GO train to Niagara-When will it happen?

[Junctionfan]

I don't know about 1/3 but the number sounds reasonable. The Buffalo Corridor is getting quite concentrated with traffic from various urban sprawl and the inevitability of population growth either naturally or through immigration. This of course means more imports and exports because business is increasing too. Unfortunately the government in my opinion, didn't have the foresight to address this and now we are forced to do everything at once and is costing us too much money all at once (tax payers). Highways are not revenue makers, at best they are revenue attracters but the government can't make direct revenue from the highways really. It also reduces the land municipalities can zone for whatever property they had in mind and can effect the property value.

The QEW is something that is great BUT......it will difficult to expand and so where does the traffic go? Answer? CN and CP. The Buffalo Corridor routes don't see that many trains anymore. CN has combined a few trains so they have made more room for an almost double track mainline (Grimsby Subdivision). VIA and Amtrak run 2 trains each. The line sees 7 or 8 trains a day since they combined 4 trains to discontinue 4. CP on the Hamilton Sub, runs maybe 8 trains a day also. Extra tracking isn't difficult because the ballast train is still their and the railroads still own the land so it's just a matter of government investment.

I plan to write to my M.P.P Peter Kormos and M.P David Christopherson about the matter and asking them to bring it up with the Minister of Transportations provincially and federally as the ministers will likely find it helpful.

Does anybody have any technical information and research or anything to give the ministers through me as much information as they need to collaberate what I say. I wi***o stress the importants of GO and VIA to the governments but I am only one person and not what would classed an "expert" so I would really be grateful for your help.

Thankyou

[Anonymous]

Got a question. Is it true that 1/3 of all Canadians live within 125 miles of Buffalo, New York? With over 3.8 million square miles (9.9sgkm) ol land I cannot comprehend the thinking in Ottawa which allows this irrational concentration of humanity along the north side of Lake Ontario. You mention the once beautiful Niagara Region. Even this area has fallen to an ever widening QEW. A trip from Niagara Falls thru Hamilton and on to GTA was once an easy country drive. Today it reminds one of Southern California. Latest projections show a 33 percent population growth by 2028. It is crazy! Traveling south of the border into upstate New York is like going into the wilderness....
tom

[Anonymous]

GO train service would be go for Buffalo as well. Ever try driving the QE EXpressway. Traffic goes at 100 plus miles perhour and you take your life in your hands.-----------By the way does not VIA run a train called the Genaral Braddock that is basicaly a commuter train

[Junctionfan]

For that, I think they were considering monorail along the parkway. That was what I heard but as you know, politicians in thease days, have a worse time keeping promises than before.

[BR60103]

I've not heard any of the promises -- sounds like local politics. We keep pushing for all day GO service to Brampton, but we don't expect much; our trains will get diverted to the airport first!
Since GO uses the TH&B station in Hamilton, where does the TH&B line run after that? I have a feeling it runs south to near Welland.
Can we get them to re-lay enough of the NS&T line to get service to Niagara on the Lake?

[Junctionfan]

There has been so much promises to bring the GO train to the Niagara Region that it's becoming a joke. I don't really know what the hold up is but it sure is getting really boring to wait for it.

I can't figure out why with Niagara Falls and its tourism plus St.Catharines with it's well over 100,000 people plus a large university and the other cities in the region with its large development both industrial, commercial and residential, that they are progressing so slow with public transit for rail.

There are tons of folk that commute to and from Toronto that use the QEW highway and now it is know that another highway is to be built know as the Mid Pennisula Corridor. Why doesn't the government spend the money on something cheaper and revenue productive like the GO train. It's not difficult. CN and CP are under capacity on the lines in question and for the most part, if train running conflicts are an issue, they can add another track no problem because the land is there.

I suspect because of Bayview conjestion, it has not been easy to convince CN for the extra trains and the government dragging its feet on the issue of increased demand of the GO service in Hamilton. I have heard news that between Aldershot and Hamilton is to be doubled from 2 tracks to 4. I am assuming that at least 1 will be dedicated a GO train line.

The question is what about Niagara. The only issue I see of Niagara is the blasted Welland Canal which separates St.Catharines, Welland, Thorold and Port Colborne from Niagara on the Lake, Thorold South, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. There is a solution though. There is a line that runs from St.Catharines all the way along side the canal toward Welland which is now owned by a shortline called Trillium Railways. It than circles toward the CP Hamilton Sub where it can take you east towards Buffalo. Before heading to Buffalo however, it goes north towards the old Melrose line which use to head towards Niagara Falls N.Y via Niagara Falls, ON which now goes as far as the Casino district; or it junctions on to the CN Stamford Subdivision where you can head to Niagara Falls and eventually turn on another wye into the VIA station there.

Does anybody have any comments, questions or news on this?