll down to Niagara Falls. GO also approved building a new $6.1-million train layover facility at the Hamilton GO Centre (formerly the TH&B station), which will allow it to give Hamilton a new morning train to Union Station.

Wayne Ettinger, head of Trillium Railway, a short-line which runs on former CN lines in Niagara, proposed operating two self-propelled rail cars (called Budd Cars) on the CP line. The idea was to show demand and attract GO service one day. He was reluctant to talk about his proposal.

“The big railroads don’t like things in the paper until they make decisions,” he said.

Hamilton Councillor Bob Bratina has met and talked to Goulbourne, plus CP officials, and believes the idea has merit.

“There’s nothing concrete yet, but no one has given up on it.”

CP Rail spokesperson Michel Spenard says the company is open to the idea, but some conditions have to be met. They are insurance and liability, traffic and signal upgrades and squeezing passenger trains onto a busy freight line. “We’d certainly not slam the door on anybody,” said Spenard.

“But that route is a busy international freight corridor and for any kind of augmentation, as far as passenger service is concerned, we’d have to put in a significant amount of capital to really make it viable.”

CP officials met in February with Welland-Niagara officials to talk about the scheme. Welland and Hamilton officials are to meet next month “to see if this thing has legs,” said Goulbourne. The mayor notes Welland has been identified in Niagara policy statements as an economic gateway for future development.

He also notes the Niagara-GTA corridor study. “It’s not just a highway. All modes of transportation will be examined. It makes me think rail is an option.”

[markbarbera]

This is interesting news indeed. I always imagined passenger service along this route.

Check out this info on self-propelled passenger trains from Colorado Rail:

http://www.coloradorailcar.com/dmu-brochure-2005.pdf

The 2-level DMU would be cool to run on this line. It also would be a good candidate for a rail line up to the airport via the old caledonia spur route.

[SteelTown]

It's a beautiful route to take as well, travelling mostly along the Niagara Escarpment. I hope this becomes a reality.

I would name it Escarpment Rail Transit or something like that.

[Jon Dalton]

It's great to see plans for the TH&B station as part of a regional network.

They could run one of these:


Short multiple unit trains could serve lower demand situations while realizing the efficiency benefits of rail and building momentum for increased ridership.

[LikeHamilton]

Gee I thought this should be done years ago! This is what Ottawa has been doing for a number of years. It is run by OCTranspo and is called the “O-Train”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGl5N...eature=related

[SteelTown]

For the O-Train they only paid $22 million for the pilot project because the rail was already there just needed money for some rail improvements and stations.

[hamiltonguy]

I don't think the capital for this project would be THAT bad.

I mean they just have to double track in a few places, and everywhere they would be double tracking there's space.

[LikeHamilton]

New “GO Bus” service from east Hamilton/Stoney Creek will start mid to late June this year. It will start from a parking lot at Barton and Nash to the Burlington GO station to connect with GO Trains and buses. There is parking for only 60 vehicles. This is a one-year trial. Yes they are looking to go to the HSR terminal at Eastgate.
They are in negotiations to put in a station in at Casablanca and the QEW to service Grimsby to Hamilton/Stoney Creek and Burlington.

In 2009 they will be starting weekend tourist service to Niagara Falls with GO Trains. They will be using VIA Rail stations along the way for their stops. They are working on issues with the Welland Canal. Right now VIA trains can be stopped by a ship anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. They are looking to have full GO Train service to the Niagara region by 2011-12.

They expect the third line into Hamilton to start service sometime in 2009 and you can expect an increase in service late next year to the GO Centre plus the increase in service by having the trains layover in Hamilton. Their goal is to get the same level of service into Hamilton as the Lakeshore run has. That is 40 to 50 trains a day. The 3rd line completion for the whole Lakeshore line from Oshawa to Hamilton is not expected to be completed until 2011-12.

Because someone will ask, I was at a meeting this morning where there was a rep from GO Transit there and that is where I got the info.

