Transit Toronto

Metrolinx is operating more GO Transit trains in each direction to and from Kitchener Mondays to Fridays, starting Monday, January 7.

That day, the transit agency is extending the eastbound Monday-to-Friday morning train that usually starts its trip in Georgetown GO Station at 6:48 a.m. to start, instead, in the Kitchener VIA Rail Canada station at 5:40 a.m. The train picks up passengers at Guelph Central and Acton GO stations, arriving in Georgetown at its usual time. It then continues serving passengers at all stations along the line, ending its trip in Union Station at 7:43 a.m.

GO also increases the number of train cars or coaches on this train to 12 from ten to accommodate more passengers.

Monday-to-Friday afternoons, GO extends two trains to Kitchener, but also shortens the trip for a current Kitchener-bound train that, starting next month, ends its trip in Georgetown.

The westbound train that usually leaves Union Station at 3:35 p.m. continues to Kitchener, instead of ending its trip in Georgetown. It drops off passengers in Acton and Guelph, ending its trip in Kitchener at 5:43 p.m.

GO also increases the number of coaches on this train to 12 from ten to accommodate more passengers.

The westbound train that usually leaves Union at 5:02 p.m. continues to Kitchener, instead of ending its trip in Mount Pleasant GO Station. It drops off passengers in Georgetown, Acton and Guelph, ending its trip in Kitchener at 7:11 p.m.

GO is decreasing the number of coaches on this train to ten from 12 due to the lack of space for storing trains overnight in Kitchener.

GO is also making other changes to train service along the 31 Kitchener line in January.

It’s extending the eastbound train that usually starts its trip in Bramalea GO Station at 5:54 a.m. Instead, the train starts in Mount Pleasant at 5:38 a.m., picking up passengers at all stations along the line and ending its trip in Union Station at the usual time of 6:32 a.m.

And, it’s extending the train that usually starts in Mount Pleasant at 5:56 a.m. Instead, the train starts in Georgetown at 5:47 a.m. and ends in Union at 6:50 a.m. GO is decreasing the number of coaches on this train to ten from 12.

The westbound train that usually leaves Union at 4:20 p.m. Mondays to Fridays leaves, instead, 16 minutes earlier at 4:04 p.m. The train drops off passengers at stations along the line as much as 16 minutes earlier than usually. It ends its trip in Georgetown at 5:12 p.m.

The train that usually leaves Union at 4:50 p.m. leaves, instead, 15 minutes earlier than usually at 4:35 p.m. The train no longer operates express to Bramalea, but drops off passengers at Bloor, Weston, Etobicoke North and Malton GO stations. It ends its trip in Georgetown at 5:43 p.m. (This train no longer continues to Kitchener. Passengers who usually boarded this train to travel to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener must board the “new” Kitchener-bound train that leaves Union at 5:02 p.m.

The train that usually leaves Union at 5:20 p.m. leaves, instead, seven minutes later at 5:27 p.m. It drops off passengers at stations along the line as much as seven minutes later than usually. It ends its trip in Kitchener at 7:39 p.m.

The train that usually leaves Union at 5:50 p.m. leaves, instead, ten minutes later at 6 p.m. It drops off passengers at stations along the line as much as ten minutes later than usually. It ends its trip in Kitchener at 8:07 p.m.

Jeff Yurek, Ontario’s new Minister of Transportation announced the service changes at an event in Kitchener Monday, December 17.

According to the Metrolinx blog, The Link, the new service changes are the result of a stronger working relationship between Metrolinx and CN Rail, which owns part of the 101 kilometres of track between Union Station and Kitchener.

According to chief executive officer Phil Verster, “Metrolinx has avoided the need for a costly freight by-pass on the Kitchener corridor, allowing for steadily increased service between Toronto and Kitchener until full two-way, all-day service is delivered.”

“We are now increasing service to Kitchener GO by 25 per cent and there will be more news to come,” said Minister Yurek. “This is an important step as we continue working with CN to deliver more service and offer two-way, all-day GO train service for people on the Kitchener line as soon as possible.”

From 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursday, December 20, the Town of Oakville is closing:

• Linbrook Road between Morrison Road and Chamberlain Lane / Morrison Heights Drive,

while Town crews remove dead and dying trees near the roadway.

