nfitz
Superstar
I don't disagree ... this kind of transit does suck in Toronto.
BTW, I did end up driving ... got back up to Don Mills/Sheppard in 40 minutes ...
|
|
|
GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
BTW, I did end up driving ... got back up to Don Mills/Sheppard in 40 minutes ...
TOareaFan
Superstar
Recently, on a Friday evening, I was waiting for someone to pick me up at the Bramalea station and overheard a guy buying a return ticket to Hamilton (McMaster I think but my eavesdropping skills are not perfect)...anyway, just as he was getting the ticket handed to him the ticket person said "when are you travelling"....when he said "tomorrow" she immediately notified him that there was no service between Bramalea and his destination on weekends and that he would have take a bus to Union from Bramalea to then connect to something (not sure if it was a bus or a train...dam ears!) to Hamilton and redo that trip on his return.....when I stopped being nosy they were still discussing/debating whether or not the drivers would allow him to make that trip with a Bramalea-Hamilton ticket or if he would have to buy a ticket to Toronto and then a ticket from Hamilton to Toronto.
Just an example of how we connect our cities of half a million people each!
RedRocket191
Senior Member
He will be able to use that ticket. There is a guy who makes that same trip every weekend. I don't know if we're talking about the same person, but he'll be able to use that ticket.
TOareaFan
Superstar
Pretty sure that he is not that guy....he legitimately seemed to think he could take the same bus on Saturday that he could take during the week....it was definitely "news" to him that there was no service on the Saturday.
Like I said, I stopped listening in before they had decided if he could use the Bramalea-Hamilton ticket if he went via Toronto....hope he ended up with the correct information.
EDIT....it is a bit strange, to me, that there is hourly service on Sunday but no service on Saturday? Anyone know the logic of that?
RedRocket191
Senior Member
Students going back to York and Mac after a weekend at home.
DKsan
Active Member
CDL.TO
Moderator
Press Release
GO Transit is expanding train service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton
TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2010 /CNW/ - GO Transit will be expanding rail service on the Georgetown line to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton, with service scheduled to begin by the end of 2011.
"We are pleased to be offering GO train service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton," said GO Transit President Gary McNeil. "In partnership with the Province of Ontario and these regional municipalities, we can encourage existing commuters to leave their cars behind and use transit. This is also good news for existing Georgetown and Brampton customers who will have improved service as a result of this expansion."
To begin offering train service by the end of next year, GO will be constructing new infrastructure - a storage facility in Kitchener and ticketing service at new stations in Acton, Guelph and Kitchener, as well as bringing an additional 54 new route-kilometres into to the system. This infrastructure will support two morning and two evening trains.
"This $18 million investment in expanded transit will ensure that the residents of Guelph, Acton, Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas have more transit options when they travel between these communities or into the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)," said Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig. "We appreciate the continued support from the Province of Ontario to deliver Metrolinx's important mandate to provide transit solutions."
An Environmental Assessment (EA) for the expansion of train service from Georgetown to Kitchener-Waterloo was completed in 2009 and approved by the Minister of the Environment in January 2010.
GO Transit is expanding train service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton
TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2010 /CNW/ - GO Transit will be expanding rail service on the Georgetown line to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton, with service scheduled to begin by the end of 2011.
"We are pleased to be offering GO train service to Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Acton," said GO Transit President Gary McNeil. "In partnership with the Province of Ontario and these regional municipalities, we can encourage existing commuters to leave their cars behind and use transit. This is also good news for existing Georgetown and Brampton customers who will have improved service as a result of this expansion."
To begin offering train service by the end of next year, GO will be constructing new infrastructure - a storage facility in Kitchener and ticketing service at new stations in Acton, Guelph and Kitchener, as well as bringing an additional 54 new route-kilometres into to the system. This infrastructure will support two morning and two evening trains.
"This $18 million investment in expanded transit will ensure that the residents of Guelph, Acton, Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas have more transit options when they travel between these communities or into the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA)," said Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig. "We appreciate the continued support from the Province of Ontario to deliver Metrolinx's important mandate to provide transit solutions."
An Environmental Assessment (EA) for the expansion of train service from Georgetown to Kitchener-Waterloo was completed in 2009 and approved by the Minister of the Environment in January 2010.
