Roughed-In Transit Stations

J.OT13 · #1 Posted **Feb 18, 2019, 7:00 PM**

Today I learned about Edmonton's "Future Station" just north of Churchill within the transit tunnel. It was roughed-in when the system was originally built to eventually serve the Courthouse and Reaman Centre (correctional facility now closed after relocation). It was never completed as the necessary demand has yet to be reached.

• Video Link

https://www.avenueedmonton.com/City-...uture-Station/

It got me thinking about other partially or fully completed stations that have not yet, or will never be used. In Toronto, they have Lower Bay (used for a short time when they piloted interlining of the green and yellow lines) and Lower Queen (for future Queen Street subway). In Calgary, they built a station under City Hall for a future transit tunnel. In Vancouver, the Canada Line has a few roughed-in stations for future demand. And in Ottawa, we built the shell of the future underground Baseline O-Train Station.

Tell us about your city's roughed-in and/or complete but unused stations. Why were those stations built? Were there any plans on completing them that fell through? Does your city still plan on using them now or in the future? Is that station now considered a loss?

We can also discuss any abandoned ghost stations on your system. If you have any, are they used for other purposes, such as filming or training? Are they ever open to the public (such as Doors Open in Ontario)? Does your city have any future plans for these?

ADDITION: Has your City done anything else to future-proof the system such as a rough-ins for a future spur/split or knock-out panels in stations for future entrances. Any buildings in your city that have been designed for integration into a future transit line or station.

J.OT13 · #2 Posted **Feb 18, 2019, 8:16 PM**

More on Ottawa's Baseline Station.

The first Baseline Station was built in 1983 as part of the original two branches of the Transitway (Baseline to Lincoln Fields in the west, Hurdman to Lees in the east). It's main purpose was to serve Algonquin College.

Over the years, significant development went up west of the station including 101 Constellation Drive, a 386,000 square foot office building today used as municipal offices, and Ben Franklin Place, a municipal performance theater and local branch library. It was at one time the Neapean's City Hall before the 2001 amalgamation.

http://spacing.ca/ottawa/2010/02/23/baseline-25/

Around 2009, Algonquin College needed some space for a new trades building. The City agreed to let them build on the land occupied by Baseline Station. The City would build an underground station for a future bus-rail transfer hub as part of the project, with a "temporary" Baseline station just west of the new trades building, closer to the City of Ottawa municipal offices. The project was complete in 2011.

Here are some pictures of the Trades Building and tunnel along with a video.

https://www.algonquincollege.com/acce/

http://lunarbovine.com/blog/2014/06/...tation-tunnel/

• Video Link

The station will be completed as part of Stage 2 LRT and be renamed "Algonquin" for the college, as is the norm with other post-secondary institutions served by rapid transit in the city. It will be the south-west terminus by 2023 if all goes according to plan, until Stage 3 is built sometime after.

Here's Mayor Jim Watson in the tunnel with a Stage 2 sign.

https://www.algonquincollege.com/col...-travel-at-ac/

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...e-lrt-projects

ghYHZ · #3 Posted **Feb 18, 2019, 8:51 PM**

A station was roughed in at Mirabel Airport for an extension of Deux-Montagnes line. Same at Trudeau Airport....there is also a station.

SkahHigh · #4 Posted **Feb 18, 2019, 9:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghYHZ

A station was roughed in at Mirabel Airport for an extension of Deux-Montagnes line. Same at Trudeau Airport....there is also a station.

https://www.globalairrail.com/news/e...s-pension-fund

Which will never be used because the REM station will be located in P5.

J.OT13 · #5 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 3:23 PM**

Forgot about that one. Was the entire parking structure built at one time to accommodate a future rail link at the top level? And will the REM station use an exiting P5 level or will it be an entirely new addition?

WhipperSnapper · #6 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 3:30 PM**

I've heard some tales of roughed in intermediary stations on the Sheppard spur line.

p_xavier · #7 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 3:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Forgot about that one. Was the entire parking structure built at one time to accommodate a future rail link at the top level? And will the REM station use an exiting P5 level or will it be an entirely new addition?

Entirely new parking structure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf_xILAxZRw

J.OT13 · #8 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 4:41 PM**

So the REM station will be wrapped around the existing parking structure. We're they not able to use the roughed-in station or decided against it?

On the one hand, the roughed-in station is at least being used as part of the parking facility, on the other hand, it wasn't really needed considering they are expanding the above-ground parking garage.

