GO Transit

[John Oke]

According to Transsee, GO is using their own buses this weekend, 8452, 8441, 8556 and 8328 are all currently running as 90B’s 

[Mar_AC_23]

9 hours ago, FutureHeartsJunkie said:

was hoping for a double-decker Megabus, but that would be unlikely. In addition, there's also some washrooms onboard! 

I did see a Megabus on the shuttle as well but it wasn't a double decker though. There were a few of GO's double decker Super Lo's on the shuttle too.

[Articulated]

47 minutes ago, John Oke said:

According to Transsee, GO is using their own buses this weekend, 8452, 8441, 8556 and 8328 are all currently running as 90B’s 

The first Lakeshore shuttle weekend (November 6/7) was fully Coach Canada buses; since then, each weekend closure has operated with a mix of GO and Coach Canada units.

[TTC7447]

Some sad news from the tracks this evening. 
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/11/27/worker-dead-following-rail-incident-in-pickering.html

[John Oke]

9 hours ago, TTC7447 said:

Some sad news from the tracks this evening. 
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/11/27/worker-dead-following-rail-incident-in-pickering.html

Won’t be surprised if the Lakeshore East between Pickering and Rouge Hill, perhaps east of Rouge Hill entirely will be shut down for a few days to allow ON Ministry of Labour and/or the TSB to investigate 

[John Oke]

Rode the LSE Shuttle Bus today, it was comfortable it was one of the newer ones with seatbelts(8534) although only about half on board where wearing them, I’d say the bus on the upper level was 60-75% full

feel free to use the photo for the wiki 

[Wayside Observer]

13 hours ago, TTC7447 said:

Some sad news from the tracks this evening. 
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/11/27/worker-dead-following-rail-incident-in-pickering.html

Very sad.  Nobody goes to work at the start of their shift thinking they won't be going home after.  I feel for the family and at this time of year too, the holidays are going to be so hard for them.

I hope the news coverage gives people pause to think about the inherent danger there is in so many utility/construction/maintenance/industrial type jobs at the best of times, never mind with the additional risks that the pandemic added to what so many "essential" workers face on a daily basis.  That work from home laptop warriors got a free tax credit meanwhile everyone doing this kind of work where there is real danger involved got nothing and, tragically, this person paid the ultimate sacrifice on the job working to maintain railway infrastructure so trains could continue running safely.

[Bus_Medic]

4 hours ago, John Oke said:

Won’t be surprised if the Lakeshore East between Pickering and Rouge Hill, perhaps east of Rouge Hill entirely will be shut down for a few days to allow ON Ministry of Labour and/or the TSB to investigate 

It will be. Site is considered a crime scene until the MOL releases it.

 

[Shaun]

So more shuttle buses for the next two days? I guess they cannot re-route trains over the York sub, or they would have done that already. 

[John Oke]

1 hour ago, Shaun said:

So more shuttle buses for the next two days? I guess they cannot re-route trains over the York sub, or they would have done that already. 

It would require them to reverse at Pickering Junction and then go over the York Sub to Doncaster? I assume

 

On the way back, I saw where it happened, GO had a double decker parked on Bayly with pylons and one of those flashing arrow signs telling drivers the lane is closed 

[T3G]

4 minutes ago, John Oke said:

It would require them to reverse at Pickering Junction and then go over the York Sub to Doncaster? I assume

There is no track connection between the GO and CN trackage at any points between Oshawa and Pickering Junction, nor is there a west to south turn at Doncaster, this requiring them to reverse before heading down the Bala sub. There appears to be a platform next to the CN trackage at Oshawa according to Google satellite view, but the usefulness of a train that hits no stops between Oshawa and Union seems dubious, to me.

Reversing would not be a necessity if you were to find yourself on the CN tracks, as there is a west to north turn at Pickering.

[nfitz]

9 minutes ago, T3G said:

There is no track connection between the GO and CN trackage at any points between Oshawa and Pickering Junction, nor is there a west to south turn at Doncaster, this requiring them to reverse before heading down the Bala sub. There appears to be a platform next to the CN trackage at Oshawa according to Google satellite view, but the usefulness of a train that hits no stops between Oshawa and Union seems dubious, to me.

Reversing would not be a necessity if you were to find yourself on the CN tracks, as there is a west to north turn at Pickering.

You mean the VIA Rail station? They've been stopping there since the century before last.

VIA is currently running down the Bala sub, with a limited service. GO could too ... though I'd think a bus bridge from Rouge Hill (or Guildwood) to Pickering would be faster, easier to arrange, and with greater frequency.

