GO Transit

[smallspy]

The only problem is that is doesn't make any sense to run trains now while the construction is going on. That's the reason why they cancelled the limited mid-day service on the line several years ago - to give the construction workers more time to complete what needed to be done.

I know that GO has continually said that they plan to start by running 2 more trains daily (10 more per week) once the construction is done, but I honestly can't see them spending all of that money and then not using all of that extra capacity. The uproar from voters could be huge if the issue is played right. I suspect that by 2015 we will see all-day service on the line to at least Bramalea, if not further.

Dan

[nfitz]

I know that GO has continually said that they plan to start by running 2 more trains daily (10 more per week) once the construction is done, but I honestly can't see them spending all of that money and then not using all of that extra capacity. The uproar from voters could be huge if the issue is played right. I suspect that by 2015 we will see all-day service on the line to at least Bramalea, if not further.

I think you are correct. Assuming the current government that supports this stays in power. All bets are off with the Conservatives ... and especially the NDP who severely cut GO service last time they got elected ... given the leader of that Weston NIMBY group is now an NDP MP, I really have my doubts about what they'd do.

[Enzo Aquarius]

8102 was on the 88 today.

EDIT: Also forgot to add, two new TVMs have been installed in the York U campus, one by Accolade East and the second one by the Film and Theatre building.

Oh wow, they actually did it. Very glad they did this, going to help so much with the odd student who goes to pay on the bus causing a slow-down.

[D. DeLarge]

Metrolinx owns the Weston Sub from from Halwest to the USRC, as mentioned before, so running trains between Bramalea and Union isn't an issue of playing by CN's game. In addition, most of the Halton Sub between Georgetown and Bramalea was upgraded to double and triple track from single and double track it was before, eliminating many of the previous bottlenecks.

Metrolinx doesn't own the tracks that the Kitchener line runs on, and CN uses those tracks as part of their mainline. It's heavy with freight traffic, and CN probably doesn't want to sell off-peak trackage rights to GO which will restrict CN's ability to run freight. I don't know the full details but I suspect it will require a third track to be installed west of the Airport up to Mount Pleasant (where the all-day service will end).

That limited mid-day service between Bramalea and Union was a godsend for late morning/afternoon commuting. It almost didn't seem like riding a GO train, what with being able to chose your own seat and not being surrounded by people packed in in standing-room-only conditions. And no highways or traffic to deal with.

Of course, when CN 577 gets stuck on the hill to Rexdale because of wet leaves on the track, everything always got FUBAR'ed...

The only problem is that is doesn't make any sense to run trains now while the construction is going on. That's the reason why they cancelled the limited mid-day service on the line several years ago - to give the construction workers more time to complete what needed to be done.

Dan

[Articulated]

Passed by Willowbrook yesterday afternoon and saw 2411 sitting there, with new paint and exterior doorway lights - they're finally starting to return from refurbishment.

[cbrown2009]

I know that GO has continually said that they plan to start by running 2 more trains daily (10 more per week) once the construction is done, but I honestly can't see them spending all of that money and then not using all of that extra capacity. The uproar from voters could be huge if the issue is played right. I suspect that by 2015 we will see all-day service on the line to at least Bramalea, if not further.

Dan

Metrolinx did mention a "doubling" of current service as recently as the round tables they held earlier this year. I don't think 2 more trains a day is enough. Just back-of-a-napkin speculation on my part, but at the very least, there should be 1-2 round trips around the lunch hour/early afternoon, as well as at least hourly service to Union during the afternoon rush (3-6pm) and a handful of trains up to Brampton during the evenings (up to at least 10-10:30pm). That's 10-12 trips per day! And no morning reverse or weekend considerations yet which there should be.

[TomW]

GO Train service increase to every 30 mins on Lakeshore Lines

Given the 263 extra trips/week will cost $7.7 million/year, and each trip takes about one hour, then we have a (marginal) operating cost of $562/hour for a GO Train... or around 25c/seat/hour. (Compared with about $2.50/seat/hour for a bus!).

[YYZ Rampdog]

oad out

Both CN and CP have stated that FOUR tracks are required on Halton and Galt Subs to sustain all-day GO service. CN has issues with single-tracked bridges and CP needs to build additional capacity across Humber River, Cooksville Creek, and Credit River. Big bucks and lots of time needed. It was a major "give" last year when CP allowed a 16:00 departure.

