The upgrades are part of the Ontario government’s plan to transform the Hamilton-Niagara train corridor. Pictured: GO Train. Photo Credit: Metrolinx/Facebook.
Major upgrades to railroad tracks at Hamilton’s West Harbour GO Station are now complete and will reportedly save train commuters 20 minutes if they are traveling Niagara-bound past the station.
At West Harbour GO, which is located on James Street North across from LIUNA Station, passenger trains currently branch off of the main track line in order to reach the station.
The problem, which delays travel, is that the track that branches off to the West Harbour GO is a dead end, so trains currently have to reverse in and out.
As part of upgrades to improve the Lakeshore West line, Metrolinx has now extended railroad tracks eastward past West Harbour GO, connecting the original dead-end branch back to the main line so that trains can continue eastward towards Niagara.
The upgrades are part of the Ontario government’s plan to transform the Hamilton-Niagara train corridor into one that can accommodate both GO Transit and CN freight trains.
The work took place over the weekend of Oct. 4 to Oct. 6 during nighttime hours and involved raising existing tracks by five inches and inserting new stabilizers within the track bed.
Construction crews also completed groundwork at the site, upgrades to stormwater management, soil stabilization, and sub-ballast installation (the layer of crushed stones that a track sits on).
According to a Metrolinx update from Nov. 13, they will now be undertaking the testing and commissioning phase for the new track tie-in.
The Crown agency says that testing and commissioning involves “safety, functionality, and reliability checks for the new rail and upgraded signaling infrastructure.”
“Once this work is complete, passengers will have a faster commute through the station between Toronto and the Niagara Region,” continues the statement.
The work at West Harbour also significantly helps to advance the plan for GO train service at the soon-to-be-completed Confederation GO Station near the intersection of the QEW and Centennial Parkway in Stoney Creek.
Construction started on Confederation GO Station in October 2022 and officials said at the time that the project would be completed at some point in 2025.
Metrolinx says that “significant progress” has been made on construction.
Structural steel for the mini platform canopy has reportedly been erected, sheet metal on the canopy roof deck has been installed, and brackets have been added to the elevator shaft in preparation for elevator installation.
Paving has also begun on the north and east walkways to the building and the north parking lot.
The province has said that they will be introducing GO train service to the station once it is complete.
Currently, the site serves customers using GO Bus Route 12 which travels between Burlington and Niagara Falls.
All GO Transit upgrades are part of the province’s GO Expansion Program, with over $11 billion in related projects already underway.
The GO Expansion Program is meant to provide a wide range of transit improvements across the entire Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.
Eventual improvements include more all-day service, capacity for trains every 15 minutes or better, over 10,000 weekly trips (up from 3,500 in 2019), and a faster and more efficient fleet capable of 140 km/h speeds.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
