Toronto's Secret Rail Line | Midtown Toronto Line
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- The Midtown Toronto Line is a shockingly underappreciated railway corridor passing through central Toronto, and passing a number of existing rapid transit and subway stations that has the room and capacity to carry rapid transit, or even regional trains someday. In this video I show you the line, give some brief history, and detail it's great potential.
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Hi, my name's Reece. I'm a passionate Creator, Transportation Planner, and Software Developer, interested in rapid transportation all around my home base of Toronto, Canada, as well as the whole world!
#toronto #transit #secretrailways
Do you have a piece of infrastructure you think could be repurposed for transit?
The left lane of every interstate highway in America. A detailed proposal exists somewhere on the web to place a kind of long distance light rail technology over existing pavement.
I could see a "go local" service running along the lakeshore line, this would not be heavy rail but LRT style, knowing you cannot run a light rail service along the heavy lines this would require some creative thinking, but it could help eliminate the last mile bus trip.
Considering you're originally from BC, I'd love to get your opinion on reviving the old abandoned BC Electric Railway/Interurban line that used to run from Surrey out to Chilliwack. There's been talk about resurrecting it for years but nothing concrete. Forgive me if you've already covered this issue.
@@trainluvr Especially since nobody in North America (I'm including you, Canada) seems to understand how multi-lane highways work. If you're not going to keep right and pass left, then I think we should take away that left lane. 🚄
A piece of the rail corridor from Kipling TTC - to go to Sherway Gardens. Similar idea to Yorkdale TTC - shopping/parking hub, with handy subway stop right beside a major highway (and just to the west of it, near several other transit corridors and near Mississauga border). Also it will reduce the carbon footprint of many Mississauga MiWay buses needing to go to Islington TTC.
Put this guy in charge.
I'm super excited for my great great grandchildren to be able to get around the city so fast.
Yes, yes yes. Also with possibilities to expand it through Mississauga to streetsville.
Languishing? That's the best LCBO in the city! But seriously, West Toronto Railpath would be rad. Belt Line too.
love this video and its very well researched, but stopping at sheppard-mccowan? thats like missing all of east scarborough (which isnt served by any rapid transit) incl high density neighbourhoods like malvern which the line touches! we desperately need a markham rd stop, malvern town centre stop, and maybe a morningside stop and some sort of toronto zoo connection. the 102 markham rd line is one of the highest density bus lines in the city.
Sounds like a better use of money than the 413, build it yesterday!
I agree!
I mean they're completely unrelated projects. I agree this should be built but this has almost nothing to do with the 413. Now if you want to say "Build the Bolton Line" instead of the 413, that I can agree with you.
@@Absolute_Zero7 not only build the Bolton line but also operate Bio mass powered trains on that line as well
The 413 is a stupid stupid idea
Both are needed. Gotta get the trucks out of the core. We still need our products delivered. We need the Bradford bypass built yesterday as well. Infrastructure improvements shouldn’t just benefit the people in Toronto.
To me it looks like this needs something like London Overground: a rebranded, metro-style line over existing heavy rail tracks
or crossrail
@@alexanderip1003 Crossrail is new track to link two existing passenger lines.
A style metro line might have trouble competing with the nearby and parallel subways line 2
The most important benefit that using the mid-town Toronto line would be that it would encourage development to the north of downtown which is already congested. It would also help alleviate further bottlenecks during rush hour where too high a percentage of commuters are cramming into a few ultra-dense blocks in the CBD and South Core.
It would become hopefully like north york downtown
I would not hold out a lot of hope in battling against mid-town NIMBY-ism
Yes, Toronto’s transit is too downtown-centric. While a healthy, vibrant downtown is important, we need to spread it out a bit. Think of London, England. It’s almost lacks a centre. Rather, it has many centres (finance in the City, theatre in the west end, etc). We have to move away from this bicycle-wheel-spoke model of transit and development, where everything leads to one core point but the ends of the spokes don’t relate to each other at all.
Wooooow! This is like the Toronto Overground! Precedent is lines like this prove to be incredibly popular!
Yeah it would be super awesome, and yeah the precedent is crazy!
Can't wait for an express train like this one! Love the Express Train in NYC. So fastttttt
This video gives me hope! Toronto has so much unrealized potential. And this infrastructure is something we can tap into quickly to help resolve our transit challenge.
