03-19-2021, 03:34 PM
(03-19-2021, 03:19 PM)Bytor Wrote:(03-19-2021, 12:46 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: If I recall the same right of way that was going to be used to bypass the CN line will also bypass the CP line. And I don't think CN will play ball with closing their main freight line either.
While there was some talk about the bypass only going as far as Meadowvale and having CN trains share the CP line to Milton, all the maps from the Province and Metrolinx always included the full distance of Bramalea Rd. to Milton. Early on as just a straight line meant to indicate general location, and later ones following a combination of the 407 and the hydro corridor beside it.
I do not believe there was any serious talk of using it as a CP bypass to gain control of the Milton Line as that requires diverting CP traffic up to Woodbridge and down the CN tracks to Bramalea to get to the bypass. Given the freight volumes both those companies run through there, just doing that minimum distance of Bramalea to Meadowvale would probably be unworkable as the shared sections on either end wouldn't have the capacity to handle both sets of traffic.
I'm not sure why they'd have to use the CN tracks.
The CN bypass would require tracks on the 401/7 from Hornby to Bramalea. If those tracks were extended east to Woodbridge long the 407 and west to Campbelleville they would meet the CP tracks at both ends. CN and CP could share the 407 freight corridor. Building that out would no doubt be more expensive but would also enable two rail corridors to come into full passenger usage, and the only sharing would be along the 401/7 corridor, which should have plenty of right of way.
This kind of thing should be a priority if lack of capacity really is the problem on Milton and Kitchener.