[DC83]

^^ Awesome news! Thanks LikeHamilton! I can't wait for that Niagara link! I have family out there, and actually enjoy spending a couple hours in the region (mo more than a couple hours tho hahaha)

40-50 Trains per DAY between both James North & TH&B? That's absolutely amazing! Congrats Dalton & Co., you have secured my vote!
^^ Ok, maybe I'll wait to secure the vote once LRT construction begins! haha

[SteelTown]

Wonderful news! Thanks a bunch LikeHamilton!

[Gurnett71]

This would be great. My colleagues and I always discuss the pros/cons of taking the GO to TO if our office was moved there versus carpooling. With potentially 50 trains per day for Hamilton, tax breaks and LRT, I think the pros have tipped the balance! Just hope that there will be an express train or two to TO to cut down on the travel time a bit!

[fastcarsfreedom]

Full GO Train service (which is what that 40/50 trains per day represents) is an absolute game-changer for the city...the demand for residential in and around the immediate station areas is going to swell considerably--as well demand for real estate in the entire region--one only needs to look at the other areas which receive full-service to see the effect it has had. Further connections down the Pen toward Niagara is welcome news and will hopefully see the station facilities used to their fullest advantage.

Having GO Transit at Eastgate would be excellent--and perhaps a more efficient use of the some of the malls parking space...Redcliffe must be loving the idea also--would definitely drive some foot traffic into the mall.

[matt602]

Holy crap, that news gave me a joy overload. 40-50 trains a day? Damn. Like fastcars said, that is definitely gonna kick Hamilton's downtown development right into overdrive. Stinson will have no problem with his project, neither will anyone else starting one up.

That Barton/Nash stop will also be a 5 minute walk from my house. Awesome. I can get a bus right from my house to the train. I only hope there will be ticket vending machines there (I'm doubting it since it sounds like a very temporary arrangement).

Anyway this is all great news, stuff that all of us have been pushing for decades now. Thankfully all levels of government involved are finally noticing this situation and doing something about it. I assume this means that GO will be arranging for CP to widen the Hunter St. tunnel as well. I can't see any other way they're going to get 40-50 trains into here per day.

[Jon Dalton]

Just to clarify, is that full service to TH&B AND the new station by 2011-12, or combined between the two stations? Thanks for sharing this.

[SteelTown]

Here's some more info that I managed to find....

GO bus service from Stoney Creek to Burlington will provide 16 express trips. June 28th is the day that I've been getting that the bus service will begin.

[fastcarsfreedom]

I'm reasonably sure you aren't going to see full-service at both stations--it doesn't make sense from either an economic or operational standpoint. My guess given TH&Bs apparent limitations is full-service at James North and peak time service at TH&B...just a hunch. Full-service to both would devour too much of GO's rolling stock and the stations aren't far apart enough to justify it. Service at TH&B keeps go downtown and connected to bus services while James North provides flexibility and onward possibilities to Niagara. Win-win.

[LikeHamilton]

Don’t get too excited. I said ‘their goal”!

There are lot of factors that weigh in on this including politics and budgets. Everyone wants the biggest piece of the pie. The impression I got from the GO rep is that they are not all that happy with the James Street GO site. The big impression I got is that they feel that the James site is purely a political one and not a business one. When taking to them they always reverted to the Hunter station when taking about expansion and did not talk a lot about the future and expansion of the station or service at the James site.

[coalminecanary]

so why doesn't GO step up and push for hunter tunnel improvements already!?

[hamiltonguy]

Originally Posted by coalminecanary

so why doesn't GO step up and push for hunter tunnel improvements already!?

Because right now they're working on expanding service towards St. Catharines along the line with more population?

Not saying that the Hamilton Welland line is a bad idea, but I think that if it runs it;ll be paid for by Hamilton and Niagara.

[drpgq]

Who politically is pushing for more GO service to James instead of Hunter?

I see way more benefit for more service to Hunter, it is in just a far denser area, both residentially, commercially and institutionally. And closer to the east west LRT line. With more scheduled service to Hunter, I could see condos going up in some of the underutilized areas right near the station (although I admit, being right beside the GO station hasn't seemed to help the Chateau Royal).