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VIA Rail

Excellent find! Didn't that suggestion show up in this string a while back and was dismissed by at least one poster?

Assuming this comes to pass, this bodes very well for VIA doing more co-fares with others.

Yes, I was the one that suggested it, and it was deemed impractical by some on here. Glad to see that Via is seriously focused on end-to-end customer trips, and not just dumping them 'almost-but-not-quite' in downtown Ottawa and making them take a cab or uber to reach their final destination.
 
@alexanderglista

Given the location of Tremblay/Train station, it really makes sense to offer a combined fare. Will really make travel easier to the core, cut down on cab usage.

I actually wish TTC and VIA did this too for anybody arriving at Union.
Yes, it would be a good selling point if a VIA ticket gave one access (one ride) to the TTC (at least on arrival in Toronto) but the TTC/Metrolinx have problems with getting PRESTO to work properly so I doubt this kind of useful enhancement will happen until PRESTO is much more flexible.
 
While VIA's talking to OC Transpo about integrated fares, maybe we should talk about the issues with the VIA+GO "integrated" fare system.

Buying a GO+VIA ticket on the VIA website doesn't get you any discount for combining the trips.
It's actually more expensive than buying separate tickets if you have a Presto card!
2.JPG


VIA's website doesn't include all GO trips.
For example, the website only shows 3 out of the 4 GO trains which run direct from Toronto to Kitchener. It omits the 18:50 GO departure while still showing the 17:20 and 17:50 departures which directly compete with VIA train 87.
1.JPG

In the eastbound direction, the 6:47 departure from Kitchener is missing, even though that's the trip that lines up perfectly with VIA 52 toward Ottawa. As a result, the VIA trip planner fails to show 1 of only 2 reasonable trip plans that are possible for this journey.
5.JPG


The seemingly-random omission of GO trips also results in stupid trip plans like this one which tells you to wait over an hour at Oshawa station even though GO trains run every 30 minutes or better. This is the only option it provided that used VIA train 41.
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and to add insult to injury...

VIA's GO tickets are overly restrictive.
Whereas paper GO Transit tickets allow you to take any departure within 2 hours of your ticket time, VIA's conditions on GO tickets are much more restrictive:
The tickets issued for travel on GO Transit’s services are only valid for the train and date issued. However, if the traveller must take the next scheduled GO Transit train available due to a delay of a VIA Rail train, it is the traveller’s responsibility to advise GO Transit staff.
So when the VIA website tells you to wait 73 minutes for a connection at Oshawa station, you actually need to do so, letting several other trains depart toward your destination in the meantime. This is in complete contrast with the VIA+UP tickets, which are "open tickets" allowing you to take any UP Express departure you like.
 

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VIA's GO tickets are overly restrictive.
Whereas paper GO Transit tickets allow you to take any departure within 2 hours of your ticket time, VIA's conditions on GO tickets are much more restrictive:
So when the VIA website tells you to wait 73 minutes for a connection at Oshawa station, you actually need to do so, letting several other trains depart toward your destination in the meantime. This is in complete contrast with the VIA+UP tickets, which are "open tickets" allowing you to take any UP Express departure you like.
Yeah, that was briefly discussed last time it was posted, and IIRC no-one could offer a referenced/linked reply, the best being that VIA doesn't want to be liable for a GO train being late, VIA being late to catch the stated connection, or both...except it really doesn't address that. A proviso of "not responsible for transfer times" would be all that's necessary to satisfy possible liability issues. Curious....

So who in their right mind would watch a train come and go that they could catch, because "it says here on our ticket that's not the right one"? Sounds like something out of the early Batman TV series.
 
@alexanderglista

Given the location of Tremblay/Train station, it really makes sense to offer a combined fare. Will really make travel easier to the core, cut down on cab usage.

I actually wish TTC and VIA did this too for anybody arriving at Union.
If GO does start doing runs across town to Summerhill Station, and/or the old O&Q (via Peterborough) hosts a new VIA run to Ottawa, but terminates at Summerhill, then a 'run-through' VIA ticket could/should be honoured on the Yonge Subway to connect the two rail stations.
 
Glad to see that Via is seriously focused on end-to-end customer trips, and not just dumping them 'almost-but-not-quite' in downtown Ottawa and making them take a cab or uber to reach their final destination.
This is just one of the intermodal partnerships listed on the VIA Rail website: http://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/transport-services/intermodality/overview

Buying a GO+VIA ticket on the VIA website doesn't get you any discount for combining the trips.
It's actually more expensive than buying separate tickets if you have a Presto card!
View attachment 94737
[...]

and to add insult to injury...

VIA's GO tickets are overly restrictive.
Whereas paper GO Transit tickets allow you to take any departure within 2 hours of your ticket time, VIA's conditions on GO tickets are much more restrictive:

So when the VIA website tells you to wait 73 minutes for a connection at Oshawa station, you actually need to do so, letting several other trains depart toward your destination in the meantime. This is in complete contrast with the VIA+UP tickets, which are "open tickets" allowing you to take any UP Express departure you like.
The prices and ticket conditions associated with using a transportation service are determined by the operator of the service and not the seller of the ticket. I suggest that you contact Metrolinx if you are unsatisfied with the GO+VIA ticket's price and conditions.