The connectivity of this proposed line (and useful back-up redundancy) is great. On another note, I live near the West Toronto Railpath - yes, a video please! Finally, if the Ontario Line (can't say Toronto/downtown) is ever extended to Dundas West TTC, we will have tons more connectivity.
A video will definitely happen! That said, Idk about Ol to Dundas west haha
@@RMTransit Ontario Line to Dundas West should eventually happen, as there will still be a crush of people transferring at rush hours between Lines 1 & 2 at Bloor/Yonge station.
@@longbranchmike7846 Well the thing about that is that ppl living west on that side of the city can use the UP Express, or the soon to be built Smarttrack station at liberty into the city. So I think that's why the western part of the city doesn't get looked at as much.
@@nanaokyere7141 UP is unreliable and entirely too expensive.
I propose to connect the Ontario Line to Jane Street, and go north and become the western portion of the Ontario Line taking over the Jane Street LRT proposal with deviation to connect to Weston GO. Extending from Exhibition GO, put up a station by Roncesvalles Car house, run along the LW tracks then go underground by Windermere neighborhood.
This is such an amazing idea - especially for people accessing the Yonge-Eglinton business district or people working in the Markham area.
What is even nicer is having this as a connectivity from Halton and Peel too - eventually.
Better though develop each area independently - people in Markham to work in Markham, and people in Midtown to stay in Yonge Eglinton area, without unnecessary commuting and creating a traffic.
I see video, I click
Haha I am honoured!
Thank's for another great video Reece! BTW, I'd love to see the old Summerhill Station once again used for its intended purpose. At the very least, this line/right of way should be preserved for the day that it can be converted back to passenger rail, and the way Toronto is growing, I'm sure it wouldn't be that long. It would make a great addition to the city's transit infrastructure. If the planners at Metrolinx/TTC have any good sense, they're already subscribed to your channel and are taking detailed notes! Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much! Appreciate the kind words, I look forward to a day this comes to fruition!
@@RMTransit Get a job at Metrolinx and make your transit dreams a reality!!
I love this idea however, I would also add one station to the east at Neilson or Morningside for Malvern as that's one of the biggest underserviced neighbourhood in Scarborough
Yeah the stations are very preliminary, there are a couple of locations where more could be added.
I like this idea, because it would mitigate many of the problems with the Eglington crosstown, Toronto's current midtown route, and relieve the line.
Indeed, I see that as a key benefit!
It just goes to show how hilariously behind we are on building transit infrastructure when we’re thinking of relieving lines that aren’t even in service yet.
I really like this style video. You can also do it with as a colab with other transitubers or Urbanist to talk about how they would like to see there cities transit expanded.
Yeah that could be cool!
This would be great. A few modifications:
1) I would add a station at Christie to better serve the new developments on Dupont.
2) I'd extend one stop further into Scarborough along the existing rail line and build a stop at Malvern Town Centre, Malvern being a long underserved Priority Neighbourhood.
3) I'd use Metro trains rather than heavy rail like a GO train.
I agree with 1. Number 2 is still being planned as an LRT line extension of the Eglinton crosstown to Malvern town center via UTSC, hence why that side of town hasn't been redeveloped yet. Sadly we won't see that for awhile. Number 3, the new stations being built are very low, resulting in the new trains we'll be getting when certain lines are electrified will be bi-level. I would love metro style trains, but the way the city is growing it wouldn't make for the future.
Christie is ENTIRELY too close to Dufferin for them to do that without it intending to be a new subway line.
Also using Metro trains rather than heavy trains is actually a bad idea, considering these corridors are shared with freight and therefore you want as much passenger protection you can get in the case of an incident. That way you end up with far less lawsuits over dead or maimed people from your Metro train getting flattened.
@@nanaokyere7141 Number 2 won't happen, this is what they do to scarborough every time, they say oh we'll get to that later... SIKE you get nothing.
Imagine if they build this rail line!
I discovered this railway last year when I was exploring around Don river..
When I first saw Midtown railway, I assumed it's another abandoned Don Valley railway. But I was proven to be wrong when I saw a 1km long freight train pass by!