[T3G]

EDIT: I'm blind, I didn't notice that there was a connection between GO and CN just west of Pickering junction. I'll see myself out.

[John Oke]

24 minutes ago, T3G said:

EDIT: I'm blind, I didn't notice that there was a connection between GO and CN just west of Pickering junction. I'll see myself out.

That’s how Via trains join the CN tracks and GO Trains access platform 3 at Pickering 

 

33 minutes ago, nfitz said:

You mean the VIA Rail station? They've been stopping there since the century before last.

VIA is currently running down the Bala sub, with a limited service. GO could too ... though I'd think a bus bridge from Rouge Hill (or Guildwood) to Pickering would be faster, easier to arrange, and with greater frequency.

How is it accessing the Bala sub? Is it reversing at Doncaster?

[Shaun]

14 minutes ago, John Oke said:

That’s how Via trains join the CN tracks and GO Trains access platform 3 at Pickering 

 

How is it accessing the Bala sub? Is it reversing at Doncaster?

It's these simple things that show how vulnerable our transit systems are. It wouldn't be that hard to install a north east interchange at Doncaster, if they could expropriate the park. 

[FutureHeartsJunkie]

22 hours ago, Bus_Medic said:

It will be. Site is considered a crime scene until the MOL releases it.

 

 

On 11/28/2021 at 9:27 AM, John Oke said:

Won’t be surprised if the Lakeshore East between Pickering and Rouge Hill, perhaps east of Rouge Hill entirely will be shut down for a few days to allow ON Ministry of Labour and/or the TSB to investigate 

I thought the TSB (The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) only deals with train accidents and derailments?

Or if they can coordinate with the officials from the Ministry of Labo(u)r for anything workplace-related? 

[Bus_Medic]

1 hour ago, FutureHeartsJunkie said:

 

I thought the TSB (The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) only deals with train accidents and derailments?

Or if they can coordinate with the officials from the Ministry of Labo(u)r for anything workplace-related? 

I think the MOL is in the driver’s seat here.

[smallspy]

2 hours ago, FutureHeartsJunkie said:

I thought the TSB (The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) only deals with train accidents and derailments?

Or if they can coordinate with the officials from the Ministry of Labo(u)r for anything workplace-related? 

The TSB deals with lots of incidents that aren't accidents and derailments.

 

I'm not sure why, but the MOL has pulled rank here and is heading the investigation. There was an incident in about the same spot 10 years ago where an MOW working was killed by a train, and that one was led by the TSB. https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2011/r11t0161/r11t0161.html

Dan

[Flalex72]

39 minutes ago, smallspy said:

The TSB deals with lots of incidents that aren't accidents and derailments.

 

I'm not sure why, but the MOL has pulled rank here and is heading the investigation. There was an incident in about the same spot 10 years ago where an MOW working was killed by a train, and that one was led by the TSB. https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/2011/r11t0161/r11t0161.html

Dan

In that case, the incident involved a moving and in-service VIA rail train, and could be considered a transportation-related incident.

In this case, the line was closed for work, the vehicle involved was a work vehicle and it's not clear if the vehicle involved was moving, so it leans towards the MOL.

[nfitz]

Another question would be who maintains the track now. Is it still CN who were the ones who maintained it in 2011? CN is federally-regulated. Metrolinx isn't.

[smallspy]

17 hours ago, Flalex72 said:

In this case, the line was closed for work, the vehicle involved was a work vehicle and it's not clear if the vehicle involved was moving, so it leans towards the MOL.

That's interesting if that's the case, as:

- The tracks are federally regulated railway tracks

- The equipment involved was regulated railroad equipment (both the hopper cars, and the hi-rail as a "track unit")

- The crews involved were all regulated and certified to be doing their jobs on railway track

 

Dan

[Wayside Observer]

I don’t have any answers or insights or other information.  All I can say is welcome to the world of inter-agency jurisdictional turf squabbles.  They’re happen…

[nfitz]

8 hours ago, smallspy said:

- The tracks are federally regulated railway tracks

I thought the section in question was Metrolinx-owned?

[smallspy]

15 hours ago, nfitz said:

I thought the section in question was Metrolinx-owned?

It is.

 

But just because Metrolinx owns it doesn't mean that it automatically looses its federal regulation. As I understand it they tried that stunt, and TC said "nay nay".

 

Dan

[John Oke]

https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001250/building-ontario-with-investments-in-go-transit-bi-level-rail-coaches
 

Alstom awarded $117 million contract to refurbish 94 bi-levels in Thunder Bay