The Milton Line desperately needs more trains the capacity is there to run all day. I know a neighbour that uses the first bus in the morning 0500 to union, he says he has to get there early to get a seat. He also takes the 1600 train home and says that it is full now. 20 years ago there was trains that also ran midday on the line. As far as I can tell living near a station, CP sends most of the frieght trains through at night. Just a look at Derry Rd out to Milton in the morning will give you an idea of how bad the traffic is coming in losts of cars don't want to use the 401.

[soo8513]

Milton Line many years ago (I believe prior to 1994) ran a few "flippers" between Union & Erindale around 9:00, 12:00, and 14:00 partially to provide outbound train service for UofT. GO buses provided feeder service to/from Erindale to/from Meadowvale & Milton. There was also a 6-ish pm departure from Milton to Union that returned around 10pm out of Union.

As for freight - I too live close to the line and yes there are many night-time freights. Please remember that several years ago CP moved their New York - Fort Erie - Toronto trains off CN's Oakville Sub to their own Hamilton & Galt Subs. That line between West Toronto & Milton has Toronto - New York, Alliston - Fort Erie, and Toronto - Chicago traffic. Freights are common just before the am GO rush, just before the pm GO rush, with many using the "south" track during the GO travel periods.

This said, yes, with good dispatching CP could accommodate more GO trains without a significant impact in their freight operations - maybe the Harper government needs to push the federally-regulated railways a bit harder.

[Shaun]

There was a northbound train on the Richmond Hill line today around 9:15 this morning. It would have been the 9:34 southbound train (838) running late heading to Richmond Hill. It would need to haul some serious A$$ to be ontime.

[DL1892]

How often (I guess probably during rush hours) does the 16 operate using the 407? I wish I had paid closer attention to the route but we got back on the QEW at Cawthra...

[Wonka]

The design and details of Hamilton's James Street North station were presented today:

http://www.cbc.ca/ha...go-station.html

See pages 20-23 for images. Not terribly amazing but then again, neither are any of GO's stations. Function over form, I guess. It's expected that the HSR will route some buses through the station, as well as the future A-Line LRT route to the airport.

[Cimon8000]

since the new low height double dockers have been placed into service, which routes have they been spotted on so far?! Which are the common routes to see them?! Thx

[Chris W]

407 West routes mostly. Try either York U or Square One and you should be able to get a few.

[Bus_Medic]

When they make it out of the shop....

[collegekid13]

There have been quite a few running along the 407 from York U over the past few days (both new and old DD.)

[soo8513]

8116 seems to do the 06:55 eastbound 48B out of Meadowvale every 2nd day; the off days is any of a number of 80xx DDs.

[Articulated]

The new double deckers are used interchangeably with the old ones on any of the 45/46/48B runs that are eligible to have them.

One thing I've noticed now is that since the new ones have arrived, there are more DDs out at night - before, most of them would go out on AM runs and there wouldn't be as many out for PM service.

[Cimon8000]

The new double deckers are used interchangeably with the old ones on any of the 45/46/48B runs that are eligible to have them. One thing I've noticed now is that since the new ones have arrived, there are more DDs out at night - before, most of them would go out on AM runs and there wouldn't be as many out for PM service.

i thought the new double deckers will be mainly used on routes other than the 407 West Corridor as they can fit on other routes..........

8102 was on the 88 today.

EDIT: Also forgot to add, two new TVMs have been installed in the York U campus, one by Accolade East and the second one by the Film and Theatre building.

is it a regular spotting to see double decker on route 88? Thx

[vivablue5215]

i thought the new double deckers will be mainly used on routes other than the 407 West Corridor as they can fit on other routes..........

is it a regular spotting to see double decker on route 88? Thx

You just answered your own question. They will be used on routes outside 407 West.

[general682002]

When they make it out of the shop....

True dat!

[Tramway]

http://metronews.ca/voices/urban-compass-toronto-2/660225/more-people-should-be-talking-about-go-transits-scarborough-potential/

It’s not often that GTA transit riders get a legitimate piece of no-fooling great news, but it happened a couple of weeks back when Metrolinx announced that, starting in June, service on GO Transit’s Lakeshore line will increase to see trains every 30 minutes or better, all day long.

