smallspy
Senior Member
The next step should be welded rail and fixing Guelph Station to Guelph Junction. CTC should improve operations somewhat.
Nitpick: Guelph Junction is due south of Guelph, on CP. You are likely thinking of Silver, which the junction immediately west of Georgetown. And the line from Georgetown to Kitchener is already welded rail.
CTC will improve things immensely, as it will allow for far more frequent trains. The improvements in sidings will allow for a more-reliable service in the face of increased traffic.
During the nearly 40 years of hourly off peak service on Lakeshore...weren't there stretches there that were only double tracked? didn't that line have mixed rail traffic of GO/Via/Freight as well? If so, why would this line need to be more than double tracked to support it? (someone from GO sent me an email not so long ago suggesting it needed to be 4 tracks wide to support all day, 7 day, two way service).
VIA, yes. Freight, not really. The York/Halton Sub project was specifically done to move the vast majority of freight traffic out of downtown Toronto, and the freed-up capacity was used to begin GO service.
They don't quite need 4 tracks through Brampton, but the additional tracks that were installed a couple of years ago to Mount Pleasant are part of the improvements that were needed for all-day service on the line. And if CN increases freight traffic much more, a third track at Brampton Station may well be necessary.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.