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VIA Rail

ShonTron said:
You mean commuter rail, then yes, with the possible exception of Hamilton, which technically has one commuter train round trip that arrives in its downtown during commuter hours.
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What train is that? The Niagara GO service? I'd hardly call that commuter hours, it arrives at 6:39am and departs at 6:27pm.

Cities as small as Sarnia has a specific intercity rail line connection.

The reality of Canada is central Canada (Ontario and Quebec) have relatively OK intercity rail coverage, Eastern Canada has spotty rail service, and Western Canada has essentially non-existent service.

Vancouver technically has intercity rail in the form of the Amtrak train that goes to Seattle, but it's very lightly used from my understanding. That is the only intercity rail service west of Ontario that isn't the tourist-driven Canadian which is essentially non-functional for non-tourist trips.
 
tbf via rail is an embarassment. did you know that you can only use credit and gift cards to purchase things on the train? and up until a few weeks ago they were using those carbon paper things to process credit cards? this may seem like a small thing but i feel it is illustrative of the current state of via generally.
 
ShonTron said:
You mean commuter rail, then yes, with the possible exception of Hamilton, which technically has one commuter train round trip that arrives in its downtown during commuter hours.
Click to expand...
JasonParis said:
Indeed, I meant to say commuter rail. Thanks!

So, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and (sort of) Hamilton.
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By that logic, Oshawa, Burlington, Brampton (Bramalea), Barrie, Markham, and Vaughan also have a commuter rail system.
 
dad pad said:
tbf via rail is an embarassment. did you know that you can only use credit and gift cards to purchase things on the train? and up until a few weeks ago they were using those carbon paper things to process credit cards? this may seem like a small thing but i feel it is illustrative of the current state of via generally.
Click to expand...

A lot of VIA routing is outside of data coverage, so without chip/PIN confirmation, the only way to confirm a purchase is with a signature on a hardcopy. I suppose on-board staff could wait until they in a coverage area to download but I would think that would be complicated. Having said that, if they are using that method on corridor service - which I assume is all within data coverage - then that's just sad.
 
Streety McCarface said:
By that logic, Oshawa, Burlington, Brampton (Bramalea), Barrie, Markham, and Vaughan also have a commuter rail system.
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Uh, no. We're talking about metropolitan areas. Hamilton is historically is own metropolitan area. Oshawa is also a CMA, but it doesn't have a commuter rail system that is designed to get commuters into the city. Hamilton has one daily train from Niagara Falls to its downtown core (well, the edge of it) that could technically be used for that purpose.
 
ShonTron said:
You mean commuter rail, then yes, with the possible exception of Hamilton, which technically has one commuter train round trip that arrives in its downtown during commuter hours.
Click to expand...
Define "one commuter train". I know you meant the GO service itself, but mathematically, it's confusing for readers. ;)
  • 1 service (GO)
  • 2 route branches (Downtown GO vs West Harbour GO)
  • 9 boardable trains per day
  • 16 scheduled trains per day (arriving and/or departing)
Of the 2 commuter train routes:
  • 8 trains per day serving Hamilton Downtown GO (4 morning, 4 evening)
  • 8 trains per day serving Hamilton West Harbour GO (4 morning, 4 evening)
  • 5 boardable trains per day at West Harbour GO (4 morning trains to Toronto, 1 evening train to Niagara Falls)
  • 4 boardable trains per day at Downtown GO (4 morning trains to Toronto)
  • 1 disembarkable morning train (Niagara Falls towards Hamilton)
  • 1 boardable evening train (Hamilton towards Niagara Falls)
Combined, this is 16 scheduled commuter trains, of which 9 is boardable. One of the evening trains that stop at Hamilton West Harbour GO goes between Toronto and Niagara Falls. All of this currently excludes the Toronto-Niagara weekend trains that don't yet stop in Hamilton (until later in 2020). Once this happens, this adds a few more Friday trains plus Saturday/Sunday trains.
 
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mdrejhon said:
Define "one commuter train".
- 1 service (GO)
- 2 routes (Downtown vs West Harbour)
- 16 scheduled trips

Two commuter train routes, excluding the weekend Niagara service.

4 Hamilton Downtown GO trains per day (4 outgoing mornings, 4 incoming evening)
4 Hamilton West Harbour GO trains per day (4 outgoing mornings, 4 incoming evening)
Combined, this is 16 scheduled commuter trains.
1 of the trains that stop at Hamilton West Harbour GO goes between Toronto and Niagara Falls.

This excludes the Toronto-Niagara weekend trains that don't yet stop in Hamilton (until later in 2020).
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How many of those trains get into Downtown Hamilton for the AM peak? One. That's the point I was making and that's how I defined it in the quote you used.
 
ShonTron said:
How many of those trains get into Downtown Hamilton for the AM peak? One. That's the point I was making and that's how I defined it in the quote you used.
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Gotcha. Yes, the morning inbound train from Niagara Falls.
I edited my post above for other-reader-educating clarity.
 
Just saying... from Hamilton to Toronto, it's faster to take the express bus except during rush hour (when the trains run). More rail service will for sure help those traveling to intermediate stations, but unless 15 minute service is put in, I still see a lot of people taking the express bus to Aldershot.
 
They had better get shovels in the ground before this minority parliament is done or that will be the end of the CIB if another party comes in. Both the NDP and the CPC said they'd scrap the CIB last election.
 
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