Kitchener to Toronto train service & the tech sector

[TOareaFan]

This is getting a bit ridiculous....aside from the fact there is already a GO Transit service (including extensions)....and a thread about the infrastructure improvements on the GT/KW corridor.....we now have two different threads about expanded two way service to KW?

 

[vegeta_skyline]

In my opinion, the best investment the province could make on this corridor is to buy it. That would change the calculus on improvements and trackage fees substantially.

I'd imagine they would if they could. Aside from CN not selling the Halton sub, the Guelph sub is under long term lease to the GEXR. Don't know the specifics of that agreement or if it could possibly be broken, but the fact that GO has already purchased every other corridor that was not integral to CN/CP operations leads me to believe that either the agreement cannot be broken or GEXR won't relinquish control.

 

[dunkalunk]

The lease is up for review in 2017

 

[Adjei]

This is something that is actually a no brainer and I wonder why it hasn't been done. If this was somewhere in Europe, it would have been done ages ago but there is a serious lack of vision and thinking big when it comes to transportation in Canada and I would even say North America including the US.

 

[TOareaFan]

This is something that is actually a no brainer and I wonder why it hasn't been done. If this was somewhere in Europe, it would have been done ages ago but there is a serious lack of vision and thinking big when it comes to transportation in Canada and I would even say North America including the US.

I am not opposed to this at all but I would hardly say that amongst all of our transportation needs that this is a "no brainer".

 

[royalrivers]

This is getting a bit ridiculous....aside from the fact there is already a GO Transit service (including extensions)....and a thread about the infrastructure improvements on the GT/KW corridor.....we now have two different threads about expanded two way service to KW?

I had an issue was posting via mobile for some reason it made a new forum and did not put it in the forum I wanted. I do apologize but it is not ridiculous.

 

[royalrivers]

Can this thread be merged with "Kitchener to Toronto train service & the tech sector"?
Also, I heard that going forward, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph will involve Brampton in their lobbying efforts.

It was supposed to have been but I did it on mobile and it posted as a new topic so I left it since I knew someone would fix it.

 

[Adjei]

I am not opposed to this at all but I would hardly say that amongst all of our transportation needs that this is a "no brainer".

Of course it's a no brainer. It's mind boggling how two important regions don't have adequate rail service between them. It shows how far behind and how crappy our rail system is

 

[TOareaFan]

Of course it's a no brainer. It's mind boggling how two important regions don't have adequate rail service between them. It shows how far behind and how crappy our rail system is

"no brainer" suggests to me that everyone would be in agreement on the key elements....so let's try:

1...where does it rank on our list of priorities
2...how many/how frequent should the trains be
3...what length of trip should we aim for
4...what is the fare for a KW-Toronto trip

that should do for starters....all issues that i have heard wildly varying opinion on......and all things that influence whether this is a doable/viable project

 

[ehlow]

Of course it's a no brainer. It's mind boggling how two important regions don't have adequate rail service between them. It shows how far behind and how crappy our rail system is

I don't know what the ridership would be on this line, but the current situation certainly doesn't give a good impression of the region to the investors from Silicon Valley and the recruiters from around the world who fly in and need to get to Waterloo, or researchers visiting the area (like Stephen Hawking).

Of course any visitors flying to Toronto would not be impressed that you can't even get to downtown by rail, but at least that will be fixed by UP express in a couple of years.

It seems like the student population would help boost ridership if it did happen. I remember on long weekends waiting for several buses that were full to go to Toronto in the winter years ago.

At least with the UP express, if there were to be all day service to Kitchener, they could theoretically switch trains at Weston or Union to head there from the airport. Also the grade separations & other upgrades done for the UP express should help make the trip to between Union and Kitchener faster right?

 

[mpd618]

I am not opposed to this at all but I would hardly say that amongst all of our transportation needs that this is a "no brainer".

It depends on who "we" refers to. If you ask people in KW, it's a no-brainer; similarly in Cambridge for service there. As in, if you ask them to pick one of a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, widening Highway 401 to 10 lanes between Hespeler and Halton, and two-way and weekend GO service -- I'm pretty sure the train service would come out on top right now. But the highway projects are said to be happening, whereas there's nothing about GO service.

 

[canarob]

1...where does it rank on our list of priorities

Once the inner 905 suburbs have all-day, two-way service, we can talk, but for now Kitchener can just get in line behind everyone else. I would say this is only slightly ahead of the proposed line to Peterborough.

 

[rbt]

Once the inner 905 suburbs have all-day, two-way service, we can talk, but for now Kitchener can just get in line behind everyone else. I would say this is only slightly ahead of the proposed line to Peterborough.

If Fuel Tax is a primary revenue source for GTA transit expansion, then all-day Kitchener service will likely be pretty close to the front of the line. The reason being that Metrolinx will not be in control of the KWC cut of the tax. That municipality will be able to pool their funds and build it fairly quickly.

This project would take about 5 to 7 years of their cut of the new fuel tax (10 cents per litre) to cover the capital.

 

[mpd618]

Once the inner 905 suburbs have all-day, two-way service, we can talk, but for now Kitchener can just get in line behind everyone else. I would say this is only slightly ahead of the proposed line to Peterborough.

Meanwhile, highway expansions for everyone!

 

[TOareaFan]

It depends on who "we" refers to. If you ask people in KW, it's a no-brainer; similarly in Cambridge for service there. As in, if you ask them to pick one of a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph, widening Highway 401 to 10 lanes between Hespeler and Halton, and two-way and weekend GO service -- I'm pretty sure the train service would come out on top right now. But the highway projects are said to be happening, whereas there's nothing about GO service.

Meanwhile, highway expansions for everyone!

Has anyone polled the residents about that choice? I would be surprised if you did and got a majority favouring rail over road expansion. More people use roads than rails so I would imagine that they would vote for more roads.

That does not mean I agree that more roads is better than more rails....just surprised if there is a majority in KW region that would favour rail expansion over road expansion.