GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[ssiguy2]

The demand for good transport connection from London is there.

After the fall of Greyhound, 2 bus companies have moved in to take it's place. Megabus was first and ridership has been high enough {remember that this was even during the pandemic} that a second started operation recently.......ONEX. Now there are 14 round trip buses from London to Toronto daily and Megabus has already stated they see further increases in their service.

It's small wonder this is happening. The demand is there, London is one of Canada's fastest growing cities, and MegaBus's fastest service gets from London to Union in 2 hours and 5 minutes. Try doing that on VIA. What's more the buses are reliable and arrive and leave when they are suppose to. These new buses are also not your Dad's Greyhound but comfortable, have all the amenities people expect, and don't suffer from Greyhound's poor reputation.

These services would not be offered if Londoners actually viewed VIA as an affordable, reliable, and fast way to get to Union but alas VIA seems intent on allowing SWO service to rot. Once Londoners really start using the service and people realize that this is not Greyhound, it will become much harder for VIA to get those passengers back, assuming they even want to.

 

[Towered]

These new buses are also not your Dad's Greyhound but comfortable, have all the amenities people expect, and don't suffer from Greyhound's poor reputation.

I'm really curious about this. In 1995 I took a Greyhound from Toronto to Quebec City, and it felt like 9 hours of torture. Cramped, uncomfortable seats that weren't adjustable. That was such an unpleasant bus trip that I've never taken one again since then.

 

[Richard White]

I'm really curious about this. In 1995 I took a Greyhound from Toronto to Quebec City, and it felt like 9 hours of torture. Cramped, uncomfortable seats that weren't adjustable. That was such an unpleasant bus trip that I've never taken one again since then.

Try taking an overnight megabus on an 9 hour journey from London UK to the southern coast of England. I could not get comfortable to sleep and the seats were cramped. Never again.

 

[Northern Light]

Try taking an overnight megabus on an 9 hour journey from London UK to the southern coast of England. I could not get comfortable to sleep and the seats were cramped. Never again.

I could not do that, my back would probably spasm/cramp.

On long-distance flights I need to spring for the good seats those there's room the in cabin to walk around a bit........sitting in a chair, any chair for 6 hours or more, give or take a bathroom break is just not on.

 

[Richard White]

I could not do that, my back would probably spasm/cramp.

On long-distance flights I need to spring for the good seats those there's room the in cabin to walk around a bit........sitting in a chair, any chair for 6 hours or more, give or take a bathroom break is just not on.

That was why I am hesitant to visit Australia. 27 hour flights are not my thing.

 

[reaperexpress]

MegaBus's fastest service gets from London to Union in 2 hours and 5 minutes. Try doing that on VIA. What's more the buses are reliable and arrive and leave when they are suppose to. These new buses are also not your Dad's Greyhound but comfortable, have all the amenities people expect, and don't suffer from Greyhound's poor reputation.

Great. I'll keep that in mind next time I want to go to the Flying J RV Parking lot.

And by the way, it's not 2h05, it's 2h10. Which is longer than VIA takes to get to the centre of downtown London.

 

[robmausser]

Try taking an overnight megabus on an 9 hour journey from London UK to the southern coast of England. I could not get comfortable to sleep and the seats were cramped. Never again.

Took a 12 hour Megabus from Toronto to Baltimore. Group of people in the front gambled all night on the table seat area yelling and making all kinds of noise and someone had explosive diarrhea all over the bathroom. My ticket was $10 though.... still not worth it.

 

[Garuda]

Took a 12 hour Megabus from Toronto to Baltimore. Group of people in the front gambled all night on the table seat area yelling and making all kinds of noise and someone had explosive diarrhea all over the bathroom. My ticket was $10 though.... still not worth it.

Thank you for the metal image while I eat my lunch. /s lol

That was why I am hesitant to visit Australia. 27 hour flights are not my thing.

I did the flight in 2019. It’s not as bad as you think. With newer aircraft like the 787 and the A350 allowing for much humidity in the cabin the difference is huge. When I fly overnight I take a melatonin pill while eating dinner to knock myself out.

I’ll take a flight to Australia anyday over a flight to Cuba with a budget carrier like Sunwing. There’s more refinement in the flight and fewer douche canoes ruining things.

 

[nfitz]

Try taking an overnight megabus on an 9 hour journey from London UK to the southern coast of England. I could not get comfortable to sleep and the seats were cramped. Never again.

If it took 9 hours to get to the southern coast of England from London, I think there were other issues! Only about 425 km from Heathrow to Penzance, on good roads!

 

[Deadpool X]

Try taking an overnight megabus on an 9 hour journey from London UK to the southern coast of England. I could not get comfortable to sleep and the seats were cramped. Never again.

9 hours sounds long for that distance. You can reach Scotland from London in less than that.

 

[TransitBart]

Took a 12 hour Megabus from Toronto to Baltimore. Group of people in the front gambled all night on the table seat area yelling and making all kinds of noise and someone had explosive diarrhea all over the bathroom. My ticket was $10 though.... still not worth it.

@robmausser TMI. That is the most disconcerting thing I have read today.

 

[Richard White]

9 hours sounds long for that distance. You can reach Scotland from London in less than that.

It stopped in every little town along the way taking an indirect route getting on and off the motorway. I recall we stopped in Reading, Plymouth, Exeter, Penzance among others with the end destination being Falmouth.

The driver also stopped for gas in Plymouth and took a break.

 

[afransen]

I took Megabus from Toronto to Quebec City 15 years ago for an academic conference. It was quite cramped (I am tall so no travel is comfortable unless it is business class) and the advertised wifi didn't really work. Wasn't my worst bus trip though. I did a chartered ski weekend at Tremblant that was overnight and ski when you get there. Disaster. Did not sleep at all. I studiously avoid using the bathroom on buses or aircraft if I can avoid it. When I take the bus, they often stop frequently enough along the way to use a bathroom at a QSR or something.

Not to beat the drum for autonomous vehicles any more than I already do, but if you think VIA struggles to compete with bus service now, just wait until they are autonomous and can be shrunk down to 12-20 passengers (Ford airport shuttle sized) and leave every 15-30 minutes from London to Toronto and get there in 2 hours. An honestly, a high utilization electric bus is quite sustainable from an energy per passenger km perspective. Comparable to intercity rail.

 

[Towered]

It stopped in every little town along the way taking an indirect route getting on and off the motorway. I recall we stopped in Reading, Plymouth, Exeter, Penzance among others with the end destination being Falmouth.

The driver also stopped for gas in Plymouth and took a break.

At least it was a scenic route! I'm sure most of those little English towns are very charming. Can't say the same for the Toronto to Quebec City corridor...

 

[Northern Light]

At least it was a scenic route! I'm sure most of those little English towns are very charming. Can't say the same for the Toronto to Quebec City corridor...

There are quite a few scenic towns on the route. Port Hope is nice, Coburg; even Napanee doesn't look 1/2 bad, though is a bit quiet; and Kingston is quite nice.

That said, if I was purposefully going from Toronto-QC I would not want to stop at all of those places, I would want to get where I was going.