GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[smallspy]

Per the comment on the page they are 'platform clearance test cars'. So they would be used to test the clearance between the tracks and the platform to ensure that a freight train can safely pass the platforms.

And on top of that, were scrapped 4 or 5 years ago.

As for the reporting mark, they date from before GO picked up the GOT reporting mark, which seems to be about 1973 as far as I can tell. I'm not certainly GOOX was ever an actual, legal reporting mark.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[reaperexpress]

I rode the 18:45 northbound Barrie Line train yesterday and I thought it was accelerating more quickly than usual for GO trains. When I got off, I discovered that it was a 6-car consist!

I am thrilled that GO is introducing some smaller trainsets, since their faster acceleration and lower operating costs makes off-peak service more palatable. I also just realized that the shorter consist allows them to store two trainsets in the space of one in the Barrie yard.

I'm guessing that there are two 6-car consists on the line, which operate the southbound AM services originating in Maple as well as the first and last northbound PM services.

I have been very impressed with the growth of service along the Barrie line. I can't get over how we have AM peak service every 15 minutes on a line which had only 4 trains per day a few years ago, and 2 trains per day not too long before that! It's far from RER, but it's enough to get me excited about coming improvements.

 

[robmausser]

Also you guys have gotten weekend service on that line for the past two years in the summer.

I'm hopeful they decide to make it permenent throughout the year.

I've always wondered why they don't just offer some minimal weekend service along all the (peak service) lines, since the peak service trains aren't being used.

I rode the 18:45 northbound Barrie Line train yesterday and I thought it was accelerating more quickly than usual for GO trains. When I got off, I discovered that it was a 6-car consist!

I am thrilled that GO is introducing some smaller trainsets, since their faster acceleration and lower operating costs makes off-peak service more palatable. I also just realized that the shorter consist allows them to store two trainsets in the space of one in the Barrie yard.

I'm guessing that there are two 6-car consists on the line, which operate the southbound AM services originating in Maple as well as the first and last northbound PM services.

I have been very impressed with the growth of service along the Barrie line. I can't get over how we have AM peak service every 15 minutes on a line which had only 4 trains per day a few years ago, and 2 trains per day not too long before that! It's far from RER, but it's enough to get me excited about coming improvements.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

Metrolinx formally announced it has purchased a 53 km section of the CN Guelph sub. This boosts its corridor ownership to 80%.

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/corridorownership/corridor_ownership.aspx

edit: News release says segment is from west of Main Street in Georgetown (Silver) to Park Street in Kitchener.

 

[gweed123]

Metrolinx formally announced it has purchased a 53 km section of the CN Guelph sub. This boosts its corridor ownership to 80%.

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/corridorownership/corridor_ownership.aspx

Interesting use of colour on that map (yes, I look at that kind of stuff, haha). It's almost subliminal messaging. The portions owned by CN are black, and practically fade in with the GO green, but the CP tracks are red, and really stand out. It's almost as if the map is saying "yup, tracks owned by CN aren't an issue, but pay attention to the tracks owned by CP, because that's where we're going to have problems".

I don't know if that messaging is intentional or not, but it's an interesting use of colour to say the least.

 

[robmausser]

Interesting use of colour on that map (yes, I look at that kind of stuff, haha). It's almost subliminal messaging. The portions owned by CN are black, and practically fade in with the GO green, but the CP tracks are red, and really stand out. It's almost as if the map is saying "yup, tracks owned by CN aren't an issue, but pay attention to the tracks owned by CP, because that's where we're going to have problems".

I don't know if that messaging is intentional or not, but it's an interesting use of colour to say the least.

They are the official primary colours of each respective company

 

[TOareaFan]

They are the official primary colours of each respective company

perhaps...but to the eye, I have to agree with Gweed ...even though I know better, I actually thought for a minute that this brought the entire KW line under GO ownership....it is a very subtle little eye trick.

 

[robmausser]

perhaps...but to the eye, I have to agree with Gweed ...even though I know better, I actually thought for a minute that this brought the entire KW line under GO ownership....it is a very subtle little eye trick.

I'm not doubting it actually tells an interesting story, of the resistance (red means stop) of CPR in letting GO use their corridors.

