West Toronto Diamond
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43°40′02″N 79°27′36″W / 43.66722°N 79.46000°W
The West Toronto Diamond is a railway junction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It connects the Metrolinx Weston Subdivision, which carries the GO Transit Kitchener line, UP Express and Via Rail Corridor passenger services, to the CPKC North Toronto Subdivision, which is the Canadian Pacific Kansas City's main freight line across Toronto. It is located near the intersection of Keele Street and Dundas Street in Toronto.
The West Toronto Diamond is often referred to as "the junction" and gives Toronto's The Junction neighbourhood its name.
Grade separation
The junction was originally controlled by a complex interlocking built by Saxby and Farmer which controlled 21 switches, derails and locks, plus 17 signals. The interlocking was controlled from an interlocking tower located at the centre of the junction. In 1965 the interlocking was converted from local control to remote control, operated by the CP Toronto Terminals Dispatcher in Toronto Union Station.
In April 2008, Metrolinx bought the Weston Sub from CN Rail to allow them to expand the railway to support increased train service along the corridor.
The junction was grade separated to move the Metrolinx Weston subdivision into a trench, passing underneath the CP North Toronto subdivision. The project was designed to accommodate a widened Weston subdivision, increasing from 2 tracks to 4. The new underpass began operation on May 26, 2014.
The cost to do this separation is close to $500 million, but will be paid back in full in a matter of years as more trains are added to all lines.[citation needed]