Oakville Transit is detouring buses along this route, while the street is closed:

• 11 Linbrook.

According to Durham Region Transit, Saturday, December 22, the City of Oshawa is closing:

• Athol Street East between Ritson Road South and Celina Street.

(Neither DRT nor the City have detailed reasons for the closure.)

DRT is detouring buses along this route, while the street is closed:

• 411 South Courtice.

From 8 p.m. Thursday, December 20 until 5 a.m. Friday, December 21, TTC is closing the the Pleasant Boulevard entrance / exit of St Clair Station, while crews apply a new water-proofing membrane on the north sidewalk of the bus roadway.

While the Pleasant entrance / exit is closed, you can only access St Clair Station from the main entrance / exit on St. Clair Avenue East.

The TTC is also detouring buses along these routes:

• 74 Mt Pleasant; and
• 88 South Leaside.

Crews first apply the water-proof membrane in liquid form and then leave it to cure for several hours. This new membrane will prevent water from leaking into the subway tunnel below.

The crews removed the old water-proof membrane and prepared the sidewalk surface for this new application Wednesday, December 5.

While they are applying the liquid product to the sidewalk, nearby residents and business people will detect a chemical odour. As the product cures, the odour dissipates and will have completely dissipated by 5 a.m. Friday, when the TTC reopens the sidewalk.

Metrolinx contractors continue building the future Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line between Mount Dennis and Kennedy.

Starting Monday, December 17, crews expand the work zone to include the north-side curb lane

• on Eglinton Avenue West between Park Hill Road and the southbound ramp from William R. Allen Road.

By expanding the work zone, the crews can install tie rods in the westbound lane. (Tie rods help support a structure to keep it from collapsing.)

Tie-rod installation on Eglinton West between Park Hill and Allen and the resulting TTC delays continue “for approximately five weeks” or until January 27.

For transit passengers:

• Access to Eglinton West subway station is available at all times.
• Passengers aboard TTC buses along these routes can expect delays:

• 32A / 32C / 32D Eglinton West;
• 63 Ossington;
• 109 Ranee;
• 332 Eglinton West overnight; and
• 363 Ossington overnight.

For pedestrians:

• The sidewalk on the north side of Eglinton West between Park Hill Road and the southbound ramp from Allen Road is now closed. You must detour onto the roadway. Safety barriers protect you from traffic.
• The sidewalk on the north side of Eglinton West between the southbound ramp from Allen Road to east of Strathearn Road remains closed.
• The sidewalk on the south side of Eglinton West across from Eglinton West Subway Station remains closed. You must detour across Ben Nobleman Park and the east side of Everden Road to continue east and west along the south side of Eglinton.
• A walkway guides you through the work zone in front of Eglinton West Station to get into and out of the station.

For motorists:

• Two lanes are available for eastbound traffic on Eglinton West from Park Hill Road to the southbound ramp from Allen Road.
• Just one lane is available for eastbound traffic on Eglinton West from the southbound ramp from Allen Road to east of Strathearne Road.
• Just one lane is available for westbound traffic on Eglinton West from east of Strathearn Road to Park Hill Road.
• Park Hill Road, Everden Road, and Strathearn Road remain closed at Eglinton Avenue.

Starting Monday, December 17, Metrolinx crews are again maintaining the tracks between Guelph Central and Georgetown GO Stations. GO Transit trains may operate more slowly through the area. Expect the work to delay trains along the entire 31 Kitchener line by as much as 20 minutes behind schedule.

Crews are upgrading rail, switches and bridges along the line until December 14.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation continues a project to upgrade the Highway 401 eastbound express lanes between Keele and Dufferin Streets.

From 11 p.m. Sunday, December 16 until 5 a.m. Monday, December 17 and continuing overnight nightly, the work zone blocks access by eastbound vehicles to the off-ramp to Keele Street.

The project affects GO Transit buses along these routes:

• 19 Mississauga / North York;
• 27 Milton / North York;
• 33 Guelph / Georgetown / North York; and
• 36 Brampton / North York express.

The buses skip their regular stop

• on Keele Street north of Floral Parkway.

