Exhibition GO Station

Summary

Exhibition GO Station is a GO Transit railway station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station is one of the Lakeshore West line stations between Toronto and Hamilton. It is located west of downtown Toronto at Exhibition Place,[1] an area of convention and exhibition venues, sports facilities, and other entertainment attractions, restaurants and nightclubs. It is also on the south side of Liberty Village, a former industrial area which has been redeveloped into a residential neighbourhood with retail and restaurants.[2]

Exhibition
General information
LocationManitoba Drive,
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada
Coordinates43°38′09″N 79°25′08″W / 43.63583°N 79.41889°W / 43.63583; -79.41889
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2 + 2 central bypass tracks
Connections Exhibition Loop
TTC buses
Construction
Bicycle facilitiesRack
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeGO Transit: EX
Fare zone02
History
Opened1968 (1968)
Passengers
2019966,400
Services
Preceding station GO Transit Following station
Mimico
towards West Harbour
Lakeshore West Union Station
Terminus
Port Credit Lakeshore West
(off-peak express)
Future services
Preceding station Toronto Transit Commission Following station
Terminus Ontario Line
(opens 2030)
King–Bathurst

Although the station is widely used during the Canadian National Exhibition, other major events and destinations at the Exhibition grounds include, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Enercare Centre, Medieval Times, Liberty Grand, BMO Field, Ontario Place, Budweiser Stage and Honda Indy Toronto.

Transit connections edit

Directly in front of the station there is a connection with Toronto Transit Commission buses on Dufferin route 29C and at the nearby Exhibition Loop with 511 Bathurst and 509 Harbourfront streetcar lines.

A suggestion was made in 2013 to integrate TTC and GO Transit fares so that riders from the adjoining Liberty Village neighbourhood would not have to pay full fare again when transferring between the GO train and TTC services. This proposal was also seen as a way to help ease rush hour congestion on the 504 King streetcar.[3]

History edit

 
1912 Grand Trunk station at the Dufferin Gates

The original Grand Trunk Railway station consisted of a wooden frame building, located on the south side of the tracks just east of Dufferin Street. The grade separation, which was done between 1910 and 1912, resulted in the demolition of that station since it was necessary to build a retaining wall along the south side of the cutting. New Dufferin Gates were constructed at the entrance to Exhibition Place, with concrete stairs down to two side platforms west of the new bridge over the tracks.[4] Passenger service continue to operate there until the 1960s.

Work to widen the platforms and add a snowmelt system, an accessible boarding area, and platform canopies began in the fourth quarter of 2012 and was completed in the second quarter of 2016.[5]

Exhibition is the southwestern terminus of the proposed Ontario Line. The Ontario Line platforms will be north of the current Lakeshore West line tracks.[6] The line is targeted for a 2030 opening.[7] A much larger station structure is planned as part of that work; as a result, in late 2023 work began on a temporary pedestrian overpass to handle passenger volumes during construction.[8]

References edit

  1. ^ "Getting Here (Select "Public Transit")". Exhibition Place. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "Condo Showdown: Five Liberty Village Units for Under $550,000". Toronto Life. June 11, 2013. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013.
  3. ^ "Integrated TTC-GO fare urged for Liberty Village riders". The Globe and Mail. October 23, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2014. Every other municipality has a deal with GO to do this except the city of Toronto
  4. ^ "Grand Trunk Grade Separation in Toronto" (PDF). Railway Age Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  5. ^ "Modernizing Stations – Exhibition GO Station". GO Transit. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  6. ^ Metrolinx (December 2020). Ontario Line Preliminary Design Business Case (PDF) (Report). p. 44. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  7. ^ Spurr, Ben (December 17, 2020). "GTA $11-billion Ontario Line may not open until 2030, three years later than Ford's initial promise". Toronto Star. Torstar.
  8. ^ Westoll, Nick (December 26, 2023). "Ontario Line construction progressing, new bridge opening at Exhibition Station in 2024". YouTube. CityNews. Retrieved December 26, 2023.

External links edit

  Media related to Exhibition GO Station at Wikimedia Commons

  • GO Transit station page for Exhibition GO Station