Grade separation west of Union station

The GTHA has an interesting railway network when one includes the rail lines that are not serviced by GO Transit.  It also holds a huge amount of potential if its integration can be exploited to commuter operations’ advantage.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Already built are a number of connections that can be of significant value to the region’s passenger rail movements.  An interlining GO service on the railways can be extremely useful in both getting more people onto the network, and also at alleviating the stress Union Station could be at significant risk of facing in the future, particularly in a fare-integrated network.

Consider the following connections that already exist in the network that can be used for future service (italics indicate locations not yet serviced by GO):

Oakville – Long Branch – Kipling - North Toronto – Agincourt (CP) - Malvern – Seaton
Existing tracks and junctions

Meadowvale – Kipling - North Toronto - Agincourt (CP) - Malvern – Seaton 
Existing tracks and junctions

Brampton – Weston – North Toronto – Agincourt (CP) - Malvern – Seaton
Existing tracks and junctions

Bolton – Weston (CP) - North Toronto – Agincourt (CP) - Malvern – Seaton
Existing tracks and junctions

Oakville – Union – Agincourt (CP) – Seaton/Locust Hill
Existing tracks and junctions

Pickering – Union - Newmarket
Existing tracks and junctions, and has been run in the past (unofficially… call it “the inside track”)

Oakville – Long Branch - Kipling – Weston – Pearson
Existing tracks and junctions except for Pearson spur

The connectivity of the network is somewhat lopsided in the west end’s favour as the connections between CP and CN lines are generally absent on the east side apart from the CP Belleville Don Branch, but exist at the West Toronto Junction (omni-directional except for north-to-east/west-to-south, which is useless anyway) and at Kipling (uni-directional (NE/SW only)), key points in the west end, allowing all current westbound (Hamilton/Milton/Georgetown) GO corridors to run into the CP North Toronto sub, and would also include Bolton service (which is a CP line anyway, the MacTier sub).

Some of the points after the jump were discussed at one of the earlier meetings hosted by Ed Drass at Metro Hall. (more…)