No. H 189/08
For release - August 11, 2008
State-of-the-art technology used to install bridge span for track expansion
TORONTO - The Credit River Bridge along the GO Transit Lakeshore West corridor was widened this past weekend to improve rush hour service. The process took just six hours and new and innovative technology was used to install the pre-assembled bridge section, which adds a third mainline track to the existing two-track bridge.
The third track addition is part of a project to widen the Lakeshore West line to improve peak period service for the 60,000 GO Transit commuters who travel in and out of downtown Toronto each day.
"The installation of this third track will help cut commute times for passengers and improve the efficiency of this important commuting option," said the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "It also reflects this government's commitment to workin g with its partners to improve environmentally-friendly transportation options such as transit."
"Improving GO Transit service is critical if we are going to ease traffic congestion, strengthen the economy and improve the environment thr oughout the Greater Toronto Area," said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the GTA. "This is just the latest investment by our government to make commute r rail service more efficient for the benefit of the tens of thousands of commuters each and every weekday."
The installation process provided a safer and more cost-effective alternative to the more common practice of assembling the expansio n over the bridge. As the bridge span was pre-assembled and slid into place overnight, GO Transit was able to complete the process without any interruption to service.
"Investing in transit infrastructure is part of our plan for the economy and of our fight against climate change," said Ontario Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley. "Better service for GO Transit riders makes it easier for commuters to leave their cars at home."
The work on the Credit River Bridge is part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP), which includes a larger expansion and improvement project underway on the Lakeshore West railway corridor from the Port Credit GO Station to Kerr Street in Oakville.
Construction began o n this section of the corridor in April 2007, and is expected to be completed by November 2009. Upon completion, the improvements will allow for the introduction of more GO train service and help reduce delays during peak travel periods.
"Be cause of its unique assembly process, the Credit River Bridge project has been of particular interest to GO Transit riders, and we are pleased to have this important piece of this corridor's expansion complete," said Greg Ashbee, Rail Expansion P rogram Manager at GO Transit.
For more information about GO Transit's improvement and expansion program, please go to www.gotransit.com/gotrip.
Backgrounders with further information on th e installation, the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and GO TRIP projects are attached.
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Catherine Loubier
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Nicole Lippa-Gasparro
Office of the Ontario Minister of
Transportation, Toronto
416-327-1815
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
Trina Melatti
GO TRIP
416-869-3600, ext. 5175
Bob Nichols
Communications Branch
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
416-327-1158
Transport Canada is online at www. tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
The process used for the installation of the bridge for the third rail line over the Credit Ri ver was unique given that the span was assembled on land and then slid into place. This process provided a safer and more cost-effective alternative to assembling the expansion over the bridge and meant that GO Transit service along the corridor was not d elayed or interrupted.
Support beams and strand jacks were installed at either end of the pre-assembled bridge span.
Once the support beams were installed, the pre-assembled span was placed on four rail cars to move it along the existin g Credit River Bridge to the installation location. The 329-tonne span was then slid over the new foundation using hydraulic technology. The support beams and strand jacks were removed after the span was set into place. The rail cars were then removed fro m the tracks, and the span was slowly lowered onto the bearings already in place on the existing bridge.
The installation was completed in conjunction with Western Mechanical Electrical Millwright Services, an industrial equipment supply company from Barrie, Ontario. The entire installation process took approximately six hours one evening and was, for the most part, controlled by an on-site computer.
August 2008
The Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund supports large-scale projects of major national and regional significance . Through this fund, the federal and provincial governments agreed to provide up to $385 million each to support major GO Transit rail infrastructure improvements over seven years. Municipalities in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area will also provide funding.
GO Transit carries more than 170,000 passengers an average of 32 kilometres every day on its rail system. During rush hour, almost every seat on all GO trains is occupied. The expansion will enable GO to accommodate more than 40,000 addi tional passengers forecast to use the system during peak periods by 2011.
The GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP) includes 12 GO rail projects across the system and an expansion of the GO bus network. Most of these projects are underway , with completion expected in 2012. Below is an update for each project.
Lakeshore West corridor
A third track is being added on two sections of the Lakeshore West corridor to allow more GO Train service and reduce delays:
- Port Credit Station (Mississauga) to Kerr Street (Oakville): Construction began in April 2007 and is expected to be complete by November 2009.
- Burlington Station to Bayview Junction (Hamilton): Con struction on this portion of the corridor was completed in April 2008. All-day service to Aldershot Station began in September 2007.
In April 2008, GO Transit implemented 12-car trains along the Lakeshore West corridors. The addition of th e two rail cars has enabled each 12-car train to accommodate 300 new riders per train – an increase of 20 per cent.
Prior to the introduction of the new, longer trains, station platform extensions were constructed at Port Credit, Clarkson, O akville and Aldershot on the Lakeshore West corridor.
Lakeshore East corridor
Improvements to accommodate three-track operation between Union Station and Scarborough Station were completed in April 2008. This included the e xtension of platforms at Scarborough, Eglinton and Danforth stations.
Milton corridor
In April 2008, GO Transit implemented 12-car trains along the Milton rail corridors. The addition of the two rail cars has enabled each 1 2-car train to accommodate 300 new riders per train – an increase of 20 per cent.
Prior to the introduction of the new, longer trains, station platform extensions were constructed at Milton, Meadowvale, Cooksville, Erindale, Kipling and Dix ie on the Milton corridor. The platform extension at Streetsville Station is currently underway.
A new storage site was built to accommodate longer 12-car trains near Milton Station. This allows trains to be stored closer to where they start and f inish in order to minimize delays and reduce unnecessary train trips. The site has been operational since January 2007.
Stouffville corridor
Construction began in May 2006 on a GO rail underpass that will allow GO Transit to avoid delays caused by freight train traffic.
While this project was expected to be completed by December 2008, most of the work related to the underpass has been completed and recently the first GO Train passed through the new depressed corri dor. As a result, GO Train service along this corridor is more efficient and passengers can expect fewer delays.
Georgetown corridor - West Toronto Diamond
Construction is underway on the West Toronto Diamond rail-t o-rail grade separation. This rail underpass will allow GO trains to avoid delays caused by conflicts with freight trains. Preliminary works are complete, and the construction of the grade separation is expected to begin in early 2009, with a forecast com pletion date of spring 2011.
Georgetown South (Weston corridor)
An individual environmental assessment is underway to identify improvements required to accommodate increased GO Train frequency and options for transportati on link between Union Station and Pearson International Airport.
Georgetown North corridor
Construction began in fall 2006 to increase track capacity along the corridor, accommodate two new rush-hour trains and provide li mited off-peak service to the Mount Pleasant GO station in North Brampton. Construction is expected to be complete by July 2009.
Bradford corridor
The Snider rail-to-rail grade separation at the CN York subdivision freight line has been operational since December 2006. This GO Train rail overpass allows GO Transit to avoid delays caused by conflicts with freight trains.
Improvements along the Bradford corridor to accommodate rail service to Barrie are also complet e and service has been operational since December 17, 2007. During the week, four morning trains depart from the new GO Transit Barrie South Station to Union Station, and four afternoon trains depart from Union Station to the City of Barrie.
Union Station Rail Corridor Program
GO Transit awarded the contract for the signal improvements to Siemens. Design work began in December 2007, with overall completion expected in 2014. The work on this project will include a complete replacement of the 70-year-old track signal system at Union Station.
Additional improvements to Union Station are also underway, including new tracks and platforms. This will help improve the efficiency of the train network and increase operation al capacity.
The Don Yard has been redeveloped by GO Transit for its daytime train storage needs and is fully operational.
Other service areas
On September 4, 2007, two new GO Bus routes to Guelph were implemented as part of the GO TRIP program. In addition, on June 30, 2008, GO Transit bus service was extended to Stoney Creek.
August 2008
