GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[smallspy]

any details on what exactly they would have been doing this weekend to give that sentiment?

The bridge over Etobicoke Creek needs to be replaced. And fast.

As has been the situation elsewhere, CN left a big steaming bag of shit for others to clean up. In this case: Metrolinx.

@smallspy knows that. LOL

I do. See above.

I don't know if he knows all that though.

I've been made privy to it. And it's not pretty.

The knock-on effects of this cancelation (and potentially others depending on how long the playoffs go) will result in it taking well into the new year to resolve all of the various track closures scheduled and possibly canceled. Not to mention contract delay and cancelation fees reaching into the multiple millions of dollars. And some of the additional effects may include long-term slow orders.

For the record, the order came from the MTO. It was not made by anyone within Metrolinx.

Dan

 

[Northern Light]

@smallspy ; Thanks, Dan. Very informative, if disconcerting update. ^^^

 

[Miltonrider]

Don't assume that because a crew took a train to Mimico once, there is a crew available to run the same train every Saturday at the same time. Equipment moves are often ad hoc. That move might have had to wait until any number of other tasks got done.

But lack of crews is really not the reason that there is no weekend service to Milton. The reason is that CP has control over the line, and any "special" service is at their discretion. No reasonable amount of money will make them accept trains they don't want as a permanent operation.

The reality is, a Milton service that is properly scaled requires additional track - and grade separations. Squeezing in a few bare bones runs is not helpful because demand will quickly outpace capacity. There really has to be a full, properly scaled solution.

That expansion could easily be funded if, say, drivers in Ontario paid an annual fee to renew their license plate sticker, but I digress.



I can't be sure which train you saw, but it demonstrates the reality of how that line operates. Autorack trains don't wait at Milton unless there is congestion up the line. Was it a westbound? Possibly congestion at Guelph Jct or Wolverton. Or a work block. The point being, there are very few places where a freight train can stop and hold without blocking crossings and conflicting with GO.. Putting more GO on that line is a complication CPKC doesn't need.

The solution is more track, and it will be expensive. Unquestionably, the demand is there. But don't underestimate the scope.

- Paul

Thanks for the information. Yes, it was a Westbound autorack.

 

[Northern Light]

Below......my 40,000th post on Urban Toronto. Not my best, but ya know, I wasn't gonna let someone else be first. LOL

Press release from Mx on the new Fall GO service changes.

Confederation GO opens as Metrolinx expands fall train service

New station and added trips offer more travel options across Hamilton, Niagara and the GO network.

www.metrolinx.com

From the above:

 

[giantorangehead]

For Lakeshore East, is that 3 additional trains in the morning, and 3 additional trains in the evening?

 

[Allandale25]

Below......my 40,000th post on Urban Toronto. Not my best, but ya know, I wasn't gonna let someone else be first. LOL

Press release from Mx on the new Fall GO service changes.

Confederation GO opens as Metrolinx expands fall train service

New station and added trips offer more travel options across Hamilton, Niagara and the GO network.

www.metrolinx.com

From the above:

View attachment 685125
View attachment 685126

Congrats!

 

[LNahid2000]

8 trips in each direction to Niagara Falls?? That's huge since it's currently 3 trips in each direction.

 

[Northern Light]

8 trips in each direction to Niagara Falls?? That's huge since it's currently 3 trips in each direction.

Yeah, about that, I'm very suspicious. I think its 4 trips each way......I'm looking into it.

8 would be awesome; but 4 would still be a very useful improvement.

PS, good to see you posting, it doesn't happen as often as it used to.....

 

[smallspy]

8 trips in each direction to Niagara Falls?? That's huge since it's currently 3 trips in each direction.

There are a number of trains that deadhead to and from the Lewis Road layover facility, 8 trips in total (4 in and 4 out).

These trips will now serve Confederation Station.

Dan

 

[LNahid2000]

Yeah, about that, I'm very suspicious. I think its 4 trips each way......I'm looking into it.

8 would be awesome; but 4 would still be a very useful improvement.

PS, good to see you posting, it doesn't happen as often as it used to.....

Yeah it doesn't really make sense since the provincial press release mentioned 15 trips total to Confederation, while 8 round trips to Niagara would give us 16 total trips to Confederation just with the Niagara service.

4 trips per direction isn't as impressive since that's what it was pre-covid.

 

[likelycorrect]

Maybe the 8 in each direction on Saturdays and Sundays means 8 across Saturday and Sunday in total, which would mean 4 each day. Also nice to see the all-stops to Oakville service - what I assume they are referring to - be extended, though given the amount of RTO I was hoping for more express trips somehow. The trains are already packed.

 

[WB62]

Yeah, about that, I'm very suspicious. I think its 4 trips each way......I'm looking into it.

8 would be awesome; but 4 would still be a very useful improvement.

PS, good to see you posting, it doesn't happen as often as it used to.....

Yeah it doesn't really make sense since the provincial press release mentioned 15 trips total to Confederation, while 8 round trips to Niagara would give us 16 total trips to Confederation just with the Niagara service.

4 trips per direction isn't as impressive since that's what it was pre-covid.

The article says 8 trains per direction on weekends is starting on the 1st of November. 4 trains per direction on weekends begins on the 26th of October

I’m not saying either of you are wrong, it still does sound too good to be true. It was worded ominously and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the schedules come out.

 

[anb]

8 Niagara trips in each direction?! There has to be a catch somewhere because there's no way its 16 round trips per weekend as that would imply that service is bi hourly per direction, and I doubt the tracks past Confederation in its current could handle all of that. 4 trips per direction split between Saturday and Sunday seems a lot more realistic imo.

Also the 2 new peak trips on Stouffville was worded on the article as between Unionville and Union so it has to be the current bi hourly counter peak gaps filled in. If that is the case, then it would mean that we would now have at the very least consistent hourly service in both directions for all 7 days of the week, on 4 separate GO train lines.

 

[T3G]

8 Niagara trips in each direction?! There has to be a catch somewhere because there's no way its 16 round trips per weekend as that would imply that service is bi hourly per direction, and I doubt the tracks past Confederation in its current could handle all of that. 4 trips per direction split between Saturday and Sunday seems a lot more realistic imo

The fact that this is actually a source of confusion says alot about Metrolinx's (dis) information dissemination practices.

 

[chrisw]

I want to believe, it'd really help make weekend trips to Niagara Falls more consistent and flexible.

Yeah it doesn't really make sense since the provincial press release mentioned 15 trips total to Confederation, while 8 round trips to Niagara would give us 16 total trips to Confederation just with the Niagara service.

Well, they just mention that the existing Niagara Falls trips will stop at Confederation. Maybe the added trips to Niagara Falls won't all stop at Confederation.