For commuters travelling anywhere between Oshawa and Burlington, that means less hassle and more options.

Ontario Minister of Transportation Glen Murray hailed the move as the final step toward turning GO into “full, regular transit,” suggesting that riders will be able to tear up their schedules and instead simply head to their local station, confident that a train is only a half-hour away.

Murray’s comments came off as a bit hyperbolic, but I’m OK with his sentiment. This is a game changer. A big one.

But could the game change even more? Isn’t it true that more frequent service on GO Train lines across the GTA could radically change the shape of our transit system — not just for Bay Street commuters, but for everyone?

I think it could.

Take, for example, another big transit story making headlines these days: The Scarborough subway. Shambling to its feet once again like a zombie that won’t stay down even after it’s been smacked in the face with a shovel, the desired subway is back on the minds of several local politicians. Scarborough needs a subway, they say, to provide fast, regular service to downtown and the rest of Toronto.

But when they talk about improved transit service, they rarely talk GO. And that seems a little crazy, given that GO can and does operate transit service that delivers commuters from Sheppard Avenue East and Kennedy Road in Agincourt to Union Station in just 29 minutes. Even with improved subway connections, there’s no way the TTC could match that kind of speed.

The sticking point? Only six trains make that trip from Scarborough to downtown on an average weekday morning. On weekends, there are usually no trains at all. Imagine if instead they ran every 30 minutes, all day. Or go wild and imagine that the trains were electric, and ran every 15 minutes.

Yes, there are barriers to running more trains in these corridors. In many cases, the rail lines are still shared with freight companies who demand exclusive access during parts of the day. But logic dictates that untangling those knots might be cheaper and achieve results faster than building expensive TTC subway expansions to Vaughan, Scarborough and Richmond Hill.

That’s not to say that new subways and other rapid transit infrastructure aren’t needed across the GTA. They are.

But let’s not leave GO Transit out of that planning process.

We know GO can get us places.

[pc8556]

OK - question for you GO guys

for the last who knows how long I have been seeing a new 230-ish NB train departing Kennedy

What is it's purpose? Does it go up and then somewhere else?

Reason asking is the train is consistently empty!!!!! or very close to it.

Seems like the buses out of Union could handle this miniscule load without using up a train

[Articulated]

OK - question for you GO guys

for the last who knows how long I have been seeing a new 230-ish NB train departing Kennedy

What is it's purpose? Does it go up and then somewhere else?

Reason asking is the train is consistently empty!!!!! or very close to it.

Seems like the buses out of Union could handle this miniscule load without using up a train

Did you check GO's website before asking this question?

A new train departing Union at 2:18 heading to Unionville was created back in the beginning of January 2013, replacing all route 71 bus trips out of USBT after 1:50 (I believe this was 4 trips: 2:10, 2:20, 2:40, 2:45). Since this 12-car train replaced only 4 buses, yes it's rather empty because that's a big jump in capacity. But it also takes out 4 bus departures from USBT which is severely overcrowded at that time, allows for future ridership growth, and opens up earlier GO access to station on the Stouffville line south of Unionville.

And yes, this 2:18 train deadheads back from Unionville to Union to do the existing 4:18 train to Lincolnville.

[pc8556]

Did you check GO's website before asking this question? A new train departing Union at 2:18 heading to Unionville was created back in the beginning of January 2013, replacing all route 71 bus trips out of USBT after 1:50 (I believe this was 4 trips: 2:10, 2:20, 2:40, 2:45). Since this 12-car train replaced only 4 buses, yes it's rather empty because that's a big jump in capacity. But it also takes out 4 bus departures from USBT which is severely overcrowded at that time, allows for future ridership growth, and opens up earlier GO access to station on the Stouffville line south of Unionville. And yes, this 2:18 train deadheads back from Unionville to Union to do the existing 4:18 train to Lincolnville.

NO, I never check the websites for these kind of answers and never will - it's faster answer on here and usually more precise!

Makes sense though to save 4 buses then. I seriously doubt there will ever be any future growth at that time of day.

Great train ride for anybody that gets off work every day at 2 though

Thx.