Lakeshore West Line

The Lakeshore West Line is a 82 mile (132 km) Line First Operated by GO Transit In 1967. It is also the Oldest & First GO Transit Line. It is Currently Owned by Metrolinx. VIA Rail & Amtrak Trains do go on this line and stop at 2 Stations on the way, Aldershot And Oakville.

## Freight Trains

Back then Canadian National Freight Trains ran the Whole route, Though They were Switching over to the CN Halton Subdivision After GO Bought The Line between Toronto And Willowbrook Yard in 2010 With CN 435 Being the Last One Left to run the whole thing from Union Station from the Bala Subdivision, It Worked The CN Oakville Yard's Ford Plant and Aldershot.

in 2012 GO Bought a second segment immediately to the west, extending its ownership to a point just west of Fourth Line in Oakville, And finally in 2013 Metrolinx purchased a third segment extending its ownership westward to a point just west of Burlington station, where the CN Halton Subdivision joins the line.

In 2012 CN 435 Was transferred over to the Halton Sub, It then goes back to the Lakeshore West Line at Burlington and then work's Aldershot Yard. CN 435 Did Return on the Oakville Subdivision in 2013 Due to Detours Along With some other Freights.

With Only CN L554, CN L543 and CN L557 Remaining, They Will Stay and Continue to Work on the Oakville Sub as Short Local Freight Trains.

## Early Day's

on May 23, 1967, The first train, numbered 946 left at 5:50 am from Oakville bound for Toronto. The Train was led by a GP40TC and made stops at Clarkson, Lorne Park, Port Credit, Long Branch, Mimico, and Union.

During the three-year experiment, all day Train service ran hourly from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton, Stopping at Bronte and Burlington Along the way.

GO trains started serving the Canadian National Exhibition in August 1967. For the 1968 Exhibition season, temporary booths were set up to handle passengers, which topped 24,000 on the season's busiest day.

Lorne Park GO Station closed within the first year of the line's operation after seeing little usage in 1968.

## New Stations & Track Upgrade's

Appleby GO Station opened on September 19, 1988, followed by Aldershot GO Station in May 1992. The opening of Aldershot coincided with the extension of all day and weekend service from Oakville to Burlington, however, this was reversed due to budget cuts on July 3, 1993.

James Street station was replaced by the Hamilton GO Centre in April 1996.

A third track was added between Sixteen Mile creek and the Port Credit station. Combined with additional work undertaken since the early 1990s, this gives the Lakeshore West line three tracks from Union Station through to Bayview Junction. the Final Area with 2 Tracks was Lorne Park with Crossing Upgrade's and a third track Being added in 2011

## Niagara Falls GO Trains

In 2009 as a pilot project, GO began operating express trains to Via Rail stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls on weekends and holidays during Niagara Region's busy summer tourist season. VIA Would end its Niagara Fall-Toronto Service in 2011  Weekend express service began operating year-round in 2019, and on May 23, 2023, year-round weekday service to Niagara Falls was enhanced, with two additional round trips per day to Niagara Falls.

## Services & Stops

Here is A List of the Type of Service's and Stations on this line, it also shows where and what stops they stop at.

⚫ Means Where the train Stops

⚫(Service End) Means where the train stops and terminates/ends its service

GO Transit Operates Some Service's to Oakville As a Short Turn Using Platform 4 (Track 4) Since the track ends When Passed the Station. Sometimes it is Needed as a Terminating Station for All GO Trains going Westbound due to Track Work, Mostly if this Happens It would Mean less Trains on The Line

The Blue Jay's Service is a GO Transit service that brings all of the Toronto Blue Jay's Fans back home after a Game, Passing Mimico and Long Branch on the Way to Burlington GO.

## Railfanning Spots

Here is a List of The Greatest Railfanning Spots on this Line.

### Bayview Junction

Bayview Junction is a Popular location for railfans and trainspotters. The railway lines bisect the property of the Royal Botanical Gardens, providing a picturesque setting. At this Spot you can Mostly see GO Transit Niagara Express, West Harbour and Hamilton GO Centre Trains, Many CN Freight Trains As the Oakville Sub Ends and Splits Into the Grimsby and Dundas Sub Subdivisions and some VIA/Amtrak Trains.

