Agincourt GO Station

{{Short description|GO Transit railway station in Ontario, Canada}}

{{Requested move notice|1=Agincourt station|2=Talk:Acton GO Station#Requested move 27 March 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{Infobox station

| name = 45px Agincourt

| type =

| style = GO Transit

| image = Agincourt GO Station 0120.JPG

| image_caption = First Agincourt GO Station, built 1982, demolished 2021

| address = 4100 Sheppard Avenue East
Toronto, Ontario

| country = Canada

| coordinates = {{coord|43|47|10|N|79|17|04|W|region:CA-ON_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}

| line =

| other = {{Rint|toronto|bus}}

| structure = Brick station building

| platform = 2 side platforms

| depth =

| levels =

| tracks = 2

| parking = 342 spaces

| bicycle = Yes

| opened = {{start date and age|September 7, 1982}} (as a GO station){{cite news |title=GO for a Free Train Ride Tomorrow |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-stouffville-september/145938119/ |access-date=April 23, 2024 |work=The Toronto Star |date=September 6, 1982 |page=A12|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}

| closed =

| rebuilt = October 2021

| electrified =

| accessible = Yes

| code = {{GO Transit code|AG}}

| owned = Metrolinx

| zone = 07

| former =

| passengers = 134,000{{cite web| url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/board_agenda/20190207/20190207_BoardMtg_Ridership_EN.pdf| title=Drivers of Ridership and Revenue |page=4 |date=February 7, 2019 |publisher=Metrolinx |access-date=January 31, 2019}}

| pass_year = 2018

| pass_percent = 15.2

| pass_system =

| mpassengers =

| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=GO Transit|line=Stouffville|left=Kennedy|right=Milliken}}

| map_locator =

| other_services_header = Former services at CN station

| other_services_collapsible = yes

| other_services = {{Adjacent stations

|system1=Canadian National Railway

|line1=Toronto-Belleville|left1=Scarboro|right1=Millikens

|line2=Toronto-Port Hope|left2=Scarboro|right2=Millikens

}}

}}

Agincourt GO Station is a GO Transit railway station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.{{cite web|title=Agincourt GO Station Information |url=https://www.gotransit.com/en/stations-stops-parking/find-a-station-or-stop/results?stationCode=AG|publisher=GO Transit|access-date=February 21, 2019}} The Stouffville line station serves the Agincourt neighbourhood of the former suburb of Scarborough.

History

The station's track was once used by Toronto and Nipissing Railway and later Grand Trunk Railway and finally by Canadian National Railway. TNR opened a simple wooden station at Agincourt in 1871.{{cite web |url=http://cnr-in-ontario.com/Subdivisions/Uxbridge.html |title=C.N.Rys. Agincourt |author=Jeffrey P. Smith |work=C.N.Rys. Uxbridge Subdivision |quote=Station: Agincourt, Subdivision: Uxbridge, Mileage: 55.66 |access-date=December 17, 2014}} The CN station lasted into the 1970s and was demolished to accommodate the first Agincourt GO Station built in 1982. There was also a separate CPR Agincourt station located further east, built in 1884 by the Ontario and Quebec Railway which later merged with the Canadian Pacific Railway; it was demolished in 1962 and replaced by a passenger shelter that in turn was demolished in 1975.{{cite web |url=https://www.trha.ca/trha/history/stations/agincourt-station-canadian-pacific-railway/ |title=Agincourt Station (Canadian Pacific Railway) |work=Toronto Railway Historical Association |accessdate=2023-09-27 |df=mdy-all}}

