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12/7/2012 1:00:00 PM    

GO Transit completes switch replacement project

Toronto's GO Transit has completed a six-year, $87 million project to replace more than 100 switches throughout the Union Station rail corridor, agency officials announced yesterday.

The new switches will help improve service by allowing trains to move from one track to another at faster speeds, providing a more seamless passage through Canada's busiest rail corridor, GO Transit officials said in a prepared statement.

"These improvements to the rail infrastructure, in addition to the revitalization at Union Station, are critical in order to prepare us for increases in ridership over the coming years," said GO Transit President Gary McNeil.

When track layout was initially designed, the emphasis was on moving intercity long-distance passenger trains and freight. Today, those requirements have been replaced by the need to move commuters in and out of downtown Toronto, GO Transit officials said.

While the total number of station tracks has remained the same, tracks were reconfigured to reduce the amount of switching between tracks to help increase capacity and speed through the corridor.