GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Willybru21]

Metrolinx should just move all their bike coaches to the Kitchener line. I always see the bike coaches on the way to Niagara. Do a lot of cyclists use the bike coaches to Niagara?

Niagara currently isn’t using bike coaches (except for last weekend, a consist with two bike coaches was moved to Niagara, I assume there was an issue with the regular consist they use), all the bike coaches have all been moved over to the Kitchener line.
But to answer your question yes the bike coaches are extremely popular on the Niagara trains in the summer

 

[crs1026]

I'm curious about the claim made in the article that some railways in other places do offer "European style" dedicated bike cars.

My own impression is that this is an urban myth - while there are certainly bike spaces on many countries' trains, the actual bike capacity is very low and only a few bikes per carriage is the norm. It would be quite unusual to have large numbers of passengers vying for a very limited amount of space, and few if any railways offer any guarantee that there will always be room if one brings a bike.

Can anyone cite precedents for large scale bike train services?

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

I'm curious about the claim made in the article that some railways in other places do offer "European style" dedicated bike cars.

My own impression is that this is an urban myth - while there are certainly bike spaces on many countries' trains, the actual bike capacity is very low and only a few bikes per carriage is the norm. It would be quite unusual to have large numbers of passengers vying for a very limited amount of space, and few if any railways offer any guarantee that there will always be room if one brings a bike.

Can anyone cite precedents for large scale bike train services?

- Paul

A better solution would be to build space for them to store the bikes indoors for a small fee. It's easier than lugging it back to Brampton. The facility needs to be close to transit and be secure.
Also more enforcement of these bike couriers is required. I see wayy too many of them breaking rules cutting infront of cars and streetcars to save 5 seconds. Running red lights. And this warm weather is not helping either. Police need to ticket them to stop them from endangering pedestrians.

If they get run over by a streetcar, that's their problem. But mom's with kids don't need to get run over by a 50lb Ebike so someone can get their sushi 2 minutes faster.

 

[Haydenpoon]

A better solution would be to build space for them to store the bikes indoors for a small fee. It's easier than lugging it back to Brampton. The facility needs to be close to transit and be secure.
Also more enforcement of these bike couriers is required. I see wayy too many of them breaking rules cutting infront of cars and streetcars to save 5 seconds. Running red lights. And this warm weather is not helping either. Police need to ticket them to stop them from endangering pedestrians.

If they get run over by a streetcar, that's their problem. But mom's with kids don't need to get run over by a 50lb Ebike so someone can get their sushi 2 minutes faster.

Considering the suburban nature of Brampton it is possible that they need their bikes for the last-mile connection between their home and the GO station.

 

[allengeorge]

I'm curious about the claim made in the article that some railways in other places do offer "European style" dedicated bike cars.

My own impression is that this is an urban myth - while there are certainly bike spaces on many countries' trains, the actual bike capacity is very low and only a few bikes per carriage is the norm. It would be quite unusual to have large numbers of passengers vying for a very limited amount of space, and few if any railways offer any guarantee that there will always be room if one brings a bike.

Can anyone cite precedents for large scale bike train services?

- Paul

From recollection - at least for DSB S-tog - there are multiple bike cars per train, and they’ve plenty of space. In addition, there are a number of cars where you can park strollers. If you’re a non-rule-abiding Dane you could also use those in a pinch. In other words, there’s way, way more unencumbered space in S-tog lines than in GO, and it can comfortably fit a large number of regular (not cargo) bikes.

In North America though, the few commuter/regional lines I’ve used do not have good space for bikes. If you’re a non-delivery-cyclist you would probably be better off with a compact folding bike like a Brompton.

 

[Allandale25]

Service Related Updates

Check this page to see if there are any current delays on GO Transit.

www.gotransit.com

 

[APTA-2048]

GO Train operators can't leave a train to help someone struck on the tracks, says union

It's a traumatic workplace reality for train conductors across the country: pedestrians standing on the tracks is an all-too-common occurrence. The outcome can be life altering, for both the train operator and the person struck by the fast-moving locomotive.

www.ctvnews.ca

Worth reading the whole thing.

 

[Bordercollie]

GO Train operators can't leave a train to help someone struck on the tracks, says union

It's a traumatic workplace reality for train conductors across the country: pedestrians standing on the tracks is an all-too-common occurrence. The outcome can be life altering, for both the train operator and the person struck by the fast-moving locomotive.

www.ctvnews.ca

Worth reading the whole thing.

3 nor 7 is enough days to return to work. What is the standard for police?