In 2018, EllisDon Transit Infrastructure was awarded a contract to expand the station for increased Regional Express Rail service. The project included construction of a second platform, improved pedestrian and vehicle connections, and a new station building.{{cite web |last1=Mackenzie |first1=Robert |title=Plans for Expanding Agincourt GO Station Submitted to City |url=http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2018/08/plans-expanding-agincourt-go-station-submitted-city |website=urbantoronto.ca |access-date=August 14, 2018}} By February 2021, the old station building built in 1982 was demolished.{{cite web |url=https://blog.metrolinx.com/2021/02/09/as-the-old-agincourt-station-comes-down-a-new-chapter-about-to-be-written-for-important-scarborough-transit-stop/ |title=As the old Agincourt Station comes down: A new chapter about to be written for important Scarborough transit stop |publisher=Metrolinx |date=February 9, 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411223651/https://blog.metrolinx.com/2021/02/09/as-the-old-agincourt-station-comes-down-a-new-chapter-about-to-be-written-for-important-scarborough-transit-stop/ | archivedate=April 11, 2021 |url-status=live }} By October 2021, the new station building was completed; however, at that time work still remained for tracks, platforms and the parking area.{{cite web |url=https://blog.metrolinx.com/2021/10/25/see-video-of-new-agincourt-go-station-building/ |title=See video of new Agincourt GO station building |publisher=Metrolinx |date=October 25, 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025223121/https://blog.metrolinx.com/2021/10/25/see-video-of-new-agincourt-go-station-building/ | archivedate=October 25, 2021 |url-status=live }} By November 2022, two new pedestrian tunnels had opened between the north- and southbound platforms which also allows community members to cross the right-of-way underground; the pedestrian level crossing at Marilyn Avenue had closed. A new parking lot with 74 spaces was added at the north end of the station area along with a pick-up, drop-off area for 24 vehicles.{{cite web |url=https://blog.metrolinx.com/2022/11/08/new-customer-amenities-now-open-at-agincourt-go-station/ |title=New customer amenities now open at Agincourt GO Station |publisher=Metrolinx |date=November 8, 2022 }} In September 2023, Metrolinx announced that all work had been completed at Agincourt.{{cite web |url=https://www.metrolinx.com/en/news/major-improvements-complete-along-stouffville-go-line |title=Major improvements complete along Stouffville GO Line |publisher=Metrolinx |date=2023-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230915142145/https://www.metrolinx.com/en/news/major-improvements-complete-along-stouffville-go-line | archive-date=2023-09-15 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}

Station description

The station has the following features:

  • Station building featuring waiting area, digital displays, wood paneled ceiling, phone charging stations, accessible washrooms
  • Designed for LEED certification
  • Passenger pick-up and drop-off area (Kiss & Ride)
  • Indoor bike storage room for eight bicycles
  • Two tracks and two platforms
  • Two pedestrian tunnels with elevators
  • Canopies and integrated platform shelters
  • Connection to Sheppard Avenue at the south end of the platforms

Connecting transit

The Toronto Transit Commission's 85 Sheppard East and 985 Sheppard East Express bus routes links Agincourt GO to Don Mills station in the west, the 85 and 985B continues east into Scarborough while the 985A continues express to Scarborough Centre station.

Grade separation

When the Sheppard East LRT was a plan back in 2010, it required a grade separation of Sheppard Avenue East and the GO train tracks.{{cite web|title=Sheppard East Light Rail Transit (LRT) |url=http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pdf/firstwave/Fact_Sheet_Sheppard_LRT_EN.pdf |website=Metrolinx |access-date=July 7, 2014}} This led contractors from the City of Toronto government and TTC to build a bridge for the GO train tracks, while having Sheppard Avenue move under it, as the light rail vehicles would not have been able to cross the GO tracks at ground level.{{cite web |last1=Mackenzie |first1=Robert |title=New Access Routes into and out of Agincourt GO Station, Starting July 3|url=http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2012/07/03-new_access.shtml|website=Transit Toronto|access-date=July 7, 2014}} On July 3, 2012, the underpass was completed and opened to regular traffic, which was five months ahead of schedule.{{cite web |url=https://transittoronto.ca/archives/weblog/2012/07/03-new_access.shtml |title=New Access Routes into and out of Agincourt Go Station, Starting July 3 |work=Transit Toronto |date=July 3, 2012 }} However, in April 2019, Ontario premier Doug Ford announced that the provincial government would extend Line 4 Sheppard to McCowan Road at some unspecified time in the future, replacing the proposed Sheppard East LRT.{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/10/how-doug-fords-285-billion-transit-overhaul-compares-with-torontos-existing-plans.html |title=How Doug Ford's $28.5-billion transit overhaul compares with Toronto's existing plans |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=April 10, 2019 |access-date=October 16, 2019}}

The new underpass improves not only the flow of traffic along Sheppard Avenue, as vehicles no longer have to wait at a rail crossing, but also GO train service. The bridge also allows for two-way service on this portion of the line. Building the bridge also meant that the parking capacity of the station could be expanded. Before that project, parking capacity was only 297, but it has now been increased to 342 spaces.{{citation needed|reason=for parking capacity|date=October 2021}}

References

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