I was bummed out to learn that it's a freight only railway now, and it used to be passenger railway in the past. I think more people feel the same.
However, I find the possibility of converting Summerhill LCBO back to rail station highly unlikely. that would be epic though!
Thanks for the vid!
It's highly unlikely unless we make it so!
Great content and active presentation through graphics.
Thanks!
@@RMTransit The graphic illustrations are a welcome addition. You might also want to add "stand up" segments where you talk on camera out at the locations you are describing. This way, we don't just see you talking at your desk at home. It would add visual variety.
Rail infrastructure development would be so much easier if we nationalized CN and CP. Not only would it help transit projects use underutilized freight corridors and be a great revenue source, with electrification, it could go long way to helping climate change by displacing the entire long haul trucking industry.
Lol! CN was federal until 1995. The government couldn’t run it worth a damn. It’s a much better system under private ownership and CN has been cooperative in working with Metrolinx.
@@1Nanerz A much better system for who? Yes, a privatized CN is much more profitable, but if the railways in Canada were invested in properly, the long-haul trucking industry in this country wouldn't exist. If a government run CN was at all profitable, then that's that much less taxes you and I have to pay. Rail is way more energy efficient than any other form of land transportation, and trucking companies wouldn't exist if the government didn't pay for road maintenance.
If you're reactivating and upgrading the Leaside Spur, would also be nice to see the Don Branch get the same treatment and shift Richmond Hill-Union service to a Don Branch/Midtown/Leaside Spur alignment. This would:
- make for a *much* straighter (and faster) route to RH
- create opportunities for useful connections on that line to express bus service on York Mills and Lawrence
- possibly provide significant Line 1 relief, given all the new connections
- free up a huge amount of space in the Don Valley for both recreational and stormwater management / green infrastructure value
... and wouldn't it be so cool to see GO service running across Half-Mile Bridge!
Took the words out of my mouth!!
I doubt citizens will give up the Leaside Spur multi-use trail easily - it's a great trail, bordered by trees on both sides.
The problem is that privatisation and the free market dogma has created a rivalry between passenger and freight operators and they are no longer seen as parts of an integrated system.Both are in competition for track access and obviously the more trains using a limited amount of track the more scope for delays,etc..
I love that you covered this! I've spent a few times daydreaming about the possibility of this line, but I recognize that it's only possible if the Missing Link could happen. Can you do a video covering it so that more people can be educated on it and hopefully support it?
Love fantasizing about go midtown. My plan would be to cut the Sunnybrook Park stop and put a stop where an extended OL meets the midtown line. My thinking is the OL will always be frequent and automated, so it makes for a better connection than line 5, though transfers to line 5 at science centre will be easy. The only issue is that results in close stop spacing
I'd say the argument against that is probably that as Reece pointed, there is already going to be a stop at Thorncliffe Park which will in general be far more useful as a connection to the Ontario Line. So its not really Sunnybrooke Park vs Don Mills as it is Don Mills vs Thorncliffe Park, in terms of figuring out where to connect with OL.
Much like the Musashino Line is able to balance both busy freight and high frequency passenger services, the Midtown Line could do that but even better. I see it and the Triboro Line in New York as very similar projects: both utilize existing freight lines, connect unserved or underserved sections of their respective cities, and can be phased in while still being useful in their parts. The type of equipment used will be critical on both as they would have to conform to mainline railroad standards. For the Midtown Line, DMUs like on the UPX would be a good start until the line can be electrified and tied into the RER. For Triboro, electrification would be a must early on and it could use a sub fleet of M8s (or M10s potentially by then) to operate services, potentially allowing thru-running into Metro North territory like the Midtown Line would extend over existing GO lines. The first time I ever saw the North Toronto station I thought “wouldn’t this be a great passenger rail corridor”
I couldn’t agree more with the comparisons you’re making, especially the Triboro (I thought about it a bunch when making this)
This would've cut my commute to highschool in half! Ive driven and walked past this line for years and never thought of the possibility of conversion to passenger rail. Great video
Great video! Serious question, why hasn't this been done yet? And when do you think is likely for it to happen in the future?
