GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[smallspy]

Yes exactly, and that's why I've been emphasizing that we need to make noise about changing GO Transit and Transport Canada policies to make it possible to operate railways efficiently as they do in Europe and Asia. Clearly the CROR is not the only way to operate railways safely given that the EU achieves equal or better railway safety than Canada.

If left to their own devices, GO Transit and Transport Canada will demand that ETCS be mutilated to conform to the antiquated North American operating policies, eliminating many of ETCS's benefits, increasing its implementation cost, increasing the cost of operating service in general (e.g. lower capacity, potentially 2 operators per cab), and increasing the potential for new issues to be created as a result of their modifications. Deutsche Bahn was trying to push GO Transit to modernise their operating practices and we know how that turned out...

GO (and VIA, EXO and WCE) have been lobbying to the Federal Government and Transport Canada for many years for changes to many rules and regulations that they feel are really only applicable to the freight railways and so hinder their operations - the only thing that I can think about that they've managed to get changed is the regulation of radio channels, which is no longer regulated by Transport Canada. They will continue to push ahead on this, but unless the Government becomes more aware about the problem I don't see any other changes forthcoming. Look to the current issues between VIA and CN for evidence of the Government's hands-off and head-in-the-sand approach to this.

The issue with DB is that they continued to push ahead with producing and implimenting their plans in spite of not getting the regulatory changes required to make them feasible, not that their plans were too much for Metrolinx.

Dan

 

[Allandale25]

^ The important nuance of that last point is lost on some transit commentators. But videos, social media posts, etc I guess are easier to make and generate more clicks than also writing/meeting with/organizing pressure to an MP and advocating for changes.

 

[Dan416]

This regulatory nonsense reminds me of the city of Toronto / TTC's policies which result in Finch West and the whole streetcar system being underwhelmingly slow for no reason.

In the case of the rail operation environment in the GTA, I get that there are legitimate safety concerns, but I am sure there are things that could be done to improve them. If GO Transit has already been lobbying, I am highly doubtful that they have been lobbying for anything that would be unsafe.