[raptor]

From April 4 Vaughan Committee of the Whole update:

The Rutherford Station Expansion Work, as part of the Regional Express Rail service improvement, is well underway
The Rutherford station building rehabilitation, track and a new multi-level parking structure, along with the grade separation at Rutherford Road and GO railway, will be delivered through Alternative Finance and Procurement (AFP) model, which is Infrastructure Ontario’s public-private partnership model. Infrastructure Ontario’s procurement process for AFP projects is comprised of the following stages:
• Request for Proposal (RFP) Preparation (starts at RFQ release)
• Open/In-Market Period (approximate duration – 4-5 months)
• Evaluation Period Activities (approximate duration – 3 months)
• Closing Period Activities (approximate duration – 2 months) Following the Closing Period Activities, which is marked by commercial and financial close, construction work will begin. The evaluation period began in January 2018 with commercial and financial close anticipated in September 2018. Construction is anticipated to start in Fall 2018, starting with the relocation of 570 parking spaces to a temporary parking lot at 635 Westburne Drive. Construction of a detour road to the south of existing Rutherford Road is to follow in early 2019.

The Maple GO station expansion will be bundled with the GO rail bridge expansion over Major Mackenzie Drive and the intersection improvements at City Hall
The Metrolinx Project Team has been working with City staff to coordinate and collaborate when possible to minimize the disruption to the surrounding area and construction costs. As a result, the following elements of work have been bundled together and a coordinated approach to moving forward has been identified:
• Maple GO station modification
• Maple GO station parking expansion
• GO rail bridge expansion over Major Mackenzie Drive
• Design of a future pedestrian bridge east of the GO rail bridge
• Construction of the substructure of the future pedestrian bridge
• Intersection improvements at City Hall
• Construction of the replacement parking lot at City Hall The sequence of work will begin with the intersection improvements at the City Hall driveway followed by the construction of replacement parking due to Metrolinx’s need to occupy a part of the City Hall east parking lot as a construction staging area. Metrolinx will enter into an agreement with the City to complete the City Hall works on behalf of the City. Once finalized, a separate report to Council will be brought forward on the details of the agreement. Based on the current timelines, work is anticipated to begin in Q3 – Q4 of 2018. Once the intersection improvements and replacement parking have been completed, the bridge expansion and station work will follow, with an anticipated start date in Q2 of 2019.

A few notes:
- For Rutherford GO, the above mentions temporary parking at 635 Westburne. It's unclear if Metrolinx purchased the building and are planning on demolishing it? Or rather, have people park their vehicles around it.
- For Maple GO, if I'm reading it correctly, they chose NOT to go through the AFP route? I know there's a threshold on the contract size to determine whether to go through AFP or not, just don't know the exact number. Keep in mind that the "Early Barrie line corridor works for RER" used to be a Metrolinx/IO project through AFP. In one of the recent updates (can't remember where) they mentioned that after further evaluation they determined that the project size ($$) is under that said threshold and they will tender it in house, dropping from AFP route. Hopefully that means they start works earlier, but also means we get little if no info on it going further. Note that the project was dropped from the IO website.

Also, York Region is still against the freight bypass:

The Draft Final 2041 RTP was revised to include community safety as a high priority in planning for goods movements on the rail corridor
In November 2017, Council received a communication on the status of a new conceptual freight rail corridor proposed within Peel Region, which could potentially result in an increase in freight rail traffic through Vaughan. Council resolved and requested that Metrolinx, as part of the 2041 RTP, confirm “… that the conceptual new freight corridor depicted as part of the “In Delivery” Regional and Rail Rapid Transit Network will not increase freight rail traffic through the City of Vaughan.”

In December 2017, York Region released its final report titled “Potential Increase of Freight Rail Traffic in York Region” (Attachment 1), and a copy of the report was forwarded to the Federal Government on January 15, 2017 by York Region. In the report, it was recommended that:
• The Province acknowledges that the rerouting of freight rail traffic through York Region is strongly opposed to by the Councils of The Regional Municipality of York, the Cities of Markham and Vaughan, and the Town of Richmond Hill.
• The Province considers other rail and non-rail options which do not increase the movement of dangerous goods through York Region.
• The Province direct Metrolinx to undertake consultation with The Regional Municipality of York, the Cities of Markham and Vaughan and the Town of Richmond Hill before proceeding with additional detailed studies relating to the proposed rerouting of a freight rail.

In response to the Council resolution and release of York Region’s report, Metrolinx has revised the priority action in the draft final 2041 RTP, “Promote Integrated Planning for Rail Corridors”, by adding this additional consideration: “Ensure that community safety is given high priority in planning for goods movement on rail corridors.” Future conversations with Metrolinx should highlight the City’s opposition to increased freight rail traffic in light of this additional consideration in the draft final 2041 RTP. At this point, staff will continue to pursue Metrolinx for further engagement on the new conceptual freight corridor proposed within Peel Region. Staff will provide updates to Council when new information becomes available

 

[innsertnamehere]

Freight traffic should not increase if it is a CN only bypass. My understanding is that is all Metrolinx is planning for right now, though CP can obviously always get on board as well, which would then increase freight levels. At least that is my understanding as the bypass does not seem to be "fixing" the Milton line, only the Kitchener line, meaning CP is planning to stay in place.

