GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[reaperexpress]

Looking back at timetables for earlier dates, "Effective" has meant "Starting from". For example, the current timetable was "Effective 30August2025" and has been in effect since then.

But if it's starting from the 22nd why on earth would you write "& 23rd"? Of course it includes the 23rd, it includes every day after the 22nd!

Specifying the "November 22 & 23" implies that it doesn't include days other than 22 & 23.

I'm pretty confident that they're just normal schedules that are effective 22 November 2025, but the fact that we're having this discussion at all means that they failed to effectively communicate the schedule changes.

 

[WB62]

Some changes start on the 22nd, some on the 23rd.

 

[Metroscapes]

So with Confederation now open, I thought I'd do a bit of analysis. Using Table 12:

Key conclusions:

• Buses face significant delays between noon and 6PM
• Even with delays, taking the express bus to/from Niagara Falls is superior
• While trains take longer between Burlington and Confederation than buses going over the skyway during the offpeak, they do save overall time for Toronto-bound passengers

 

[canarob]

From that same update on construction activities taking place this weekend:



It seems like work on the Finch grade separation is progressing. (Note that this is just a grade separation - the GO station on the site has apparently been deferred).

The GO station shouldn't even be considered until there's far more frequent service and express trains. Otherwise, it's just making a long slow trip even longer.

 

[urbancog]

Some changes start on the 22nd, some on the 23rd.

This statement on Kitchener Line Construction Notices page suggests there will be further "adjustment" the following weekend. Another track closure?

 

[reaperexpress]

Some changes start on the 22nd, some on the 23rd.

If I look at a schedule dated "Effective 22 and 23 November" how am I supposed to know what the service is on the 22nd if some of the changes don't start until the 23rd? There is no separate page for the 22nd, and there is no asterisk on any of the trips saying they don't run on the 22nd. It's an ordinary weekday and weekend timetable.

The 22nd is a Saturday. Is the weekend timetable in that schedule in effect or not? We shouldn't need to be discussing such a simple question.

 

[PShells]

Not sure I saw this here...work on Highland Creek crossing?

From the latest update on the Stouffville line:

On the Stouffville Line, crews will carry out several construction activities between Sheppard Avenue East and Highway 401. The work includes signal upgrades near Highland Creek and the construction of new retaining walls in the area.

The Highland Creek culvert cannot come fast enough. The 3-4 hour delay some experienced getting home today on the Stouffville line could have easily been avoided if a second track was in service where the train broke down.

Redundancy is a lesser talked about benefit of GO Expansion, but clearly shows it’s needed today given equipment and signal issues on LSE, LSW, Stouffville and Barrie lines today during evening rush hour.

 

[generalcanada]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/commuters-call-for-express-train-restoration-lakeshore-east-line-9.6983672

CBC picks up LSE's calls for express service

 

[Northern Light]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/commuters-call-for-express-train-restoration-lakeshore-east-line-9.6983672

CBC picks up LSE's calls for express service

We need to extract a couple of bits from the above for @reaperexpress

Also, there is some dispute as to how badly the absence of Express service impacts riders

Here we have Mx, who generally have little to no credibility, sadly; but they up against anecdotes, which are not evidence.

 

[Metroscapes]

We need to extract a couple of bits from the above for @reaperexpress

View attachment 696728

Also, there is some dispute as to how badly the absence of Express service impacts riders

View attachment 696729
View attachment 696731

Here we have Mx, who generally have little to no credibility, sadly; but they up against anecdotes, which are not evidence.

This seems like the kind of thing that can be verified with data; schedule data and black box / trip record data.

 

[Northern Light]

This seems like the kind of thing that can be verified with data; schedule data and black box / trip record data.

I'm sure it can; but others here are better placed to deliver that more quickly and insightfully than I.

 

[nfitz]

We need to extract a couple of bits from the above for @reaperexpress

View attachment 696728

Also, there is some dispute as to how badly the absence of Express service impacts riders

View attachment 696729
View attachment 696731

Here we have Mx, who generally have little to no credibility, sadly; but they up against anecdotes, which are not evidence.

Looking at the January 2020 Schedule, the 7:33 am from Oshawa skipped 5 stations, and arrived at Union at 8:23 am - 50 minutes. Now the 7:33 am from Oshawa is scheduled to arrive at 8:37 am. That's 64 minutes and 14 minutes slower. Though there was also a 7 pm non-stop service from Oshawa to Union that took only 40 minutes.

Westbound, the 5:15 pm from Union skipped 5 stops and arrived 6:01 pm. That's 46 minutes. Now the 5:23 pm from Union arrives in Oshawa at 6:26 pm. That's 63 minutes, and 17 minutes longer! Meanwhile there were 2 morning non-stop trains did the run in 40!

Metrolinx seems to be cherry-picking.

 

[Coolibop]

We need to extract a couple of bits from the above for @reaperexpress

View attachment 696728

Also, there is some dispute as to how badly the absence of Express service impacts riders

View attachment 696729
View attachment 696731

Here we have Mx, who generally have little to no credibility, sadly; but they up against anecdotes, which are not evidence.

My guess is that (when people claim 20 minutes lost each way) there were more trains available, which ended up delaying the overall trip accounting for waiting. However, we’re conflating the number of trains with express train travel time... and those are two very different things.

I think the point still stands that riders on the LSE have experienced significant service degradation since the pandemic. Paired with the loss of weekend 15 minute service this weekend, the situation only adds to the frustration, and residents are feeling it even more now. We've been going backwards for what 5 years now? It was supposed to be over a year and a half ago...

The hard evidence is Metrolinx keeps missing targets and deliver broken promises.

 

[crs1026]

The hard evidence is Metrolinx keeps missing targets and deliver broken promises.

And doesn't connect right and left hands. While they promised the third track would be returned quickly, the construction at Birchmount, Danforth, and East Harbour pretty much guarantees that it can't be brought back for quite some time. Had anyone thought that through, they would have realised the express trains won't be back for some time.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

And doesn't connect right and left hands. While they promised the third track would be returned quickly, the construction at Birchmount, Danforth, and East Harbour pretty much guarantees that it can't be brought back for quite some time. Had anyone thought that through, they would have realised the express trains won't be back for some time.

- Paul

Or, alternatively, they could have scheduled more work at one time, in this corridor, to avoid that impact..............

Or better still, they could have figured this out before finalizing the Ontario Line idea......and nixed the entire joint corridor project which has been the cause of much of this trouble, and has multiple other adverse impacts. Which, of course, I did mention before this debacle unfolded. An alignment changed solely as a real estate development play was never a good call.