VIA's website doesn't include all GO trips.
For example, the website only shows 3 out of the 4 GO trains which run direct from Toronto to Kitchener. It omits the 18:50 GO departure while still showing the 17:20 and 17:50 departures which directly compete with VIA train 87.
View attachment 94736
In the eastbound direction, the 6:47 departure from Kitchener is missing, even though that's the trip that lines up perfectly with VIA 52 toward Ottawa. As a result, the VIA trip planner fails to show 1 of only 2 reasonable trip plans that are possible for this journey.
View attachment 94740

The seemingly-random omission of GO trips also results in stupid trip plans like this one which tells you to wait over an hour at Oshawa station even though GO trains run every 30 minutes or better. This is the only option it provided that used VIA train 41.
View attachment 94738
Thank you for pointing this out - I would assume that this is simply a mistake, but I will notify my colleagues.

If GO does start doing runs across town to Summerhill Station, and/or the old O&Q (via Peterborough) hosts a new VIA run to Ottawa, but terminates at Summerhill, then a 'run-through' VIA ticket could/should be honoured on the Yonge Subway to connect the two rail stations.
The situation you describe would be similar to the Houston-to-Connolly transfer offered for across-the-city transfers through Dublin already mentioned here a few days ago.
 
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The situation you describe would be similar to the Houston-to-Connolly transfer offered for across-the-city transfers through Dublin already mentioned here a few days ago.
Or London, Paris, Boston and many other cities:
Travelling to London and continuing your journey by Tube or DLR
If you are making one single or return journey and your destination is a Tube or Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station you are recommended to purchase a ‘through' ticket from your starting station. This will allow you to use the same ticket to continue your journey by Tube and/or DLR once you have arrived in London.
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46587.aspx#travelling_continuing
 
Or London, Paris, Boston and many other cities:
London agreed, but no such arrangement is mentioned when attempting to book across-the-city transfers in Paris (e.g. Strasbourg-Rennes) or Boston (e.g. Portland,ME - New York Penn):
Paris Connection.jpg

Boston transfer.jpg
 

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London agreed, but no such arrangement is mentioned when attempting to book across-the-city transfers in Paris (e.g. Strasbourg-Rennes) or Boston (e.g. Portland,ME - New York Penn):

The CDG Airport TGV train platform entrance is located immediately left of the Paris Train platforms through a door marked “Porte S” leading to voie (lanes) 3 to 6. The video screen overhead shows destinations of TGV Trains leaving CDG, train departure time and from which lane (voie).

[...]

If you’re taking the RER B to Paris, remember to keep your train ticket with you at all times throughout the journey. You may be asked by a ticket controller to show a valid fare or otherwise pay a penalty fare of 35€. The tickets are also required to exit the arrival station in Paris as there will be turnstiles protecting the exits, just as they protect entrances.

Finally, your RER train ticket is also good for connections onto the Paris Metro and other RER train lines once you’ve arrived in Paris given that:

  • your connections are made within 90 minutes (counting from ticket validation time at CDG Train station turnstiles/gates)
  • you don’t leave the confines of Metro/RER stations after arriving in Paris
  • you aren’t transferring onto buses or trams – your RER train ticket isn’t valid for them. You must purchase a new Metro/Bus/Tram ticket to transfer onto buses & trams.
The first Paris city centre station will be Gare du Nord, requiring about 30 minutes for the voyage from Airport CDG Terminal 2. Paris stations along the RER B line after Gare du Nord will be Chatelet Les Halles, St. Michel-Notre Dame, Luxembourg, Port Royal, Denfert Rochereau and Cité Universitaire.
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[...]
Finally here’s a video detailing the Facts & Figures about the RER B train line in Paris.
Back to Top
http://parisbytrain.com/paris-airport-terminal-2-train-photo-tour/

Edit to Add: Must rush off, will qualify this further later:
[...]
Present connections
Public transit connects North Station to South Station only indirectly, requiring two subway lines, either the Green Line and the Red Line, or the Orange Line and the Red Line. Amtrak recommends that passengers with young children or luggage take a taxi between the stations.[3]

It is possible to traverse the gap via the Orange Line from Back Bay Station to North Station, but not all of the southern lines pass through Back Bay; the Old Colony Lines, and Fairmount Line on the Commuter Rail do not. However, this does provide a connection for Amtrak passengers who want to transfer from the Northeast Corridor to the Downeaster. Similarly, it is possible to connect between South Station and the Fitchburg Line via the Red Line to or from Porter station. The Weekday only MBTA Bus #4 connects the two stations. The North–South Rail Link is proposed to fill all these awkward gaps in service, with a direct connection requiring no transfers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North–South_Rail_Link

It's been decades since I've travelled on either, and in France, I went from Libourne in the south to Dieppe in the north to get a ferry to the UK.
 
