Richmond Hill line

Last updated
Richmond Hill
GO Richmond Hill logo.svg
Richmond Hill GO Train from Viaduct.jpg
GO Train travels south through the Don Valley
Overview
Owner Metrolinx (Toronto)
Canadian National Railway (York Region)
Locale Greater Toronto Area
Stations7
Service
Type Commuter rail
System GO Transit rail services
Operator(s) GO Transit
Daily ridership10,293 (2016)
History
OpenedMay 1, 1978 (1978-05-01)
Technical
Line length45.9 km (28.5 mi)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Operating speed65 mph (105 km/h)
Route map

Contents

km
BSicon KHSTa.svg
45.9
Bloomington
BSicon HST.svg
42.3
Gormley
BSicon HST.svg
33.8
Richmond Hill
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon INT.svg
BSicon uSTRq.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
29.5
Langstaff
Richmond Hill Centre
Viva blue logo.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon eKRZxlr+xr.svg
BSicon exCONTfq.svg
25.9
Doncaster Junction
BSicon STR+GRZq.svg
BSicon HST.svg
22.7
Old Cummer
BSicon bWBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon utCONTgq.svg
BSicon INT.svg
BSicon utSTRq.svg
BSicon utCONTfq.svg
19.6
Oriole
Leslie
BSicon SUBWAY.svg TTC - Line 4 - Sheppard line.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4o.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon eSTR+c2.svg
BSicon exCONT3.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon eKRZ3+1u.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
CPKC Belleville subdivision
BSicon exLSTR+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
Don River
BSicon exLSTR.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u.svg
BSicon dRP4q.svg
BSicon exABZg2.svg
BSicon eSTR+c3.svg
BSicon exSTR+c1.svg
BSicon eKRZ2+4u.svg
BSicon exSTRc3.svg
CPKC Don Branch
BSicon exCONTf.svg
BSicon eSTR+c1.svg
BSicon exv-LSTR+4.svg
BSicon utCONTgq.svg
BSicon hPORTALl.svg
BSicon hPORTALr.svg
BSicon mKRZh.svg
BSicon utCONTfq.svg
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon exSTRc2.svg
BSicon WBRUCKE1.svg
BSicon exv-LSTR3.svg
Don River
BSicon eABZg+1.svg
BSicon exSTRc4.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
GO Transit logo.svg GO Lakeshore East logo.svg GO Stouffville logo.svg
BSicon YRD.svg
Don Yard
BSicon INT.svg
0
Union Station
VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg BSicon SUBWAY.svg TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg BSicon CLRV.svg
BSicon CONTf.svg
GO Transit logo.svg GO Lakeshore West logo.svg GO Milton logo.svg GO Kitchener logo.svg GO Barrie logo.svg
Richmond Hill line
Richmond Hill line

Richmond Hill is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It operates between Union Station in Toronto to Bloomington GO Station in the north in Richmond Hill. Trains on the line operate only during weekday peak hours (morning trains southbound, afternoon trains northbound), while off-peak weekday times are served by the GO bus route 61.

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 GO Station. This extension was part of the GO 2020 strategy, which aims to extend the line north to Aurora Road in Whitchurch-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, which was completed in June 2021, extended the line further north to Bloomington GO Station. [5] [6]

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. [7]

During regular service, the Richmond Hill line operates trains that are six to ten coaches long. Due to diminishing ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic, GO Transit is reducing the number of coaches on all Richmond Hill line trains from six to four cars. Following successful testing of four-car trains operating on the line beginning on April 19, 2021, all train trips on the Richmond Hill line are four cars long effective May 5, 2021. [8]

Stations

StationCommunityMunicipalityRegional Mun.Fare zoneDistance (km) [9] Connections
Bloomington Oak Ridges Richmond Hill York 9845.9 GO Transit logo.svg GO bus symbol.svg
Gormley Gormley 7842.3 GO Transit logo.svg GO bus symbol.svg
York Region Transit logo.svg
Richmond Hill Richmond Hill 5033.8 GO Transit logo.svg GO bus symbol.svg
York Region Transit logo.svg
Langstaff Langstaff 6029.5 GO Transit logo.svg GO bus symbol.svg
York Region Transit logo.svg Viva blue.svg Viva purple.svg Viva pink.svg Viva orange.svg (via Richmond Hill Centre)
Old Cummer North York Toronto0522.7 BSicon BUS1.svg TTC
Oriole 19.6 BSicon SUBWAY.svg TTC - Line 4 - Sheppard line.svg (via Leslie station)
BSicon BUS1.svg TTC
Union Station Toronto 020.0 GO Transit logo.svg GO Lakeshore West logo.svg GO Lakeshore East logo.svg GO Milton logo.svg GO Kitchener logo.svg GO Barrie logo.svg GO Stouffville logo.svg GO bus symbol.svg
Aiga railtransportation 25.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg UP Express logo.svg VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg
BSicon SUBWAY.svg TTC - Line 1 - Yonge-University-Spadina line.svg BSicon CLRV.svg BSicon BUS1.svg TTC

