GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[crs1026]

Now that Niagara is a 7-day, all year service, I would suggest adding CTC for the short stretch from Clifton (MP2.6) to the platform at the Falls (MP 0.6) with a power switch and signalling on the siding at the Falls. CSXT signalling begins at MP 0.0, and it would not be unreasonable to signal all the way to that point. Replace the crossovers at Clifton to allow 45 mph through those.

That, and some track sprucing-up, would allow speed to be raised above the current 20 mph PSO with Rule 105 limitations. It's a short stretch, but would add flexibility at Niagara Falls especially to clear the Maple Leaf. No complicated new trackage required, pretty cheap to install.

For that matter, I wonder how VIA would feel about a J-trained Maple Leaf combined with a 6-car GO train, adding just a bit of extra capacity and making only the VIA stops.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

Am I correct to calculate that at roughly 2hrs 41M over approx. 120km of track length, that Toronto-NF service is running at an average speed of 45km/ph? (yes, including station stops)....

Still, that seems ghastly slow.

If one could get the average speed up to just 70km/ph you would drop the travel time to decently below 2hrs each way. That's hardly seems unattainable.

@reaperexpress likely has all this modelled somewhere........

I wonder what strategic investments would drive the biggest potential speed increases?

 

[T3G]

GO offers new service:

Everyone here: Lets find every way to complain about it and nitpick it to death.

It is strange to think of GO being above reproach for doing something. They are not an amateur painter showing off their works at the local community centre, they are a company offering a service. If the service is unsuitable or difficult, criticizing it is entirely alright.

 

[crs1026]

@reaperexpress likely has all this modelled somewhere........

I wonder what strategic investments would drive the biggest potential speed increases?

If he doesn't, here's a start for him to work with (times based on first-of-day Niagara to Toronto schedule):

The obvious place to start IMHO is removing the backup move at West Harbour - that is in progress.
I don't know what stands in the way of raising track speed further from West Harbour to St Catherines - it's a long straight line, should be capable of 80 with perhaps some crossing maintenance and track repairs/upgrades and removal of the 35 mph PSO from West Harbour to Woodward Ave. One ought to be able to get that leg down by 15 minutes over today.
As I noted above one could probably squeeze 5 minutes off the Niagara - St Catherines leg by signalling that line and upgrading turnouts.
The West Harbour - Aldershot leg is new ML-installed track. I don't know why ML didn't aspire for higher speeds there, but I doubt that can be improved upon very much at this point.
From Aldershot to Toronto, the key is likely to make these runs "express" - but again, I can't see squeezing many minutes out of that until GO removes some of the padding from their entire LSW schedule.

- Paul

 

[LNahid2000]

Made it to Niagara in record time today with the new schedule, cause I'm crazy enough to make the 2 minute connection to the bus at Burlington GO. Total trip time was 1 hour 40 minutes from Union to Stanley/420.

Looks like they're doing another unscheduled 10:45pm post fireworks train tonight...way too late for me haha.

 

[WillTo]

Sorry, what is this stroller car?

 

[Richard White]

Sorry, what is this stroller car?

When I took the train on Saturday morning the GO staff were directing persons with strollers to dedicated cars where they could store their strollers on the lower level.

Think of it like a bike car for strollers.

 

[Krypto98]

I’ve read the Alstom job sheet and I can’t fully understand them but I’m almost 100% sure this is not true, there’s no mention of 3 weekday Union Station-Niagara Falls-Lewis Road Yard jobs.

Edit: Seems I was wrong about this again, I’m going to start taking these Alstom sheets with a grain of salt.

They literally change every 20 minutes...

 

[Willybru21]

They literally change every 20 minutes...

There’s up to 9 major revisions before each job change lmao, you aren’t wrong.

 

[gabe]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1660691785151070212

 

[anb]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1660691785151070212

This is exactly the same problem they had with Niagara traffic for a couple years at Burlington, and then they finally added more trains and even more just recently to where it could hopefully allow the crowd control to be reduced to as minimally as possible given the resources they could do.

Now hopefully they don't play this out for a couple years, and can give us full Kitchener train service sometime this year. This line already has a bigger advantage over Niagara as they own 80% of track on its entire run to Kitchener, and has done a decent job at running trains almost every 3 hours back and forth on the weekdays.

It probably can be pushed even more when Guelph's second platform gets completed and if they continue skipping Etobicoke North. It'll probably have similar results to the full Allandale runs on the Barrie line which for now is still better than our current situation.

 

[Metroscapes]

First, I tried to see fireworks in Niagara Falls and catch a GO train out of there once before, never again. It was so jammed up we couldn't get to the station in time. Niagara needs an elevated people mover along the Parkway ASAP.

GO offers new service:

Everyone here: Lets find every way to complain about it and nitpick it to death.

Second, what else did you think this place was for? If it weren't for nitpicking this forum wouldn't exist.

 

[Northern Light]

Niagara needs an elevated people mover along the Parkway ASAP.

Disagree.

Agree that NF needs higher order transit to link the VIA./GO Station to the Falls and restoring the old track is not likely on.... (GO trains rumbling through people's back yards would not be a popular plan.

As such, I would suggest LRT along Victoria as the preferred choice.

Elevated following the Parkway would actually block the view of the Falls and the hotels would throw a hissy fit like you've never seen.

Victoria offers better opportunities for development/density en route.

I would take it to Ferry, then run a loop along Stanley and Fallsview.

Also, still not sure elevated for the whole route would work, though I do get the argument for grade-separation to improve capacity/speed.

 

[afransen]

Why not just dedicated BRT lanes? I'm skeptical passenger volume warrant LRT.

 

[Northern Light]

Why not just dedicated BRT lanes? I'm skeptical passenger volume warrant LRT.

I think the main problem is how to handled the on/off-loading of a full GO Train.

That's ~1200 passengers. Moving them, even by articulated bus is something like 9 buses, at crush-load, probably more like 12+ to be efficient and allow for strollers.

Its not beyond do-able, but its certainly a challenge.