GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[canarob]

stouffville has gotten 2 trains to unionville in the last couple of months, but i agree that it could use some more trains. Mind you, almost every line could use some more trains.

It's great that GO found a way to do a few half-runs during the day, but there is far more demand going south between 8-9:00 and north between 19-20:00 than there ever was going north between 14-15:00.

 

[drum118]

GO just place an order for 28 more coaches that includes 2 accessibility cars. This would add 2 more train sets that can be used to add more service.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Probably going to go towards making 30 minute service on the lakeshores.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

Does anyone know if GO is planning to replace all its cab cars with the new design, or will the cab car fleet only be expanded?

 

[Jonny5]

Does anyone know if GO is planning to replace all its cab cars with the new design, or will the cab car fleet only be expanded?

GO has never replaced cars unless they had to. When they do retire a car, it's replaced with the latest design. Since they are still running some really old coaches, (at least 15 years, but I wouldn't be surprised if some were 30) and some cab cars are very new, you can expect some of the current design to be around for a long time.

 

[canarob]

As a rider, I don't mind the old ones at all. With all the other capital expenses on its plate, GO should keep them until they're beyond repair.

 

[wolfewood]

Agreed. I really don't care if the car is old or new, just that I have somewhere to sit eventually.

Slightly related question, if it is merely a matter of money as to why aren't we running more 12 car trains? Presumably the only thing necessary for 12 car trains would be fuel and the new cars.

 

[EnviroTO]

Slightly related question, if it is merely a matter of money as to why aren't we running more 12 car trains? Presumably the only thing necessary for 12 car trains would be fuel and the new cars.

All improvements are merely matters of money. Going to 12 car trains requires cars, fuel, and station adjustments to increase platform lengths.

 

[gweed123]

All improvements are merely matters of money. Going to 12 car trains requires cars, fuel, and station adjustments to increase platform lengths.

It was my understanding that it was platform lengths that were the limiting factor, at least along some lines.

And yes, there is certainly a trade-off, because GO isn't going to de-couple trains for separate peak and off-peak service, so the question then becomes does adding 2 extra cars during rush hour offset or more than offset the added cost of running 2 nearly empty cars on off-peak trains?

 

[drum118]

Here is the posting and it does include 2 new cab cars of the new design as well.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/267516/Bombardier-awarded-a-28-car-GO-Transit-contract

2013-03-06 at 16:37
Bombardier awarded a 28-car GO Transit contract

By Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com

• 
  
  Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com
  Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino says new contract is good news.

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Bombardier has been awarded another 28-car contract from GO Transit.
CAW Local 1075 president Dominic Pasqualino said they were notified that the Thunder Bay plant would be building 26 of the regular coach cars as well as two accessible coach cars and two crash energy management cars.
While the frames for the CEM cars will be built in Mexico, the others will be produced here in Thunder Bay and Pasqualino said that is good news.
“They were talking about shutting down the classic line, but they’re keeping that going,†said Pasqualino.
“Hopefully, the customer will want more of the classic cars and we can build the frames here in Canada.â€
Despite a brief layoff period before Christmas last year, Pasqualino said the plant is hiring now.
They’re looking for machinists, welders and electricians among other positions.
The future of the plant is looking good, said Pasqualino, adding they’re about halfway done their rocket car contract.
“Hopefully we can get more contracts for that,†he said. “That’s the big car that keeps most of the people employed here. The bi-levels are our bread and butter.â€
The Toronto Transit Commission brought in drivers to train on the new streetcars Wednesday.
The streetcars are 30 per cent longer than the existing cars in Toronto and Pasqualino said they’re coming to Thunder Bay to test the new vehicles.
The $1.2 billion contract will see 204 new streetcars in Toronto to replace the current 248 cars purchased in the 1970s and 1980s.

 

[TOareaFan]

It was my understanding that it was platform lengths that were the limiting factor, at least along some lines.

And yes, there is certainly a trade-off, because GO isn't going to de-couple trains for separate peak and off-peak service, so the question then becomes does adding 2 extra cars during rush hour offset or more than offset the added cost of running 2 nearly empty cars on off-peak trains?

It has been over a year since the platforms were lengthened on the GTown/KW line and, yet, none of the trainsets have been lengthened beyond 10 cars. Would have seemed like a no-brainer "due to the ongoing track work we can not provide more trains but we have increased capacity by lengthening 1/2....all of the trains that we can offer".

