Junction Triangle

Davenport Diamond

Here's another update on Davenport Diamond grade separation project. What is this project about? In short, this project proposes to grade-separate the railway tracks that run along the east side of our neighbourhood (between Campbell Ave. and Lansdowne) and the CN Tracks on the north side of our neighbourhood (between Dupont and Davenport). This would involve creating a huge wall/overpass or trench east of Campbell Ave., with the possibility closing Wallace Ave. Whatever the outcome of this project is, it will have a major impact on our neighbourhood.

It seems that not too much has changed since the last update from GO/Metrolinx on November 10 2009, except that:

• GO/Metrolinx have purchased the entire Newmarket/Barrie railway corridor (as reported here on December 15th)
• The environmental assessment has been pushed back to 2012.

Read below for the email sent from Gary McNeil of GO/Metrolinx:

January 27, 2010

Phone: (416) 869-3600 ext. 5501
Fax: (416) 869-1755
Email: gary.mcneil@gotransit.com

Subject: Environmental Assessment study update
GO Transit Barrie Corridor rail service expansion

Many thanks for your interest in our projects.

Metrolinx recognizes the need to expand its commuter rail service on the Barrie rail corridor. GO recently purchased the southerly section of the rail right-of-way, and now owns the entire corridor from Barrie south. GO also built a new rail-to-rail grade separation north of Steeles Avenue to remove conflicts with East-West freight movements on CN’s York Subdivision.

In early 2009, a Public Information Centre (PIC) for the Davenport Diamond Rail-to-Rail Grade Separation (separating the Barrie Commuter trains from the East-West CPR freight trains on the North Toronto Subdivision) was held at St. Josephat School. At this PIC, the feedback and the interest shown by the public about this project proved just how important sensitive deign solutions are for this community.

We are taking the community’s comments about this project into consideration. In 2012, we are planning to initiate an Environmental Assessment (EA) that will include a potential design solution for the construction of a rail-to-rail grade separation at the Davenport Diamond, a proposed new station at St. Clair Avenue, and the twinning of the tracks in the corridor to operate some additional GO trains.

Please contact Greg Ashbee if you have any questions or concerns (Tel: 416 869 3600 ext. 5211, or email: greg.ashbee@gotransit.com).

Sincerely,

Gary McNeil
Managing Director, GO Transit
Executive Vice President, Metrolinx

c: Rob Prichard, President & CEO, Metrolinx
Vasie Papadopoulos, Director, Government Relations & Strategic Communications, Metrolinx
Greg Ashbee, Manager, Infrastructure Expansion Planning, Metrolinx

UPDATE:

This project has resumed in 2015, and all discussions/info can now be found here.