GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Allandale25]

 

[nfitz]

I don't think I'm seeing more than would fit on a single bus. Perhaps a misleading photo.

I missed something - what event?

 

[chrisw]

I don't think I'm seeing more than would fit on a single bus. Perhaps a misleading photo.

I missed something - what event?

Reading week.

 

[anb]

Its more as a special service catered to post secondary students going home for the reading week. It just so happens to be family day weekend as well.

Its not surprising that Guelph doesn’t really have that many people going back and forth compared to KW as they somewhat get the short end of the stick for travel to Toronto. Normally on weekends they have to take a bus which both of the available routes take almost an hour and a half to their transfer points either at Kipling or at Mt Pleasant for the train part of the journey. KW at least gets a full on non stop route to Bramalea after serving its local stops.

 

[Willybru21]

I rode that train in both directions today, it was still very busy but seemed significantly less busy than the ones they ran last October, I wonder why that is

 

[smallspy]

I rode that train in both directions today, it was still very busy but seemed significantly less busy than the ones they ran last October, I wonder why that is

Historically, students were more likely to make the trek back home for Thanksgiving, as that is the first holiday after the start of classes.

As well, in certain programs, reading week is also a time for exams. Thus, the students in those classes must stay.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

Historically, students were more likely to make the trek back home for Thanksgiving, as that is the first holiday after the start of classes.

As well, in certain programs, reading week is also a time for exams. Thus, the students in those classes must stay.

Dan

Plus, Winter Break/Reading Week schedules differ by school board and institution, so demand spreads out over the calendar.

Thanksgiving is pretty universal.

- Paul

 

[micheal_can]

When GO is looking at expanding their bus routes, is there a methodology to it? For example, there was no GO bus to London, but the put the train to it, and the cut it, and still no bus to it.

 

[dowlingm]

When GO is looking at expanding their bus routes, is there a methodology to it? For example, there was no GO bus to London, but the put the train to it, and the cut it, and still no bus to it.

Because the train was created for political consideration and London has private regional bus operators?

 

[micheal_can]

Because the train was created for political consideration and London has private regional bus operators?

AFAIK there is no regional bus service. I would have hoped that after shutting down the extension that they created commuter service between London and Kitchener/Hamilton. There is a possibility of 2-3 different routes that could have been used to build the case to return the GO train in the future. I am also thinking of places north of Barrie or east of Oshawa towards Port Hope and beyond.I know east, they do have towards Peterborough, which if the VIA/HxR ever happens,this could help there.

 

[Sean]

I don't think I'm seeing more than would fit on a single bus. Perhaps a misleading photo.

I missed something - what event?

I was in that crowd. I counted around 75 or so people - not all students.

 

[Allandale25]

I know we've discussed the Milton Line extensively here already and the recent provincial news of the $6.2B price tag but a friend just sent me this question.

I think the answer is that the person isn't including the land acquisition cost where CPKC also wants Metrolinx to pay for the land for the two additional tracks. Is there anything else missing or comments on the numbers below?

as you know, on February 8, Minister Sarkaria wrote to the feds asking for their contribution in delivering "frequent two way all day service on the Milton corridor through construction of a fully separated passenger railway. This will allow for parallel operation for both freight and passenger rail service, which would enable CPKC to preserve their freight capacity and Metrolinx to enhance passenger rail service for this growing community".

The Minister also cited that he had received an IBC which estimated capital costs to be "upward of $6.2B".

I spent some time trying to reconcile this cost with the costs in the 2015 IBC for GO RER, kindly provided by Chris. Here are my observations:

• The Sarkaria case seems very close to Scenario 4 (Full Build) in the 2015 IBC:
  • 4 trains/hr Milton-Union all day contrapeak, off peak
  • 4 trains/hr Milton - Union weekends
  • 4 trains/hr Milton- Union in the 3 hour peak period. (Larger trains used than off-peak)
• The infrastructure listed for Scenario 4 was:
  • two additional tracks full length West Toronto to Milton
  • Reinstall track West Toronto - Union
  • Fly under East Humber river
  • 3 road-rail grade separations (Stanfield, Wolfsdale, Erindale Stn Rds)
  • Station modifications at all 9 stations
  • Electrification to allow use of EMUs and Electric locos
• The capital cost, excluding fleet and system-wide costs, but including 50% contingency and 25% "acceleration" was $1.84B
• Table C-7 gives a different total, including fleet, at $2.2B
• I read some speculation that CPKC was asking for road-rail separation at every level crossing. There are about 9 additional crossings not slated for separation in the IBC (Haines, Queen St, Thomas, Tannery. Ontario , 10 th Line,9th line. 6th line, 5th line). Assuming unit costs similar to the 3 in the IBC, this would add about $400M to the capital cost

Therefore total 2015 capital cost per IBC, adjusted for 9 extra crossings, is about $2.6B, including fleet.

This is a long way from upwards of $6.2B. Could prices have escalated that much? Is there additional scope not cited in the 2015 IBC?

Your thoughts would be welcomed.

 

[rbt]

This is a long way from upwards of $6.2B. Could prices have escalated that much? Is there additional scope not cited in the 2015 IBC?

GTA housing construction costs increased by over 40% between 2020 and 2023. Nowhere else in Canada had construction inflation like that; even elsewhere in Ontario was only about 20% cost increase during that period. I believe the huge number of transit tenders contributed quite a bit.

Doubling since 2015 seems likely simply due to local labour shortages.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Looks like Waterloo Region is ramping up work again on the Cambridge GO Extension:

Cambridge to Union Passenger Rail Connection Initial Business Case and Concept Design​

Some data points:

 

[T3G]

Very chic looking station building. Looks like a nuclear bunker.