GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[vegeta_skyline]

Do you think the situation will improve with RER making all-day shifts viable on other lines for employees, including those located far away from Lakeshore? Potentially increasing the pool, as some can also simply commute GO to their starting positions too (if they aren't starting the first trains?)

Separately, I imagine a few commute GO to Mimco to Willowbrook to begin their shifts? If so, are they disciplined when they commute half hour early but the train is one hour late due to some incident?

As you can imagine many of us are looking forward to RER which will drastically reduced the percentage of jobs which are split shifts. In addition to the benefits of deadheding in on a train to the starting location wherever it may be. A good percentage of crews already do so on the Lakeshore. Nope they are not held responsible if they train they are on is held up for any reason so long as they communicate this to the crew center. If it looks like your going to be any later than 5 minutes one is require to contact them so that they can take whatever actions needed to protect the service. Sometimes that means sending out a standby crew other times it means the employees already operating the train and expecting to end their shift with a trade off will have to continue a little while longer.

At Greenwood.
No reason for a pedestrian to be crossing the tracks around there, not even as a shortcut, so looks like it's a suicide.

For some reason it's a bad spot for trespassers. In fact the whole stretch from Dundas to Danforth is just about the worst in the entire system.

They berth the extra trains at post-peak Union, stored in tracks not used offpeak, and then immediately activate the extra train (display it into the timetable) once it looks like the game is definitely ending?

Looks like they store them in Bathurst and Don yard and then bring them into Union around the time the game ends.

 

[Jonny5]

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/6493834-go-train-hits-pedestrian-east-of-union-station/
At Greenwood.
No reason for a pedestrian to be crossing the tracks around there, not even as a shortcut, so looks like it's a suicide.

When you are convinced there is no danger, saving even a few minutes by choosing a route through the rail corridor is absolutely a reason to use it as a shortcut, and it absolutely is that shortcut for a VERY large number of people who live in neighborhoods severed by the tracks.

 

[nfitz]

When you are convinced there is no danger, saving even a few minutes by choosing a route through the rail corridor is absolutely a reason to use it as a shortcut, and it absolutely is that shortcut for a VERY large number of people who live in neighborhoods severed by the tracks.

Perhaps Metrolinx should increase the number of crossings in this section then - they don't seem to have any problems putting many crossing in a short-distance in Weston.

 

[mpd618]

When you are convinced there is no danger, saving even a few minutes by choosing a route through the rail corridor is absolutely a reason to use it as a shortcut, and it absolutely is that shortcut for a VERY large number of people who live in neighborhoods severed by the tracks.

Like Markster, I also don't see what this portion of the tracks might be a shortcut for.

 

[Markster]

For some reason it's a bad spot for trespassers. In fact the whole stretch from Dundas to Danforth is just about the worst in the entire system.

Like Markster, I also don't see what this portion of the tracks might be a shortcut for.

Yeah, I'm really talking very specifically about the Greenwood/Walpole area that was referenced in the article. To the immediate east of Greenwood, there a pedestrian tunnel at Woodfield, and to the west there's the TTC Greenwood yard and some industrial blocking the way. As compared to east of Coxwell where there's a serious lack of crossings.
If it were a trespasser just using a shortcut, I would have thought the incident would happen closer to some other cross street.

 

[ShonTron]

This is very well

For some reason it's a bad spot for trespassers. In fact the whole stretch from Dundas to Danforth is just about the worst in the entire system.

This is odd. This section of the Lakeshore Line is probably the easiest corridor to cross on foot legally and without backtracking much. The Newmarket Sub north of Eglinton Avenue is another matter entirely.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

This is odd. This section of the Lakeshore Line is probably the easiest corridor to cross on foot legally and without backtracking much. The Newmarket Sub north of Eglinton Avenue is another matter entirely.

I have no idea why that is, although it's no where near as bad as it was years ago.The number of trespassers drastically reduced after they (finally) started to regularly send GO enforcement out there after someone placed a wooden tie on the track west of Danforth and nearly derailed a GO train. I no longer see them parked next to the right of way near Danforth but there are cameras placed at certain locations. Also the section between Jones & Queen st. was once nicked named by some of us as 'Suicide Alley'. As there was a ridiclous amount of suicides in that area over a short period of time a few years back.

 

[Filip]

The area between Mimico Creek and Mimico Station is basically a massive crosswalk across the Lakeshore line.

Given that there's no connections between Park Lawn and Royal York (almost 2km) - people will jaywalk across the tracks often, including myself.

 

[Jonny5]

The area between Mimico Creek and Mimico Station is basically a massive crosswalk across the Lakeshore line.