This cost cutting is happening everywhere. Companies are looking to cut back and make profits where they can.

In each situation, at least 2 crew members are affected, if this happens once per day at the end of the week you wouldn't have enough operators.

More attention needs to be placed on mental health services as a whole to prevent these things from happening in the first place.

 

[T3G]

3 nor 7 is enough days to return to work. What is the standard for police?

For some it will be.

For others, they could need weeks or months before they risk getting behind the operating panel of a train again. Some will never drive one again.

The thing about traumatic situations is that everyone reacts differently. Having any kind of standard timeframe for this situation treats humans like machines instead of individuals.

 

[afransen]

3 nor 7 is enough days to return to work. What is the standard for police?

This cost cutting is happening everywhere. Companies are looking to cut back and make profits where they can.

In each situation, at least 2 crew members are affected, if this happens once per day at the end of the week you wouldn't have enough operators.

More attention needs to be placed on mental health services as a whole to prevent these things from happening in the first place.

Let's hope this isn't a daily occurrence.

 

[reaperexpress]

From the article:

The Teamsters Union also alleges that, following an incident its members are no longer offered immediate mental health counselling. According to the union, an employee is first offered a meeting with management.
[...]
Alstom Communications Manager, Perry Jensen, responded in part saying [...] "Immediate access to mental health counselling has not been changed at all," Jensen added. "The only change is to insert another layer of consultation so a team member’s manager can offer assistance and consolation."

But if you need to have a meeting with management before you are allowed access to mental health counselling, then access to said mental health counselling isn't immediate now, is it?

 

[Krypto98]

Let's hope this isn't a daily occurrence.

In the month of January alone I've had 6 near misses. Now I don't operate the GO trains so I can't speak for them but for alot of these near misses ive had if we were going passenger speed it would be a completely different story. Just people with bike or pedestrians ignoring crossing gates or someone taking a short cut

 

[crs1026]

From the article:

But if you need to have a meeting with management before you are allowed access to mental health counselling, then access to said mental health counselling isn't immediate now, is it?

As an old HR guy, I have to say this raises the eyebrows a bit.

The whole point of mental health counselling is to connect the individual - in confidence - with a trained health professional with skills and experience in debriefing a critical incident experience. Interjecting a preliminary discussion with a manager - who is not a trained professional - is a recipe for making things worse, not better. And if the worker is entitled to the professional support, there is no decision that the manager needs to make, nor is there any information that the manager needs to gather.

Most employee assistance services work through a 1-800 number or a referral process that does not involve the worker's manager, for the very reason that the worker may not want to share their symptoms or experience with the company, and there is no need for the chain of command to know those personal details..

One does wonder if the intent of the "consultation" with the manager is to have the manager suggest that the worker just buck up and get back in the chair asap. That's not how critical stress counselling works.

- Paul

 

[Coolibop]

GO Train operators can't leave a train to help someone struck on the tracks, says union

It's a traumatic workplace reality for train conductors across the country: pedestrians standing on the tracks is an all-too-common occurrence. The outcome can be life altering, for both the train operator and the person struck by the fast-moving locomotive.

www.ctvnews.ca

Worth reading the whole thing.

As someone who used to manage response to bank robberies at a financial institutions, the response (after involving police and corporate security teams) was to immediately arrange counselling on-site. As @T3G mentioned, some could be off on short term disability (partial pay) after traumatic events for weeks/months with support (I recall 3 months before transition to long term if needed where pay would commonly cease or be quite limited).

From the article:

The only change is to insert another layer of consultation so a team member’s manager can offer assistance and consolation

It baffles me how the manager was never involved until recently? Sure, they aren't there for counselling, but I find that hard to believe they weren't involved (even formally). The manager and counsellor are typically the ones who work out a return to work schedule together with the employee...I guess the FI I worked at had good benefits and policies around traumatic events, but witnessing an accident while on-site and not having a very supportive policy around that seems strange for Alstom.

It's odd how, seemingly we are closer and more aware of mental health and related challenges these days, yet still have work industries which seem to being going in opposite direction for less support/cutting costs/outsourcing/contracting etc.

I hope this isn't the full picture and maybe Alstom can show us what their short term disability policy really is. I feel we're missing something...

 

[lenaitch]

The manager represents the interests of the employer. In a perfect world that would include the interests of the employee, but here we are and that's how unions got started. It seems suspicious that they have made the process linear; "an employee is first offered a meeting with management." Things said to management are not in confidence, and an employee under stress could say something that works against them in the future.