Bayview Junction
Encyclopedia
Bayview Junction is a major railway junction
in southern Ontario Canada
. It is located at the intersection of three of the nation's busiest rail lines and is a popular location for railfan
ning.
Located at the western end of Lake Ontario
, this wye
junction draws its name from the view of Burlington Bay
(Hamilton Harbour) to the east. Bayview Junction is located in the city of Hamilton
, immediately adjacent to its boundary with the city of Burlington
. The railway lines bisect the property of the Royal Botanical Gardens
, providing a picturesque setting.
as they approach the western end of the lake.
There are three major railway lines operated by the Canadian National Railway
(CN) which intersect at Bayview:
CN Oakville Subdivision
CN Dundas Subdivision
CN Grimsby Subdivision
In addition to the CN lines intersecting at Bayview Junction, the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CP) has a line which crosses over the CN lines on a grade-separated overpass. The CP Hamilton Subdivision, running from Hamilton to Guelph
joins the CN Grimsby Subdivision immediately east of Bayview at Hamilton Junction.
railways in Buffalo, New York
, thus making it a busy junction for freight traffic.
The population growth in the Greater Toronto Area since 1967 has resulted in the establishment of GO Transit
Lakeshore West line commuter rail service on the Grimsby and Oakville Subdivisions. Additionally, Via Rail Canada provides intercity passenger rail services on all three CN lines.
The CP Hamilton Subdivision links the industrial city of Hamilton
and U.S. railway interchange traffic further south in Buffalo with the railway's mainline from Detroit, Michigan
to Toronto at Guelph Junction. This line carries exclusively freight traffic and is not as heavily used as the CN lines.
Daily traffic density can vary. Upwards of 45 freight trains and 30-40 passenger trains per day can pass through Bayview Junction on both the CN and CP tracks.
Junction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
in southern Ontario Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located at the intersection of three of the nation's busiest rail lines and is a popular location for railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
ning.
Located at the western end of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, this wye
Wye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
junction draws its name from the view of Burlington Bay
Burlington Bay
Burlington Bay, known more commonly as Hamilton Harbour, lies on the western tip of Lake Ontario, bounded on the northwest by the City of Burlington, on the south by the City of Hamilton, and on the east by Hamilton Beach and Burlington Beach...
(Hamilton Harbour) to the east. Bayview Junction is located in the city of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, immediately adjacent to its boundary with the city of Burlington
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington , is a city located in Halton Region at the western end of Lake Ontario. Burlington is part of the Greater Toronto Area, and is also included in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. Physically, Burlington lies between the north shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment...
. The railway lines bisect the property of the Royal Botanical Gardens
Royal Botanical Gardens, Ontario
Royal Botanical Gardens is headquartered in Burlington and also include lands in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation and scientific resource...
, providing a picturesque setting.
Rail Lines
Bayview Junction was determined by geography, with railway lines running along the level ground parallel to the northern shore of Lake Ontario increasingly constrained by the Niagara EscarpmentNiagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
as they approach the western end of the lake.
There are three major railway lines operated by the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CN) which intersect at Bayview:
CN Oakville Subdivision
- The three-track Oakville Subdivision runs from Bayview east to Union StationUnion Station (Toronto)Union Station is the major inter-city rail station and a major commuter rail hub in Toronto, located on Front Street West and occupying the south side of the block bounded by Bay Street and York Street in the central business district. The station building is owned by the City of Toronto, while the...
in downtown TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, passing through the town of OakvilleOakville, OntarioOakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. It runs parallel to the Lakeshore.
CN Dundas Subdivision
- The double-track Dundas Subdivision runs from Bayview west to LondonLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, passing through the town of DundasDundas, OntarioDundas is a formerly independent town and now constituent community in the city of Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. It's nickname is the Valley Town. The population has been stable for decades at about twenty thousand, largely because it has not annexed rural land from the protected Dundas Valley...
, immediately west of Bayview, as it climbs up the Niagara Escarpment.
CN Grimsby Subdivision
- The double-track Grimsby Subdivision runs from Bayview south to Niagara FallsNiagara Falls, OntarioNiagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, passing through Hamilton.
In addition to the CN lines intersecting at Bayview Junction, the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CP) has a line which crosses over the CN lines on a grade-separated overpass. The CP Hamilton Subdivision, running from Hamilton to Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
joins the CN Grimsby Subdivision immediately east of Bayview at Hamilton Junction.
Train Operations
The CN Dundas Subdivision and CN Oakville Subdivision constitute CN's main line running from Chicago, Illinois to Toronto. The CN Grimsby Subdivision provides CN with access to United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
railways in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, thus making it a busy junction for freight traffic.
The population growth in the Greater Toronto Area since 1967 has resulted in the establishment of GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
Lakeshore West line commuter rail service on the Grimsby and Oakville Subdivisions. Additionally, Via Rail Canada provides intercity passenger rail services on all three CN lines.
The CP Hamilton Subdivision links the industrial city of Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
and U.S. railway interchange traffic further south in Buffalo with the railway's mainline from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
to Toronto at Guelph Junction. This line carries exclusively freight traffic and is not as heavily used as the CN lines.
Daily traffic density can vary. Upwards of 45 freight trains and 30-40 passenger trains per day can pass through Bayview Junction on both the CN and CP tracks.
Railfanning
Several locations in and around the Royal Botanical Gardens provide viewing of the railway lines.- A pedestrian bridge crosses the CN Oakville Subdivision immediately east of the junction. It is located in the Laking Gardens section of the Royal Botanical Gardens.
- A location near a parking lot adjacent to the gardens allows one to view CP Hamilton West, provides a view of the CP Hamilton Subdivision.
- A location partway down the pedestrian staircase on the Hamilton side of the York St. high level bridge permits viewing of GO TransitGO TransitGO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
commuter trains and CP yard trains crossing the Desjardins CanalDesjardins CanalThe Desjardins Canal, named after its promoter Pierre Desjardins, was built to give Dundas, Ontario, easier access to Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system of North America...
, as well as a daily Amtrak train to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as Norfolk SouthernNorfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, Southern Ontario RailwaySouthern Ontario RailwayThe Southern Ontario Railway is a shortline railroad in the province of Ontario. It operates of track from Brantford to Nanticoke, Ontario. The railroad began operations in 1998, and was acquired by RailAmerica two years later...
, and CN trains.
- A walkway in the Royal Botanical Garden's Rock Garden provides a view of the double-track Dundas Subdivision.