GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[rbt]

Metrolinx will not be having the big diesel locomotives stopping at the new RER stops, whoever told you that is misinformed. They won't even fit as the platforms won't be long enough for 12-car bi-levels.

Some parts of RER will be 12-car trains. GO is expecting to order 3 or 4-car consists which can be joined together to form 6/8 and 12-car length trains where necessary. Some lines, like Lake Shore West, will need the 12-car capacity with RER as they already unload a 12-car train at Union station every 6 minutes during AM Peak (express + local).

Going to 6-car single-level trains on Lake Shore West would require 2 minute combined express/local frequencies during AM peak at Union just to support today's ridership without shifting the time they ride at.


The new stations aren't on Lake Shore West and will be sized to the expected ridership of the line; but that's not really related to RER or electrification.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Completely idiotic. So we have a VIVA Rapidway that connects to the current Newmarket GO Station, we have the local York Region Transit Hub / GO Bus Terminal over by Upper Canada Mall, and now they think they should stop 15-min RER to Mulock Drive. Brilliant job.

I don't oppose a station at Mulock, but the current station is the high-value station. It is situated right beside the Regional Hospital, connected to Newmarket's growth corridor of Davis Drive, which has much more growth potential than Mulock Drive, and it is near Old Downtown.

Where exactly will this station go? On the south side, there is an Ecological Park, and on the other side is a factory that makes armored vehicles. On the north side, there is a transformer station, the current Town Hall, and a staircase manufacturer. Both of those factories employee 50 - 100 people, so I imagine that forcing them to move will come at a pretty penny.

Looks like the building on the south side is for sale, I guess that's what they will use. I don't disagree with you, but there's no room for a second track in the area where the station is, without moving the station.

 

[Fritter]

I don't disagree with you, but there's no room for a second track in the area where the station is, without moving the station.

I posted this awhile back on another thread. There was 2 tracks through Newmarket Station at one point in the past.

I believe that there once was a second/passing track along the right of way beside the Tannery. This could just be my memory making things up, but I seem to recall seeing a second track there many, many years ago. Even with the ROW wide enough for a second track, I don't believe there would be enough space for a second platform as well with out expropriating parts of all the back yards along the ROW.

https://goo.gl/images/GU20cA

 

[wopchop]

Looks like the building on the south side is for sale, I guess that's what they will use. I don't disagree with you, but there's no room for a second track in the area where the station is, without moving the station.

Sure there is. If they can buy a gigantic factory, they can buy an old car dealership and 4 houses on the west side of the tracks at Newmarket station.

Here is the corridor, looking North from Davis Drive.

Honestly, I suspect the bigger issue is that they don't want to pay for some grade-separations between Newmarket GO and Mulock.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I posted this awhile back on another thread. There was 2 tracks through Newmarket Station at one point in the past.

Thank You. This is what I meant. They would have to buy some land for sure among other things.

Sure there is. If they can buy a gigantic factory, they can buy an old car dealership and 4 houses on the west side of the tracks at Newmarket station.

Here is the corridor, looking North from Davis Drive.

Honestly, I suspect the bigger issue is that they don't want to pay for some grade-separations between Newmarket GO and Mulock.

I meant here, but I do understand your point. It perplexed me too because there is no point is missing a large urban area (for the suburbs) like Newmarket. And Bradford has two track itself too. Tough to understand for sure.

 

[Megaton327]

Official schedules and info for the Barrie line weekend service are up:

The above is taken from http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/news/barrie/BarrieLine_CustomerHandout_PDF.PDF

Additional info e.g. about buses at http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/news/barrie/default.aspx

 

[TOareaFan]

^I hazard a guess that if you offered that sort of weekend service on all the lines (picking an equivalent Aurora station to end most trains and extend 3 to the actual end of the line) you would satisfy a lot of people in those corridors....likely satisfy them enough that they would not be pressuring you for more service on weekends and would be happy to wait until RER for additional improvements.

