GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Richard White]

Kingston also has a large university presence. I recently had occasion to take VIA to Ottawa, and Kingston was a very busy stop.

I guess the question is how far is too far? I mean, just because you can do something does not mean you should, take Thunder Bay for example.

Just because there are tracks leading to Thunder Bay does not mean you should send the GO trains out there despite it also having a large university. My point is that there comes a point where GO transit is not equipped to handle the service. They can handle a 2 hour jaunt to Niagara Falls but a 3+ hour trip to Kingston is a tad iffy unless you hook up a dining car.

I wonder what the fare would be like to Kingston anyway...

 

[PinkLucy]

Kingston may well be too far for a daily commute, but I know a number of people who use the train to and from Toronto to attend meetings rather than sit on the 401, which is closed or severely backed up all too frequently. But perhaps VIA serves that purpose well enough and GO wouldn't be necessary. Cobourg is an hour ... why does the GO train end at Oshawa? It would be well used from Cobourg/Port Hope I would think.

 

[ShonTron]

I guess the question is how far is too far? I mean, just because you can do something does not mean you should, take Thunder Bay for example.

Just because there are tracks leading to Thunder Bay does not mean you should send the GO trains out there despite it also having a large university. My point is that there comes a point where GO transit is not equipped to handle the service. They can handle a 2 hour jaunt to Niagara Falls but a 3+ hour trip to Kingston is a tad iffy unless you hook up a dining car.

I wonder what the fare would be like to Kingston anyway...

The GO Train to Kitchener (a two hour trip) is bearable only because the train mostly empties out by Mount Pleasant/Georgetown. The seat configuration (never mind the seats themselves) is uncomfortable once those quads are filled up. That's acceptable for 30-45 minutes, but not for longer distances.

 

[ShonTron]

Kingston may well be too far for a daily commute, but I know a number of people who use the train to and from Toronto to attend meetings rather than sit on the 401, which is closed or severely backed up all too frequently. But perhaps VIA serves that purpose well enough and GO wouldn't be necessary. Cobourg is an hour ... why does the GO train end at Oshawa? It would be well used from Cobourg/Port Hope I would think.

The VIA trains run on a commuter-friendly schedule from Cobourg and Port Hope (of the few trains that stop at Port Hope, they are designed for commuters). A colleague recently moved to Cobourg from Oakville and takes the train daily and enjoys it.

 

[Northern Light]

In respect of far-flung GO expansion, I think we need to consider, based on the service now operate what it is we want GO to do.

If GO is a 'commuter' service then it should not be providing Kingston to Toronto, London-Toronto service.

That does not mean it should not serve those communities, but it should be w/those communities as hubs.

So Woodstock to London, St. Thomas to London etc.

One could argue these needs can be met by VIA and I could gladly accept that.

The argument would be whether GO's format allows a cheaper and more cost-effect option for short-haul trips.

But when total trip time exceeds 90m one way I would argue for a more comfortable service, likely at greater cost, at VIA is better suited to that.

I think in the south (of Ontario) it makes sense to have 4 rail hubs, London, Hamilton, K-W and Toronto with services built out from those by the appropriate carrier.

Ottawa and Kingston make sense in Eastern Ontario.

I'm not sure GO is a logical provider in the east given the amount of VIA service already on offer and easily improved upon. But if enough folks commute into Kingston each day then its a worthwhile conversation. I do see Hamilton as an extremely logical GO hub offering in-bound service from Niagara, Brantford and Toronto w/VIA passing through on longer trips.

 

[TOareaFan]

Daily departrures from Coburg to Union

Going the other way

There are 5 trains to Union and 7 trains to Coburg on Saturdays! Not sure I see a crying need to add GO trains to that

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Honestly with London being a large university town and Kingston being a tourist destination I can see there being latent demand for services to them.

Perhaps it is time to stop thinking of Union as the end point for all the trains and have trains run between cities other than Toronto i.e. Kingston to Barrie via Peterborough or Kitchener to London with connections to Toronto via the existing lines.

London already has a very robust VIA schedule connecting it to the GTHA. If you buy a student sixpak of tickets, they come to roughly $33 per trip, quite a bargain. Also, the longer distance means that VIA's comfortable seats are better, and also due to the volume of students places for baggage are needed. On holidays like Christmas after exams, and thanksgiving the VIA trains can sometimes be up to 12 cars long. Demand is there, but VIA does the job just fine.

 

[hw621]

Torontonians are not aware of GO services, let alone VIA

 

[PinkLucy]

Daily departrures from Coburg to Union


There are 5 trains to Union and 7 trains to Coburg on Saturdays! Not sure I see a crying need to add GO trains to that

I was thinking of GO instead of VIA, but yes if it's already well served then maybe not. Although at over $40 one way, it's a pricey daily commute. Would GO not be more economical?

 

[Leo_Chan]

Torontonians are not aware of GO services, let alone VIA

Assuming the $3 fare in Toronto is still the plan in 2019, the TTC must have a large advertising campaign to promote taking GO regularly. Just having GO/Metrolinx promote it isn't enough, the TTC will have to potentially lose revenue for the better.

 

[TOareaFan]

I was thinking of GO instead of VIA, but yes if it's already well served then maybe not. Although at over $40 one way, it's a pricey daily commute. Would GO not be more economical?

GO would only be cheaper if Ontario decided to subsidize daily commutes from Coburg more than VIA does...no?

 

[PinkLucy]

Aldershot to Union is $12 -- a distance of about 60 km. Cobourg to Union is $40 -- a distance of about 120 km. So theoretically, GO should be able to deliver the service at a lower cost, say $25.

 

[TOareaFan]

Aldershot to Union is $12 -- a distance of about 60 km. Cobourg to Union is $40 -- a distance of about 120 km. So theoretically, GO should be able to deliver the service at a lower cost, say $25.

Even better.....Kitchener to Toronto is around 110km and the fare is $17.70......but, as I alluded to, we have no idea what the fare recovery is on those extended GO lines.....Ontario may just be making a decision to subsidize more the further they go out....who knows.

 

[steveintoronto]

Honestly with London being a large university town and Kingston being a tourist destination I can see there being latent demand for services to them.

Perhaps it is time to stop thinking of Union as the end point for all the trains and have trains run between cities other than Toronto i.e. Kingston to Barrie via Peterborough or Kitchener to London with connections to Toronto via the existing lines.

VIA HFR

 

[ShonTron]

I was thinking of GO instead of VIA, but yes if it's already well served then maybe not. Although at over $40 one way, it's a pricey daily commute. Would GO not be more economical?

There are commuter passes that reduce that cost, but they may not guarantee a seat. The perk of commuting by VIA is VIA Preference - you can quickly accumulate enough points for a free trip to Montreal or Ottawa.