Public transit in Toronto’s west end is getting a major revamp with plans for four new GO train stations, two of which will also service Mayor John Tory’s proposed SmartTrack network.
But details of the expansion, including how the GO trains and more-frequent SmartTrack service will co-exist, have yet to be worked out, Tory and Ontario Transportation Minister Stephen Del Duca said Tuesday. City funding will also be required, Del Duca said.
“They are subject to a confirmed and agreed-upon financial contribution from the city,” he told reporters in Liberty Village, later adding the stipulation is the norm for transit projects.
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Tory, meanwhile, pointed to the difficult issue of TTC fare integration and track sharing as key topics still being nailed down.
“There may be different kinds of trains running on the same tracks as the SmartTrack service,” he said.
The new stations will be built at Liberty Village, St. Clair Avenue West and Keele Street, Bloor Street and Lansdowne Avenue and Spadina Avenue and Front Street. The first two will service the Kitchener line and double as SmartTrack stops, while the latter pair will take Barrie line GO trains.
Tory said his light-rail plan, which has come under criticism for the feasibility of its train-frequency targets, track sharing with GO trains and funding, “has always been built on top of the foundation of regional express rail.”
Regional express rail is GO Transit’s ambitious expansion that will electrify some lines and drop wait times to 15 minutes on busy stretches across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area by 2024.
Tory said his 53-kilometre SmartTrack proposal is aiming for 7-10 minute service, adding that may require separate trains. He said the network’s total cost is still a work in progress, though it was initially estimated at $8-billion.
“That work will get done and the price will be set and we will fund it accordingly,” he said.
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SmartTrack has been revised since Tory floated the idea during his election campaign. The plan is now down to six new stops from 13 as first forecast, though Tory said that including the eight to 12 Crosstown west LRT stations puts that number above the original plan.
The announcement comes ahead of the afternoon release of a major report by city staff on Toronto’s transit future, including recommendations and details on projects such as SmartTrack, the Scarborough subway and Downtown Relief Line.
Two east-end SmartTrack stations are expected to be revealed Tuesday.
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