I couldn't help but notice with your final map showing the Mid town express line added that the only major rapid transit gaps in Toronto are exactly where the Highways are. How feasible do you think it would be to utilize these with DEDICATED busways including stations/stops located near off ramps? Do you think 401, 427, Gardiner and DVP could be knitted into the TTC system well? You talked generally about this in your video "highways can be useful" Feb 8 2021, but I'm curious if you think it could be successfully applied in Toronto. Transit planners talk so much about many of the damages of urban highways, are there serious plans to partially repurpose them for dedicated busways?
Also thanks so much for your content.............I'm obsessed with your stuff :)
Thanks for the kind comment! I recommend watching my GO ALRT video - I actually break down a concept for using the 401 corridor for transit in it!
Here it is: ua-cam.com/video/ctsVJSqVQvw/v-deo.html
This is one of the best videos you've made tbh I've always thought about how crucial this linec ould be. What do you think about the CN York subvision for passenger service?
The secrets line of the Metro Léger de Charleroi , Belgium. Built, but not used at all!
Would be a great video!
How do you know that there will be "...A Slow Surface Section on Line 5..." I mean the Line isn't even open yet ???
Loved this video, one of your best! You should reach out to Metrolinx with this and see what they say?
I live in the Toronto area, have all of my 50 years, and have been a railfan since I was 4 or 5. There seem to be good ideas in this video - the major obstacle is CP Rail, I think. CP got out of the passenger business decades ago - just about everywhere you look in Canada, passenger service is on CN lines, or short lines, occasionally - very seldom CP. Canadian Pacific has never liked passenger service much. The only commuter service along CP in the Toronto area is from West Toronto through to Milton - CP only did that as part of a deal to avoid a lawsuit, or a bigger lawsuit, back in 1979 or the early 80s, because of the fire on their line in Mississauga in 1979 that pretty much forced half the city then to evacuate (at least 150,000 people, or more).
Funny, CP is also the name of Portugal's public railway company (Comboios de Portugal) eheh
One is not like the other!
Speaking of Lakeshore East there's another "forgotten" line that follows the mid-town CP line to the Agincourt freight like then proceeds north to Peterborough (actually it goes all the way to Ottawa) but it has been allowed to deteriorate-I saw a track inspector several years ago near the line-when I asked him why he was there (I was smiling because I knew) he just shook his head.
It's surprising that nobody has mentioned the Peterborough corridor (since we're talking about whole scale rebuilding/creating new lines). It's single track but could provide "inbound" service in the morning and return service at night.
I'm living on Vancouver Island now and am very familiar with abandoned rail lines!
RMTransit. Doing this Midtown Toronto Line will probably be less costly than building those highways that Dougie just proposed and provide service to maybe half a million people, if not more per day?
I'm curious if you'd like to do a video explaining the transit history, present, and future of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It's a region which has potential for massive growth, and the Phoenix Union Station could be revived through Amtrak, the same way the North Toronto station would be revived with CP's resumption of passenger service down the Dupont corridor.
Also, first. >:3
I might, but Phoenix has so many problems it’s a bit discouraging. I do commend the light rail expansion but it feels very Ill suited to that urban form!
@@RMTransit True - those problems IMO are probably to do with the relatively late freeway construction in the area - but regardless, you could give your own alternative vision for how Valley Metro should go about it!
Tempe streetcar seems like a really bad project
@@misha.michael How? The only thing that’s a bit dicey for it is the fact that it has to share right-of-way with car traffic. It actually improves my commute as an ASU student, and generally allows others to access downtown Tempe easier.
This is an awesome idea, which means that in this city it will never happen...
Great idea. I hope that people at Metrolinx are watching your videos.
On the eastern end, stations to serve Malvern Town Centre and the Zoo would be a great idea.
they should restore passenger service on the midtown line.
WOW. I think this is the first video you've made that has actually got me teared up. These stations look absolutely amazing and so high class. Each station is unique to its surroundings and thus makes for very promising designs. The above stations look so classy and sophisticated, with the clean lines and sharp angles with pavilions outside. It's beautiful. My favorite one from those renders is Gerrard station, which will look ridiculously cool. The walk in stations look amazing with the curved glass, which will make developers try to intergrade whatever they're building on top with that architecture. Which I think is very cool and sort of calling the shots on how it should look on top of the station.