Future

As a part of the GO Transit Regional Express Rail (RER) initiative, train service along the Richmond Hill line is planned to be expanded over the next decade. During peak hours, trains would run in peak direction every 15–30 minutes along this line. [10] To implement the planned RER service, the Richmond Hill line would need $1 billion in flood mitigation and a grade separation at the Doncaster junction with the York Subdivision. [7]

A layover facility was planned in the Don Valley adjacent to the Don Valley Parkway underneath the Prince Edward Viaduct as part of the GO Expansion program. In March 2023, Metrolinx found a different site for the planned facility in a light industrial zone at York Mills Road east of Leslie Street. [11] GO Transit will use the Rosedale Siding adjacent to Bayview Avenue along the route as a temporary layover facility. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GO Transit</span> Ontario regional public transit system

GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven million across an area over 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi) stretching from Kitchener in the west to Peterborough in the east, and from Barrie in the north to Niagara Falls in the south. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 35,234,400. GO Transit operates diesel-powered double-decker trains and coach buses, on routes that connect with all local and some long-distance inter-city transit services in its service area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeshore West line</span> Commuter rail line serving Toronto, Canada

Lakeshore West is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Union Station in Toronto to Hamilton, along the shore of Lake Ontario. Some train trips extend past Hamilton to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchener line</span> Passenger rail service in Southern Ontario, Canada

Kitchener is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends westward from Union Station in Toronto to Kitchener, though most trains originate and terminate in Brampton in off-peak hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrie line</span> Commuter rail line in Ontario, Canada

Barrie is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Union Station in Toronto in a generally northward direction to Barrie, and includes ten stations along its 101.4 kilometres (63.0 mi) route. From 1982 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2007, it was known as the Bradford line, named after its former terminus at Bradford GO Station until the opening of Barrie South GO Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stouffville line</span> Commuter rail line serving Toronto, Canada

Stouffville is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. Its southern terminus is Union Station in Toronto, and its northern terminus is Old Elm in Whitchurch-Stouffville. There are connections from almost every station to Toronto Transit Commission or York Region Transit bus services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeshore East line</span> Railway line in Ontario, Canada

Lakeshore East is one of the seven commuter rail lines of GO Transit in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada. It extends from Union Station in Toronto to Oshawa GO in Durham Region. Buses from Oshawa connect to communities further east in Newcastle, Bowmanville and Peterborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriole GO Station</span> Railway station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Oriole GO Station is a small train station on GO Transit's Richmond Hill line. It is located under the Highway 401 overpass, west of Leslie Street in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is about half a kilometre south of Leslie subway station on Line 4 Sheppard of the Toronto Transit Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Hill GO Station</span> Railway station in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Richmond Hill GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. It was the northern terminus of the Richmond Hill line train service from the service's inception in 1982 until the opening of Gormley GO Station on December 5, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unionville GO Station</span> Railway station in Markham, Ontario, Canada

Unionville GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is a stop on the Stouffville line. The station is also served by Highway 407 East Express buses, which run westbound to Highway 407 station, northbound to Mount Joy GO Station, and eastbound to the Oshawa GO station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oshawa GO Station</span> Railway station in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Durham College Oshawa GO station is a station for commuter rail, passenger rail and regional bus services in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It is the terminal station for the Lakeshore East line of GO Transit and serves Via Rail's Corridor service, which travels from Toronto to both Ottawa and Montreal. The bus terminal is served by bus routes of GO Transit and Durham Region Transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gormley, Ontario</span> Unincorporated community in Ontario, Canada

