Guelph Transit Expands to Match Expansion of GO Train Service

Starting Tuesday, GO Transit takes another step to offering all day, two-way commuter service from Toronto to Guelph by offering two additional trains in the morning and two in the afternoon. In order to keep up with that expanded early morning service, Guelph Transit will be expanding its own service with an earlier start time for its shuttle.

Deal Between Metrolinx and CN Paves Way for All-Day GO Train

The Province of Ontario has announced this morning that they've vaulted the biggest hurdle in getting all-day, two-way GO Train service going between Toronto and Kitchener. Metrolinx and CN Rail have reached an agreement, in principle, that will allow those green and white trains to start moving through the region on a more regular basis.

PRESS RELEASE - Regional Mayors Agree on Pushing Forward on All-Day GO

A lot's changed in the last 10 months since the Wynne government, Metrolinx and regional councils all declared that all-day GO train service would be coming soon to the tracks of Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo, not the least of those changes is that new people all sit in the Mayor's offices of each of those cities. But despite the political shift, those new mayors, including Guelph's Cam Guthrie, want us all to know that they're all still dedicated to make all-day trains happen, and they're now getting support from new Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey.

Region Wants more GO to Get On

Not to sound either pessimistic or bitter, but how likely is the campaigning outlined below going to yield any real results? The following press release, which I received from the City of Kitchener's Director Corporate Communications & Marketing Laura Johnston, discusses a consultation meeting in the Tri-Cities today where local politicians met with provincial counterparts about expanding GO Transit service in the Toronto-Kitchener corridor, including two-way train service. But between the present mayors of Kitchener and Waterloo stepping down after this fall's election, and the strong possibility that the Liberal government will fall after presenting its budget, what are the chances, if any, that this proposal will bear any fruit?

New GO Station Coming to Acton

The system seems to be working. Metrolinx, operators of the GO Tranist system of trains and buses, has announced that they will building a new train station in Acton, which will allow commuters in the area to get a train in their own backyard as opposed to driving to Guelph or Georgetown.

So this is kind of huge. Obviously, Metrolinx sees new growth opportunity here, especially since train service to Acton, both VIA and GO, was discontinued in the 1990s (about the same time GO trains stopped coming to Guelph). Sadly, the historic Acton train station is no longer there to send off or receive riders, its home at the corner of Mill St. E. and Eastern Ave. having been turned into a vacant lot for a long time ago. You'll note in the above picture the architectural similarities between the old Acton station and others along the old Grand Trunk rail line.

Get on GO December 19th

So it was good news at the GO Transit announcement earlier this morning as  GO Transit President Gary McNeil, Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge announced that GO trains are coming to Guelph starting on December 19th. The logic, I suppose, is that it'll be a softer run over the holidays, when most people get time off from work, so that all the kinks are worked out in time for when rush hour is back to full capacity in January. 

According to the GO website, two round trips daily will run from Kitchener to Toronto weekdays. The GO train will depart Guelph at 6:14 am and 7:53 am with arrival times at Toronto Union Station at 7:32 am and 9:08 am. In the afternoon, trains will leave Union at 4:45 pm and 6:18 pm to arrive in Guelph at 5:45 pm and 7:53 pm. A one-way ticket will cost $11.70.

The trip will take between an hour and one and a half hours, considering that the average drive on the Greyhound during rush hour has been pushing two hours the last year, this should offer some smoother sailing to Guelph commuters. I, for one, cannot wait.

GO Transit Announcement Tomorrow

The Guelph Mercury reported this morning that there's going to be a big announcement concerning the topics of Guelph and GO Transit tomorrow. GO Transit President Gary McNeil will be in town, and he'll be joined by Guelph MPP Liz Sandals and Guelph Mayor Karen Farbridge for the announcement at 10 am at the VIA Station downtown.

So it begs the question: what could the announcement possibly be about? The cynic in me says that they're going to announce a delay in the commencement of GO train service to Guelph, but they probably wouldn't send the President of GO all the way up here to deliver bad news. Of course, considering that the service is supposed to recommence in January, and there has yet to be yet a schedule announced or anything, so cynicism reigns.

The year 2011 hasn't treated transit in the city right. The transit terminal's been delayed and delayed, the new schedule for Guelph Tranist was pushed back to 2012 after a contracting snafu, and let's not forget the fare increases. A lot of commuters in the Royal City have been waiting on pins and needles to get on a GO train since the idea was first floated a couple of years ago, so let's hope Mr. McNeil is bringing good news tomorrow.

You Though it Was Over, But It's Not Over...

The Transit Hub took another step closer to fruition today with this press release announcing that an agreement had been reached between CN Rail and the City to but the land for the open-air terminal. One wonders how things might have proceeded if an agreement hadn't reached, but I guess now we'll never know...

