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GO Rail Network Electrification Environmental Project Report Addendum Executive Summary

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GO Rail Network Electrification Environmental Project Report Addendum Executive Summary GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum – Executive Summary 2021-02-16 Prepared by: Contract: QBS-2014-IEP-002 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum Executive Summary Project Overview On December 11, 2017, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change (now referred to as Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks) issued a Notice to Proceed to Metrolinx and Hydro One (as Co-Proponents) for the GO Rail Network Electrification Environmental Project Report (EPR) to convert six GO owned rail corridors from diesel to electric propulsion. Metrolinx subsequently issued a Statement of Completion for the GO Rail Network Electrification Transit Project Assessment Process on December 15, 2017. The purpose of this EPR Addendum is to document and assess the potential environmental impacts of changes to the project design associated with new/upgraded tracks, new layover facilities, (which are the subject of the New Track and Facilities TPAP and the Scarborough Junction Grade Separations TPAP), additional infrastructure required within the Union Station Rail Corridor (USRC) and surrounding areas to address identified conflicts with existing Hydro One transmission infrastructure and revisions required to update noise, vibration and air quality studies that have occurred since the completion of the 2017 GO Rail Network Electrification EPR (see Figure 0-1 for a map of the Study Area). EPR Addendum Process As per Section 15(1), Ontario Regulation 231/08, any change that is inconsistent with a previously approved EPR requires a reassessment of the effects associated with the project, the identification of potentially new mitigation measures, and potentially new monitoring systems in an Addendum to the previously approved EPR. The following are the key steps in the EPR Addendum process: • Prepare an assessment of the effects the proposed change may have on the environment. • Prepare and distribute an EPR Addendum. • Prepare and distribute a Notice of Environmental Project Report Addendum. • Review by the public and stakeholders prior to proceeding with the proposed Addendum. In addition to the required key steps listed above, in order to enhance the planning process for this project, Metrolinx voluntarily conducted additional consultation, including four (4) rounds of public meetings, as described in Section 5. Update to the Project Description This GO Rail Network Electrification EPR Addendum addresses the following changes to the previously approved 2017 EPR: Revised OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zones Since the 2017 EPR, Metrolinx has undertaken additional studies and engineering design to identify the additional infrastructure required to meet targeted GO Expansion service levels that have resulted in changes to the limits of the previously defined seven (7) metre OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zones as previously established as part of the GO Rail Network 1 Revision 00 16-Feb-2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum Electrification TPAP. These new infrastructure requirements include but are not limited to: new or modified track infrastructure along railway ROWs, new layover and/or storage facilities along select rail corridors, along select rail corridors that constitute revised OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zone limits along rail corridors to be electrified. The revised limits of the OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zone assessed as part of this EPR Addendum relied on the proposed project infrastructure footprints (including property requirements) defined through the following TPAPs: • New Track & Facilities (NT&F) TPAP • Scarborough Junction Grade Separation (SJGS) TPAP Several new tracks and track upgrades, as well as new layover/storage yard facilities have been proposed as part of the NT&F TPAP. A new train layover facility (to be electrified) was also proposed as part of the SJGS TPAP. Therefore, a review and assessment of potential impacts from an electrification perspective is required. The scope of this Significant Addendum to the GO Rail Network Electrification EPR includes examining the potential environmental effects of building, operating and maintaining the electrification infrastructure needed to electrify the additional infrastructure being assessed as part of the NT&F TPAP and SJGS TPAP. Changes to Proposed Infrastructure within Union Station Rail Corridor Following the 2017 EPR, Metrolinx has undertaken additional review and analysis, in coordination with Hydro One, to confirm locations within and along the USRC where the