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GO Transit Rail-40th Anniversary - May 23, 2007

L

Long Island Mike

Guest
Everyone: I would like to know if GO TRANSIT is planning any kind of special celebration for its 40th anniversary on May 23rd. I work with ephemera here at the National Railway Historical Society here in Philadelphia,PA and I decided to pull out and look at our filed GO TRANSIT ephemera and schedules-we have on file: The original GO TRANSIT schedule effective May 23rd as well as later issues as June 26th and October 29,1967;April 28th and October 27,1968 as examples of those original issues.
As for the ephemera we have: GO TRANSIT: A NEW APPROACH TO URBAN TRANSPORTATION soft cover booklet dated April 1968;Twenty Five Years on the GO-soft cover booklet from 1992;an original brochure from Hawker-Siddeley from the mid 70s showing artist's renderings of the GO double-deck car and a pamphlet out of my own personal collection about the then-new GO section of Toronto Union Station dated August 2,1979 that came out of my own rail collection-I was visiting Toronto for the first time and I was there for that opening day. From the GO TRANSIT rail service beginnings as just an experimental operation it has grown into a major commuter rail system that was a success almost from the start.
GO TRANSIT RAIL-40 years of service for TORONTO!
LI MIKE
 
Hey Mike,

I LOVE GO TRANSIT! I live across the street from the Cooksville GO Station and for 20 years of my life I've seen those Green Train Sets go in and out of the station pass by my window.

I haven't heard about any celebrations to mark 40 years of service. However, I do recall back 2002 they did have special stickers with "35 Years of Service" on the sides of selected trains.

A few months ago, GO held an event to mark 1 Billion riders.

I would e-mail GO's Communications Office to inquire or suggest they mark the ocassion.

gotransit.com/PUBLICROOT/...efault.htm
Click to expand...

Louroz
 
For GO's 40th anniversary, they should introduce all-day service to all their lines...or at least Milton :p
 
It was 40 years ago on May 23,1967.....

Everyone: Tomorrow morning May 23rd marks the 40th anniversary of the first GO Transit rail service on the Lakeshore Line. During the 6am hour the first trains ran E and W to Toronto Union Station. GO Transit was an experiment that became a household name to Toronto Metro Area commuters in the subsequent years. If GO Transit has anything scheduled for commemoration of this milestone post it here for all to see. Thanks in advance-LI MIKE
 
Here's a very good introduction and discussion of setting up GO Transit and its first year. Things of interest: the routing of the CN bypass in the 1960s, why GO Transit was able to start (rerouting of CN trains allowed for track overcapacity on Oakville and Kingston subs), and the bare-bones, experimental nature back in 1967, the original fare structure (pre-POP), the original equipment, the station placement, the shortest lived GO Station (Lorne Park), and why GO Transit was once an innovative agency doing a lot with little.

GO has since become much despised in my opinion in the past 10 years, between terrible underserving of my former municipality (with unfair fares that made Brampton more expensive!), questionable projects, Gordon "Transit is not a social service" Chong, having the attitude of a parking authority rather than a transit provider, etc, etc.

But this is a great read.

http://www.historicaltextarchive.com/books.php?op=viewbook&bookid=63
 
That's so true. But the concept made sense in the mid 1960s. Go-go girls, the "GO Transit" font that disappeared except for the GO (Government of Ontario, get it?), green means go. The link above has a good story about how they quickly came up with it.
 
GO now!

Hey Mike:

I thought of you when I was looking out how they were going to mark this anniversary.

For the past month or so, they have been using scrolling messages on all the screens at Union Station that GO is turning 40 on May 23 and to enter a contest on the website to win one of 40 monthly passes.

Also, they published a special edition phamplet with pictures of the first day of service and the history of the system. It's pretty cool.

If you want a copy of it, I can mail you one. Just e-mail your address. I'm at futuremayor@Hotmail.com.

Happy 40th GO!

Louroz
 
GO celebrates 40 years of service at Union Station

Media Advisory/Photo Opportunity - GO celebrates 40 years of service at Union Station ceremony tomorrow, May 23
TORONTO, May 22, 2007 /CNW/ -


What: GO Transit is celebrating its 40th anniversary on May 23 with a
special anniversary ceremony with speakers, a slide show, and a
gallery of historical photographs from GO's early years. The
ceremony will take a reflective look at GO's past, present, and
future. GO Transit would like to thank its customers, the
Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, the Greater
Toronto Area municipalities, industry partners, and employees
past and present, for their roles in GO's success.

Starting at 6:30 a.m., GO will also hold a customer
appreciation event in Union Station's GO concourse (140 Bay.
St., south of Front St.). Staff volunteers will be handing out
giveaways to thank customers during morning rush hour.

When: Wednesday, May 23, 2007
10 to 10:45 a.m.
Anniversary celebration will include speeches, refreshments,
cake-cutting ceremony, and a photo gallery.

Where: Union Station, the Great Hall
55 Front St. W., downtown Toronto

Who: Donna Cansfield, Minister of Transportation
Peter Smith, GO Transit Chairman
Gary McNeil, GO Transit Managing Director & CEO
Bill Howard, GO Transit's first Managing Director

For more background information, please visit Info for the Media under
Customer News and Media on gotransit.com.


Louroz
 
I was at the newsconference...

Not much to report - basicaly emphasizing how far GO has come and what is planned in the immediate future. Lots of interesting old photos and videos from the very early days of GO.
 
Star

Link to article

GO still on the grow 40 years on



May 24, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
transportation reporter

Forty years ago when the first GO train pulled out of Oakville, passengers marvelled at the music and air-conditioned comfort of the province's new commuter service.

At an anniversary party in Union Station yesterday, GO managing director Gary McNeil acknowledged that with 48.5 million passengers a year, he tends to hear more complaints than compliments.

He also called the last six months the most challenging period of the seven years he's been on the job.

McNeil was referring to service disruptions caused by aging equipment, especially in winter, and some labour issues.

"A lot of the infrastructure we're putting in right now will improve reliability," said McNeil, referring to expansion plans that range from building a third track on sections of the busy Lakeshore line, to new locomotives pulling more coaches and double-decker buses coming next spring.

GO began as a three-year pilot project in 1967 but is still in its infancy by McNeil's reckoning. Restoring service to Barrie by the end of the year is only the tip of the expansion he envisions.

Before another 40 years go by, GO plans all-day service on all routes and new lines into Kitchener and Niagara areas.

Already operating at overcapacity with 195,000 riders on a typical weekday, GO expects to add about 60,000 daily passengers over the next five years.

GO's geography and numbers are bigger now, but the fundamental challenge of serving a growth region hasn't changed, said Bill Howard, the system's first managing director.

Back in 1967, GO's target was to attract 15,000 riders by the end of the pilot period. It hit that target within six months.
 
My first GO train ride was on the Richmond Hill run. It was mid autumn and the trip through the Don Valley was beautiful. There was no problem finding a seat. I did it again 10 years later and we were packed like sardines. Not as enjoyable as the first one.
 
Great Gary McNeil quotes:

"We've embraced the car by providing more parking lots," said McNeil, who said GO added 8,000 spots over five years to bring the total to more than 45,000. "We're probably the largest parking authority in the GTA."

"People often ask us at GO Transit what our vision is. The truth is, we have no vision!"
 
Though I glad that the half-assed logo change appears to be dead (it really only showed up in promos and TV commercials), it has nothing to do with GO Transit.

So with courtesy and a smile, I'm redirecting the discussion here.
 
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