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Are there any other stations between Aldershot and Brantford that would make sense?
Dundas and Copetown, maybe. The former is a technical challenge, and the latter would be closer to a Bloomington/Old Elm park-and-ride situation for Ancasterites.

One could also conceivably put a station at the RBG to better accommodate Hwy 6 users, but that could happen today anyhow so it’s not really seeing much of a possibility.
 
This is my 100th GO Transit map:
You_Doodle+_2023-11-09T13_25_09Z.jpeg
 
1699758230524.png

I've talked about pieces of this in various threads, but I threw together a sketch of my thoughts on the far western GTA and Grand River Valley. Aside from my interest in the area it's also what I'd consider an appropriate alternative use for Highway 413 funds, as well as a good mix of projects for the "GTA West" transit study that the consultant felt needed to be recommended in the original 413 EA.

Basically (in [mostly] counterclockwise order, starting in Milton):
  • Milton line extension to Guelph via Guelph Junction Railway
  • Cambridge ION as planned, ideally using alternative T3 for a Concession Street terminal, with an eventual, likely mostly tunneled (but realistically wholly suitable for on street operation) extension to the Main / Dundas area
  • Fergus Sub Tram Train through running to Galt via Guelph
  • Grand Valley Railway reconstruction from Galt to Brantford via Paris
  • I've marked, and am sympathetic to reviving the Guelph Junction spur allowing through running from the GJR onto Fergus (which I tend to assume will end up owned by Waterloo Region at some point, and would wholly support contracting out ops to Guelph on), but this is definitely not strictly needed
  • Frequent local rail service from Guelph to at least Ira Needles, potentially on to Baden and/or new Hamburg
  • Elmira Tram Train terminating in Downtown Kitchener via either new chord at Benton / Charles or crossover at Market Station; this really isn't a short term priority, but should replace the Elmira bypass in Region of Waterloo long term plans
  • Brantford - Hamilton Tram Train mostly re-using whatever VIA see fit to run on and entering Hamilton via LRT
  • Dundas extension to Hamilton LRT, surface running, entering Dundas via Hatt street
  • Dundas LRT tunnel mostly under Sydenham then paralleling Dundas Sub to wherever a VIA station can be built (I tend to assume Hwy 8 / Brock Rd) - no underground station
  • James North LRT spur, potentially cut back to West Harbour, potentially extended east to serve industrial waterfront
  • Confederation GO LRT extension
  • Mountain LRT Spur, on the face of things I'm inclined to suggest a surface alignment on John, tunneled south of Arkledun under Claremont Access, surfacing for a terminal at West 5th / James; bear in mind that if gradients become an issue the portal can be pull west along Fennel
  • eventual extensions/branches on Mountain, Fennel, James, Mohawk routing ending at Wentworth/Mohawk seems a good first stage
  • GO Sub extension from Burlington GO, rejoining Dundas Sub somewhere east of Bayview Junction (I assume a significant viaduct, quite possibly following the 403); potentially including branch for direct Hamilton access
  • relocation of VIA service from Aldershot to Burlington, Tram Train LRT connection to be built at West Harbour providing frequent link from Burlington onto James Street spur (likely operating as tail end of through running Guelph - Brantford - Hamilton service, but definitely not the only pattern that would work)
Aside from presuming permissions for some kind of Tram Train operation one of my bigger concepts in this is that I've been wrestling with whether Toronto - Windsor/Detroit trains should be sent into Hamilton given the improved stub terminal operations with double ended sets. my conclusion is that no, reactivation big chunks of the Hamilton and Brantford radial ROW (mostly trails now) isn't worth it. Better to build a simple Bayview bypass and create better link to the LRT at Aldershot/Burlington and Dundas.
 
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View attachment 519608
I've talked about pieces of this in various threads, but I threw together a sketch of my thoughts on the far western GTA and Grand River Valley. Aside from my interest in the area it's also what I'd consider an appropriate alternative use for Highway 413 funds, as well as a good mix of projects for the "GTA West" transit study that the consultant felt needed to be recommended in the original 413 EA.

