GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[robmausser]

Unfortunately the route through K-dub is probably the best bet. MX owns a lot of the corridor and the corridor that goes from Kdub to London is pretty quiet.

The only other line is owned by CN and is their mainline.

Perhaps they could offer multiple trains a day, an hourly "milk run" from London through Kitchener and 1 or 2 express from London to Aldershot continuing as one of the express Lakeshore West trains. I dont think CN would allow anymore than that.

BUT, VIA train 82 just came back online, that is basically the express service.

However, I never liked VIA as a commuter service. Its really not setup that way.

 

[EnviroTO]

Unfortunately the route through K-dub is probably the best bet. MX owns a lot of the corridor and the corridor that goes from Kdub to London is pretty quiet.

I don't have any issue with the route via KW... the issue is the track speed not being 120-140km/h the whole way.

 

[crs1026]

I don't have any issue with the route via KW... the issue is the track speed not being 120-140km/h the whole way.

This exactly. The whole premise of the GO Train to London via KW was that there had to be investment in order to bring the line up to a marketable state.

If this were done, there is enormous upside to ridership on this route. It can be just as fast as the CN route through Brantford, and by bypassing that route with its heavy freight volume, and keeping the passenger trains out of the way of CN freights, a much more effective service can be built with very frequent service. Easily, the route could support trains every hour or two in each direction...... but only if sufficient investment was made.

Without that investment, the service is doomed to fail..... and now we have a very distorted narrative that says "if you run passenger trains, nobody rides them".

I have never had high expectations of Ford and Mulroney, but this is unquestionably dirty politics.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Citizens fume as 'wandering' London-to-Toronto GO Train route axed

The London to Toronto GO Train is being pulled off the tracks this fall, Metrolinx announced Friday, as the organization declines to extend its two-year pilot project.

lfpress.com

Wonder if any PC MPPs will get involved?

 

[dowlingm]

With 82 coming back, and VIA seemingly doing schedule changes in October, is the likely explanation that the early Sarnia service via Kitchener is also returning? (province isn’t the only level of govt which has elections…)

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Citizens fume as 'wandering' London-to-Toronto GO Train route axed

The London to Toronto GO Train is being pulled off the tracks this fall, Metrolinx announced Friday, as the organization declines to extend its two-year pilot project.

lfpress.com

Wonder if any PC MPPs will get involved?

VIA needs to step up here. The next premier won't build a hodge-podge system.

 

[ARG1]

Did we know that the London GO train is ending? CN really needs that single track slot at that specific time?

Citizens fume as 'wandering' London-to-Toronto GO Train route axed

The London to Toronto GO Train is being pulled off the tracks this fall, Metrolinx announced Friday, as the organization declines to extend its two-year pilot project.

lfpress.com

Note that nowhere in the tweet does it mention any attempt, or any "failed" meetings to try and extend the pilot period. The only thing it mentions is that the contract is expiring. So its just as likely as it is CN blocking train access, as it is the provincial government not getting around to bother extending the period.

 

[Allandale25]

^ do you mean article instead of tweet?

 

[crs1026]

Note that nowhere in the tweet does it mention any attempt, or any "failed" meetings to try and extend the pilot period. The only thing it mentions is that the contract is expiring. So its just as likely as it is CN blocking train access, as it is the provincial government not getting around to bother extending the period.

If there is a reason why CN would not agree to extend, I can't imagine what it would be. The line is so lightly used, they have no operational constraints.

A more likely scenario is CN saying, look at all the maintenance the line needs and here's what it will cost you to make the line safe for an extended period.

- Paul

 

[ARG1]

^ do you mean article instead of tweet?

I meant the tweet.

 

[lenaitch]

A post less about a tree, than what's clinging to it.....

A farmer in southern Ontario found poison ivy up a dead ash tree on his property, as vines have been known to do............but its not so often you see that the vine has climbed 20.75M or over 68 feet high.

View attachment 488440

The above tree in the centre of the photo is entirely dead, all of its leaf cover is poison ivy.

Photo sourced from story, here: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.co...-he-discovers-tallest-poison-ivy-plant-750701

Are there any stations on the CP line between Bowmanville and Kingston?

Depends on what you mean by "station". Are there places where a passenger can board? No, because there is no passenger service on the CP Belleville sub. There are 'stations' in railway operating terms; they used to be called 'sections' - IDK if they still are. Besides, CP doesn't go to Kingston. It turns north just past Belleville and heads towards Smiths Falls.

CPR Belleville Subdivision

 

[rbt]

And so ends the London farce. I like the way they try and imply that VIA or CN have responsibility for this, when we know it's about the extremely poor ridership. (I bet they'd have better ridership if they tried to run a London to Guelph train during rush-hour instead of the wee hours of the morning)

View attachment 488978

They would probably have enough ridership for hourly all-day buses, and perhaps even 15 minute frequencies during rush.

 

[Bordercollie]

Depends on what you mean by "station". Are there places where a passenger can board? No, because there is no passenger service on the CP Belleville sub. There are 'stations' in railway operating terms; they used to be called 'sections' - IDK if they still are. Besides, CP doesn't go to Kingston. It turns north just past Belleville and heads towards Smiths Falls.

CPR Belleville Subdivision

So they could continue to Belleville and then cross over to the Kingston Sub, to Kingston? I mean I guess it depends on if such a service is warranted but the GO train could make stops at Brighton, Trenton and other small stations that VIA does not serve. It would be more of a commuter route from Kingston to Belleville and Oshawa instead of intercity travel to Toronto.

 

[nfitz]

I don't have any issue with the route via KW... the issue is the track speed not being 120-140km/h the whole way.

And in particular, that it used to be very good.

After VIA took over from CN, VIA would do the run 75-80 minutes. But GO is doing 140 to145 . It was never going to be great at that speed. Also the time of day was absurd. The trains were too early for those who work in KW. And those working in Toronto would be better off taking VIA from London.

 

[nfitz]

If there is a reason why CN would not agree to extend, I can't imagine what it would be.

Where did you hear that CN would not agree to extend? Metrolinx's original statement never said that.