Given that there's no connections between Park Lawn and Royal York (almost 2km) - people will jaywalk across the tracks often, including myself.

Look at this place in Mississauga. The legal route is a 40-50 minute walk. The trip across the tracks in 40-50 seconds.

 

[mdrejhon]

I am moving Aldershot electrification (from outside this thread) to this thread, to show that Aldershot definitely needs to be electrified.

In Appendix A, released March 2016, electrification to Aldershot is the default scenario right now.
Scaleback of electrification to Burlington is only a "further study" PLAN B scenario.

It's my opinion that:
"Aldershot Should Be Electrified"
My arguments are as follows:

_______________

And....

(Everything else now under construction fronting Plains near Waterdown, on this point forward, now has ground floor retail)

Thanks partially to Aldershot GO all-day service -- these are all clustered within 500 meters of Waterdown Rd.

I can post more.

And beyond this, they have more demolition-and-developments planned.

(Surprised yet, reaperexpress?)

_______________

Explanation of changes in this map:
Electrification in the first phase is only slated to go as far as Burlington, since GO only owns the track that far.

Actually, in the RER Appendix A, they explicitly say that they are considering both Aldershot/Burlington scenarios. Aldershot electrification is mentioned repeatedly. This is supposedly accomplished by building an extra track between Burlington and Aldershot, according to the Metrolinx docs.

Aldershot likely cannot be discontinued -- it is almost as busy as Oakville in morning peak. Hundreds unto hundreds boarding one train. I walked a train as it departed. Every single quad above below averaged 1 person, about 350-500 on that particular 7:30am train even before it rolled into Burlington. (That's the one train that often gets standees before reaching Oakville). I have even seen all nearly 2,000 parking spots taken at Aldershot. Many cars have Cambridge plates as well as places like Ancaster, it is pretty much "the westmost station" north of the lake on the Lakeshore before it curves around, so it has a massive commuter catchment.

Aldershot is also about to urbanize a lot more...developers are now about to build a massive amount of Euro-style modernist cube 3-storey towns and new retail shopping right next to Aldershot GO ...there is a big advertizing blitz around Aldershot Parking South as well as ads within the station, and I saw a sign nearby recruiting retail too..

(This is only half the site...it stretches onwards behind me.)

Retail is part of this development adjacent to Aldershot GO south parking lot.

(Credit: Station West by ADI)

"...This 13 acre development in west Burlington is located in an area that calls for hyper intensification by the City of Burlington..."

I'd bet my mortgage Aldershot will still be around in twenty years - and it may end up very badly needing an Oakville style multilevel parking garage, mark my words... (Even if I wish it weren't the case). It was a station in the middle of nowhere but very slowly destined to becoming a little less so with the new construction going on.

Here is Aldershot parking massively overflowing during a game:

(Soon, retail and urban towns in that backdrop)

It seemed 400+ (MINIMUM) car overflow, as cars were parked on the grass in the north parking lot peripheries, and cars were also streetside parked on multiple side streets near the south parking of Aldershot GO station. Many commuters turned away, giving up.

I wave off the silly nonsense Fantasyland notion that Aldershot can ever be discontined as a GO station...even if I agree it probably should never have been built as an Amtrak-style manoever in the earlier rail decimation.

I come here twice a day, on most days.
Observation: Aldershot is definitely here to stay, even as I will catch AD2W trains directly from Hamilton.

Also, besides, Aldershot electrification is mentioned explicitly via additional track to Aldershot, in Appendix A. I hope so, as it makes the mentioned (unfunded, "further study") Hamilton electrification more likely to happen after this RER phase, possibly 2022 or 2026 election.

In fact....Aldershot electrification is apparently a possible new default scenario with scaleback to Burlington only a "Further Study" scenario, as seen in this excerpt from Metrolinx's Appendix A (as of April 2016)

_______________

With several new condo towers completed on Plains recently within walk of Aldershot GO, there are now starting to be more offpeak non-Hamilton embark/disembarks at Aldershot than at Appleby/Bronte.

Aldershot (south of tracks) is in a hard full-throttle journey to becoming much more urban than Appleby/Bronte!

With such incredible development momentum at Aldershot, and highly targeted for "hyper intensification" (quoted), Metrolinx should not be shortsighted given these developments, and trunctate electrification at Burlington (especially given Aldershot circa 2025, not to mention anything that might happen after 2025).

Also, the closer electrification reaches Hamilton, the sooner Hamilton electrification can also happen (e.g. funded after 2022 or 2026 elections) -- the journey times would actually be faster than Hamilton 16 express even offpeak/nighttime -- without even accounting for peak period.

