GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[doady]

Just replace Dixie GO with a subway stop. It would do much better.

I think that location is as bad for subway as it is for commuter rail. Dixie and Dundas on the other hand...

btw, I meant to say "most people in East Mississauga use TTC instead of GO bus/train since the subway is close" instead of all Mississauga in general.

I think another thing is Dixie is the southernmost station and people south of it are better off using the Lakeshore Line instead, and that has 30 minute off-peak train service now. It's just people from the north for Dixie GO, and those people are all served by frequent bus routes direct to the subway.

 

[Dan416]

Yeah Dixie/Dundas would make more sense I agree

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

From the eglinton crosstown thread.

It seems to be a cheaper version without the complete rebuild they were originally planning, it seems to largely leave The existing station alone. I wonder why Kennedy GO is receiving such large upgrades, that looks like it would be part of the funding for all day GO, not the Crosstown. Unless Metrolinx is looking at doing some more twinning on the Stouffville corridor beyond the passing track just south of Unionville that currently exists. Twinning the southern portion would allow 30 minute frequency for runs to Unionville, trains deadheading back to Union currently pass Kennedy around 20 minutes before the next (in service) train comes northbound for the current 2 off peak unionville trains. If they can twin to around Agincourt, they may be able to up frequency.

The walk looks to be about 40 meters, or around 30 seconds. not much. remember that the LRT trains depicted aren't even 3 meters wide.

I have a quick queston for you innsert (or anyone else):

You know how Lakeshore West trains become lakeshore east? How that work for the other lines ie Milton, Richmond Hill, etc. Would the Milton line or Kitchener line continue to Markham? Or Barrie? An example is this


Milton trains continue to Mount Joy GO
Kitchener trains continue to Barrie

Just like Aldershot trains go to Oshawa.

Thanks for the answers.

 

[canarob]

Unless Metrolinx is looking at doing some more twinning on the Stouffville corridor beyond the passing track just south of Unionville that currently exists. Twinning the southern portion would allow 30 minute frequency for runs to Unionville, trains deadheading back to Union currently pass Kennedy around 20 minutes before the next (in service) train comes northbound for the current 2 off peak unionville trains. If they can twin to around Agincourt, they may be able to up frequency.

There is a study underway to twin the line all the way up to Unionville (at least portions of this section, I suppose): http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/improve/Stouffville_Rail_Expansion_PIC_1_EN.pdf

 

[innsertnamehere]

Any word on when the next report or meeting for that will be? It says end of 2013 at the end of the document, I'm guessing that hasn't happened?

 

[canarob]

Any word on when the next report or meeting for that will be? It says end of 2013 at the end of the document, I'm guessing that hasn't happened?

January: http://www.metrolinx.com/en/docs/pd...05/20131205_BoardMtg_GO_Transit_Report_EN.pdf

The Environmental Assessment for the Stouffville Corridor Rail Service Expansion is
underway and the next round of public meetings will be held in January 2014. The
scope of the study is the proposed addition of a second track between Scarborough GO
Station to Unionville GO Station, which would improve reliability of existing GO service
and facilitate additional service on that corridor in the future.

It will be a while before the track is actually in place, of course, but this can't come soon enough!

 

[smallspy]

I don't agree with eliminating weekday train-bus service to Dixie, but I could ask the same thing about Milliken, Etobicoke North or Old Cummer stations.

You might notice that GO does not provide bus service to any rail station in the City of Toronto.

That has always been the case, and the argument from GO is that because they are located in the City and running from/to Union that they would be infringing on the municipal ruling on competing jitney services.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[bielawski]

That has always been the case, and the argument from GO is that because they are located in the City and running from/to Union that they would be infringing on the municipal ruling on competing jitney services.

Did they need an agreement with the TTC to run the Old Cummer-Oriole-Union route?

 

[ShonTron]

Did they need an agreement with the TTC to run the Old Cummer-Oriole-Union route?

I do remember the former GO train-bus services to Old Cummer and Oriole. There is also no prohibition of GO providing intra-city fares, be it between rail stations or even bus stops on the few routes where stops are still made within the old City of Toronto. No one will ever stop you from riding between Yorkdale and Carlingview Drive. YRT and Mississauga Transit are not permitted to allow trips entirely within Toronto, yes, but GO never had such a prohibition.

My best guess is that GO is simply not interested in running such services especially as local bus services are not part of its mandate.

 

[Jag202]

In regards to January service changes, it seems like they haven't posted anything in regards to north changes at all. Makes me think that they might be holding off and will be posting those changes last minute, just in case of signal problems with the new CTC on the Newmarket sub. Great to hear about the new trains on the Kitchener line though!

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I wonder if drum, small spy and vegeta can answer this: Have they started hiring so that we can get all day 5 way service on the other lines?

 

[royalrivers]

I still would like to know status of CTC from (Georgetown) Silver to London. It is, according to the tender, suppose to be done in the spring/summer of 2014

 

[drum118]

I wonder if drum, small spy and vegeta can answer this: Have they started hiring so that we can get all day 5 way service on the other lines?

GO has being trying to hire engineers from all railways that still have years of service in them, but has obtain a lot less than what they were hoping for.

Vegeta will have more detail info what will be on hand for 2014/15 than I will have for crews. The Milton Line will not see all day service until there is at least 3 of the 4 tracks are in place unless there some big bucks going to CP as well having CP crews to run them before the current contract expire. Then, will there be crews around to handle the change in contract to provide the extra service on the line that is handle by CP crews now? There are sections where 3 tracks are in place to Meadowvalle, but is it enough to deal with all day service with the bottle neck being at Lampton?

There cannot be any all day service on the Georgetown line until 2016 due all the construction taking place. Even then, it will be only for the southern part at first and still in the air as to when. Running 12 car trains to KW all day is a waste of resources and a need for DMU's for off peak service, let along trying to get EMU's there.

Most crews being train now and next year are for the spare board and some peak service in 2015, but mostly for the UPX line. Off hand, the UPX will require about 20 crews if service is 15 minutes for the full day of service.

A lot of things may fall apart if we go to the polls before June 2014 and the PC coming to power, with everyone planning for the best as well the worse at this time.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

I wonder if drum, small spy and vegeta can answer this: Have they started hiring so that we can get all day 5 way service on the other lines?

I actually mention this quite a while ago, yes they indeed have.
The hiring spree started a little over a year ago. Since then they've hired about a 100 people(CSA's of course which allowed for almost as many to move up to the CTO position), increasing the work force from a little over 200 to 300+. Although the bulk of that will be used for the UPX, rumor being they need up to 65 people(which seems rather high to me but that's the number I keep hearing) for that alone.

In regards to January service changes, it seems like they haven't posted anything in regards to north changes at all. Makes me think that they might be holding off and will be posting those changes last minute, just in case of signal problems with the new CTC on the Newmarket sub.

No idea why that wasn't in there. My source(and should know since he currently works on the damn line) repeatedly stated it was coming in Jan, then the big reveal came and nada.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Murray pandering

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...an-makes-a-lot-of-sense-murray-says-1.2467118
Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray says a business case made by a consortium of Waterloo Region cities and private sector companies for all-day, two-way GO service between downtown Kitchener and downtown Toronto "makes a lot of sense."

The business plan, which was released Monday, looks to sell the new two-way rail link to the provincial government by focusing on the economic benefits of expanded GO Train service, saying it would bring an additional 37,600 jobs and generate $838 million in annual personal income tax.