Exhibition station will EASILY be the most favored station for the time being (East Harbor might have something up its sleeves) and the most architectural pleasing station to date. I'm kind of confused as to what the pavilion across the station will be for if the trains will arrive side by side by the GO trains directly into the station.
Overall I'm so glad this is starting happen as I was waiting and wondering when it would start, knowing how slow Toronto takes to start and finish projects.
P.s - My favorite walk in station will be the University and Queen station. As it will be the most tiniest walk-in station in the city. It's also going to be the most beautifulist station, as it's going to be on historical grounds. So this Apple store looking station is going be the most liked station. Hands down.
Love how you made a full fledged pitch out of this!
One little mistake. You called it the CAMPA sub. It is the CANPA sub.
way too much logic for the gas guzzlers.. good work RM
This is a great video - logical & well thought out. Thanks very much for showing the potential of transit in our city & beyond. At the rate of development & projected population increase, something needs to be done about having people move around safely & quickly. We can't keep spending money on highways & need to invest in projects like these. I hope the people at GO, VIA, TTC, CP etc. can come to some productive agreements in conjunction with elected officials. But at the rate they move & the politics involved, it might be a while. But there is hope.
That Toronto North station is gorgeous. Definitely needs to be a station again! P.S. Congratulations for not mentioning the Skytrain. haha!
Someone needs to show this to a Toronto city councilor or Ontario provincial MP.
Not to prick your bubble, the midtown rail corridor is Canadian Pacific's mainline through southern Ontario, unlike CN, there's no bypass north of the city. CP is hell bent against having any more passnger traffic over their tracks outside the little GO Transit access into Hamilton Centre and Milton. That said, it's great idea, granted the LCBO won't give up the Summerhill location but a small station can be built because you don't need parking in that part of Toronto.
I know it’s their mainline, but where there’s a will there’s a way. The corridor is wide!
this transit line will bring prosperity to many underserved communities, including Thorncliffe
Reece. Why has the ttc not hired you as a consultant? Absolutely amazing videos. I live here in TO vp and finch area. Very well articulated and brilliant ideas. This is what we need more of in our city
they're too allergic to good ideas to hire people like him
A project like this would avoid the costliest issue with building new urban rail, and that is purchasing real estate. In fact, if this was used as a bypass line with a connection at Summerhill, I have no doubt that ridership will be quite high, as it would open up a new long distance market for the midtown. Cost savings can be had if stations were built at major junctions only, and using longer trains to reduce frequency. That way sharing the tracks with CN won't be as big of an issue, and it would also be an income generator for the latter.
>What could be North America's greatest transit city
I don't think Toronto is going to beat New York!
this is fantastic! i have a real love for the city but have always been disappointed by the lack of transit options especially after going to nyc and london, hopefully someone w some pull gets a load of this video
Well it's not so secret now.
Yeah
it's still a secret, but a secret that everyone knows
Holy crap! I didn't expect you to come up with a full on infrastructure project during the video! That's amazing!
Haha, thank you! I appreciate that you appreciate it!
This line would be perfect for the city. Toronto needs a diagonal line. The way they are over developing the Dupont corridor, we're going to need this line sooner than later.
I live in Melbourne and I could spend my entire life still exploring my home city's train and tram infrastructure. We have a freight-only line that runs fairly close to the international airport, and they've only just now started planning a passenger railway connection to the airport mostly using the existing freight corridor, many decades too late but I'm glad it's finally in the works
Ok, Melbourne is bigger then some countries. ^^
Languishing as a liquor store? Actually its the Flagship store of the LCBO chain, its a very nice shop.
It wasn't torn down like the West Toronto Station.
This video is brilliant after 8:50 minutes!
It really emphasizes the point that not everything has to go through Union, nor should it. Our suburban centres are creating their own gravitational pull in terms of business and residents, they just lack the connections between them.
I've walked these tracks from Bathurst to the Ontario Science Center.....lovely views and some surprising vistas
Good afternoon, I would like to know which GO station is where you can see 100 trains per day (it's at 1:10 of the video). Thank you very much.
I want the midtown line to be a reality in the future
Toronto did a good job
This will never happen. The NIMBYs around midtown close to Summerhill station recently vetoed a bike path down Avenue Road. Building a GO train station? With all the homeless and *gasp* international students that come with that? No way!