 

[nfitz]

I am moving Aldershot electrification (from outside this thread) to this thread

Why? This is the service thread - the electrification is neither related to current or any upcoming service in the near future.

Enough threads have been taken over with this discussion.

 

[TOareaFan]

^well, if people other than Nfitz are allowed an opinion....I semi-read a lot of these "what could/might be" posts (not just you but you and a few others) and wonder why they are not in the fantasy thread....they are often based solely on one persons opinion that if A happened that could lead to B and then we would see C.....that seems perfect for the fantasy thread to me....but that is just one person's opinion.

But this thread that is supposed (I think) to deal with existing service, announced service or service disruption (I sense a theme there) does not seem the place for it.

All that said, I get that some discussions weave and bob and meander....but there needs to be some attempt to keep them on track with the thread title/intent.

 

[mdrejhon]

GO construction, then?
GO electrification probably needs its own thread, for the non-fantasy stuff found in actual Metrolinx plans/documents.

Once I see multiple-person or moderator consensus where "station electrification arguments" belong, let me know and I'll delete all references and use only that location for that sort of stuff from now on. They straddle multiple topics: Development, construction, service, etc.

 

[reaperexpress]

Electrification is clearly a GO Transit Construction Project.

It's my opinion that:
"Aldershot Should Be Electrified"
My arguments are as follows:
[...] [...] [...]

Aldershot likely cannot be discontinued -- it is almost as busy as Oakville in morning peak. Hundreds unto hundreds boarding one train. I walked a train as it departed. Every single quad above below averaged 1 person, about 350-500 on that particular 7:30am train even before it rolled into Burlington. (That's the one train that often gets standees before reaching Oakville). I have even seen all nearly 2,000 parking spots taken at Aldershot. Many cars have Cambridge plates as well as places like Ancaster, it is pretty much "the westmost station" north of the lake on the Lakeshore before it curves around, so it has a massive commuter catchment.
[...]
I'd bet my mortgage Aldershot will still be around in twenty years - and it may end up very badly needing an Oakville style multilevel parking garage, mark my words... (Even if I wish it weren't the case). It was a station in the middle of nowhere but very slowly destined to becoming a little less so with the new construction going on.
[...]
I wave off the silly nonsense Fantasyland notion that Aldershot can ever be discontined as a GO station...even if I agree it probably should never have been built as an Amtrak-style manoever in the earlier rail decimation.

I come here twice a day, on most days.
Observation: Aldershot is definitely here to stay, even as I will catch AD2W trains directly from Hamilton.

With several new condo towers completed on Plains recently within walk of Aldershot GO, there are now starting to be more offpeak non-Hamilton embark/disembarks at Aldershot than at Appleby/Bronte.

Aldershot (south of tracks) is in a hard full-throttle journey to becoming much more urban than Appleby/Bronte!

With such incredible development momentum at Aldershot, and highly targeted for "hyper intensification" (quoted), Metrolinx should not be shortsighted given these developments, and trunctate electrification at Burlington (especially given Aldershot circa 2025, not to mention anything that might happen after 2025).

Also, the closer electrification reaches Hamilton, the sooner Hamilton electrification can also happen (e.g. funded after 2022 or 2026 elections) -- the journey times would actually be faster than Hamilton 16 express even offpeak/nighttime -- without even accounting for peak period.

And all this kerfuffle about Aldershot is a complete waste of time. I don't know what made you think that I was advocating closing Aldershot Station, or even advocating not electrifying it. I merely said that I thought electrification was only going as far as Burlington (as per the Eletrification Website, initial Metrolinx RER announcement, etc). All you needed to do is link me to the document indicating they were also considering other options (as you did, thanks). The subsequent thousands of redundant words were unnecessary.

(Surprised yet, reaperexpress?)

Yes, if you read my very concise responses to your posts, you will find that I was indeed surprised on April 17th at 5:49.

 

[TOareaFan]

GO construction, then?
GO electrification probably needs its own thread, for the non-fantasy stuff found in actual Metrolinx plans/documents.

Once I see multiple-person or moderator consensus where "station electrification arguments" belong, let me know and I'll delete all references and use only that location for that sort of stuff from now on. They straddle multiple topics: Development, construction, service, etc.

You know what you could do? You could turn this thread into the "Aldershot Should Be Electrified" thread....to do that you would need to get a whole bunch of people thinking that is what this thread is and discussing nothing other than Aldershot and Electrification...you would need a critical mass so why not take to twitter and tweet out that Aldershot should be electrified and include a link to this thread in your tweet