GO is encouraging passengers to stay aboard the buses to Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal and then transfer to a westbound bus along one of these routes. Exit from the westbound bus on Keele Street at Highway 401.

Construction on Highway 401 continues to block access for eastbound GO buses overnight until 5 a.m. December 19.

From Monday, December 17 until Sunday, December 23, Metrolinx crews are maintaining the track along GO Transit’s 09 Lakeshore East line after 10 p.m. Trains must operate more slowly than usually through the work areas. The work may delay trains by as much as 10 minutes behind schedule.

The work includes installing cables and is part of Metrolinx plans to increase future service levels along the corridor.

From Monday, December 17 until Sunday, December 23, Metrolinx crews are maintaining the tracks along GO Transit’s 01 Lakeshore West line after about 9 p.m. each night.

Trains must operate more slowly than usually through the work areas. Expect delays of as much as 10 minutes behind schedule.

The crews are welding and replacing rails, supporting plans to improve service along the Lakeshore West corridor.

Metrolinx contractors continue building the future Eglinton Crosstown light rail transit line between Mount Dennis and Kennedy.

Crews started working overnight to install utilities near the future Forest Hill Station in September. They’ll continue this work until January 31, 2019. By December 31, they’ll have completed 95 percent of the work to relocate and install utilities near the future station.

From 9 p.m. Saturday, December 15 until 5 a.m. Sunday, December 16 and continuing overnight nightly, the crews start building a water-main chamber

• on Eglinton Avenue West across from Peveril Hill Road North.

The new work zone restricts traffic to just one lane. Traffic shares this single lane, alternating in each direction. In January, crews start building another water-main chamber

• on Eglinton Avenue West east of Bathurst Street.

Water-main-chamber construction on Eglinton West across from Peveril Hill North and the resulting TTC delays continue until 5 a.m. Christmas Eve Monday, December 24. Construction and the delays resume 5 a.m. Boxing Day, Wednesday, December 26 and continue until 5 a.m. December 30.

Trucks access the construction site along Peveril Hill North.

For transit passengers:

• The TTC has already relocated bus stops near the work zones. It may also temporarily further relocate stops during this stage of the project.
• Overnight work to install the water-main chamber may delay buses along these routes:

• 32 Eglinton West; and
• 332 Eglinton West overnight.

Generally, construction near the future Forest Hill Station also delays buses along these routes:

• 7 Bathurst; and
• 307 Bathurst overnight.

For pedestrians:

• The sidewalk on the south side of Eglinton West between Peveril Hill Road North and Bathurst Street remains closed. A temporary walkway guides you through the laneway south of Eglinton around the work zone.
• The sidewalk on the north side of Eglinton West at the future secondary station-entrance site remains closed. A temporary walkway guides you to the north around the work zone.
• The north-south crosswalk on the east side of Bathurst at Eglinton remains closed.
• A work zone blocks the east end of the east-west croswalk on the north side of Eglinton West at Bathurst. A temporary walkway guides you along the roadway to the north around the work zone. Safety barriers protect you from traffic.
• A work zone blocks the east end of the east-west croswalk on the south side of Eglinton West at Bathurst. A temporary walkway guides you along the roadway to the south around the work zone. Safety barriers protect you from traffic.

For motorists:

• A work zone blocks all but the south-side curb lane on Eglinton West across from Peveril Hill Road.
• Work zones block traffic lanes on the north side of Eglinton east and west of Bathurst.
• Work zones block traffic lanes on the east side of Bathurst north and south of Eglinton.
• Just one lane is available for traffic in both directiond on Eglinton across from Peveril Hill North. “Paid-duty” Toronto Police Service officers and traffic-control personnel will be on-site to direct traffic, allowing traffic to flow through the single lane, alternating each direction.
• One lane for traffic in each direction is available on Eglinton east and west of Bathurst.
• One lane for traffic in each direction is available on Bathurst north and south of Eglinton.
• The City of Toronto is prohibiting turns in all directions at Bathurst and Eglinton.
• Peveril Hill Road North remains closed to traffic at Eglinton West.

For nearby residents and business people:

• Expect to hear noise and see bright lights overnight.
• Crews are maintaining access to all property.