 

[ShonTron]

It has been over a year since the platforms were lengthened on the GTown/KW line and, yet, none of the trainsets have been lengthened beyond 10 cars. Would have seemed like a no-brainer "due to the ongoing track work we can not provide more trains but we have increased capacity by lengthening 1/2....all of the trains that we can offer".

Not all the stations. Brampton's and Malton's platforms were extended when the second platforms were built, Bramalea already had an extended platform from the days the east and west tunnels and pocket track were built in the early 2000s. And of course, Mount Pleasant, a new station built with 12-car platforms. I don't think Georgetown Station/yard can fit 12-car trains, which is one issue. The southern stations - Bloor, Weston, are construction sites (construction on the north end of Bloor's platforms just started) and Etobicoke North is going to be moved next. So, with my limited knowledge of what's going on at the moment, I would think only the trains to/from Kitchener would theoretically be able to handle 12-car trains.

 

[TOareaFan]

Not all the stations. Brampton's and Malton's platforms were extended when the second platforms were built, Bramalea already had an extended platform from the days the east and west tunnels and pocket track were built in the early 2000s. And of course, Mount Pleasant, a new station built with 12-car platforms. I don't think Georgetown Station/yard can fit 12-car trains, which is one issue. The southern stations - Bloor, Weston, are construction sites (construction on the north end of Bloor's platforms just started) and Etobicoke North is going to be moved next. So, with my limited knowledge of what's going on at the moment, I would think only the trains to/from Kitchener would theoretically be able to handle 12-car trains.

Not to be too criticial but the Brampton (and I think Malton but can't be sure) platforms were not lengthened when the second platforms were built....they were extended immediately after. So after all the construction related to the station improvement......once it was done and the second platform was opened signs went up saying ....sorry for the inconvenience but we will be commencing construction to lengthen your platforms to provide you better service on longer trains.....at the time the conversation around the station was "why did they not just do that as part of the project that just ended"......now the conversation is "why did they bother doing that if there are no longer trains"....both of which (IMO) are valid questions.

 

[smallspy]

Word is... Niagara service to return in May with an additional train. Barrie weekend service will be back and 1/2 hour Lakeshore service is to begin in June, if there's enough engineers for it I guess (cause right now there's not). But the floodgates have literally opened in terms of hiring CSA and with CSA's moving up to be conductors(dozens in the last couple of months and continuing). Now if only engineer training could speed up, people hired 5 years ago are frustratingly still waiting there turn with no idea when they'll even begin.

There will be four weekend Niagara round-trips this coming year, and Barrie service has been seriously rejigged - 4 round trips to Allandale Waterfront, and weekend bus service will connect with the train, rather than the mistake last year of having the two overlap. As well, there will be a shuttle service from the train to Wonderland.

stouffville has gotten 2 trains to unionville in the last couple of months, but i agree that it could use some more trains. Mind you, almost every line could use some more trains.

A new trainset will be allocated to Stouffville in April, making for 6 round trips. As well, there will also be one short-turn train trip added from Unionville at about 9am.

Does anyone know if GO is planning to replace all its cab cars with the new design, or will the cab car fleet only be expanded?

Considering that the new cars will be CEM cars, one can only assume that they will be "replacing" the existing cars in the same vein that the new CEM cab cars on Metrolink are bumping down to regular service the older UTDC and Bombardier cab cars.

It has been over a year since the platforms were lengthened on the GTown/KW line and, yet, none of the trainsets have been lengthened beyond 10 cars. Would have seemed like a no-brainer "due to the ongoing track work we can not provide more trains but we have increased capacity by lengthening 1/2....all of the trains that we can offer".

There is actually one L12 train scheduled on the Georgetown line - the 9.40am departure from Bramalea.

The Kitchener trains are supposed to be lengthened later this year, but that won't happen until July at the earliest, when GO gets more equipment. On top of that, all of the trains starting at Georgetown can not be lengthened until the station/yard there is modified. Several of the tracks there can not even handle trainsets with two locomotives, nevermind two additional coaches.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[ShonTron]

I thought that the Georgetown yard couldn't handle the L12 sets, thanks for clarifying that was correct.