GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[innsertnamehere]

Wasn't kitchener at 2:04 for the longest time during Georgetown South construction? I though that was going to be improving by more than 1 minute after construction finished.. more like 10.

 

[reaperexpress]

Wasn't kitchener at 2:04 for the longest time during Georgetown South construction? I though that was going to be improving by more than 1 minute after construction finished.. more like 10.

Here's how it's changed since I started keeping track in 2014. If I recall correctly, the schedule was 1:59 when first introduced in 2011, and increased to 2:01 with the introduction of Acton in 2013.

I think the GTS time savings were mostly gobbled up by GO's obsessive schedule padding. Schedules are two minutes longer now than they were pre-construction, but maybe without the project they would have been ten minutes longer. The other lines gained two minutes last year alone, and GO has been increasing schedule padding for years.

Local trains weren't expected to see that much time savings anyway since they don't spend that much time at track speed. The one GO express train on the line now makes it from Bramalea to Union in 26 minutes, which is considerably faster than before. There has also been a 10 minute time saving on VIA since 2014, though that may only be a 5 minute savings compared to pre-construction.

 

[smallspy]

Typically lines gained about two minutes, except for the Stouffville line which gained 5 minutes due to the addition of Danforth Station.

The majority of the time added to the Stouffville Line schedules was due to the construction currently ongoing to double the line. Barrie did have some time added last summer, but it seems that they've removed it as of the last set of schedules.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[canarob]

I still hope the Danforth experiment is cancelled. No one uses it and GO should care more about travel times.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-s...-for-ttc-metropass-holders-due-to-low-uptake/

 

[nfitz]

I still hope the Danforth experiment is cancelled. No one uses it and GO should care more about travel times.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-s...-for-ttc-metropass-holders-due-to-low-uptake/

Surely if uptake is low, that means that it doesn't cost much to make transit more sensible for a few.

If uptake was high, they'd look at cancelling it, because of the revenue loss.

 

[Garuda]

I finally got around to doing my end-of-2015 Canadian Commuter Rail Summary.

The notable developments in 2015 were:
- Introduction of Union Pearson Express
- Opening of West Harbour GO Station, and
- Introduction of mid-day service on the GO Kitchener line.

Seeing these stats gives me hope that Metrolinx will soon double track the Kitchener line (not sure what they will do at the 401 underpass) and other weekend service.

 

[reaperexpress]

Seeing these stats gives me hope that Metrolinx will soon double track the Kitchener line (not sure what they will do at the 401 underpass) and other weekend service.

The 401 underpass is hardly the most pressing constraint on the line. There are three tracks, which already allows for bi-directional service:

The first thing Metrolinx would do to expand capacity in that area would be to complete the quad track from the USRC to the 401, since the structure was already built as a part of the Georgetown South Project - all that's missing is the tracks themselves:

The more pressing constraints on the line are to mitigate conflicts with CN traffic west of Mount Pleasant by building a rail-to-rail grade separation, and to add double-track or passing sidings west of Georgetown.

 

[TOareaFan]

The more pressing constraints on the line are to mitigate conflicts with CN traffic west of Mount Pleasant by building a rail-to-rail grade separation, and to add double-track or passing sidings west of Georgetown.

Isn't there a big(ger?) issue in the lack of track ownership/control between Bramalea and Georgetown? Why spend money west of Mt. Pleasant if there is no guarantee it will lead to more service anyway?

 

[mpd618]

Isn't there a big(ger?) issue in the lack of track ownership/control between Bramalea and Georgetown? Why spend money west of Mt. Pleasant if there is no guarantee it will lead to more service anyway?

I have heard that there will be some news this spring about that missing section.

 

[TOareaFan]

I have heard that there will be some news this spring about that missing section.

so, in the next 30 days?

 

[muller877]

I still hope the Danforth experiment is cancelled. No one uses it and GO should care more about travel times.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-s...-for-ttc-metropass-holders-due-to-low-uptake/

I thought it was badly executed given you have to have a Metropass which limits the audience. With Presto it should become much easier for both Danforth and Dundas West. The TTC needs to relieve crowding on the subway and GO/UP has some spare capacity. Per ride I am sure that if the rate was reduced from $8 ($3 for TTC to get to the station, $5 for UP/GO) to $6 (same as an express bus) there would be a large uptick in travel (with a similar pricing structure for the Metropass/GO Monthly rate).

 

[TOareaFan]

 

[smallspy]

I have heard that there will be some news this spring about that missing section.

That would be interesting. I haven't seen any signs of anything in that regard.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[reaperexpress]

Isn't there a big(ger?) issue in the lack of track ownership/control between Bramalea and Georgetown? Why spend money west of Mt. Pleasant if there is no guarantee it will lead to more service anyway?

Because the lack of grade separation compounds the issue that GO doesn't own the track.

The current off-peak service to Mount Pleasant avoids conflict with CN by always sticking to the south side of the corridor, while CN sticks to the north. It effectively operates as two separate single-tracked railways through the Brampton pinch point. But for service to continue west of Mount Pleasant, it needs to get to the north side somehow. That's where the grade separation comes into play. Note that during peak periods, most trains continue at least to Georgetown, so the existing conflict with CN routinely causes delays.

Current route of off-peak GO service and CN freight;

Combined with passing sidings west of Georgetown, we could extend the hourly service to Kitchener. And by completing the missing 600m of double track just east of Bramalea we could add a second local service between Bramalea and Union interleaving with UP, with the hourly Kitchener trains operating express through that segment, stopping only at Mount Dennis or Bloor. It wouldn't be an improvement in frequency for Brampton, but it would be an improvement in travel time, which has the same end result.

Potential route of off-peak GO service and CN freight with Mount Pleasant grade separation:

 

[Allandale25]

Great diagrams. That's essentially what the GO RER Business Case Analysis found as well. Grade separation would help increase service. Of course, if the Missing Link is ever built it would assist. The BCA, and previous reports, also showed that a third track could be built on the south side of the existing track at the Brampton GO station. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few years in terms of how to deal with CN. A grade separation at Mount Pleasant is a lot cheaper and easier than the Missing Link

Because the lack of grade separation compounds the issue that GO doesn't own the track.

Current route of off-peak GO service and CN freight;
View attachment 77028

Potential route of off-peak GO service and CN freight with Mount Pleasant grade separation:
View attachment 77029