News   Jul 12, 2024
199 Church Showcases Heritage Facade and Artwork at Street Level
 1.3K     0 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Six Points Plaza Redevelopment Advances With 36-Storey First Phase
 1.1K     1 
News   Jul 12, 2024
Trading Spaces: Can Real Estate Conversion Help Boost Housing Supply?
 390     0 

GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

Go train ridership up – what’s next for GO riders?
http://gokw.org/?p=623

According to sources, GO Train ridership between Acton and Kitchener is up to a few hundred a day, I’m told about 500. This is good news if true. Continued ridership growth means GO will get serious about further investments.

About 30 minutes can be shaved off a GO train commute, possibly even 15 minutes more if express to union are implemented.

Politics and money will surely play a role in what happens, but in no particular order here is what could happen:

At-grade crossings in Guelph cost GO 10+ minutes – close/underpass all roads in Guelph would cost $40M
At grade crossings in Kitchener – Weber St is already in progress, others will cost about $40-60M.
Fix Breslau Bridge – $20-40M (This is the slow point just outside of Kitchener)
Add CTC signals to entire line ($20M ?)
Change a departure to Express (Express from Georgetown to Toronto and vice/versa would be ideal!) – $0?
Some of this is expensive, some of this isn’t. It’s up to GO to prioritize what is next but it will be the money that makes it happen. Ridership growth will only help make it happen – faster trains = more riders.

From this list it seems clear that changing one of the GO departures – perhaps the under utilized train to Express may help people jump on it and increase ridership from the west at the expense of riders from the east..
 
CTC is being installed? That's good. I hope the rail will be welded soon too.

I understand that the Kent Street section through Guelph has to be slow, but why do the trains have to drag ass all the way to clear the junction past Alma Street?
 
ShonTron said:
I understand that the Kent Street section through Guelph has to be slow, but why do the trains have to drag ass all the way to clear the junction past Alma Street?
Click to expand...

My guess would be because the crossing circuit(s) are very short along that section and its probably difficult to modify them because of the many switches along the line. If that's the case it could/should be resolved at the same time CTC is installed in that area.
 
vegeta_skyline said:
My guess would be because the crossing circuit(s) are very short along that section and its probably difficult to modify them because of the many switches along the line. If that's the case it could/should be resolved at the same time CTC is installed in that area.
Click to expand...

so how is the prep for 1/2 hour service going?
 
there are currently no plans for 1/2 hour service to Kitchener.

1/2 hour service on the Lakeshore lines start in 4 days.. prep is complete.
 
It was stated at Metrolinx meeting today that a number of lines will not see 30 minute headway for decades.

Each line will be review on it own ridership once they go to all day service. Some lines may not even get hourly service.

The chair asked what it will take to get 15 minute headway on the Lakeshore and the CEO stated it will take ridership demand.

As lone trains are run as 10-12 car trains, ridership will never be achieve for a number of lines to get better service. Another GO outdated thinking. Need to run shorter DMU/Emu trains to get the better headway.

It was stated it will be 15-20 years before EMu's can run on the Lakeshore line, 5 years for the UP line. Something smell.

Had my last hourly ride on the Lakeshore today, thankful for it.
 
drum118 said:
It was stated at Metrolinx meeting today that a number of lines will not see 30 minute headway for decades.

Each line will be review on it own ridership once they go to all day service. Some lines may not even get hourly service.

The chair asked what it will take to get 15 minute headway on the Lakeshore and the CEO stated it will take ridership demand.

As lone trains are run as 10-12 car trains, ridership will never be achieve for a number of lines to get better service. Another GO outdated thinking. Need to run shorter DMU/Emu trains to get the better headway.

It was stated it will be 15-20 years before EMu's can run on the Lakeshore line, 5 years for the UP line. Something smell.

Had my last hourly ride on the Lakeshore today, thankful for it.
Click to expand...
Brutal. One step forward 3 steps back.
 
How so? They are simply stating demand related facts. The Richmond hill line will never have the demand for all day 2 way (especially with the yonge extension) and Metrolinx is telling people that. Of the 7 lines, only 3 or 4 of them could support 30 mintue frequencies.

While I agree with smaller trains Drum, you run into capacity issues at union if you jump above hourly service on all lines and 30 minute service on 4 of them. This problem presents issues to move to that style service as it would require another union reno.
 
innsertnamehere said:
How so? They are simply stating demand related facts. The Richmond hill line will never have the demand for all day 2 way (especially with the yonge extension) and Metrolinx is telling people that. Of the 7 lines, only 3 or 4 of them could support 30 mintue frequencies.
Click to expand...

Yep, and even then, only part of those 3 or 4 lines (Lakeshore, Milton, Georgetown and Stouffville) could support 30 minute service. There's not much sense extending trains past Mount Pleasant or Mount Joy, especially when local buses would better serve Georgetown and Stouffville from those stations.
 
drum118 said:
It was stated at Metrolinx meeting today that a number of lines will not see 30 minute headway for decades.

Each line will be review on it own ridership once they go to all day service. Some lines may not even get hourly service.
Click to expand...

Was/is there any ridership figure established for increasing service?
 
innsertnamehere said:
How so? They are simply stating demand related facts. The Richmond hill line will never have the demand for all day 2 way (especially with the yonge extension) and Metrolinx is telling people that. Of the 7 lines, only 3 or 4 of them could support 30 mintue frequencies.

While I agree with smaller trains Drum, you run into capacity issues at union if you jump above hourly service on all lines and 30 minute service on 4 of them. This problem presents issues to move to that style service as it would require another union reno.
Click to expand...

canarob said:
Agreed! I wish the same standards were applied to Lakeshore East!

Some good news for the "Rest of Us," the Stouffville Line expansion study is moving forward: http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/Stouffville_Rail_Expansion_PIC_1_EN.pdf
Click to expand...
Well lakeshore east ridership is high, smaller trains will bea easier to manage. It just seems like it should not be that hard to get hourly service on lines they own (re not Kitchener and Milton)
 
innsertnamehere said:
How so? They are simply stating demand related facts. The Richmond hill line will never have the demand for all day 2 way (especially with the yonge extension) and Metrolinx is telling people that. Of the 7 lines, only 3 or 4 of them could support 30 mintue frequencies.

While I agree with smaller trains Drum, you run into capacity issues at union if you jump above hourly service on all lines and 30 minute service on 4 of them. This problem presents issues to move to that style service as it would require another union reno.
Click to expand...

The RH Line is going to be double track. Based on the flooding, the line will be raised in places as well having more protection from flooding.

Metrolinx want to look at ways of getting TTC riders onto the line to take the pressure off the Yonge line.

There is a capacity issue at Union and that is caused by number of things. Dispatching is the main one as it not under Metrolinx control, but CN. Since CN is elsewhere, they are looking at the total network than on a small area. Once Metrolinx has full control over the area, quallity of service will improve as well the upgrading of the corridor.

Once the current Union platforms are expanded to allow duel operation on each tracks, you will be able to run more trains/service than today.

If RR in Europe can run 10 minute service from stub terminal better than we can with through track, there is no reason we can't run 5 minute service with smaller trains. Even long train in Europe have better turn around that what we have to day.

RH line can (MUST) run all day service starting with 30 minutes on day one.

Based on Ridership, the Lakeshore will be split to a point you will have lower headways in the west than the east.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top