Richmond Hill line

Richmond Hill

GO Train travels south through the Don Valley
Overview
Type Commuter rail
System GO Train
Locale Greater Toronto Area
Stations 6
Daily ridership 10,000 (2008)
Website Table 61
Operation
Opened May 1, 1978
Owner Metrolinx (Toronto)
Canadian National Railway (York Region)
Operator(s) GO Transit
Technical
Line length 42.3 kilometres (26.3 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map

 km
45.9 Bloomington
 42.3 Gormley
 33.8 Richmond Hill
 Richmond Hill Centre
 29.5 Langstaff Viva
29.5 Highway 407
25.9 Doncaster Junction
 22.7 Old Cummer
 Don River
Leslie
TTC Sheppard line
 Highway 401
 19.6 Oriole
 Don Valley Parkway
 CPR Belleville sub.
 CPR trestle
 Don River
 Don Valley Parkway
CPR trestle
 CPR North Toronto sub.
Prince Edward Viaduct
TTC Bloor–Danforth line
 Don River
CPR Belleville sub.
 GO Lakeshore line
 Don Yard
 TTC Yonge line
 0 Union
TTC University line

Richmond Hill is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends north from Union Station in Toronto to Gormley GO Station in Richmond Hill.

History

A Richmond Hill commuter train service had been announced in 1969 by the provincial government, but its implementation was cancelled in 1970 in favour of bus commuter service.[1]

Following a promotional opening on Saturday April 29, the Richmond Hill line became the fourth GO Transit rail line on Monday, May 1, 1978. The opening had been delayed because the BiLevel coaches ordered for the Lakeshore line were not delivered on time, so existing Lakeshore line trains were not available to be redeployed on the Richmond Hill line.[2]

The layout of the line remained generally unchanged from 1978 to 2016, when the line was extended north to the new Gormley station. This extension was part of the GO 2020 strategy, which aims to extend the line north to Aurora Road in Stouffville.[3][4] Phase I of the project, which was completed in late 2016, established the Gormley GO Station where the line intersects Stouffville Road, created a train layover facility at Bethesda Road, and graded the corridor for the extension.[4] Phase II of the project will extend the line further north to the new Bloomington GO Station.[4]

Route

The Richmond Hill line operates over the CN Bala Subdivision, which is owned by Metrolinx between Union Station and Doncaster Diamond, where the line crosses the CN York Subdivision. North of Doncaster Diamond, the line is owned by Canadian National and is part of its transcontinental freight route.

The VIA Rail Canadian transcontinental service from Vancouver to Toronto operates along the entire route of the Richmond Hill line, but does not stop at any stations other than Union.[5]

Stations

Community Municipality Regional Mun. Fare zone Distance (km) [6] Connections
Bloomington (future) Aurora and Oak Ridges Aurora York TBD 45.9
Gormley Gormley Richmond Hill 62 42.3
YRT Bus
Richmond Hill Richmond Hill 61 33.8
YRT Bus
Langstaff Langstaff 60 29.5
Viva Blue, Viva Purple, Viva Pink, YRT Bus (via Richmond Hill Centre Terminal)
Old Cummer North York Toronto 05 22.7 TTC
Oriole 19.6 (via Leslie Station)
TTC
Union Toronto 02 0.0
Mainline rail interchange Amtrak

TTC

Future

As a part of the GO Regional Express Rail (RER) initiative, train service along the Richmond Hill line is planned to be significantly expanded over the next decade. During peak hours, trains would run in peak direction every 15-30 minutes along this line.[7] To implement the planned RER service, the Richmond Hill line would need $1 billion in flood mitigation and a grade separation in the Doncaster area.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Refund request 'amusing to robarts, but not to Medcof". The Era. 3 June 1970. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Rail line ready but trains late". The Liberal. 22 February 1978. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "GO Transit reveals Strategic Plan - GO 2020". GO Transit. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 "Expansion Projects". GO Transit. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  5. ↑ Tess Kalinowski, Transportation reporter (17 April 2015). "GO to add almost 50 per cent more trains in next 5 years". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  6. ↑ Delcan/Arup (30 July 2010). "Electrification Baseline Draft Report" (PDF). GO Transit. GO Transit. Retrieved 12 December 2016. (Page 58)
  7. ↑ Ontario improving GO Transit service along all corridors
  8. ↑ GO to add almost 50 per cent more trains in next 5 years
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