Here's how Toronto's never-ending Union Station project will look once finally complete

Union Station has been a never-ending procession of renovations, restorations and upgrades that have kept commuters frustrated since 2010, and the latest phase of construction is set to continue until at least late 2025.

To put that into perspective, a child born when Union Station first went under the knife would be in their first year of high school today.

The latest phase of construction at the grand transit hub, known as the Union Station Enhancement Project (USEP), is part of Metrolinx's push to introduce two-way, all-day service every 15 minutes or better along core segments of its GO rail network.

Such an improvement requires substantial infrastructure upgrades, particularly at the GO network's busiest station, where construction on several improvements has been making significant headway since excavation works began in 2022.

Metrolinx provides update on perpetual construction at Union Station in Toronto https://t.co/uz0UrGTBpp #Toronto #UnionStation

— blogTO (@blogTO) May 25, 2023

Metrolinx shared another update on the project over the holidays when the transit agency released a new batch of renderings depicting the improvements riders can expect in the coming years.

Day 12 – we made it! Check out new Union Station Enhancement Project (USEP) renderings featuring wider platforms & enhanced concourse access. Once complete, enjoy a passenger concourse connecting Bay to York Streets, VIA, & Bay Concourses, Union Square, & Scotiabank Arena. pic.twitter.com/lEk1BSZIic

— GO Expansion (@GOExpansion) December 23, 2023

USEP is pouring another $562 million into the station to prepare it for a new future as the central hub in an expanded, electrified GO network.

Among the many upgrades, Union Station is getting widened platforms with improved access between track level and the concourses below — a feature that would have come in handy amid the crush crowds witnessed during the recent New Year's Eve pandemonium in Toronto.

Metrolinx promises that these improvements will allow for more efficient boarding and translate to increased service levels across the network.

Newly released renderings also show off some other features, including overhead gantries for the catenary system that will power electrified GO trains. Also shown off is the brand new "missing link" south concourse that will link the existing Bay and York Street Concourses and improve the flow of foot traffic to Scotiabank Arena.

Once the project is completed, Union Station will be capable of handling a capacity of approximately 80 trains per hour, quadrupling the current flow of GO trains in and out of the hub.

However, anyone expecting construction to actually cease at Union Station should manage their expectations, as there's even more construction on the horizon for the busy transit hub.

Plans are already in motion to expand and rebuild Union Station's streetcar loop as part of the planned Waterfront East LRT.

Because what would our beloved Union Station be without the rattle of jackhammers and ever-changing and more convoluted pedestrian detours?