Ever wondered where GO Transit trains go to rest and get ready for another day of service? That’s Willowbrook Yard. It’s the maintenance and storage depot for most of GO Transit’s rail equipment.
Willowbrook Yard is in Toronto’s west end. More specifically, it is in Etobicoke. It lies north of the Canadian National Railway’s Oakville Subdivision. You can find it just west of Mimico Station.
Thousands of commuters pass by Willowbrook Yard. However, few know what it is. During the day, Willowbrook stores most trains. This allows them to quickly move to Union Station. They are in place for the afternoon commute. A delay at Willowbrook can delay all GO trains. It impacts all lines.
Railways have a long history in this area. The Great Western Railway connected passengers and freight from Hamilton. It stretched across the northern edge of what became New Toronto. Mimico also had a stop. The Grand Trunk Railway later bought the Great Western. Trains continued to run north of Mimico and New Toronto.
In 1923, the Canadian National Railways was created. It took over several bankrupt railways. The Grand Trunk was one of them. CN also took over the maintenance yard west of Mimico Station. Grand Trunk established the yard around 1910.
The CNR Mimico Terminal housed three railway departments until 1965. The motive power department serviced steam locomotives. The car department inspected and repaired freight cars. The yard and traffic department scheduled each train.
In 1965, CN moved most operations to a larger site in Maple. This became the Toronto Yard. The Ontario government began planning GO Transit in the mid-1960s. GO staff needed a place to maintain their commuter trains.
Wilfred Sergeant was Superintendent of Commuter Services for CN from 1965 to 1971. He helped the Ontario Government build GO Transit. Sergeant used his experience from the London Underground. He also applied his CN career experience.
Originally, GO had only eight trains each weekday. Sergeant knew that heavy transit systems worked best. Early-morning trains should start at the outer ends of the line. The same trains would finish there after the evening peak. However, a small fleet did not justify two depots.
GO wanted trains to remain as a unit. Crews would not need to uncouple locomotives every time. A unified staff would service coaches and locomotives in a single depot. This kept commuter trains running. Eight daily trains could not justify a fully equipped shop. GO needed a site for light servicing and parking. It also needed access to CN’s heavier maintenance facilities. These were at the Spadina coachyard and the John Street roundhouse.
The best place was the Mimico yard that CN was leaving. CN’s heavy freight movements still occurred there. A great expanse of yard was becoming available. The site was west of Union Station. GO crews could move equipment without conflicting with Union Station traffic.
An unexpected complication emerged. The Mimico Station stood along Judson Street. It was west of Royal York Road. The station was on a sharp curve. Commuter trains could not serve the station while moving in and out of the new depot. GO moved the station to the east side of Royal York Road.
Since the depot’s main entrance was off Judson Street near Willowbrook Road, it became Willowbrook Yard.
You can’t easily see what goes on inside Willowbrook Yard. Electrified fences surround it. However, you can get a good view from the Islington Avenue bridge.
Willowbrook Yard has a repair shop and cleaning tracks. It also features maintenance and storage tracks. These service locomotives and coaches. There are three operating yards: North, South, and Storage.
The Bubble is the heart of GO Transit’s commuter operations. It was built in 1980. The Bubble handles increased commuter traffic. CNR personnel cover the area 24 hours a day. There is double coverage during rush hour.
This facility links TATOA, CNR and CPR railway police, GO Transit security, and Toronto Terminals Railway. Five commuter service supervisors make decisions about train operations. The supervisor monitors all phases of GO operations. They supervise train crews via constant communication.
Willowbrook Yard ensures that GO Transit can keep commuters moving.