### Aldershot

Aldershot Is a GO Transit And VIA Rail Canada Station in Burlington Ontario. It is also a Busy CN Freight Yard, You can mostly get lots of GO Trains and Many CN Trains Passing/Switching The Yard.

### Burlington Junction

Burlington Junction is a Small Railfan Area Where the CN Halton Sub Goes into the Oakville Sub, Almost Every CN Train but CN L554 Goes on the Curve to the Halton Sub. It is also the Former Spot of Burlington Station where VIA Rail Stopped at before.

### Drury Bridge

This Bridge is just 300 Meter's Away from Burlington GO, It gives you a view of the Trains Leaving/Passing the Station, Sometimes GO Transit Crews can Give Awesome Horn Show's Here.

### Chartwell Road (CN Oakville Yard)

This may be some Crossing beside a Yard but you get some Switching Action Going on, Along with CN L554 Departing and Working the Yard. There is also GO Trains, and VIA Rail Trains That Departed/Is Arriving at Oakville.

### Clarkson GO

At the Western End of the Station you can get GO, VIA And Amtrak trains Rounding the Curve. Sometimes you can gets horns from far away by the Friendly VIA/Amtrak Crews. Though at the Other end there is a Chance that a CN/LTEX Switching Job can Happen, It Does it Pretty Much Everyday with a LTEX (Larry'S Truck Electric) GP38-2 it Brings Tanker Cars to the Petro-Canada Plant on a Solo Track in Reverse, When they are done Filling up the GP38-2 Takes them back to the yard to CN L557 To take to Aldershot Yard in the Night.

### Long Branch GO

At this Station you can get Fast Express GO Trains, and VIA Trains Flying Pass the Station, there is Also A Curve to make the Shots Better.

### Sunnyside

On A Bridge over the Tracks and the Gardiner Expressway You can Get Many Views of Passing GO And VIA Trains, Since Willowbrook Yard is Close you can get Many GO/VIA Equipment Moves, you can even see the VIA Rail Canadian.

### Union Station Rail Corridor (USRC)

In the USRC You can see All GO 7 Lines (5 In the Afternoon and Sometimes 4 On Weekends) and the UP Express, there are Many Spots with Bridges, Roads and Etc in Downtown Toronto.

## Train Power

Starting with GO Transit, Its GO MPI MPxpress Power with Series 8 And 10 Cab Cars,  Sometimes there can be a 6 Car Set on the Niagara Express with Maybe a F59PH.

For VIA Rail, Its the Common F40PH/P42DC With Budd or LRC Coaches, Sometimes there can be Detours such as VIA 84, And J-train's with VIA 87 and Double Headers. Even More Rarely A Toronto - Windsor Corridor Train could Pair up with Another Toronto - Windsor Corridor Train (**an Example is VIA 72 With VIA 70**)

For Amtrak, A GE P42DC With 5 Or 6 Amfleet Coaches, Sometimes there could a P32AC-DM Making its way to Toronto Or A Heritage Unit. Even More Rarely (Never to Happen?) There can be A Dash 8 or a NPCU.

And Finally CN, For CN L554 a GP9Rm, GP38-2, GP38-2W or a GP40-2W  could be the power on this train, Sometimes the train Will have 3 Locos if one is being taken to Another yard.

## Trivia

Everywhere on this line is a No Horn Zone Except for Hamilton and the Countryside area Where A Few Crossing's are Horn Zones for Amtrak and the Niagara Express.

Bike Coaches are Taken off the Niagara Express when not in Summer Months.

On Jan 8th 2023, A Niagara Express Train was With Double F59PH's and a Old Cab Car.

1. ↑ All 3 Local Trains Ran On the Oakville Before 2013 and Still Does Today.
2. ↑ This is not the Current Exhibition Station today, as this older one was beside Dufferin Street Bridge, The Staircase to the Platform is still there today though you cant go on it.
3. ↑ The Amtrak Maple Leaf Still Stops At Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Grimsby
4. ↑ Track Work is Happening on some Saturday's and Sunday up till December 2nd 2023.
5. ↑ CPKC Can also be seen here.
6. ↑ Series 2 Cab Cars (the Older Ones from 1986) could Enter Service Soon
7. ↑ There also Could be One of the Ex GMTX GP38-2's