Gormley is a hamlet in York Region, Ontario, Canada that overlaps parts of Richmond Hill, and Whitchurch–Stouffville, two municipalities within the Greater Toronto Area. It was divided into two parts due to the construction of Highway 404. A portion of Gormley situated within Richmond Hill's political boundaries is subject to "Heritage Conservation District" controls. A post office in Gormley (East) serves as the mailing address for the Whitchurch–Stouffville communities of Bethesda, Gormley, Preston Lake, Vandorf, and Wesley Corners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metrolinx</span> Crown agency owned by the Government of Ontario

Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Station in Toronto, the agency was created as the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority on June 22, 2006. The agency adopted its present name as a brand name in 2007 and eventually as the legal name in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northlander</span> Canadian passenger train

The Northlander was a passenger train operated by the provincially-owned Ontario Northland Railway in southwest and northeast Ontario, Canada. In 2012, rail service was discontinued and replaced with express bus service. Rail service will be reinstated in 2026 with an expanded route, greater frequency, new Siemens Venture train sets manufactured by Siemens Mobility Ltd., and various track and station upgrades. The new bi-directional route will run up to seven days a week from Toronto Union Station to Timmins, with an additional new rail connection from Timmins to Cochrane and express bus service from Matheson to Cochrane Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Elm GO Station</span> Commuter rail station in Ontario, Canada

Old Elm GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. Old Elm is the northeastern terminus of train service on the Stouffville line. The original station opened on September 2, 2008 on the north side of Bethesda Road, adjacent to the GO train storage yard. Old Elm was rebuilt further south on the west side of Tenth Line, and opened on October 17, 2023.

GO Transit is an interregional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada, operated by the provincial crown agency Metrolinx. It primarily serves the conurbation referred to by Metrolinx as the "Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area" (GTHA) with operations extending to several communities in the area centred around Toronto and Hamilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gormley GO Station</span> Railway station in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Gormley GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, serving Oak Ridges and the Whitchurch–Stouffville community of Gormley. It was the terminus of the Richmond Hill line train service from when it opened on 5 December 2016 until 28 June 2021, when the line was extended north to Bloomington GO Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloomington GO Station</span> Commuter rail terminus of the Richmond Hill line in the Greater Toronto Area

Bloomington GO Station is a train and bus station along the GO Transit network, located in the extreme northeast corner of Richmond Hill, Ontario. The station primarily serves the community of Oak Ridges and the town of Whitchurch–Stouffville. It is the northern terminus of the Richmond Hill line train service which connects to Union Station in Toronto. The station opened to the public on June 28, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GO Expansion</span> Canadian rail expansion project

GO Expansion, previously known as GO Regional Express Rail (RER), is a project to improve GO Transit train service by adding all-day, two-way service to the inner portions of the Barrie line, Kitchener line and the Stouffville line, and by increasing frequency of train service on various lines to every 15 minutes or better on five of the corridors. This would be achieved with the electrification of at least part of the Lakeshore East line, Lakeshore West line, Barrie line, Kitchener line and Stouffville line. GO Expansion is one of the Big Move rapid transit projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GO Transit rail services</span> Services provided by GO Transit

GO Transit rail services are provided throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The GO Transit rail fleet consists of 90 MPI MP40 locomotives and 979 Bombardier BiLevel Coaches. In 2022, the system had a ridership of 25,484,600 passengers per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CN Bala Subdivision</span> Major railway service line in Ontario

The Canadian National Railway (CN) Bala Subdivision is a major railway line in Ontario, Canada. It runs between the provincial capital of Toronto in Southern Ontario and Capreol in Northern Ontario, where the line continues as the Ruel Subdivision. It forms part of CN's transcontinental mainline between Southern Ontario and Western Canada.

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 "Expansion Projects". GO Transit. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  5. "New GO station blooms in Richmond Hill". Metrolinx News. Metrolinx. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  6. "History is made as Bloomington GO Station opens doors for the first time". Metrolinx News. Metrolinx. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 Kalinowski, Tess (17 April 2015). "GO to add almost 50 per cent more trains in next 5 years". Toronto Star . Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  8. metrolinx (2021-04-29). "Richmond Hill line sees GO Transit's first ever four-car trains". Metrolinx News. Retrieved 2021-05-03.
  9. Delcan/Arup (30 July 2010). "Electrification Baseline Draft Report" (PDF). GO Transit. GO Transit. Retrieved 12 December 2016. (Page 58)
  10. "Ontario Improving GO Transit Service Along All Corridors" (Press release). Ontario Ministry of Transportation. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  11. 1 2 Draaisma, Muriel (1 March 2023). "Metrolinx does an about-face on a GO facility planned for the Don Valley". CBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2023.