GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[nfitz]

The new Kitchener Line schedule still isn't on the website yet, which is unsurprising given the change was sprung on GO by politicians outside of the normal planning cycle, to fix an issue most likely caused by politicians springing half-baked ideas on GO outside of the planning cycle.

Anyway, if the 16:50 train is reinstated on its previous schedule, there will be reliability problems because the new 16:35 train is literally in its way. The express train is supposed to be 12 minutes faster than the local, which means that if it departs 15 minutes later, it will arrive at Bramalea only 3 minutes behind. At which point even the slightest delay to the 16:35 will cascade onto the 16:50. Ideally the trains should be spread further apart if there are slots available to do so in the USRC, perhaps shifting the 16:35 to 16:30.
View attachment 172961

The schedule is loaded into both the GO Transit and Triplinx website, if you select dates after next week. for example - https://www.triplinx.ca/en/route-sc.../1?Date=2/19/2019&Hour=3&Minute=0&Meridian=PM

Not surprisingly, the 4:35 pm ,moves to 4:32 and terminates at Bramalea. In other changes, the 4:04 pm will leave at 4:13 but run express to Etobicoke North and the 5:02 will (not surprisingly) be shortened to Georgetown.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any extra run of that Bramalea terminating train after 5:13 - it would have been a useful return back to Union replacing some bus services.

 

[TOareaFan]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-go-train-line-delays-metrolinx-1.5004903

 

[steveintoronto]

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any extra run of that Bramalea terminating train after 5:13 - it would have been a useful return back to Union replacing some bus services.

Remember the initial flurry of the added GO train trips, even the one(s) Union to Willowdale 'just to use that wasted run' (even though hardly anyone will ever use it!)(it must create more difficulties maintaining it to schedule than just letting it return to yard in the next available slot).

I wonder about some of the Niagara Falls runs too. Do they park them overnight in NF? If not, do they run to 'get on site' empty? Yurek, Yakabuski and the K-Y Gang have a bit of explaining to do...taking the bus in from Brampton, *especially if you live along the Georgetown Corridor* is a freakin' nightmare once the down trains stop running.

 

[Krypto98]

The schedule is loaded into both the GO Transit and Triplinx website, if you select dates after next week. for example - https://www.triplinx.ca/en/route-schedules/6/RouteSchedules/kitchener/1316/bramalea-go-georgetown-go-ki-georgetown-go-ki-moun/1?Date=2/19/2019&Hour=3&Minute=0&Meridian=PM

Not surprisingly, the 4:35 pm ,moves to 4:32 and terminates at Bramalea. In other changes, the 4:04 pm will leave at 4:13 but run express to Etobicoke North and the 5:02 will (not surprisingly) be shortened to Georgetown.
View attachment 173131

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any extra run of that Bramalea terminating train after 5:13 - it would have been a useful return back to Union replacing some bus services.

They could have done a counter peak express with a stop at Malton, Getting to union at about 5:45 PM, which you could then use for the 6:00 PM train.

 

[Allandale25]

The PDF of the new GO schedule for the Kitchener Line is here https://www.gotransit.com/static_fi...ipPlanning/FullSchedules/13022019/Table31.pdf

 

[nfitz]

The PDF of the new GO schedule for the Kitchener Line is here https://www.gotransit.com/static_fi...ipPlanning/FullSchedules/13022019/Table31.pdf

Amazingly, there's a big typo on it, showing that the 17:02 train no longer stops in Brampton. Hard to believe that they didn't even bother to proof the Brampton afternoon stops on this.

(the online schedules show the stop, so just a typo ... but good grief - this is surely the first place any Brampton rider, who caused the uproar - will look)

 

[Allandale25]

^ Good eye.

 

[joet00]

Amazingly, there's a big typo on it, showing that the 17:02 train no longer stops in Brampton. Hard to believe that they didn't even bother to proof the Brampton afternoon stops on this.

(the online schedules show the stop, so just a typo ... but good grief - this is surely the first place any Brampton rider, who caused the uproar - will look)

I'm still waiting for the Barrie PDF to be updated from January's changes.

I tweeted @GOTransit for correction to both the Barrie and RH schedules. RH is updated, but Barrie still shows a weekday 65C (introduced as "weekend only") 1 minute after a southbound train departs. (The schedule shows it arriving 8 minutes before the train...maybe a new express service if you don't mind gambling on the DVP???) The new Friday-only 68C aren't properly represented on the schedule either.

 

[TOareaFan]

Amazingly, there's a big typo on it, showing that the 17:02 train no longer stops in Brampton. Hard to believe that they didn't even bother to proof the Brampton afternoon stops on this.

