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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

Northern Light said:
Hmm, I'm not sure why using part of the Credit Valley/OBRY alignment is such a bad idea.

I'm aware the track is in terrible condition (or absent) but the alignment/ROW is there.

Here's what I'm looking at:

Immediately east of Lisgar Station on the Milton Line, there is a clear line (open/undeveloped land) going n/e to meet the OBRY ROW somewhere near Elderado Park.

Best I can figure, once you get past 407, you have no more than 3-4 streets to cross, a distance of 3-4km?, maybe less.

It looks like a pretty sensible line, and affordable for so long as that land remains undeveloped.

That would facilitate a Milton - Brampton, or Brampton to MCC alignment.

There are lots of connections we've all noticed, that can/should be made; but many would be profoundly costly or are precluded, for now, due to long distances or too much development in the way.

This connection looks, cheap, efficient and logical to me.

If not, and I do respect the knowledge of my fine wise friends here....:D Please enlighten me!
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+/- 10 years ago, I wrote a letter to GO suggesting essentially that. I was suggesting that as pressure grows from all lines to get every day/two way service that the demands might exceed the financial ability of GO. My "idea" was to beef up the Milton line and provide all day service on that line with the difference being that every train would go to Streetsville then the service would split with every other off-peak train going to Milton and the others going north to Brampton. Then current "peak time service" on both lines would continue. The idea was invest in 1 line to the benefit of two sets of commuters.

I remember this because the response I got was a flat out rejection of the idea as, to GO, this represented a "new line" and they were absolutely commited to not introducing any new rail services/destinations until all of their existing lines had full service seven days a week.

The idea really has passed as with all the work into the Georgetown line they will soon be able to offer as much service to Brampton as they can afford or is justified so there is no need from a Brampton perspective and the line really does meander quite a bit between Streetsville and Brampton.

In my opinion, the best use of that line would be if they could purchase a few extra of those sets that are targeted for the Airport service and have them run back and forth between Orangeville and Streetsville (with stops in Caledon, North Brampton around Sandalwood or so, Brampton GO and Streetsville) and you could fairly inexpensively create a connector service that could take more buses off the road.....but I am sure that would be way, way down any list of priorities.
 
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I think Erindale should be the terminus for the all-day train service in the short-medium term since it the Erindale-Cooksville section is triple-tracked and Erindale station itself is triple-tracked so the trains can layover between trips without impeding CP operations. Plus Erindale and Cooksville are the only 905 stations on the line that have significant local transit connections and are easy enough to access on foot. The all-day Erindale-Union service would be provided by two trains giving it a 40 or 45 minute frequency.
 
doady said:
I think Erindale should be the terminus for the all-day train service in the short-medium term since it the Erindale-Cooksville section is triple-tracked and Erindale station itself is triple-tracked so the trains can layover between trips without impeding CP operations. Plus Erindale and Cooksville are the only 905 stations on the line that have significant local transit connections and are easy enough to access on foot. The all-day Erindale-Union service would be provided by two trains giving it a 40 or 45 minute frequency.
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I think I read somewhere that Erindale used to have a couple non-rush hour train trips?
 
Yes, back in the early 90's...(and possibly in the late 80's, but I'm not sure) there used to be a few midday trains between Union and Erindale (i actually think i still have the schedule in my basement somewhere :p). These trips were eliminated around 1993 or so, as part of the massive transit service cuts that occured to GO & TTC at that time.
 
SNG said:
Yes, back in the early 90's...(and possibly in the late 80's, but I'm not sure) there used to be a few midday trains between Union and Erindale (i actually think i still have the schedule in my basement somewhere :p). These trips were eliminated around 1993 or so, as part of the massive transit service cuts that occured to GO & TTC at that time.
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In the early 1990s, outside of the usual peak trips, there were Union-bound trains originating at Erindale at 9:10 am and 4:08 pm and originating from Milton at 6:15pm. Off-peak Erindale-bound trains departed Union at 8:25 am and 3:25 pm. These trains survived until early 1996.

At this time there was only ONE train-bus to Union per day. (Just one! All stops Milton to Cooksville, then express to Union.) Compare that to the dozens that operate today.
 
CDL.TO said:
In the early 1990s, outside of the usual peak trips, there were Union-bound trains originating at Erindale at 9:10 am and 4:08 pm and originating from Milton at 6:15pm. Off-peak Erindale-bound trains departed Union at 8:25 am and 3:25 pm. These trains survived until early 1996.

At this time there was only ONE train-bus to Union per day. (Just one! All stops Milton to Cooksville, then express to Union.) Compare that to the dozens that operate today.
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I have a feeling the Milton line could (eventually) at the very least match the ridership of the Lakeshore West line. Lakeshore West is rather peripheral to the vast majority of Mississauga and its residents (same with the Georgetown line really) whereas the Milton line covers a god portion of Mississauga.
 
What's going to happen to all the old engines that are being replaced? Will they be scrapped? Or sold?
 
Ervin said:
What's going to happen to all the old engines that are being replaced? Will they be scrapped? Or sold?
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Technically scrapping is still selling, because you're selling it to a scrap metal dealer.
 
Ervin said:
What's going to happen to all the old engines that are being replaced? Will they be scrapped? Or sold?
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As far as I can gather, with the help of other railfans, I don't believe any of the F59s have been scrapped. Many are being used in AMT commuter service in Montreal, while others are leased out across the continent by RBRX. Some are being used in Michigan for the new MiTrain commuter service. Quick searches of those properties on rail photo sites will yield a lot of photos.
 
Ervin said:
What's going to happen to all the old engines that are being replaced? Will they be scrapped? Or sold?
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There is a market for 2nd hand engines that will be used to replace the 3rd or 4th generation engines that the buyers have now.

All GO existing FP's have gone on to be refurbish for other commuter new and existing lines while some have gone on to short lines.

As GO upgrades the lines for better service, the MP's will be moved there off the line been converted to EMU's.
 
I noticed last night that the shelters on the platforms at Exhibition Station are having heaters installed.

Each shelter has two electric units. There are two activation buttons. A sticker above the button says that they will activate when the button is pressed for 10 minutes, but only if the temperature is below 0. It was slightly above that last night so I couldn't get them to come on and judge their effectiveness, but they looked like the right size untis to heat the whole shelter.

Are they rolling these out through the whole system?
 
Jonny5 said:
I noticed last night that the shelters on the platforms at Exhibition Station are having heaters installed.

Each shelter has two electric units. There are two activation buttons. A sticker above the button says that they will activate when the button is pressed for 10 minutes, but only if the temperature is below 0. It was slightly above that last night so I couldn't get them to come on and judge their effectiveness, but they looked like the right size untis to heat the whole shelter.

Are they rolling these out through the whole system?
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geez....if you are cold and desparate enough to want to press a button for 10 minutes....you are likely gonna freeze to death while holding the button that long!!! ;)
 
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