GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[ehlow]

For those interested in train service to Waterloo region:

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4765228-no-timetable-but-go-hopes-high/

No timetable, but GO hopes high

By Chris Herhalt
WATERLOO REGION — Ontario's new transportation minister isn't giving area municipal leaders a firm timeline for when the region will gain two-way, all-day GO train service.

But local officials say they're encouraged by the work that has already been done.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca "has undertaken to get back to us as soon as possible, as they refine the timelines," outgoing Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr said in an interview.

"I would expect over the next short period of time, they will follow through with us as to what the schedule would look like."

Del Duca was put in the role shortly after the June provincial election, replacing Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray.

And during the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in London on Monday, Zehr, Waterloo Ward 2 Coun. Karen Scian and London Mayor Joni Baechler met with him.

Scian said the fact that Del Duca couldn't give them a set timeline on when the government would be able fulfil its campaign promise of two-way, full-day GO train service is partly due to the fact that he is new to the role, in a provincial government that is only two months old.

"It's really early in the minister's and this government's term of office. Our common goal today was to reiterate our need for an integrated transit solution with the (Greater Toronto Area)."

In March, Premier Kathleen Wynne promised to double the number of round trips from Kitchener to Toronto from two to four daily by the end of 2016.

Starting in September, the existing train trips will take between two to five minutes longer to travel between Toronto and Kitchener, due to construction work taking place on rail lines closer to Toronto.

In this year's budget, the government revealed it purchased a rail line linking Kitchener to Guelph and Georgetown, signalling its intent to create a traffic-free rail link to and from the region, and encouraging the area's mayors.

Zehr said he and Del Duca discussed another yet to be announced development of similar importance to the purchase of the rail line, which will be made public soon.

The still secret development is "strong enough so that I feel very confident that they have made a commitment to this line and to the GO expansion," Zehr said.

Also on the agenda for discussion was the Liberals' campaign promise to explore building a high-speed rail link between London and Toronto, stopping in Kitchener, at some point in the future.

Last week, Kitchener council approved replacing the Margaret Avenue bridge with a new $6.3-million span that stretches over the two rail lanes below.

The move was made despite concerns that future construction of a high-speed rail link would require more room, and force the city to demolish the bridge and start over.

Zehr said he did not discuss the worries expressed at council last week with Del Duca because the province couldn't have helped them make a better decision even if they tried.

"It has been made with the best information that is available to us at the city and the province."


cherhalt@therecord.com ; Twitter: @HerhaltRecord

 

[dowlingm]

Minister does not tell Niagara "you're not getting GO trains so stop asking", wild celebrations ensue:
http://bit.ly/1pHdrlU

 

[ehlow]

Minister does not tell Niagara "you're not getting GO trains so stop asking", wild celebrations ensue:
http://bit.ly/1pHdrlU

Next thing you know Ottawa's asking for GO service

 

[gweed123]

"Zehr said he and Del Duca discussed another yet to be announced development of similar importance to the purchase of the rail line, which will be made public soon."

Most interesting line in that entire article I think. I really hope it's a grade-separation project through downtown Guelph. Seems like that's a major choke point on the line, and one that, if removed, would shave a few minutes off the trip for sure.

Thoughts?

Next thing you know Ottawa's asking for GO service

Hey, if we still had the old Union Station in service, I'd say a GO REX-type network would be Ottawa's best option. Alas, the train station isn't downtown, so any GO type of service in Ottawa would be pretty pointless.

 

[MrsNesbitt]

Next thing you know Ottawa's asking for GO service

Let it happen! Forget VIA and the cuts-happy feds, let GO take over it all! Ontario ra ra ra!

Ahem. I got a bit carried away.

In seriousness though I would like to see, in the long term, progressively longer VIA routes be taken over by a longer-haul form of GO transit.

 

[gweed123]

Let it happen! Forget VIA and the cuts-happy feds, let GO take over it all! Ontario ra ra ra!

Ahem. I got a bit carried away.

In seriousness though I would like to see, in the long term, progressively longer VIA routes be taken over by a longer-haul form of GO transit.

I'd like to see GO take over the milk run routes when the smaller towns are bypassed by HSR. That and GO run the former Ontario Northland route (the cancellation of which was a big issue up in Northern Ontario).

 

[MrsNesbitt]

I'd like to see GO take over the milk run routes when the smaller towns are bypassed by HSR. That and GO run the former Ontario Northland route (the cancellation of which was a big issue up in Northern Ontario).

It's interesting you mention the Northlander as I was just considering/reading into the effects of its cancellation.