 

[smallspy]

Freight traffic should not increase if it is a CN only bypass. My understanding is that is all Metrolinx is planning for right now, though CP can obviously always get on board as well, which would then increase freight levels. At least that is my understanding as the bypass does not seem to be "fixing" the Milton line, only the Kitchener line, meaning CP is planning to stay in place.

They are most certainly planning the bypass and the improvements along the CN Halton and York Subs with an eye to moving CP to them. Just because they don't plan for that to happen immediately - or even in the next 20 years - doesn't mean that they shouldn't plan for the fixed plant to allow for it to happen at some point in the future.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[innsertnamehere]

They are most certainly planning the bypass and the improvements along the CN Halton and York Subs with an eye to moving CP to them. Just because they don't plan for that to happen immediately - or even in the next 20 years - doesn't mean that they shouldn't plan for the fixed plant to allow for it to happen at some point in the future.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Oh absolutely. I just meant that the immediate infrastructure program won't be doing it. The design needs to protect for that eventuality of course.

 

[raptor]

There we go...

17-341 - RFQ for Design-Build-Finance - Regional Express Rail - New SmartTrack Stations

17-342 - RFQ for Design-Build-Finance - Regional Express Rail - New GO Stations

And here is the press release:
http://infrastructureontario.ca/Req...Issued-RER-Stations-and-Off-Corridor-Program/

 

[dowlingm]

Freight traffic should not increase if it is a CN only bypass. My understanding is that is all Metrolinx is planning for right now, though CP can obviously always get on board as well, which would then increase freight levels. At least that is my understanding as the bypass does not seem to be "fixing" the Milton line, only the Kitchener line, meaning CP is planning to stay in place.

I thought the missing link boosters in Mississauga weren't interested in CN being bypassed, just CP so they could get their CP SmartTrack

 

[gweed123]

I thought the missing link boosters in Mississauga weren't interested in CN being bypassed, just CP so they could get their CP SmartTrack

Yes, Mississauga and Milton were mainly interested in getting CP moved off the Milton Line corridor. A CN-only Missing Link is better than nothing, but it's definitely not what the main proponents of the Missing Link study were advocating for.

 

[drum118]

We're adding a new GO station and want your feedback
Right now, we're working on plans for the new Mulock GO Station in Newmarket, which will be located south of Mulock Dr. and went of Bayview Ave., and part of the Barrie corridor.

We're hosting a public meeting for you to learn more about this project and would like to get your feedback. The meeting will be on Thursday, April 5 from 18:30-20:30, with a presentation at 19:00 at the Newmarket Municipal Offices, 395 Mulock Dr., Newmarket.

If you're unable to attend, but would still like to participate, please visit metrolinxengage.com.

 

[mdrejhon]

After some trackwork I witnessed further west a few weeks ago....

....I'm now finally seeing early prep to extending Hamilton West Harbour eastwards, to become a through station by early 2019.

- New signals at ground level
- Mysterious construction activity
- Cables and vegetation clearing

 

[SaugeenJunction]

After some trackwork I witnessed further west a few weeks ago....

....I'm now finally seeing early prep to extending Hamilton West Harbour eastwards, to become a through station by early 2019.

- New signals at ground level
- Mysterious construction activity
- Cables and vegetation clearing

View attachment 138777 View attachment 138778 View attachment 138779 View attachment 138780

View attachment 138781

Great to see, thanks for the photos! I guess it makes sense with work on Confederation GO starting, and I hope to see Niagara Summer trains use it ASAP. Any indication if the new track to Bayview Jct has started to be laid in? I believe CN was supposed to start work by now.

 

[crs1026]

Hmm. Those signals have exactly one lens, so they can offer exactly one indication: stop.

They are likely just to better indicate where the tracks end. I believe Oshawa has similar signals at the east end of its stub end tracks.

So, this is likely just finish- up work from the past construction of the station tracks.

The conduits on the other side are more intriguing, as they seem to a junction box that is already installed.

Is there any evidence of utility relocation - or even marking - eastwards?

Out of small beginnings.....

- Paul

 

[raptor]

I'm assuming this is the mother of all RFQ's we've been waiting for (RER operation, additional tracks, ELECTRIFICATION):
17-330 - RFQ for Design Build Finance Operate Maintain-Regional Express Rail On-Corridor

 

[crs1026]

I'm assuming this is the mother of all RFQ's we've been waiting for (RER operation, additional tracks, ELECTRIFICATION):
17-330 - RFQ for Design Build Finance Operate Maintain-Regional Express Rail On-Corridor

How it differs from RFQ SQ-2017-RTI-014 that was released last summer, I don't understand. Maybe this one gets it right.

- Paul

 

[rbt]

How it differs from RFQ SQ-2017-RTI-014 that was released last summer, I don't understand. Maybe this one gets it right.

Judging from the names of the documents (I'm not paying to see the content), 2017 was just an operations/maintenance (vehicles?) contract.

This one includes a massive construction piece too.

 

[DKsan]

I'm assuming this is the mother of all RFQ's we've been waiting for (RER operation, additional tracks, ELECTRIFICATION):
17-330 - RFQ for Design Build Finance Operate Maintain-Regional Express Rail On-Corridor

This is the RFQ that was referenced by the Minister of Transportation and head of Metrolinx during their press conference aka why they had the press conference.

There was also supposed to be a RFQ for new stations, new SmartTrack stations, and existing station renovations, that was supposed to be released on Monday, but hasn't shown up.