TOareaFan
Superstar
So, are these:
1. extensions of two existing trains making them run through to K-W....could be interpreted that way but not sure how that improves service to people in G-Town or B-Town;
2. two new trains that serve K-W, Guelph & Acton but then run express to Union....could be interpreted that way but not sure how that improves service to people in G-Town or B-Town;
3. two new trains that serve all stops to Union? ....that seems to be the only way that it could be considered an improvement for people in G-Town and Brampton and, since it does not mention any improvement to people east of Brampton....I presume they would then run express from Bramlea to Union?
Good news in badly written press release....I am guessing.
Jonny5
Senior Member
My guess is:
2a. two new trains that serve all stops K-W to Brampton, then run express to Union
Last edited:
Platform 27
Active Member
I'm reliably informed it's #1, with a twist.
With more layover slots now at their disposal in KW, they're cutting dead-head moves and are able to shuffle the morning schedule around a bit. Some morning trains only start at Bramalea because they're dead-headed into place, and that will change now that they can store trains overnight in Kitchener. Hence, there will be new departures from Georgetown, Mt. Pleasant and Brampton that don't exist currently. Afternoon will be just straight extensions of existing journeys.
Also, they can't run 12-car trains on Georgetown yet because the layover at Georgetown won't fit them, but the new layover in Kitchener will allow for those Kitchener-originating trains to be 12-packs.
unimaginative2
Senior Member
Great news! But it doesn't do that much for the large amount of demand, particularly students, that is off-peak. I worry this will just be poaching price-sensitive VIA customers. Hopefully this doesn't cost us any of our VIA service. If you look at the current bus schedules, GO has a huge number of Friday-only express buses to serve the student market. Maybe they should look at offering trains at some of those times.
Urban_Enthusiast86
New Member
That is actually one of my major criticisms of the current proposal. Those 4 runs, 2 morning and 2 afternoon, are entirely geared towards commuters. As of the 2006 census, there were only around 3000 people from Waterloo Region working in the 416 (which doesn't even necessarily mean downtown). They're not even capturing the largest market for GO train ridership, which is students in this case. I went to UW, so I know just how crowded it can get on the Greyhound and route 7/iXpress when all of those students start heading home for the weekend. To not consider them as a part of the GO service market was just stupid on their part. Consider also, that even out of those 3000 people who work in Toronto, upwards to half of them live in Cambridge and they aren't going to want to backtrack to take the train.
Criticism #2 - The GO train will take 1hr 48min to run from Kitchener to Union Station. Since it clearly won't be competitive with automotive travel, there is little incentive for those 3000 commuters to switch from car to rail.
Now, if the rail was electrified for higher speeds and an express route operated, skipping Georgetown and points all the way to Union Station, we'd be talking about a system that could lure commuters out of their cars. As for now, my fear is that the current proposal could risk becoming a white elephant, when it shouldn't if it was planned right.
Critcism #3 - Like most other GO train lines, it won't be operating on weekends. Considering how many people go to Toronto for weekend day-trips, concerts, etc, why hasn't GO transit considered this?
Last edited:
nfitz
Superstar
I'd think that the biggest demand for commuting up there would be between Guelph and Kitchener. However, the first GO Train of the day from Guelph to Kitchener won't arrive in Kitchener until after 6 pm.
Seems to me that what they want is a train just shuttling back and forth between KW and Guelph all day long ...
Seems to me that what they want is a train just shuttling back and forth between KW and Guelph all day long ...
Urban_Enthusiast86
New Member
Commuting wise, it is.
I've always said that GRT and Guelph Transit should operate a partnership together, in the same way that Mississauga Transit makes runs to Kipling station. The challenge (which GO trains wouldn't address) is that both cities have very decentralized employment patterns, so a downtown-to-downtown service wouldn't be fully sufficient. But the GO-train that has been approved is still better than nothing and is better than nothing.
nfitz
Superstar
Guelph is very de-centralized. At least in Kitchener, the GO station (at least after it's ultimately moved to King) connect with the LRT that does quickly connect to many employment nodes and both universities. I can see that there would be traffic that drives to the GO station in Guelph (if there's parking ...) and can take transit all the way to work/school in KW.