GUELPH, ON, January 26, 2010 – An agreement between CN Rail and the City of Guelph closed this week allowing the City to proceed with its plans for a new inter-modal transit terminal on Carden Street. The $1.5 million purchase allows work to resume on-site in the next four to six weeks.

The City now owns the land it needs to build the open-air transit terminal. The City already purchased the existing Greyhound station and plans to remove the building to make room for the new transit platform.

A pending agreement with VIA Rail is expected to transfer ownership of the VIA Rail station to the City of Guelph this summer. An estimated one-million-dollar interior renovation project will preserve the building’s National heritage status, improve accessibility, and allow the station to accommodate all VIA, Greyhound, GO Transit and Guelph Transit users. Interior renovations at the station are separate from the construction of the inter-modal transit terminal, and are not supported by Provincial or Federal funds. The work inside the VIA station is scheduled to be complete in 2012 as part of the City’s capital budget.

When the interior renovations are complete, the building will include five washrooms; three public washrooms for all users of Guelph Transit, GO Transit, Greyhound and VIA Rail, and two for personnel working at the facility.

"We’re preparing for the possibility of additional public washrooms in the future," says Rick Henry. "Underground water and wastewater services are being installed near the intersection of Macdonell Street and Carden Street. The exact location, design, construction plans and operating hours for potential future public washrooms have not been determined." 

Access during construction

During construction, ticket sales and administration for Greyhound and GO bus service will be available in a temporary facility nearby.

Pedestrian access tunnels at Wyndham Street and Neeve Street will be closed during construction. Pedestrians will be directed to use Wilson Street, Wellington Street and Macdonell Street to travel between the north and south sides of the railway tracks during construction.

The Neeve Street tunnel will remain closed when the project is complete. The tunnel is considered part of the right-of-way governed by CN Rail and Goderich Exeter Railway, and the railways will not allow pedestrians to emerge from the tunnel on to the north rail platform. Also, as part of its agreement with CN Rail, the City was asked to install permanent fencing to prevent people from trespassing over the railway tracks. The fence will be installed when construction resumes in the next four to six weeks.

The eight-million dollar inter-modal transit terminal is one of 25 projects that make up the City’s Guelph Remastered infrastructure upgrade program which is funded in part by Provincial and Federal Infrastructure Stimulus Funds. The funding deadline for these projects was recently extended to October 31, 2011.

Final Destination

Locomotive 6167 has been moved to its new perch along the tracks between the Greyhound station and the train station. Above is my picture from the scene as workers make sure the train is secure while some locals take in the action.

Do the Locomotion

Save the date - June 15th - if you want to see a big old steam-powered locomotive be hoisted by crane on to a flatbed truck and transported a few hundred metres away to it's new resting place. While it would have been awesome to see the train move on its own, seeing a 30 tonne locomotive from World War II being raised by a crane isn't bad either.

Here's a press release from the City with the details:

GUELPH, ON, May 27, 2010 – Construction begins this week in preparation for the relocation of locomotive 6167.

The historic steam engine is currently located north of Macdonell Street, east of the Greyhound station. As part of the plan for Guelph’s new intermodal transit terminal, the City of Guelph is relocating the 6167 locomotive to the south side of the Canadian National Railway tracks, east of the existing VIA Rail Station.

"This week we’ll start building the new concrete pad and tracks," said Andrew Janes, Project Manager. "We’ll build a temporary bridge over the tracks, and move the train itself in June."

On June 15 a crane will lift the 682,950-pound train straight up, allowing a flatbed trailer to drive underneath it. The flatbed will travel over the tracks on the temporary bridge. On June 16, the crane will lift the train from the flatbed and place it in its new location.

The relocation of locomotive 6167 is the first step toward building Guelph’s new intermodal transit terminal on Carden Street. Later this summer, the Greyhound station will be removed to make room for a new bus platform that will accommodate both Guelph Transit and regional bus service.

The City will build a new bus platform and waiting area, new public washrooms, new stairs and a new elevator for pedestrians travelling between the north side and the south side of the rail tracks from Neeve Street.

The City is also renovating the interior of the VIA Rail station to house administration services for Guelph Transit, Go Transit and VIA Rail. The new intermodal transit hub is designed to improve connections between local transit and regional buses and trains. The VIA station on Carden Street will become the main transfer point for people travelling in to, out of, and around the city.

Both Greyhound and VIA rail service will be maintained throughout construction which is expected to be completed by March 2011 in order to take advantage of Federal and Provincial Infrastructure Stimulus funds. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $8 million of which the City will pay $2.7 million.

Photo Courtesy of the Guelph Mercury