 

[gweed123]

I'm not doubting it actually tells an interesting story, of the resistance (red means stop) of CPR in letting GO use their corridors.

I wasn't aware that those were the official colours. But yes, at the very least it's an interesting coincidence with respect to the potential double meaning.

 

[DonValleyRainbow]

The Minister of Transportation's mandate letter from the Premier was released today. Doesn't seem to be anything of note that we don't know already.

 

[reaperexpress]

Metrolinx formally announced it has purchased a 53 km section of the CN Guelph sub. This boosts its corridor ownership to 80%.

http://www.metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/corridorownership/corridor_ownership.aspx

edit: News release says segment is from west of Main Street in Georgetown (Silver) to Park Street in Kitchener.

Best transit news I have heard all year! I wonder if they have already started on the designs for double-tracking. They had already finished the designs for the Hamilton East layover facility by the time they purchased the land.

If the designs are already underway, there's actually a chance that they could come close to some of the rather optimistic timeline estimates that were thrown around during the election. Probably not 2018, but maybe 2019 or 2020.

 

[gweed123]

Best transit news I have heard all year! I wonder if they have already started on the designs for double-tracking. They had already finished the designs for the Hamilton East layover facility by the time they purchased the land.

If the designs are already underway, there's actually a chance that they could come close to some of the rather optimistic timeline estimates that were thrown around during the election. Probably not 2018, but maybe 2019 or 2020.

Are there any sections of the line that they could double track that would allow for AD2W, while still working on double tracking the rest of it? Just trying to think of ways to accelerate the implementation without necessarily shortening the construction timeline.

 

[TOareaFan]

Are there any sections of the line that they could double track that would allow for AD2W, while still working on double tracking the rest of it? Just trying to think of ways to accelerate the implementation without necessarily shortening the construction timeline.

This is what I don't understand about the excitement of this latest purchase....we keep hearing from people that to do AD2W properly (although I am not sure what "properly" means to be honest) the section between GTown and Bramalea has to be 3-4 tracks....so what is gained by any acceleration of construction/widening between GTown and KW if it is impossible to do AD2W on the section of the corridor they still don't own?

 

[1overcosc]

Theoretically they could plop in a bunch of passing sidings first before doing a full double track. VIA manages bihourly frequencies between Toronto & Ottawa even though the track between Brockville and Ottawa (about 100km) is single track.

 

[reaperexpress]

This is what I don't understand about the excitement of this latest purchase....we keep hearing from people that to do AD2W properly (although I am not sure what "properly" means to be honest) the section between GTown and Bramalea has to be 3-4 tracks....so what is gained by any acceleration of construction/widening between GTown and KW if it is impossible to do AD2W on the section of the corridor they still don't own?

This discussion is occurring in 2 threads simultaneously...

Currently the Georgetown to Kitchener segment is the capacity constraint on the line, even if you consider that most trains will turn back before Georgetown. The capacity is pretty much zero as far as all-day service is concerned because it currently takes an hour in each direction from Georgetown to Kitchener. Given that it's a single track, the best possible frequency with the current configuration would be every 2 hours, though that's unrealistically low because it does not include any layover or padding time.

Building a second platform at Guelph Central station to allow trains to cross there would cut that roughly in half, to a roughly 1h15 minimum headway. But the elephant in the room is peak-hour service. We currently have up to 2 trains per hour in the peak direction (including VIA), and this is set to increase even further in 2016. With only a single track, counter-peak service is simply impossible, which is not acceptable given the importance of Kitchener-Waterloo as an employment hub. Furthermore the upgrade is not only in capacity, but also in speed (read: reduced operating costs and increased revenue).

Yes, in order to get "proper" regional rail (i.e. 4+ suburban trains per hour from Union to Mount Pleasant, and an additional 1+ regional trains per hour to Kitchener) very significant investment is needed in Brampton, in the form of either a new freight bypass line or a GTS-level upgrade of the existing railway. But in the meantime, double tracking the line west of Georgetown means that we can enjoy 1 train per hour from Toronto to Kitchener along with as many trains as we like from Union to Bramalea.