Richmond Hill
GO Train travels south through the Don Valley
Overview
OwnerMetrolinx (Toronto)
Canadian National Railway (York Region)
LocaleGreater Toronto Area
Stations7
Service
TypeCommuter rail
SystemGO 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 gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed65 mph (105 km/h)
Route map
km
45.9
 Bloomington
42.3
 Gormley
33.8
 Richmond Hill
29.5
Langstaff
Richmond Hill Centre
Ontario 407 crown.svg Highway 407
25.9
Doncaster Junction
York Region
Toronto
22.7
 Old Cummer
Don River
Ontario 401 crown.svg Highway 401
19.6
Oriole
Leslie
Don Valley Parkway
CPKC Belleville subdivision
Don River
Don Valley Parkway
CPKC Don Branch
Prince Edward Viaduct
Line 2 Bloor–Danforth
Don River
Don Yard
0
 Union Station

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

Station Community Municipality Regional Mun. Fare zone Distance (km)[9] Connections
Bloomington Oak Ridges Richmond Hill York 98 45.9
Gormley Gormley 78 42.3
Richmond Hill Richmond Hill 50 33.8
Langstaff Langstaff 60 29.5
(via Richmond Hill Centre)
Old Cummer North York Toronto 05 22.7 TTC
Oriole 19.6 (via Leslie station)
TTC
Union Station Toronto 02 0.0
Mainline rail interchange Amtrak
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

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.
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