GO Transit

[KevinL]

Upgrades in Guelph continue at a steady pace - there's a great post here on Urban Toronto, with lots of pics.

[ac3r]

Metrolinx to provide update on Guelph, Waterloo region GO Train expansion

[tomh009]

I believe (more or less) normal GO Train service is due to be restored in September.

[KevinL]

Probably less frequency on university-focused routes, but otherwise pretty normal, I'd bet.

[trainspotter139]

Plans underway to upgrade Kitchener GO to electric trains

KITCHENER -- Metrolinx has laid out its early plans to electrify the Kitchener GO line.

The provincially owned transit provider is moving closer to upgrading the line from diesel-powered trains to electrical ones.

However before the work goes forward, it will go to the public for consultation.

The project will cover 54 kilometres of rail line from Georgetown to Kitchener. It will require converting the stretch from conventional rail to a line with overhead power lines.

Metrolinx says electric trains are quieter, safer, faster and more efficient than the current diesel option.

An overhead power system will be similar to the ION lines.

The project will need at least two large power stations, one in Kitchener at Shirley Avenue and another one in Guelph, east of Highway 6 near Paisley Road.

The plans also need to work around 10 bridges and overpasses. Only two of those will need special attention, including the Margaret Avenue bridge. Metrolinx said it may need to lower the track and make other modifications at that bridge.

Metrolinx hopes to have firm plans in place by 2021, allowing work to begin.

[westwardloo]

Well this is welcoming news! Glad to see they are potentially going ahead with electrification all the way to Kitchener. I thought for some reason they were only going to electrify the line to Brampton.

[danbrotherston]

Well this is welcoming news! Glad to see they are potentially going ahead with electrification all the way to Kitchener. I thought for some reason they were only going to electrify the line to Brampton.

I'm not sure we will have the whole line electrified, the quote suggests they will end at Georgetown, which is where Metrolinx's ownership of the line ends. AFAIK CN will not permit electrification of their freight tracks, and Metrolinx has given up on purchasing CN's freight alignment from Georgetown on. So I'm guessing we'll still be using stupid dual mode locomotives.

[jamincan]

Just to clarify, because I was initially confused - Metrolinx owns the track from Georgetown to Kitchener, but CN owns the track between Georgetown and Bramalea. The only other parts of the GO Network they don't own are the parts of Lakeshore West past Burlington, the Milton Line, and the Richmond Hill Line in York Region.

[tomh009]

The plans also need to work around 10 bridges and overpasses. Only two of those will need special attention, including the Margaret Avenue bridge. Metrolinx said it may need to lower the track and make other modifications at that bridge.

I guess electrification wasn't considered when they rebuilt the Margaret Ave bridge!

That said, this is good news, even if partial electrification is less than ideal.

[jamincan]

Wasn't it considered and they decided not to accommodate it?

[clasher]

I thought the whole freight bypass thing the Ford gov't cancelled was supposed to make it easier to electrify the whole line?

[Bytor]

I thought the whole freight bypass thing the Ford gov't cancelled was supposed to make it easier to electrify the whole line?

Nope. Not at all. Only supposedly less expensive to implement #2WADGO. It actually makes it harder to do it as electrified rail because of continuing to share tracks with CN.

Another supposed reason was because it would let them do it sooner than what the Liberals promised, but no timelines coming out of Metrolinx have change from the Wynne government promises.

[Chris]

Wasn't it considered and they decided not to accommodate it?

I can't recall for sure if electrification was under consideration but they did consider widening the span to allow for another track or two for future expansion. That widening was turned down.

[danbrotherston]

I thought the whole freight bypass thing the Ford gov't cancelled was supposed to make it easier to electrify the whole line?

Nope. Not at all. Only supposedly less expensive to implement #2WADGO. It actually makes it harder to do it as electrified rail because of continuing to share tracks with CN.

Another supposed reason was because it would let them do it sooner than what the Liberals promised, but no timelines coming out of Metrolinx have change from the Wynne government promises.

Indeed, it was never about better, it was about "cheaper" and allegedly faster.

The faster is dubious, there are zero timelines, and even if everything went right from now on, I don't believe they could do it before 2025 which was the liberals target too...of course, whether the liberals would hit their target, I don't know.

There's a reasonable argument to be made about tradeoffs, whether the bypass was worth it.

But I think it's really really hard to justify electrification when you will still need dual mode locomotives with a short section in the middle missing.

This is, frankly, the problem I have with most consevative party supporters, I certainly don't agree with the policies the liberals implement all the time, I think there are things we waste money on, things that could be done better, like not building a new highway 7, but I do not see the conservatives as doing any better in this regard, they generally just trade slightly worse short term and much worse long term for slightly cheaper.  That trade off is only worth it when it can be far faster and vastly cheaper, something I never see from any government.  And if they really wanted to talk about wasteful anti-conservative spending, we wouldn't be building highway 7...</rant over>

[jamincan]

Wasn't it considered and they decided not to accommodate it?

I can't recall for sure if electrification was under consideration but they did consider widening the span to allow for another track or two for future expansion. That widening was turned down.

Ah, yeah, that's what I was thinking of.