Milliken GO Station

Milliken
Second Milliken GO Station
Location	39 Redlea Avenue Toronto, Ontario M1V 4S3
Coordinates	43°49′23.5″N 79°18′06″W / 43.823194°N 79.30167°W / 43.823194; -79.30167Coordinates: 43°49′23.5″N 79°18′06″W / 43.823194°N 79.30167°W / 43.823194; -79.30167
Owned by	Metrolinx
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	TTC buses YRT buses
Construction
Structure type	Station building
Parking	665 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	GO Transit: MK
Fare zone	70
History
Opened	September 7, 1982 (N of Steeles Ave.) September 6, 2005 (S side Steeles Ave.)
Closed	September 6, 2005 and relocated
Rebuilt	2004–2005
Passengers
2018	195,000[1]  18.7%
Services
Preceding station GO Transit Following station Agincourt towards Union Station Stouffville Unionville towards Old Elm
Former services at CN station Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station Agincourt toward Toronto Toronto– Belleville via Peterboro Unionville toward Belleville Toronto– Port Hope via Peterboro Unionville toward Port Hope

Milliken GO Station is a GO Transit train station^[2] located in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near the city's northern border. It is located in the neighbourhood of Milliken, Ontario.^[3][4] The station originally opened on September 7, 1982^[5] on the Stouffville line but was relocated on September 6, 2005 because the curve of the original station made it difficult for the operator to see, and it would allow a parking lot to be built on the other side, along with making the station accessible.^[5]

The station was re-located south of Steeles Avenue, opposite to the Splendid China Mall shopping centre and accessed by a re-aligned Redlea Avenue. This new station has a straight platform long enough to accommodate a full-length train of ten carriages and a locomotive, which allows the conductor to have a good enough view from the 5th carriage to open all the doors safely. It has a 725 car parking lot, a dedicated passenger pick-up and drop-off area, and a station building with ticket sales counters, a waiting area, and public washrooms.

Former location[]

A small shed was built (in latter 19th Century) by the Toronto and Nipissing Railway as a flag stop located on the north side of Steeles Avenue on the east side of the tracks (see postcards)^[6] and used by successor railways (Grand Trunk Railway and Canadian National Railways) until it was demolished in the early 1960s. CN continued passenger service on the line (Union to Stouffville from 1971) until 1977 when VIA Rail took over passenger rail service. VIA cut service in 1981.

The former Milliken station (closed September 2, 2005), was located on the north side of Steeles in Markham, to the east of Market Village Mall. It consisted of a fenced off area with a small ticket booth and 2 large bus shelters. It was one of the most neglected GO railway stations because it was built on a sharp curve, and was much shorter than most GO stations. Because of that, trains could not open all the doors when stopped there. It had no dedicated parking spots and a small kiss-and-ride area. Cars waiting for the trains were parked at Market Village or along Steeles Avenue. There are no traces of the former platform, other than a single sign facing towards Steeles Avenue reading "CN Milliken" which has since been removed after double tracking work. The old station footprint is now on the northbound tracks. The building next door has been demolished to make way for an exit and commuter lot.

Connecting transit[]

The station is not directly served by regular local transit services, but there is a short connecting walkway beside the railway tracks to bus stops on Steeles Avenue East.

Toronto Transit Commission's bus routes 53 Steeles East operates along Steeles Avenue East and 43 Kennedy terminates by looping there, as does the 57 Midland.

York Region Transit route 8 Kennedy stops at the Steeles Avenue and Kennedy Road intersection.

Redevelopment[]

Milliken GO Station has been undergoing redevelopment since 2019 to support future growth, including two way, all day 15-minute interval service between Union Station and Unionville Station. Due to construction, there are currently door boarding and exiting restrictions, which mean that passengers cannot board the train or the exit the train in certain train cars. Public transit stops have been relocated and traffic on Steeles Avenue have been re-routed to allow for the construction of a grade-separated crossing and a pedestrian bridge over Steeles Avenue. Once complete, along with the grade-separated crossing and the pedestrian bridge over Steeles Avenue, there will be a longer renovated existing platform, a new second station platform and track, two pedestrian tunnels and elevators, new shelters, and access from both platforms to a covered pedestrian bridge over Steeles Avenue. The redevelopment is planned to be completed by the end of 2022.^[7]

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Milliken GO Station at Wikimedia Commons
• GO Transit station page for Milliken GO Station