I don't have any insider knowledge about what these tracks will be used for but I'm interested that they're called out on the drawing.

I'd say a rerouted 501 is less likely because the site plan for the Cristy development shows streetcar track leaving Lakeshore West and routing alongside the GO station's south entrance.
1735682911485.png

Looking at Mimico GO station (immediately west of Park Lawn) it has 6 tracks, with 4 platform faces, which could suggest these 6 tracks would be extended through Park Lawn GO in the future to provide tracks for managing entry/exit from Mimico Yard.

The platform face (PF) configuration is not the same as proposed at Park Lawn (PF-PF-T-PF-PF-T vs PF-PF-PF-T-T-PF) but that could be reconfigured I guess.
1735681151206.png

The bridge carrying the QEW / Gardiner over the tracks seems to have space for at least 2 more tracks.
 
crs1026 said:
It is highly speculative, there is clearly not a network decision announced which would lead to any of these.

And the construction of said tracks would be a major effort, involving a new bridge over Mimico Creek, tunnelling under the Gardiner, and hefty construction along the Gardiner and west through Mimico.

It's enough to know that they have futureproofed the design for some as yet unforeseen expansion that is at best decades away.

- Paul
Click to expand...
There would be space in the northern tunnel under the Gardiner, no? I agree on the other reconstructions though.
 
Looks like ML has scrap the plan to have 5 tracks from Bathurst to Willowbrook with a possibility of a 6th track based on the above plan

To put in a centre platform will require widen the existing bridge to the point it would be better off rebuilding to allow 6 tracks. One track for VIA Yard and the other for Willowbrook with 2 express tracks.
 
urbancog said:
I don't have any insider knowledge about what these tracks will be used for but I'm interested that they're called out on the drawing.

I'd say a rerouted 501 is less likely because the site plan for the Cristy development shows streetcar track leaving Lakeshore West and routing alongside the GO station's south entrance.
View attachment 622576
Looking at Mimico GO station (immediately west of Park Lawn) it has 6 tracks, with 4 platform faces, which could suggest these 6 tracks would be extended through Park Lawn GO in the future to provide tracks for managing entry/exit from Mimico Yard.

The platform face (PF) configuration is not the same as proposed at Park Lawn (PF-PF-T-PF-PF-T vs PF-PF-PF-T-T-PF) but that could be reconfigured I guess.
View attachment 622562
The bridge carrying the QEW / Gardiner over the tracks seems to have space for at least 2 more tracks.
Click to expand...
For the last 20 years, TTC has wanted to build a loop at the south-west corner of Parklawn and Lake Shore and were about to do it when the plan for Christy surface. TTC wanted to relocate the loop to meet the demand for the area as well to the west, when in fact it should be future to the west in the first place.

Those 2 extra tracks are for VIA and Willowbrook yard.
 
Metroscapes said:
There would be space in the northern tunnel under the Gardiner, no? I agree on the other reconstructions though.
Click to expand...

Yes, the Gardiner is not the key pinch point - but both Mimico Creek and the Humber River would need large bridges, as well as Park Lawn.

I know ML did have plans to build a 5th track west of Dufferin, but that was before the Ontario Line came along. I'm dubious that they could add track east of Parkside without some really ugly retaining walls. (sigh....ivy may be the answer.....)

There was actually more track on the north side out around Ellis and Windermere, once upon a time. There is still the width for that. Extending the Willowbrook yard leads eastwards even that far would be a big improvement. The four track line is already very congested after the morning rush and again before the afternoon rush due to the number of peak GO trains laying over during the day. Changes to signalling, and/or equipment (hint electrification) might make things more fluid. And if more peak consists are used on an all-day basis with better headways, the equipment moves may moderate somewhat.

- Paul

PS - all of this is a very long way off. I would expect to see efforts to bring the Oakville line to four tracks at least as far as Oakville as taking higher priority over adding tracks beyond four. Between better VIA service, and the potential for more express GO to Hamilton, the current line will need more capacity eventually, and maybe sooner than we think..
 
drum118 said:
Looks like ML has scrap the plan to have 5 tracks from Bathurst to Willowbrook with a possibility of a 6th track based on the above plan
Click to expand...
Didn't we know that years ago, when they first released the informaton about Exhibition station? There's been various renders floating around for years.

And they abandonded the 5th track construction many years ago, half-finished.
 
urbancog said:
I don't have any insider knowledge about what these tracks will be used for but I'm interested that they're called out on the drawing.

I'd say a rerouted 501 is less likely because the site plan for the Cristy development shows streetcar track leaving Lakeshore West and routing alongside the GO station's south entrance.
View attachment 622576
Looking at Mimico GO station (immediately west of Park Lawn) it has 6 tracks, with 4 platform faces, which could suggest these 6 tracks would be extended through Park Lawn GO in the future to provide tracks for managing entry/exit from Mimico Yard.
Click to expand...
That loop looks DUMB. Point for potential TTC tracks.

urbancog said:
The platform face (PF) configuration is not the same as proposed at Park Lawn (PF-PF-T-PF-PF-T vs PF-PF-PF-T-T-PF) but that could be reconfigured I guess.
View attachment 622562
Click to expand...
Agreed, I could see that north platform shifted to the side of the corridor, but renders from the 327 Royal York Road entry suggest it was staying status quo. Were there any development plans published?

crs1026 said:
Yes, the Gardiner is not the key pinch point - but both Mimico Creek and the Humber River would need large bridges, as well as Park Lawn.
Click to expand...
I don't see Humber River being a big problem, it looks pretty straightforward to extend the abutment. Mimico Creek may be a valid point though. I bombed through there on a walk in April 2023 and the berm on the south side is significant drop. The parcel fabric seems to show they would have enough room for it on the north side though.

Untitled.jpg


crs1026 said:
I know ML did have plans to build a 5th track west of Dufferin, but that was before the Ontario Line came along. I'm dubious that they could add track east of Parkside without some really ugly retaining walls. (sigh....ivy may be the answer.....)
Click to expand...
It's curious they have a bridge for a 5th track at Ellis, and a 6th at Windemere.

Untitled 2.jpg
 
Metroscapes said:
It's curious they have a bridge for a 5th track at Ellis, and a 6th at Windemere.
Click to expand...

You can thank the Toronto Belt Line Railway Company of the 1890's for that....while unsuccessful, its trackage (the Humber Loop was abandoned by the 1920s) led to industrial development in Swansea. As late as the 1980's, there was a steel plant at Windermere that had spurs into the plant....hence those bridges.
ML renewed those bridges just a few years ago....to my surprise, they retained the extra spans. Sometimes they get one right....or maybe the overpasses are single unified structures that would have been costly to downsize. In any event, the futureproofing has resulted.
I don't expect those added tracks at Park Lawn will happen for decades....but it begs the question, how long before a fourth track is built west of Canpa to Oakville, or beyond.

- Paul
 
urbancog said:
There's provision for 2 Future Tracks (with the North platform becoming an island) but I don' see any indication if these will be additional GO tracks or Ontario Line tracks.
Click to expand...
GO's ultimate plans call for 6 tracks from Bathurst to Mimico, with the 5th track being a somewhat more short-term vision.

Dan
 
That design appears to complicate any option to run additional tracks thru the Gardiner underpass on the north side..... although the centre line of future tracks is shown, not much is done to rough in the necessary guideway.

- Paul
 
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