 

[reaperexpress]

Metrolinx will not be having the big diesel locomotives stopping at the new RER stops, whoever told you that is misinformed. They won't even fit as the platforms won't be long enough for 12-car bi-levels.

They also won't be stopping behind any RER trains.

They will be stopping behind RER trains if they share the tracks. If RER operates every 15 minutes and the minimum scheduled headway is 3 minutes, then a GO Express train can be no more than 9 minutes faster than RER, otherwise it would catch up to it. GO Express trains are already 12 minutes faster than local trains, and adding more stops to the local service will only widen that gap.

My point is that the fastest trains should not be sharing tracks with the slowest trains, because that seriously limits the achievable average speed for faster services. The medium-speed train (UP Express) could share with RER trains without much issue (only a few minutes difference), so the local station platforms should go on that line (the western pair).

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

^I hazard a guess that if you offered that sort of weekend service on all the lines (picking an equivalent Aurora station to end most trains and extend 3 to the actual end of the line) you would satisfy a lot of people in those corridors....likely satisfy them enough that they would not be pressuring you for more service on weekends and would be happy to wait until RER for additional improvements.

There's a schedule for all day service already though. By 2019 everyone will have off peak and weekend service.
https://swanboatsteve.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/rer-rollout-details.pdf

FYI, Brampton will have night and full weekend service by april.

 

[crs1026]

They will be stopping behind RER trains if they share the tracks. If RER operates every 15 minutes and the minimum scheduled headway is 3 minutes, then a GO Express train can be no more than 9 minutes faster than RER, otherwise it would catch up to it. GO Express trains are already 12 minutes faster than local trains, and adding more stops to the local service will only widen that gap.

My point is that the fastest trains should not be sharing tracks with the slowest trains, because that seriously limits the achievable average speed for faster services. The medium-speed train (UP Express) could share with RER trains without much issue (only a few minutes difference), so the local station platforms should go on that line (the western pair).

(Funny, it took John Tory a couple years to grasp this very basic reality.....)

Adding the additional fourth trackage (as far as Bramalea, anyways) is such a simple proposition. It looks like the money has shifted to Barrie and Stouffville. I hope this work can be funded asap.

- Paul

 

[rbt]

There's a schedule for all day service already though. By 2019 ...

... RER will be reworked and an entirely new rollout plan will be in place.

 

[smallspy]

Adding the additional fourth trackage (as far as Bramalea, anyways) is such a simple proposition.

- Paul

Except for the important parts, like under the 401 and through Etobicoke North and Weston and Bloor Stations. And across Dufferin St. And at the Wice interlocking.

Of course, they are slowly fixing those problems (Dufferin St. overpass is getting widened, the new tunnel under the 401 should start in 2018, planning for the updated Wice interlocking is well underway), so in theory it won't be long until they can actually start putting the fourth track into place.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[TOareaFan]

There's a schedule for all day service already though. By 2019 everyone will have off peak and weekend service.
https://swanboatsteve.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/rer-rollout-details.pdf

FYI, Brampton will have night and full weekend service by april.

We've seen that schedule tons of times....my post was not meant to be critical in anyway....I was just saying considering the differences between mid week and weekend travel....that is a good schedule and is sufficient to serve the needs of people going into the city on weekends and if they could replicate that sort of schedule on the other lines then, I think, people will be generally happy.

 

[gweed123]

We've seen that schedule tons of times....my post was not meant to be critical in anyway....I was just saying considering the differences between mid week and weekend travel....that is a good schedule and is sufficient to serve the needs of people going into the city on weekends and if they could replicate that sort of schedule on the other lines then, I think, people will be generally happy.

Agreed. Similar service to Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Joy, Richmond Hill, and Lisgar (or Meadowvale) would go a long way. Those would be the points that would be roughly equivalent to Aurora on the other lines, IMO.

 

[Allandale25]

... RER will be reworked and an entirely new rollout plan will be in place.

A new roll-out plan will be in place by RER that's different than that chart? Also, when do we consider RER as actually starting? Is it only when a line is electrified and there is all-day, two-way service? Would that be the 2024-2025 date that has been promised?