proposed electrification infrastructure is in conflict with existing overhead Hydro One infrastructure. Therefore, to eliminate these conflicts, additional engineering design has been undertaken to identify solutions for relocating Hydro One transmission infrastructure. In order to ensure that potential environmental impacts of these relocations/solutions are evaluated, these proposed works are being assessed as part of this 2021 EPR Addendum. Specifically, this entails relocating Hydro One transmission infrastructure in the vicinity of the USRC from approximately Mile 0.72E (just east of Henry Lane Terrace) to Mile 1.72E (just west of the Don River Valley). Revised GO Expansion Service Level Plan Changes to the anticipated GO Expansion service levels (compared to those previously assessed in 2017) have been identified, which constitute the need for revised noise, vibration and air quality impact assessment studies. The revised service levels and operating scenario are generally described as follows. The new GO Expansion Service Plan1 (also referred to as the Ultimate Capacity Train Service Schedule) anticipates the following ultimate weekday train trips per day: • Union Station Rail Corridor – 703 • Lakeshore West - 267 • Kitchener – 164 • Barrie Rail – 245 • Stouffville – 351 • Lakeshore East – 251 1 The service plan is based on current forecasts of future demand for express rail service and is subject to revision. 2 Revision 00 16-Feb-2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum Future demand will be met with new electric rolling stock and existing diesel trains in the following configurations: • Electric locomotive powered 12- car (peak period) and 6-car (off-peak period) trains; • Diesel locomotive powered 12-car (peak period) and 6-car (off-peak period) trains; and • Electric Multiple Units (EMU) with 1 to 4 units. EMUs are self-powered electric cars that are not pulled or pushed by locomotives. According to the service plan, some locations will be served by electric trains (Metrolinx-owned rail lines), some by a mix of electric and diesel trains (rail corridors with joint ownership), and others by only diesel trains (rail lines not owned by Metrolinx). EPR Addendum Project Area Revised OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zones A mapping overlay exercise was completed utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and relying on the conceptual design information for the infrastructure proposed from the aforementioned TPAP projects to establish the revised limits of the seven (7) metre OCS Impact/Vegetation Clearance Zones in the applicable areas along each affected rail corridor. Accordingly, updated Conceptual Electrification Corridor Plans were generated that present the study area examined as part of this Addendum (refer to Appendix N). The GO Rail Network Electrification EPR Addendum study area key plan is provided in Figure 0-1 below. USRC Hydro One Conflicts Study Areas The USRC Hydro One Conflicts Study Areas extends from approximately Mile 0.72E (just east of Henry Lane Terrace) to Mile 1.72E (just west of the Don River Valley), along the Union Station Rail Corridor in the City of Toronto, and include the following elements/locations (see Error! Reference source not found.): • Lower Sherbourne Street Bridge (Subway); • Parliament Street Bridge (Subway); • Cherry Street Bridge (Subway); • Esplanade Transmission Station; • Don Fleet Junction (JCT) (including new and existing sites adjacent to Lower Don Trail); and • Portion of the Corktown Common, where future steel monopole is proposed that will be studied under a separate addendum. 3 Revision 00 16-Feb-2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum FIGURE 0-1: GO RAIL NETWORK ELECTRIFICATION EPR ADDENDUM STUDY AREA 4 Revision 00 16-Feb-2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum FIGURE 0-2: USRC HYDRO ONE CONFLICTS STUDY AREAS2 2 Metrolinx and Hydro One have identified the need to locate an additional Hydro One transmission structure (i.e., steel monopole) between the Lower Don Valley River and Corktown Common to accommodate clearance requirements for the USRC Overhead Catenary System (OCS). A future addendum is to be completed to address environmental assessment requirements for this structure; at which time the significance of potential impacts will be determined. 5 Revision 00 16-Feb-2021 GO Rail Network Electrification Final Environmental Project Report Addendum Study Areas Associated with Noise, Vibration Studies The updated Noise and Vibration Assessment included studies for the following Metrolinx- owned rail corridors includes (see Figure 0-3): • Union Station Rail Corridor – From Union Station to Cherry Street; • Lakeshore West Rail Corridor – From Strachan Avenue to approximately 1 km west of Burlington GO Station; • Kitchener Rail Corridor – From the UP Express Pearson International
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