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GO Niagara

N

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GO Transit confirmed on April 1, its seasonal service by train to Niagara Falls.

Service resumes May 21 and goes till Sept 26.

New this year is 1 Friday evening train.

If I read the schedule properly though, looks like 1 less train on each of Saturday and Sunday, 3 per day total (each way).

The schedule by the way reads terribly (confusing).

Link to GO Website page:

http://http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/travelling/seasonal.aspx
 
Everyone: Good to know that GO Transit will operate regular Niagara Falls service in season - I figured that this had the potential to be a successful GO Rail service...LI MIKE
 
Long Island Mike said:
Everyone: Good to know that GO Transit will operate regular Niagara Falls service in season - I figured that this had the potential to be a successful GO Rail service...LI MIKE
Click to expand...

Do we know how successful it is? Is it above or below the average recovery rate from the farebox? We know it is repeated but does that make it successful? Are there more people using GO to be weekend tourists in Niagara than there would be in the suburbs of Toronto going to much bigger (collectively) tourist attractions in Toronto itself during the summer?
 
I just took a look at the schedule and it looks pretty convenient for all day trips on the weekends if you start at Union and take the 9/10am train, get there by 12, and then take the 7pm train home. My only concern is the price. $19 per person each way? That's almost $40 for a round trip per person. Now, if I'm going to Niagara with family or with friends visiting from out of town, it's super expensive to take GO train. Parking in Niagara is cheap, only $10, and with gas being another $10-$20, totaling $20-$30. So even for one person it is cheaper to drive down.

I'm curious who the target market is for this service, as it seems too expensive for the average person who has access to a car to use. I would have thought it would be something reasonable like $10 each way, but not $19.
 
Consider the competition:
VIA - Between $42-75 RT depending on which fare you can get.
Coach Canada - $46 RT
Greyhound - $47 RT

So, GO is the cheapest of the bunch.
Then consider that tourists are likely not to have a car when they come to Toronto. So unless they plan to rent one, they have to rely on one of these 4 services to get down to Niagara Falls. However, just because renting a car might be cheaper, doesn't mean people will do it. Have you driven in Niagara Falls in the summer? It's not fun. You have to also remember that tourists expect to spend money when they travel. They're not going to count their pennies and price out every option before making a decision like this. They're far more likely to go with what is easiest for them in terms of use and comfort.

So this means their target audience is easy to figure out: tourists or people from Toronto looking for a day excursion without needing to drive.
 
lead82 said:
I just took a look at the schedule and it looks pretty convenient for all day trips on the weekends if you start at Union and take the 9/10am train, get there by 12, and then take the 7pm train home. My only concern is the price. $19 per person each way? That's almost $40 for a round trip per person. Now, if I'm going to Niagara with family or with friends visiting from out of town, it's super expensive to take GO train. Parking in Niagara is cheap, only $10, and with gas being another $10-$20, totaling $20-$30. So even for one person it is cheaper to drive down.

I'm curious who the target market is for this service, as it seems too expensive for the average person who has access to a car to use. I would have thought it would be something reasonable like $10 each way, but not $19.
Click to expand...


I think they have the group pass which is both ways and cheaper than single tickets?
 
GO prices arent bad. If you're spending the night in one of the fallsview hotels they charge 20 bucks a day to park.
 
Target audience? Why, young chaps such as myself who:

--like to drink
--have few friends with cars
--prefer not driving

and tourists, I guess

10-20 on gas? I wish. Maybe in a Golf. Try my Dakota. More like 40 in gas each way
 
Consider the competition:
VIA - Between $42-75 RT depending on which fare you can get.
Coach Canada - $46 RT
Greyhound - $47 RT
Click to expand...

One more competitor that you have to throw in - the Chinatown casino buses.

http://www.safewaytours.net/casinobus.html

According to the website, the regular fare is $25, but with Fallsview Casino PAC card the fare is $5, or even free. If you live downtown or in a suburb with a large Chinese population, the casino bus is probably the most convenient way to go.
 
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I'm surprised that Fallsview Casino and GO Transit, both being relatives of the provincial government, don't team up and have a casino train-bus package with low prices for Casino PAC card holders. Train to bus transfer services at Aldershot and Niagara for a Casino shuttle would likely be cheaper to operate per passenger.
 
MTown said:
Target audience? Why, young chaps such as myself who:

--like to drink
--have few friends with cars
--prefer not driving

and tourists, I guess

10-20 on gas? I wish. Maybe in a Golf. Try my Dakota. More like 40 in gas each way
Click to expand...

And cyclists. I am making plans to spend a weekend in the area, and do some cycling.
 
I would take this service. It's somewhat pricy I suppose, but I am used to the somewhat pricy cost of commuting to Union from the end of a GO line. I'm glad they've added a Friday train.
 
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