Weston GO Station

Weston

UP Express and GO Train platforms
Location 1865 Weston Road[1]
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Coordinates 43°42′02″N 79°30′50″W / 43.70056°N 79.51389°W / 43.70056; -79.51389Coordinates: 43°42′02″N 79°30′50″W / 43.70056°N 79.51389°W / 43.70056; -79.51389
Owned by Metrolinx
Platforms 1 side and 1 island platform
Tracks 3
Connections TTC buses
Construction
Parking 144 (+110 owned by City of Toronto)
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code GO Transit: WSGO
Fare zone 04
History
Opened 1974
Rebuilt 2015
Services
Preceding station   GO Transit   Following station
toward Kitchener
Kitchener
Union Pearson Express
Terminus
UP Express

Weston GO Station is a train station in Toronto, Ontario, serving the GO Transit Kitchener line and the Union Pearson Express.[1] It is located on the south side of Lawrence Avenue West, just east of Weston Road,[1] in the neighbourhood of Weston.

Overview

Planned track and platform configuration. As of 2016, track and platform 1 have not yet been installed

Weston station consists of three tracks served by one side and one island platform, and a fourth track and side platform are planned on the north side of station. Each platform has two sections: UP Express trains stop at high-level platforms at the west end of the station, while Kitchener Line trains stop at low-level platforms at the east end of the station. In addition to the Metrolinx-owned passenger rail tracks, the double-tracked Canadian Pacific MacTier Subdivision passes along the north edge of the station.

The station is fully accessible, with pedestrian entrances from Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue and a pedestrian bridge across Lawrence Avenue. The station parking lot has a capacity of 144 cars and it includes a kiss and ride passenger drop off area.[2] An additional 110-space parking lot north of John Street, is owned by the City of Toronto but leased by GO Transit.[1]

A new pedestrian bridge opened in late October 2016[3] providing a means to cross Lawrence Avenue without having to walk over to either Weston Road or Ralph Street.

History

Early stations

The first stations at this location were the Weston Stations of the Canadian National Railway (CNR) and Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CNR station was built in 1856 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR)[4][5] which was absorbed by the CNR in 1923. The Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway (TG&BR) went into service in 1871 on narrow gauge rail, which had been converted to standard gauge track by 1883, and became part of the CPR in 1884.[6]

A Tim Hortons store on the south side of Lawrence Avenue West, east of the tracks, pays homage to the old station with a replica "Weston" station sign on the roof.

First GO Station

First GO Station platform

The first Weston GO Station opened in 1974 and stretched north from Lawrence Avenue to John Street. It consisted of a single track and platform accessed via a staircase and entrance from Lawrence Avenue west of the railway overpass. The station was demolished in 2013 following the opening of the new GO station.

Current GO Station

A new Weston GO station was opened on July 23, 2013 on the south side of Lawrence Avenue. The station was built as a part of the Georgetown South railway improvement project, which included eliminating all level crossings of the Kitchener Line in the City of Toronto. The original GO station on the north side of Lawrence Avenue was demolished in order to construct a ramp into the new tunnel under the Weston area.[2]

The new station features many improvements over the previous station, such as more parking, more platforms, more tracks, heated shelters, enclosed entrances, space for future retail and a new pedestrian bridge over Lawrence Avenue.[7]

The initial plan for the airport rail link service to Pearson International Airport, Blue22, did not include a stop at Weston station. However, in 2005, area residents campaigned for a stop on the service in 2005 as compensation for negative impacts of the railway expansion.[8] Following the takeover of the project by Metrolinx, Weston became a stop on the planned service.[9] As a result, Weston has been a stop on the Union Pearson Express since the service began operation in June 2015. UPX president Kathy Haley said that 10 per cent of UPX riders are expected to board at Weston GO Station.[7]

Connections

There are no bus stops beside the station, but a short distance west at the intersection of Lawrence Avenue West and Weston Road, connections can be made to Toronto Transit Commission bus routes 52 Lawrence West, 79 Scarlett Road, and 89 Weston.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Weston GO Station". Stations and stops. GO Transit. Retrieved October 2014. 110 parking spaces - leased from the City of Toronto Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  2. 1 2 Daniel Garcia and Sean Marshall. "GO Transit's Kitchener Line". Transit Toronto. Retrieved October 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. ↑ Natalie Nanowski (Oct 27, 2016). "Weston GO station pedestrian bridge set to open Friday after long delay". CBC News. Retrieved Oct 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Historical Background and Heritage Conservation District Statement" (PDF). Weston Heritage Conservation District Plan. City of Toronto. Retrieved October 2014. The coming of the Grand Trunk Railroad (now the CN) in 1856 and the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway (now the CP) provided a tremendous economic stimulus to the village of Weston Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  5. ↑ Paul J. Mc Grath (August 2007). "The Lost Village of Weston". OntarioRoots.com. Retrieved April 2015. In 1856 the Grand Trunk Railway ran their major north-west line just east of, and almost parallel to, Weston Road. Fortunately for the village, the railway included a stop at Weston, providing an economic boom to the town. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  6. ↑ "Existing Conditions And Impact Assessment Report" (PDF). Transit Project Assessment Process: Georgetown South Service Expansion and Union-Pearson Rail Link. GO Transit. July 2009. Retrieved October 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  7. 1 2 Tess Kalinowski (2015-05-22). "Union Pearson Express riders at Bloor face two-year wait for tunnel to TTC". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  8. ↑ Bow, James. "The Union-Pearson Express". Transit Toronto. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Airport link plan tackles fears in Weston area, premier says" By Tess Kalinowski & Rob Benzie, Toronto Star. January 22, 2009


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