Metrolinx Gives Update on Hamilton LRT
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
An artist’s rendering of the future Parkdale stop. (Metrolinx image)
HAMILTON, Ontario - As a major step in securing the Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, Metrolinx released the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for a civil and utilities contract.
Metrolinx has reported on the growth of light rail transit in the City of Hamilton. Along with the LRT, Metrolinx states with the future Confederation GO Station and upgrades at West Harbour GO, “residents and visitors will have more ways than ever to travel to and around this vibrant region.” The LRT will run along a 14-km corridor from Eastgate Square to McMaster University.
In 1874, the Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) was the city’s first transit service, and it lasted until 1892. With the establishment of GO Transit in the 1960s, Hamilton was one of the first cities outside of Toronto to have this service. Below are two photos from Metrolinx showcasing the Hamilton Street railway and the streetcar service that replaced the HSR, courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library, Local History and Archives.
Once built, the Confederation GO station will the be the newest on the Lakeshore West line and introduce GO train service to connect Greater Toronto with the Hamilton area. It will be located near the intersection of the QEW and Centennial Parkway. Metrolinx states that over the last few months, its crews have “erected structural steel for the mini platform canopy, installed sheet metal on the canopy roof deck, and added brackets along the elevator shaft in preparation for the elevator installation.” Crews have also paved on the north and east walkways of the access building. Below are three images of the current Confederation GO Station construction.
As for West Harbour GO, crews are making upgrades that include installing a new track connection. This will connect the existing pocket track to the main line. Crews have also “conducted a major track lift where construction crews lifted the existing track by five inches and inserted new stabilizers within the track bed.” In terms of what’s next, crews will begin testing and commissioning. They will conduct reliability checks for the rail and signaling infrastructure.