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The prices and ticket conditions associated with using a transportation service are determined by the operator of the service and not the seller of the ticket. I suggest that you contact Metrolinx if you are unsatisfied with the GO+VIA ticket's price and conditions.

I did not mean to suggest that these issues are VIA's fault. I recognize that it's probably up to GO what price they get and what conditions they have. I am posting here before emailing GO Transit because rarely does an individual customer complaint result in a large change such as the one I'm implying. Only with larger public interest and scrutiny would they actually look into fixing some of the issues with the GO+VIA arrangement.

Thank you for pointing this out - I would assume that this is simply a mistake, but I will notify my colleagues.

If it is a mistake, then it's a big one. Because it's not just a few trips missing here and there. In addition to 2 out of the 8 total Kitchener trips that I noted above, 19 out of 44 daily westbound trips from Union to Aldershot are missing from the VIA website, and similar percentages are missing from the other lines I've seen. I assume there must be some pattern behind the missing trips, but I cannot figure out what it is. My initial thought was that they were blocking the trips which had direct VIA alternatives, but as I showed above, that's not the case.
 
So will VIA run the Peterbough service, and will it be 1 train per hour?
Same with London?

Yes VIA will run the service, with the private sector/infrastructure bank funding it. Phase 1 is Toronto - Peterborough - Ottawa - Montreal - Quebec City (with a potential forced transfer in Montreal to continue to Quebec City due to the Montreal REM LRT project) . VIA has stated that they want to triple the number of trains in the corridor, bringing the number from about 12 today to 36 (correct me if these numbers are off). Service will be about hourly on the Peterborough corridor. Not all those trains will take the Peterborough route, as VIA will keep service along the Kingston line also. VIA's President told me on Twitter to stay tuned for more info in early 2017, so hoping that means an announcement is imminent.

Phase 2, Toronto - London - Windsor (routing TBD, but most likely via Kitchener) is far off and it is too early to speculate frequencies, but roughly hourly seems reasonable. Phase 2 has only been mentioned in the context of "if Phase 1 goes well, we can look at Phase 2".
 
Yes VIA will run the service, with the private sector/infrastructure bank funding it. Phase 1 is Toronto - Peterborough - Ottawa - Montreal - Quebec City (with a potential forced transfer in Montreal to continue to Quebec City due to the Montreal REM LRT project) . VIA has stated that they want to triple the number of trains in the corridor, bringing the number from about 12 today to 36 (correct me if these numbers are off). Service will be about hourly on the Peterborough corridor. Not all those trains will take the Peterborough route, as VIA will keep service along the Kingston line also. VIA's President told me on Twitter to stay tuned for more info in early 2017, so hoping that means an announcement is imminent.

Phase 2, Toronto - London - Windsor (routing TBD, but most likely via Kitchener) is far off and it is too early to speculate frequencies, but roughly hourly seems reasonable. Phase 2 has only been mentioned in the context of "if Phase 1 goes well, we can look at Phase 2".

Well done getting the prez to reply to you (and your great Q about the enigmatic Don Branch's future). Sometimes I underestimate Twitter's power. Via's forthcoming news will no doubt be interesting to follow.
 
Yes, I was the one that suggested it, and it was deemed impractical by some on here. Glad to see that Via is seriously focused on end-to-end customer trips, and not just dumping them 'almost-but-not-quite' in downtown Ottawa and making them take a cab or uber to reach their final destination.

VIA and TTC need to do this in Toronto.

And I would add that UPE should include a TTC transfer if you're starting with your fare at Pearson.

Travel should be made as frictionless as possible. I really don't get why transit authorities in the GTA don't get that.
 
So will VIA run the Peterbough service, and will it be 1 train per hour?
Same with London?
Direct answer? No, nothing on the horizon...however, over the horizon it's actually looking good. There's vast amounts of investment money sitting underutilized, and buying into long-term investment with modest but *stable* returns is looking better than ever, and rail can certainly be that:

From the Financial Times:
Halcyon days over for investment banks
Today’s landscape is almost unrecognisable from what existed before the crisis

December 27, 2016
by: Laura Noonan, Investment Banking Correspondent

The runaway profits of the past will not be repeated. That is the response of investment bankers when asked about the unfamiliar glow that surrounded their industry in the final months of 2016.

The sector’s third-quarter results were impressive, with industry revenues up by 30 per cent in some business lines. Shares in investment banks rose more than 25 per cent after Donald Trump’s election as US president, as investors eyed a bright future of better growth, higher rates and less regulation.
[...]
https://www.ft.com/content/70dceb2e-c6a3-11e6-9043-7e34c07b46ef

That money is looking for a home more than ever, and investors like pension funds will be looking more than ever towards VIA's proposition on financing HFR.
 

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