Basically (in [mostly] counterclockwise order, starting in Milton):
  • Milton line extension to Guelph via Guelph Junction Railway
  • Cambridge ION as planned, ideally using alternative T3 for a Concession Street terminal, with an eventual, likely mostly tunneled (but realistically wholly suitable for on street operation) extension to the Main / Dundas area
  • Fergus Sub Tram Train through running to Galt via Guelph
  • Grand Valley Railway reconstruction from Galt to Brantford via Paris
  • I've marked, and am sympathetic to reviving the Guelph Junction spur allowing through running from the GJR onto Fergus (which I tend to assume will end up owned by Waterloo Region at some point, and would wholly support contracting out ops to Guelph on), but this is definitely not strictly needed
  • Frequent local rail service from Guelph to at least Ira Needles, potentially on to Baden and/or new Hamburg
  • Elmira Tram Train terminating in Downtown Kitchener via either new chord at Benton / Charles or crossover at Market Station; this really isn't a short term priority, but should replace the Elmira bypass in Region of Waterloo long term plans
  • Brantford - Hamilton Tram Train mostly re-using whatever VIA see fit to run on and entering Hamilton via LRT
  • Dundas extension to Hamilton LRT, surface running, entering Dundas via Hatt street
  • Dundas LRT tunnel mostly under Sydenham then paralleling Dundas Sub to wherever a VIA station can be built (I tend to assume Hwy 8 / Brock Rd) - no underground station
  • James North LRT spur, potentially cut back to West Harbour, potentially extended east to serve industrial waterfront
  • Confederation GO LRT extension
  • Mountain LRT Spur, on the face of things I'm inclined to suggest a surface alignment on John, tunneled south of Arkledun under Claremont Access, surfacing for a terminal at West 5th / James; bear in mind that if gradients become ! an issue the portal can be pull west along Fennel
  • eventual extensions/branches on Mountain, Fennel, James, Mohawk routing ending at Wentworth/Mohawk seems a good first stage
  • GO Sub extension from Burlington GO, rejoining Dundas Sub somewhere east of Bayview Junction (I assume a significant viaduct, quite possibly following the 403); potentially including branch for direct Hamilton access
  • relocation of VIA service from Aldershot to Burlington, Tram Train LRT connection to be built at West Harbour providing frequent link from Burlington onto James Street spur (likely operating as tail end of through running Guelph - Brantford - Hamilton service, but definitely not the only pattern that would work)
Aside from presuming permissions for some kind of Tram Train operation one of my bigger concepts in this is that I've been wrestling with whether Toronto - Windsor/Detroit trains should be sent into Hamilton given the improved stub terminal operations with double ended sets. my conclusion is that no, reactivation big chunks of the Hamilton and Brantford radial ROW (mostly trails now) isn't worth it. Better to build a simple Bayview bypass and create better link to the LRT at Aldershot/Burlington and Dundas.
Wow, this is a lot to take in. Reaching for my maps! Certainly need intercity service by GO/VIA through Hamilton - Niagara, and Hamilton - Branford and on.
 
Thought recently it'd be nice if Church St had a streetcar route

Would offer mild "relief" from Line 1 and more of a direct route for some folks travelling north-south on the east side of downtown

Here's a quick fantasy map!

Naming it the 519 after the old 19 bus that ran on Church from 1954-96

View attachment 521123
You could then literally take the 519 to The 519!
 
Wow, this is a lot to take in. Reaching for my maps! Certainly need intercity service by GO/VIA through Hamilton - Niagara, and Hamilton - Branford and on.
Frankly I didn't even touch on VIA except to point out how I'd deal with capacity constraints at Bayview, but I think my ideal is Toronto - Brantford - London - Windsor/Detroit HFR, Toronto - Hamilton - St Catharines - Welland - Buffalo trains on a pretty low frequency and only maybe something on the North Main timed for stations between London and Kitchener to reach Toronto without transfers. That last one is really such a small market that I'm not at all convinced the best approach isn't a shuttle between Kitchener and London, be that VIA doing something based in London or Waterloo extending a few trips of it's locals to London.
 
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Church had a streetcar in olden days. According to James Bow it ended in 1954, replaced by a bus which ended in 1996. I can remember that bus from afternoons whiled away in various pubs, and it was a marvel to behold a bus running for years virtually empty even at rush hour. Mike Harris was elected in 1995, you'll recall, and a lot of things were slashed in 1996.
 
Downtown LRT route.png
Replace the Queen St & King St streetcar lines with a "crosstown styled" tunneled LRT line that can extend pass the Humber loop and along The Queensway, all the way to Kipling or Sherway. Convert streetcar track between Roncesvalle and Humber loop to standard gauge to accommodate LRT trains. This would be the only portion of the line that would be above ground.
 
View attachment 521697
Replace the Queen St & King St streetcar lines with a "crosstown styled" tunneled LRT line that can extend pass the Humber loop and along The Queensway, all the way to Kipling or Sherway. Convert streetcar track between Roncesvalle and Humber loop to standard gauge to accommodate LRT trains. This would be the only portion of the line that would be above ground.
What benefit is there to standard gauge? I get the desire to reduce interlining, I’d even get making it high floor if it’s REALLY meant to be a rapid transit line…. But being both light rail in that area and incompatible with the surface system just seems like a bad idea.

Honestly, with the OL being what it is I really think that a traditional streetcar subway with the surface lines feeding it is probably a better fit, even if the emphasis is really on speeding up Long Branch and Beaches service.
 

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