GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[nfitz]

Has anyone noticed a huge increase in the emergency alarms pressed? I've had it happen on 5 out of the last 6 trips I took, some of them more than once on the ride!!

I've only noticed one.

But I've been on YRT a bit lately, and I hadn't realised that any agency was STILL using the identical strips to ask the bus to stop at the next stop!

Was it a lot of weekend and off-peak travel you've seen this, where riders might not be as familiar with the system as the regulars?

 

[anb]

I've only noticed one.

But I've been on YRT a bit lately, and I hadn't realised that any agency was STILL using the identical strips to ask the bus to stop at the next stop!

Was it a lot of weekend and off-peak travel you've seen this, where riders might not be as familiar with the system as the regulars?

Brampton also has this primarily on their Zum buses so its a bit understandable to how one might be confused with what the yellow strip does as its so inconsistent.

 

[turbanplanner]

I've only noticed one.

But I've been on YRT a bit lately, and I hadn't realised that any agency was STILL using the identical strips to ask the bus to stop at the next stop!

Was it a lot of weekend and off-peak travel you've seen this, where riders might not be as familiar with the system as the regulars?

Two were today on the niagara train, it happened 3 times. I was in the coach that it happened in once and nobody admitted to pressing it, so maybe it's an error? But they were all in different coaches. I think some people hit it on purpose on one of the other trips because the service ambassador was chewing people out to only use it for emergencies, not pointing out it's not for a stop request.

 

[Jonny5]

From many years of experience on GO trains, I've seen these accidental alarm calls many times and it's a continuing phenomenon though most notably outside of rush hour, but I don't think there's any more than usual now.

The most common misuse I've seen is always passengers who wake up at the last moment and realise they are about to miss the doors closing at their stop and think that pressing the alarm will keep them open long enough to get out of the train, and this actually does work sometimes.

I've also seen this on the Niagara express trains where people press it to try and force the train to stop at a station that would normally be skipped, which of course doesn't work. Interestingly, I was once on one of those Niagara trains sitting in the CSA car which did made an unscheduled stop at Appleby, and it was because a group of clearly confused first time passengers very politely explained their situation to the CSA well before getting there who then asked control for permission to stop there, and it was granted with the train stopping only long enough for him to open the one door adjacent to him to let them out.

 

[micheal_can]

From many years of experience on GO trains, I've seen these accidental alarm calls many times and it's really a continuing phenomenon, though most notably outside of rush hour, but I don't think there's any more than usual now.

The most common misuse I've seen is always passengers who wake up at the last moment and realise they are about to miss the doors closing at their stop and think that pressing the alarm will keep them open long enough to get out of the train, and this actually does work sometimes.

I've also seen this on the Niagara express trains where people press it to try and force the train to stop at a station that would normally be skipped, which of course doesn't work. Interestingly, I was once on one of those Niagara trains sitting in the CSA car which did made an unscheduled stop at Appleby, and it was because a group of clearly confused first time passengers very politely explained their situation to the CSA who then asked control for permission to stop there, and it was granted.

I though there were signs posting a fine for misuse. Has it ever been enforced?

 

[Jonny5]

I though there were signs posting a fine for misuse. Has it ever been enforced?

Maybe, but enforcement seems difficult. You need someone on board to identify the party and either arrest them or be a witness, and that person needs to be available to show up in court, probably many months later, or these days maybe more than a year later to testify when the person inevitably contests this by saying simply "it wasn't me". Also I think some would just pay the fine. It's GO and there's lots who could swallow the $1,000 fine, not happily, but they'll make it go away and pay out of embarrassment if actually caught.

 

[micheal_can]

Maybe, but enforcement seems difficult. You need someone on board to identify the party and either arrest them or be a witness, and that person needs to be available to show up in court, probably many months later, or these days maybe more than a year later to testify when the person inevitably contests this by saying simply "it wasn't me". Also I think some would just pay the fine. It's GO and there's lots who could swallow the $1,000 fine, not happily, but they'll make it go away and pay out of embarrassment if actually caught.

Sounds like a discussion on speed limits and the enforcement of them.
If people heard that others were paying the fine for those incidents, it may lower their frequency.

 

[turbanplanner]

Maybe, but enforcement seems difficult. You need someone on board to identify the party and either arrest them or be a witness, and that person needs to be available to show up in court, probably many months later, or these days maybe more than a year later to testify when the person inevitably contests this by saying simply "it wasn't me". Also I think some would just pay the fine. It's GO and there's lots who could swallow the $1,000 fine, not happily, but they'll make it go away and pay out of embarrassment if actually caught.

When it happened at exhibition I saw the special constables talking to the group outside who pressed it, then the CSA chewed eveyone out over the speaker.

 

[Allandale25]

 

[turbanplanner]

More fun! Do they normally cancel stops after the train is rolling? I was trying to get to exhibition…. Guess they didn’t want to pay the free fares if they got to union 15 mins late. So have to wait 50 mins in the parking lot

 

[LNahid2000]

More fun! Do they normally cancel stops after the train is rolling? I was trying to get to exhibition…. Guess they didn’t want to pay the free fares if they got to union 15 mins late. So have to wait 50 mins in the parking lot

View attachment 510647

Yes, a few weeks ago I was on a train that ran express from Appleby to Union because an emergency at Burlington had us stopped there for almost 30 minutes. They told everyone going to intermediate stops to get off at Appleby and we got to Union on time. The train became a Lakeshore East train so I guess they didn't want those people to wait.

 

[Deadpool X]

Must be nice to be on a line where they can add trains.

The Milton 17:55 train is 30 minutes after the 17:25 train departing Union, and is really crowded they really need a 17:40 train.

I usually take the 17:25 train and there are always seats available. Never saw anyone standing.

 

[anb]

What do you guys think will be the future express service would be on the trains? Would it be like the Niagara weekend trains or would we continue to just run trains express from Union to a certain stop and then all stops after but its all day service.

 

[Bordercollie]

What’s been bugging me is this: is there something out there which resembles a bike transportation service - a flatbed or panel truck where the bikes are tagged and loaded, the owners with the other end of the tag board a GO coach, and then both vehicles travel to an off boarding location? Seems cheaper in the round than refitting GO coaches in a panic as bike coaches which still does nothing about the suitability of stations at either end to handle large numbers of bikes

Have you guys heard of this thing called winter? Imagine what your bike would look like when you get to union? And yes bike couriers work in the winter.

 

[T3G]

What would the bike look like it when it gets to Union? The train does not encounter road salt or road slush. Only precipitation would be a concern, and that would be an equal concern in the summer.

I'm not a fan of the idea for that reason, but I see no special concerns about winter that would not also manifest themselves in fairer seasons.