[dowlingm]

Conde Nast and Morgan Stanley are behind separate proposals to the Metropolitan Transit Authority to build up to 70 storey developments over rail lands on New York's West Side (11th Avenue between 30th and 33rd Streets).

It's a bit like the proposal (which I believe has been moved away from) to build the Whitecaps Stadium in Vancouver over several rail lines.

If rail is going to cut through the city then we should do something with the airspace I think. Further out on the Lakeshore West line east of the Gardiner I'd love to see at least decking used to create new parks or rec facilities like tennis courts. Because of the use of diesel trains you couldn't do it the whole way but short stretches would also help reduce the surrounding noise level.

The trick would be to preserve enough space underneath to allow doubleheight containers and electric GO trains...

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

aren't our railway lands elevated? it would be impossible IMO.

 

[CDL.TO]

If they could bury the tracks first you could build over them... which would be amazing. At least they should look in to building over the tracks between Spadina and York right now.

 

[wyliepoon]

Because of the use of diesel trains you couldn't do it the whole way but short stretches would also help reduce the surrounding noise level.

Hybrid diesel-electric trains (like the commuter trains currently being tested in Japan) would be the trains of choice if the railway lands are going to get decked over.

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060316/kyodo/d8gcb7j00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_locomotive

 

[GregWTravels]

Even with the elevated tracks, there's no reason that you couldn't build towers over them. Lobby would still be at street level, and then you take elevators up to the floors above. There just wouldn't be any floors between street level and the height required for the train passage.

As Lakeshore is presumably going electric with the MOVE2020 proposal, seems possible and probably eventually likely. Of course, we're still going to have desiel VIA and freight traffic. Maybe we could make them use those desiel-electric hybrid engines that Montreal is looking at.

 

[wyliepoon]

A few photos of Telford Garden in Hong Kong. This development of high-rise residential towers and a shopping mall is entirely built on top of a subway yard.

Google Maps link