Let's just not call Agincourt Station "Collingwood"
Also, Go Trains are not subways, with so many stops in short distances, and regular trains every 10 minutes, Nuh uh ! Its a GO train, not a Stifled train.
I love this video! May I suggest showing picutres of some of the areas where you suggest upgrades/stations etc. I know that is a lot of work but documenting them with your diagrams and pics/vids of the sites would be educational for us. Maybe there are others here following you who could help? I am in Ottawa and wish we had what Toronto has - working transit system (insert humour here)!
You should do a video on the shelved separated Rail tunnel CP wanted the government to build for them, potentially freeing up existing one for passenger rail between Usa and Canada.
Ontario studying Hsr, with David Collennette recommended CP Rail route from the border with a new downtown station should be along side CP to Chatham.
I feel the government could create a series of projects eventually to unlock southwestern Ontario with stalled efforts in Mississauga.
Windsor leaders have always argued you can't use ridership from Windsor alone as a metric but your creating demand from Chicago/Michigan elsewhere in the midwest potentially.
Would love a look at Toronto West, Mt Dennis looks literally totally done, I assume they're keeping it closed until the crosstown LRT is done?
Also if you happen to know what SmartTrak is that would be a great video
I don’t understand why the GO Transit Richmond Hill and Barrie Lines don’t have interchange stations with TTC Line 2 Bloor - Danforth. The Kitchener, Milton and Stouffville Lines do so why not the Barrie and Richmond Hill Lines? It would lower the pressure on Union Station.
I have been seeing this idea take popularity for a while but I am genuinely skeptical that govt and/or industry would actually be willing to go for it. private sector needs to be willing to engage in good faith with govt to agree to do business and allow the use of its network. A genuine question but to what extent do you think this is a pipe dream or is realistic/ possible?
I loved this idea, RMT! It is so intelligent and efficient and I’ve never heard the Toronto MSM of politicians mention it. The rail lines are already established. What would the Feds have to do to convince CP to let it go that couldn’t get them to accept it. If this had been started when the Finch and Eglinton Crosstown’s began all the stations would have been already done, yet, neither of those lines are working still. Have you pitched this to the mayor? It makes so much sense and with so much future enhancements for GTA transit. I love it.
Did GO Transit once have service on the CP midtown line? I ask because in the Rush Subdivisions video, you can see a GO train (with the old single-level cars) crossing the DVP north of Eglinton.
This is great. It would be a much smarter alternative to a Line 1 extension which I truly hope never gets built. Maybe a cut and cover to Steeles. But honestly, even that seems excessive. For folks heading downtown, there’s going to be better options and frequent q 15m all day service on the RH Line - especially if it could interline with a Midtown Express for some trips - would be a much cheaper and more effective alternative.
Great video, would love the other additional video. Metrolinx should hire you. Amazing work 😁
Why arent people like this in charge of actual improvements for the country
Two major things to add
1. Make the western terminating station either Cooksville or Port Credit Go stations, providing a vital rapid connection between the Lakeshore West Go, Hurontario LRT, and South Etobicoke Streetcar lines to Kipling Station
2. an extension to the west end of the St.Clair streetcar line to connect with one of the new stations on the Dupont corridor
I've been saying the North Toronto sub should have been used for passenger service long before I hired on to CP (briefly) in the mid-90s. This sorely needs to happen. I would also bring back interlining between the Bloor-Danforth and YUS lines. SO much wasted potential there.
Why is Metolinx or TTC not hiring you? You have SERIOUS and GREAT ideas for rail. Oh. Wait a second. There isn't a massive cost to the city. .... So, that idea isn't viabable. Sorry, if there is no mega-millions inviolved, they're not interested. BUT! YOUR idea is SO AMAZING AND VIABLE!
Having no connections to north-south rail lines in the West End seems like a missed opportunity to me. It limits the usefulness of this line for people living west of Spadina. North-South travel in the West End is an issue in general. In your recent Nebula video you mentioned the idea of a station at Dundas and Landsdowne. I'd love to see you talk more about that. I think it would be transformational for that part of the city. I personally feel that the Exhibition GO station is actually not going to be that useful for people living along Dundas West.
would argue [2:10] that not going down a path isn't something we did because you can't do not doing something. But I will agree that "we didn't go down that path, and but we still can." Sorry just couldn't resist. Just noticeable because of the usual precision of your narration.
