CDL: While I think you make some very good and valid points about rail-fans and their backwards ways of thinking, I disagree with your assessment that the train shed should not be built over due to its 'gateway' status in the city. ...
I don't believe that just because a majority of travellers are from within the GTA that we shouldn't be making an effort to make the travel as pleasant as possible. There is no single point anywhere else in the GTA that is common to to the daily lives of over 180,000 people (and growing rapidly), plain and simple.
People don't usually see park space as wasted land that needs to be developed. Parks play an important role in improving our quality of life. The inside of a railway station is highly important public space that also should be designed to maximize the quality of life of people who use it. Even from a cold, capitalistic perspective if GO was a private corporation, there would be likely still be a recognition that the one point that is common to 99% of their customers should be designed as well as possible to maximize consumer satisfaction and increase demand. Shopping malls have atriums rather than simply developing office or residential space above for a reason.
I'm not simply being nostalgic for European long-distance train travel. Look to Austraila where intercity rail travel is practically non-existent but regional networks are well-developed. Melbourne has a grand total of two trains a day to Sydney and three a week to Adelaide, but look at their
new central station. Perth sees two long-distance trains a week (!) but still feel the need for a well-designed
central station. Speaking of Europe, London's Liverpool Street, Waterloo*, and Victoria Stations serve no intercity long distance trains but still offer a light-filled environment for travellers. I'm sure that with some time I could find many more examples of well-designed regional rail stations.
One thing that I agree with completely is that the current situation is unacceptable. But that doesn't mean that we should be willing to accept anything as an improvement.
(*Not Waterloo International)