GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[P0per]

Thanks for posting. Disappointed that GO chose not to stop the new Route 30 bus at Cambridge. That would have been the best way to boost GO service to Cambridge with 0 cost and impact to the Milton line.

 

[nfitz]

Thanks for posting. Disappointed that GO chose not to stop the new Route 30 bus at Cambridge. That would have been the best way to boost GO service to Cambridge with 0 cost and impact to the Milton line.

What new Route 30 bus? I see one eastbound run, and 2 westbound runs a day - same as it's been for a while.

 

[TOareaFan]

So, of all the times they could have added bi-directional trains on the KW line...they chose to add them at the times least likely to generate ridership?

 

[nfitz]

So the Toronto Star's reports of improved Stouffiville service turned out to be not true.

And the off-peak Mount Pleasant train is disappointing.
- 8 new eastbound trains between 9 AM and 3:47 PM - but one already started at Bramalea, and 2 more skipp Weston, Bloor, and Etobicoke North.
- 7 new westbound departures arriving at Mount Pleasant between 9:37 and 3:37 pm.

So no value at all for reverse commuting to Brampton, unless you only work from 9:45 AM to 4 PM. I guess it's good for former staffer's in the Mayor's office perhaps ...

No evening service. Nothing to Kitchener in the AM.

Here's the new timetable - http://www.gotransit.com/timetables/en/PDF/Timetables/09151215/Table31.pdf

 

[Toffy]

Looks like the Kitchener line will be using 3 trains for midday service. 49 minutes from Union to Mount Pleasant, then a 23 minute layover at Mount Pleasant, 54 minutes back to Union and then a 54 minute layover at Union.

The last two inbound midday trips don't serve any stops from between Malton and Union (due to PM rush outbound trains), the first of which still takes 54 minutes to get to Union, the last trip only takes 47 minutes.

So the Toronto Star's reports of improved Stouffiville service turned out to be not true.

I suggest people read the Toronto Star article again, it said the Stouffville service would be coming at a later date.

 

[crs1026]

The added Kitchener service has always been earmarked as coming in 2016. It can't happen until they get the signalling on the existing single track line completed. Two-way service will require some further added infrastructure.

FWIW the third track to Mount Pleasant now has a gap in the track west of the platform. It's now effectively a stub track from Brampton.

- Paul

 

[nfitz]

I suggest people read the Toronto Star article again, it said the Stouffville service would be coming at a later date.

The third time it mentions it, yes it does. The first 2 mentions are "after Labour Day". But what is later date - mid-September? Thanksgiving? 2016? What about when they had already announced it would start - sometime in fiscal 2017-18?

Though as I noted earlier - Stouffville service anytime soon would have been surprising.

 

[crs1026]

So, of all the times they could have added bi-directional trains on the KW line...they chose to add them at the times least likely to generate ridership?

They added all the service they can possibly add, given the (limited) amount of new track they actually added during the UPX project. Evening and weekend service should be added, however.

It turns out you can't run trains on a right of way made out of photo ops and press releases, after all.

- Paul

 

[ShonTron]

I'm a bit disappointed by there being no evening or weekend trains, but it's a start. And it's both hourly, and it goes all the way to Mount Pleasant, two things that were missing from the crappy Bramalea midday trains previously.

More interesting are the changes to the Brampton corridor bus services which are impressive:
Route 33 is hourly on weekdays between Brampton and York Mills until after midnight; it runs express from York Mills/Yorkdale via Highway 407 to Hurontario Street.
Also, route 31/33 is now hourly for most of the time on weekdays between Mount Pleasant (or further east) and Guelph via Highway 7.
Route 34 is no longer the Brampton-York Mills local via Pearson Airport. It is now an express bus between Finch Terminal, Yorkdale and the Airport, stopping only at Keele/401, no longer entering Brampton. BT route 115 finally killed the GO milk run.
Route 35, the Brampton-York Mills via Humber College, is dead. That took long enough!
Route 36 is now a daily, half-hourly express bus (more frequent in rush hour, hourly in the late evenings) between Bramalea City Centre, Bramalea GO, Keele/401, Yorkdale and York Mills. On weekends, it's extended to Downtown Brampton.

It look a long time for GO's local Brampton services to disappear, but this is it for some needlessly long, slow (and expensive) routes.

 

[mdrejhon]

For those not aware, I've posted the first-ever public photos of Lewis Road GO Facility -- the one that Metrolinx is building at mile 32.1 of the Grimsby sub. It's the new GO train facility located between Hamilton and St. Catharines, for those not aware that it exists.

(There are more pix here).

 

[Jonny5]

Route 40 extended from Pearson to Hamilton.

Basically they merged the 40 with the 47J. Hamilton GO centre is a 24 hour operation now. The last arrival is 3:45AM and the first departure is 3:20AM.

There will be at least one Route 40 GO bus on the road 24/7.

 

[drum118]

I see 25/29/45/46/47 will start to use the new Erin Mills Station starting in Sept

 

[CDL.TO]

Route 12 (Niagrara Falls) extended to the Burlington Carpool Lot to provide connections to the 47, fixing an otherwise awkward gap in the network. Unfortunately, the 40 doesn't stop there otherwise it would be a very good way to get to the airport from Niagara Region with only one transfer.

 

[DavidH]

Service change summaries are up.

 

[CDL.TO]

I think that's the best presented change summaries I've ever seen.