GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[SaugeenJunction]

Toronto Star reporter Tess Kalinowski: "LSW, LSE btwn Oshawa and Burlington, Stouffville to Unionville, Bramalea and Aurora first up for @GOtransit electric regional express rail" https://twitter.com/TessKalinowski/status/588763889195712512

I made up a map of what "allegedly" a first phase of RER would look like. I left out the Eglinton portion of SmartTrack as its future is still up in the air. The electrified RER portions are the purple lines.

 

[innsertnamehere]

why must they end them right before the end of the urban areas? makes things far too painful for off peak hours. Stouffville should go to Mount Joy, Barrie to East Gwillimbury, Kitchener to at least Brampton, preferably Mount Pleasant.

 

[ShonTron]

why must they end them right before the end of the urban areas? makes things far too painful for off peak hours. Stouffville should go to Mount Joy, Barrie to East Gwillimbury, Kitchener to at least Brampton, preferably Mount Pleasant.

Bramalea is very unfortunate, but beyond Bramalea, CN owns the track. GO would have to spend money and a new EA just to improve capacity through Downtown Brampton (it'd be separate from electrification EAs), though it should be a quick second phase. Same with Unionville, which is almost as bad as Bramalea.

 

[salsa]

why must they end them right before the end of the urban areas? makes things far too painful for off peak hours. Stouffville should go to Mount Joy, Barrie to East Gwillimbury, Kitchener to at least Brampton, preferably Mount Pleasant.

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe RER phase two will rectify that, we just have to wait a few extra years.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe RER phase two will rectify that, we just have to wait a few extra years.

I wouldn't be surprised to see all-day 1 hour (if not half-hour) service into the core zones that are not part of phase 1. This should build ridership up for when 15-min electric RER service arrives.

 

[mdrejhon]

When RER is extended to Burlington, they will really need to work hard to extend it to Aldershot and ultimately Hamilton.

Large numbers of people board at Aldershot during morning AM, occasionally more than Burlington, depending on time of day. Extra Metrolinx-only track may have to be built next to freight track, but they will probably send RER to Aldershot as part of any extension beyond Oakville. I anticipate Metrolinx trying to add on Aldershot quickly in order to achieve parity with current 30min terminus. The showstopper is the freight ownership but it is not impossible to add one more extra track to the south of freight tracks.

RER only to Burlington becomes a downgrade for Aldershot commuters (myself included) if Metrolinx reduces Aldershot service when running 30min allday RER (I protest!) making the diesels redundant. How will they handle Aldershot if RER is extended only to Burlington?

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Looks like the rumoured RER rollout scheme I mentioned earlier is going to be announced tomorrow:

 

[innsertnamehere]

Del Duca was tweeting a bit about it today, Its the first time its looked like his twitter account is actually being used by him rather than some assistant.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Del Duca was tweeting a bit about it today, Its the first time its looked like his twitter account is actually being used by him rather than some assistant.

Steven Del Duca: "In the coming days, I look forward to outlining our province's $31.5B transportation plan. We're committed to Moving Ontario Forward #onpoli"

I thought it was originally $29 Billion, but the more $ the merrier. It also looks like he is implying multiple announcements. RER is an obvious one, but (not to get off topic) maybe some LRT funding may slip in there also?

 

[TOareaFan]

Steven Del Duca: "In the coming days, I look forward to outlining our province's $31.5B transportation plan. We're committed to Moving Ontario Forward #onpoli"

I thought it was originally $29 Billion, but the more $ the merrier. It also looks like he is implying multiple announcements. RER is an obvious one, but (not to get off topic) maybe some LRT funding may slip in there also?

If we had it...yes.

 

[44 North]

I thought it was originally $29 Billion, but the more $ the merrier. It also looks like he is implying multiple announcements. RER is an obvious one, but (not to get off topic) maybe some LRT funding may slip in there also?

Perhaps it’s tied in with Metrolinx’s Yonge Relief Network Study, which was supposed to be released this Spring?

 

[Dan416]

Always unfortunate to see the Milton line excluded from these kinds of announcements. Yet apparently Mississauga doesn't need a subway because GO can be improved. Mmmhmm.

 

[Amare]

Always unfortunate to see the Milton line excluded from these kinds of announcements. Yet apparently Mississauga doesn't need a subway because GO can be improved. Mmmhmm.

The thing is...Mississauga really doesn't need a subway, much in the same fashion as Vaughan which doesn't need one. Unless we get another situation where the reigning government trys to buy votes (ie: Greg Sorbara style), Mississauga will not see any kind of subway built there for at least 30 years.

 

[44 North]

Always unfortunate to see the Milton line excluded from these kinds of announcements. Yet apparently Mississauga doesn't need a subway because GO can be improved. Mmmhmm.

I thought Mississauga was in fact getting a subway - in the form of SmartTrack’s Eglinton spur. Or at the very least a +10km multi-Billion dollar grade-separated heavy rail rapid transit branch from Mt Dennis to an airport office park in ‘Sauga is closely being looked at. Preposterous as it seems.

De Luca this evening:

“Work continues between the province and the city regarding the SmartTrack proposal. I understand that the city is undertaking a feasibility study on the Eglinton Avenue West corridor and Metrolinx and the ministry of transportation are involved. We look forward to the feasibility study and working with the city to improve transit along Eglinton towards the busy airport area,†said Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca in a statement.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Always unfortunate to see the Milton line excluded from these kinds of announcements. Yet apparently Mississauga doesn't need a subway because GO can be improved. Mmmhmm.

The Milton line is excluded due to the large amount of work required to make it happen for the first phase. The stuff that is happening first is the "low hanging fruit", that is, the stuff on corridors Metrolinx already owns that only need an additional track and some wiring.

Milton to get 15 minute electrified RER would require a rail to rail seperation, 2 new tracks, multiple EAs, and a huge amount of bridge expansions, property expropriations, etc. It will come, but it takes longer due to the nature of the corridor.