The airport expansion looks like a great project. Any plans on extending the REM to the Dorval VIA station? It could easily be done above ground to save cost.

p_xavier · #9 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 5:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

So the REM station will be wrapped around the existing parking structure. We're they not able to use the roughed-in station or decided against it?

On the one hand, the roughed-in station is at least being used as part of the parking facility, on the other hand, it wasn't really needed considering they are expanding the above-ground parking garage.

The airport expansion looks like a great project. Any plans on extending the REM to the Dorval VIA station? It could easily be done above ground to save cost.

There will be a new parking structure, 2/3 of the existing parking will be demolished to make place for a new structure including the REM station.
They decided against it because it would have prevented a Technoparc station or too much going around the Airport to get to the South-facing rough-in station.

The CDPQi is actually reconsidering a REM extension to Dorval now. It can't be done overground because of the depth of the tunnel under the airport. The tunnel would need to come back up to the surface, and at 1km with a normal train grade, you arrive flush at the Dorval train station.

ghYHZ · #10 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 5:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.OT13

The airport expansion looks like a great project. Any plans on extending the REM to the Dorval VIA station? It could easily be done above ground to save cost.

I believe the original AMT plan of a few years ago was a spur off the CP mainline at Dorval if the trains were to go to Lucien L’Allier (Windsor Sta) or off the CN main if they were going to Gare Centrale (and they couldn’t even make of their minds on that!)

And there was talk of a loop through the roughed-in Airport Station that VIA would have used.

SpongeG · #11 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 7:25 PM**

where are the roughed in stations for the Canada line?

p_xavier · #12 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 9:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpongeG

where are the roughed in stations for the Canada line?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_Line.svg

J.OT13 · #13 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 10:19 PM**

Thanks for the info on the Montréal airport station. Nice to know what's going, why they couldn't use the existing infrastructure and what had been planned in the past.

Airboy · #14 Posted **Feb 19, 2019, 11:10 PM**

Not a roughed in station but I remember at the west end of the LRT line on Jasper Ave just as it turns south for Grandin Station there is a bit of a spur line, It was supposed to be for a future extension down Jasper Ave to the far west and 124st.

I have been down to the Remand station. When we were doing some work of the pressurization fan systems. a long time ago.

GeneralLeeTPHLS · #15 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 12:30 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I've heard some tales of roughed in intermediary stations on the Sheppard spur line.

There haven't been any developed on that line. However, the North York Centre subway station, between Sheppard and Finch station, was built in 1987 (13 years after the northern extension opened) following the development of several commercial towers and malls which now serve as the entrances for the station.

Calgarian · #16 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 1:36 AM**

Calgary's tunnel under city hall. Not sure if I will ever see the 8 ave subway in my life lol. The news story is probably 10 years old too.

• Video Link

J.OT13 · #17 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 4:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airboy

Not a roughed in station but I remember at the west end of the LRT line on Jasper Ave just as it turns south for Grandin Station there is a bit of a spur line, It was supposed to be for a future extension down Jasper Ave to the far west and 124st.

I have been down to the Remand station. When we were doing some work of the pressurization fan systems. a long time ago.

I should add that to the description. Anything roughed-in for future proofing of the system.

Had they built the transit tunnel to accommodate what is today the Metro Line? If not, were there any disruptions when the Metro Line spur was under construction? I did read something about the Epcor Tower's basement was built to accommodate the new line while it was still in the planning phases.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgarian

Calgary's tunnel under city hall. Not sure if I will ever see the 8 ave subway in my life lol. The news story is probably 10 years old too.

What happened to the plans for the 8th Avenue Subway? They just fizzled away a few years after that video? Will the Green Line prevent the 8th Avenue Subway from ever being built or will the City ensure it won't impeded on the future project?

MolsonExport · #18 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 4:56 PM**

Montreal: http://spacing.ca/montreal/2009/03/0...train-station/

wikimedia

Quote:

The shell of a train station is finally taking shape underneath Trudeau Airport — but, unless the federal and provincial governments cough up a hefty chunk of cash, there won’t be any trains to serve it. La Presse reports today that Aéroports de Montréal, the private, non-profit corporation that manages the airports in Dorval and Mirabel, has spent $25 million to build a new airport train station without any guarantee of an airport rail link. It’s basically a massive bargaining chip, one that ADM hopes will persuade Ottawa and Quebec City to finally implement the high-speed airport train they’ve been talking about for years.

Mirabel also had a (never used) train station underneath.

p_xavier · #19 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 5:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Mirabel also had a (never used) train station underneath.

And had a (barely used) airport.

Coldrsx · #20 Posted **Feb 20, 2019, 5:07 PM**

Thanks all, love these kinds of threads.