The new Oshawa GO/Via Rail Station will soon be open for business as part of Metrolinx’s plan to improve GO Train service throughout the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
The Oshawa station, on the Lakeshore East line, is one of the busiest on the GO network. The $12-million building will replace the existing building that has remained in service during construction and will be demolished once the new building is operational.
The facility includes GO and Via ticket sales and waiting areas, expanded public and staff washrooms, service update monitors, schedule status, vending and ATM machines and a Via baggage handling area.
A canopy will extend between the new building and the Via pedestrian bridge. The kiss and ride and the parking lot will also be modified to make it easier for drivers and pedestrians to enter and exit the station, explains Metrolinx.
The new station will accommodate the growing demand from commuters, says Scott Money, a media relations and issues specialist, communications and public affairs for Metrolinx.
The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Areas have a combined population of nearly seven million that’s expected to grow to 10 million people by 2041.
Contractor for the Oshawa GO station project is Four Seasons Site Development and WZMH Architects worked with Aecom to design the station to LEED Silver certification standards.
The building, composed of intersecting prisms, is comprised of two offset rectangular volumes bisected by a central common high atrium area, explains a statement.
Daylighting is managed throughout the seasons through perimeter canopies to the north off the main waiting areas and more solid cladding to the south, east and west-facing facades to minimize heating and cooling loads in the building.
Heating is in-floor hydronic, in combination with a variable refrigerant flow heat pump system, which provides heat to all spaces. This system provides flexibility in zoning of the system with a resulting low energy consumption that requires less mechanical room space and minimal ductwork, explains the statement.
The building and canopy are contemporary in style and include materials such as brick, metal panels, glass and wood.
The new Oshawa station is part of Metrolinx’s transformation of the GO rail network. Core segments have been electrified as part of its Regional Express Rail program.
On the Lakeshore East line, there will be 15-minute, two-way electrified service throughout the day between Oshawa and Union Station, seven days a week, a release reads.
GO recently upgraded the design requirements for all its stations and maintenance facilities to aim for LEED Gold certification, taking into account the material being used, construction methods, energy efficiency and the impact on the adjacent environment.
Currently, GO trains on the Lakeshore East corridor go to Oshawa, with bus service between Oshawa and Bowmanville every 30 minutes. Four new stations are planned for Thornton Road and Ritson Road in Oshawa, Courtice Road in Courtice and Martin Road in Bowmanville.
Money says subject to agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway, which owns the rail corridor between Oshawa and Bowmanville, the new GO rail service is expected to be begin by 2023-24. This will allow time to accommodate the necessary steps such as consultation, planning and design, procurement and construction.
"We know how important the extension of GO rail service is to the vitality of Durham Region and the province, and that’s why Metrolinx and MTO (Ministry of Transportation) are working with Infrastructure Ontario and our freight partners to find ways to expedite the construction of the necessary infrastructure," says Money.
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