(the online schedules show the stop, so just a typo ... but good grief - this is surely the first place any Brampton rider, who caused the uproar - will look)

View attachment 173186

Your sentence structure makes it appear like you are saying only people who use the Brampton stop were in an uproar. I think the uproar was from people throughout Brampton whichever of the 3 stations they use ?

But, yes, it seems they don’t proofread much before they put it out!

 

[timio]

Interesting concept of the semi-express 1613, bypassing Bloor and Weston, saving 6 minutes. I recommend they change all current all-stop to Kitchener trains to this format.

Coincidentally, the 605 from Kitchener last Thursday ended up doing this after the lengthy delay, announcing first it was going to be all stop from Bramalea, and then turning back to Express after Etobicoke North.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Interesting concept of the semi-express 1613, bypassing Bloor and Weston, saving 6 minutes. I recommend they change all current all-stop to Kitchener trains to this format.

Coincidentally, the 605 from Kitchener last Thursday ended up doing this after the lengthy delay, announcing first it was going to be all stop from Bramalea, and then turning back to Express after Etobicoke North.

Almost as good as making the UPX Express taking care of Bloor and Weston for Union bound trains. Kitchener bound trains still need stops at Bloor and Weston, for those needing service to Etobicoke North or beyond. The negative is that the UPX Union is off to the west of the other trains, should they require transferring to GO trains to continue their trip.

 

[reaperexpress]

Interesting concept of the semi-express 1613, bypassing Bloor and Weston, saving 6 minutes. I recommend they change all current all-stop to Kitchener trains to this format.

Coincidentally, the 605 from Kitchener last Thursday ended up doing this after the lengthy delay, announcing first it was going to be all stop from Bramalea, and then turning back to Express after Etobicoke North.

I wouldn't go as far as to say that all trips should do that (as @W. K. Lis mentioned, some customers board there for points west), but it is certainly an interesting stopping pattern. It will be interesting to see how UP Express copes with the diverted ridership. Several PM peak UP trips already experience overcrowding, so hopefully the diverted passengers end up on trips which have 3-car consists rather than 2-car consists. Maybe UP should publish a commuter guide that indicates which trips they should aim for to catch a 3-car train.

Another interesting piece is that the truncated 16:32 trip will now use the long-disused south platform at Bramalea:

https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/go-service-updates/train-schedule-changes

The 4:32 p.m. trip to Bramalea GO will arrive on a temporary platform on the south side of the station, which has no elevator access to the north side of the station. If you need to use an elevator, do not take this train to Bramalea.

There will be door restrictions at Bramalea station due to construction. Please listen to announcements on your train.

It's the only train all day to use this platform, so it has all the time in the world to sit and wait for an appropriate gap in train traffic to head east. It seems like a missed opportunity to have it run as a deadhead rather than a counter-peak express - it would be super helpful for people making connections at Bramalea, such as people coming in on Route 30 from Kitchener.

Here's my consolidation of the new GO, UP and VIA schedules for the PM Peak, highlighting the changes:

 

[crs1026]

I wouldn't go as far as to say that all trips should do that (as @W. K. Lis mentioned, some customers board there for points west), but it is certainly an interesting stopping pattern. It will be interesting to see how UP Express copes with the diverted ridership. Several PM peak UP trips already experience overcrowding, so hopefully the diverted passengers end up on trips which have 3-car consists rather than 2-car consists. Maybe UP should publish a commuter guide that indicates which trips they should aim for to catch a 3-car train.

Another interesting piece is that the truncated 16:32 trip will now use the long-disused south platform at Bramalea:

https://www.gotransit.com/en/trip-planning/go-service-updates/train-schedule-changes


It's the only train all day to use this platform, so it has all the time in the world to sit and wait for an appropriate gap in train traffic to head east. It seems like a missed opportunity to have it run as a deadhead rather than a counter-peak express - it would be super helpful for people making connections at Bramalea, such as people coming in on Route 30 from Kitchener.

Do we know as fact that the Bramalea turnback train will use platform 4?

I was up there this week, and it is not usable. I am guessing that the local will turn back from Main 3 while the express goes by on Track 2.

- Paul

 

[TOareaFan]

Interesting concept of the semi-express 1613, bypassing Bloor and Weston, saving 6 minutes. I recommend they change all current all-stop to Kitchener trains to this format.
.

I don’t think every WB train could skip Weston. There is a small number of travelers who take UP from the airport to Weston to connect to WB GO trains. Presumably they are headed west of Brampton (since BT serves the airport directly)..

Skipping Bloor is even more troublesome as there has always been a ridership (not huge but not insignificant either) who get on the trains there.

 

[TOareaFan]

Do we know as fact that the Bramalea turnback train will use platform 4?

It is right there in their announcement not sure how much more factual you can get at this point.