The Hamilton Junction Feasibility Study.
This brings up the subject of Hamilton all-day 2-way service. Something repeatedly promised by governments for more than two decades, and a frequently broken promise.
This study covers the complications of pushing 2-way service through the Hamiltion Junction, including pocket tracks, possible portions of main tracks (even if it terminates at Hamilton Junction), or the full monty (full new main track from Aldershot to James North).
They have clearly chosen the "Pocket Track" option at James Street North, so in theory they could begin 60-minute all-day 2-way service but with major delays due to freight. Conceivably, the door is potentially open (as soon as Stoney Creek *and* Lewis layover opens, with $115M of related rail infrastructure improvements) to begin this as early as 2019.
But could GO bring all-day two-way service at lower frequencies, such as a couple of midday trains and a couple of late-evening trains? It could happen as early as as 2016-2017 when West Harbor rail infrastructure is complete, and the pocket track continues onwards to reconnect to the Grimsby sub.
Ontario, however, wants to bring the 2-way all-day service to Hamilton Centre GO station, not West Harbor. Even in the
newest Ontario document released yesterday, it quotes:
- The 10-year GO Regional Express Rail program will bring 30-minute peak period service from West Harbour to Toronto in the morning and back in the evening. It will also bring 15-minute peak period service from Hamilton GO Centre to Union Station in the morning and back in the evening. Two-way hourly service will also be provided daily between Hamilton GO Centre and Toronto.
I am pretty interested in the rationale of Hamilton Centre GO versus West Harbor GO, and the plan for
incremental service expansions. It still looks like progress could go either way -- West Harbor versus Hamilton Centre -- based on how easy it was to slot the trains all day long. So the station roles could technically change, especially as the Hamilton LRT is built (A-Line stub).