A huge part of the issue with why the Northlander wasn't cost effective was its low ridership, in spite of the fact that it provided possibly the most convenient route to a lot of the small communities it served. That was in large part because of poor awareness of the service, I think. If it were a GO route rather than an Ontario Northland one it could appear on the system map and in advertising, accept Presto, and benefit from recognition of the GO colours and rolling stock.

I think that without a doubt using a longer-haul form of GO to reach and connect smaller communities could do wonders for their economies, for our roads, and to mend the north-south divide in this province. Another route I wish had been kept in some way or another was the old CN Haliburton Subdivision, which could've funnelled cottagers up to the Kawarthas and beyond.

Of course it was your transit fantasy map which first convinced me of these ideas of a regional GO network, so there's that too

 

[ehlow]

"Zehr said he and Del Duca discussed another yet to be announced development of similar importance to the purchase of the rail line, which will be made public soon."

Most interesting line in that entire article I think. I really hope it's a grade-separation project through downtown Guelph. Seems like that's a major choke point on the line, and one that, if removed, would shave a few minutes off the trip for sure.

Thoughts?

That makes a lot of sense. Maybe that in addition to double tracking everything from Georgetown to Kitchener?

I'm excited about incremental track upgrades or new track to keep making the travel time lower and lower (like the Georgetown project), while increasing service, being competitive with car travel.

Let it happen! Forget VIA and the cuts-happy feds, let GO take over it all! Ontario ra ra ra!

Ahem. I got a bit carried away.

In seriousness though I would like to see, in the long term, progressively longer VIA routes be taken over by a longer-haul form of GO transit.

GO high speed everywhere!

You could live in a condo near Union station and commute to your government job in Ottawa, or your tech job in Waterloo, then quickly stop by the Niagara region for some after-work wine, all at insanely high speeds

 

[MrsNesbitt]

GO high speed everywhere!

You could live in a condo near Union station and commute to your government job in Ottawa, or your tech job in Waterloo, then quickly stop by the Niagara region for some after-work wine, all at insanely high speeds

Salivating at the prospect!

With all that let's just rip out the 401 because who needs it anymore? And then we can grow all sorts of organic produce on the land!

Jokes aside, this is indeed the model that we should be striving for one day in this province. Probably not with the 401-removal, but high speed GO linking all of our urban centres? Why not I say, why not.

 

[dowlingm]

It's interesting you mention the Northlander as I was just considering/reading into the effects of its cancellation.

A huge part of the issue with why the Northlander wasn't cost effective was its low ridership, in spite of the fact that it provided possibly the most convenient route to a lot of the small communities it served. That was in large part because of poor awareness of the service, I think.

more integration between ONR and Metrolinx between Barrie and Toronto would be a start. Northlander was not helped by being run as a service for people from the North to get to Toronto, with little effort to get Torontonians to use it.

 

[Markster]

Let it happen! Forget VIA and the cuts-happy feds, let GO take over it all! Ontario ra ra ra!

Ahem. I got a bit carried away.

In seriousness though I would like to see, in the long term, progressively longer VIA routes be taken over by a longer-haul form of GO transit.

You jest, but I'm certain that the Feds (i.e. Harper Conservatives) would be more than happy to have the Province (i.e Wynne Liberals) take over de-facto control of inter-city rail. It's downloading services to the province, without any of the bad press of actually downloading. Harper keeps cutting taxes, while Wynne struggles to balance the budget.

 

[nfitz]

You jest, but I'm certain that the Feds (i.e. Harper Conservatives) would be more than happy to have the Province (i.e Wynne Liberals) take over de-facto control of inter-city rail. It's downloading services to the province, without any of the bad press of actually downloading. Harper keeps cutting taxes, while Wynne struggles to balance the budget.

However, VIA breaks even, and sometimes even makes small profits on corridor (Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal) services. This is used to support all the money-losing services they are still required to run. I'm sure they'd be happy to see GO run the Niagara, Sarnia, and Kitchener services though.

 

[innsertnamehere]

^no it doesn't. It loses money head over heel on the corridor service, but less than other routes. (Instead of subsidization being at 300% it's at 80%)

 

[nfitz]

^no it doesn't. It loses money head over heel on the corridor service, but less than other routes. (Instead of subsidization being at 300% it's at 80%)

Not last time I checked, using their posted numbers. Operation was breaking even or a small profit. However, I just looked at Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal. Corridor includes Sarnia, Windsor, and Quebec City.

 

[ehlow]

Salivating at the prospect!

With all that let's just rip out the 401 because who needs it anymore? And then we can grow all sorts of organic produce on the land!

Jokes aside, this is indeed the model that we should be striving for one day in this province. Probably not with the 401-removal, but high speed GO linking all of our urban centres? Why not I say, why not.

Yeah, jokes aside, it would be great, but we don't even have good enough service within the GTA, let alone thinking about other cities in Ontario that are hundreds of km away.