7th November 2021
22 h; 26 min Central European Time
The City Community of Toronto has ~ 2 600 000 inhabitants now, after it amalgated a couple of the surrounding communites!
Toronto should have an even more extended railway system!
People have to use traffic!
A lot of cars, with e. g. one person inside each, blocks the road and streets.
Traffic jams should not be an everyday experience!
When the same people are public transport, the situations on the main routes are easier to handle.
What about non motorized traffic in Toronto?
I have seen proper sidewalks for going by feet.
What about cycling?
Torontos political preferences are inconsistent somehow!
Toronto City Council: strictly no parties
delegation to the Ontario Legislative Assembly: Progressive Conservative Association of Ontario
delegation to the Canada House of Commons: Liberal Party of Canada
delegation to the Canada Senate: Independent Senators Group
It seems like this route would be best suited for fast-accelerating EMUs which, Ideally, is what GO will use network wide eventually.
They're all lovely visions! But as we Brits discovered after Beeching shut down 1/3rd of the UK'S Rail Network, to reopen a significant proportion of that is going to run into £100's of Millions of Pounds. Liverpool UK, where I live has a 20 to 30 year plan which will see significant rail assets brought back into use. But reopening ONE Station alone can cost £20 Million Pounds. I'll be dead and gone long before that plan is ever completed.
How about semi-circular track lines with the centre downtown? You could have a couple with different radii
For Metrolinx please take note of this amazing thinking. WE NEED THIS.
The video is great and detailed. Plan to return to passenger service on the Midtown line is also not bad. However, multiple stops on it will slow the potential of express service and will bring to overcrowded Midtown even more people from west and east end, and Midtown doesn't need this at all. Most eastern , most western and return of the Summerhill station will be enough, imo.
As soon as I heard the words CP, i can tell you that even if its an awesome Idea, CP will never give up their lines. The only reason GO trains even use the Galt sub is because the city of Mississauga was going to sue CP to oblivion from the 1978 derailment unless they allowed it.
I don't know Toronto, but Junction and Dufferin sound close together. Could a junction in between them serve both? Somewhere near Symington Avenue perhaps?
I often visit the Midtown Toronto line myself to go photograph Canadian Pacific trains its very fun to witness the movement of freight with your own eyes and to watch the locomotives work
Yet another case of why the Scarborough subway extension is a waste of money. The money would have been better spent on getting a deal with CP and opening this line. Faster, offers more flexibility, and benefits more people per km.
But Toronto get screwed by politicians calling rapid transit a streetcar, thus swaying residents to speak up for the overpriced, slow, subway extension.
how did i not know that lcbo used to be a train station
Missing Link was proposal to divert all of CP traffic to CN York subdivision. York region residents protested.
great video
I live in Woodstock Ontario and there’s a bridge close to my house with a train track. Under that bridge are travis from a street car. I had no clue Woodstock had street cars
This is an impressive thought piece. Currently Canpa is being completely renovated at its junction with the Oakville subdivision, clearly with the intent to run trains up to CP territory. The only reason for such an investment would suggest Metrolinx is actively pursuing running GO trains along the route you have proposed. Another possible addition beyond a midtown route is using CNs York/Halton subs to run GO service roughly parallel to the 407 which would have terminating stations at Bramalea GO and Pickering GO. This line could connect to the Stouffville, Barrie, and Richmond Hill lines as well. GO needs new east-west corridors to really bring it to life with new ridership and we have so many incredible opportunities. Great video 👍
I would also add a station in Malvern at Neilson Rd. and continue the line on existing track northeast in to the Pickering Seaton development and then up to Brooklin in North Whitby and then end at the UOIT campus in Oshawa.
Finally what about a halt just to the north of the zoo on reasor road where a shuttle but could take people direct to the zoo via the Old Finch entrance. It would also conveniently be within walking distance for me.
The abandoned for decades Petite Ceinture (Small Belt) railway in Paris that sused to circumvent Paris before the Metro was built could have been a nice project and bring much more capacity than the peripheral tram the Socialists built (I still like the tram but it is overcrowded on rush hours to the point that a small metro line built on the Petite Ceinture would have been much more efficient...)