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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

nfitz said:
This has very little or nothing to do with extending a single train to Kitchener, or adding 3 stoops to an express.

It's all about reducing the number of trains at the peak time.

The old departure times were 4:20, 4:50, 5:02, 5:20 and 5:50. So at the peak between 4:50 and 5:20 were 3 trains.

Those 5 trains were moved to 4:04, 4:35, 5:02, 5:27, and 6:00

So instead of 3 trains in a 30-minute period, there are now 2 trains in a 30 minute period>

Everyone on the 5:02 is still on the 5:02. But many who would be the 4:50, won't be able to get there in time for the 4:35, so are on the 5:02.

And to add insult to injury, the 5:27 is now 7 minutes later, meaning that it's got more people as well.
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Bingo! I'm astounded at how Yurek managed a sleight of hand on this, and so many now congratulate him after he in effect states: "What a good boy am I".

This was a manufactured crisis! And all for the purpose of PR. So a review of quotes, which I was saving to make Fitz' point:
smallspy said:
Any change to the arrangements between CN management and the Ontario Government aren't going to change what has to happen on the ground. Those discussions still need to happen, as does the modelling.

If the modelling shows that a schedule change or even tweak will result in delays to any of a bunch of certain freights - the "key trains" - than no amount of political goodwill is going to get CN to approve the change.
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You mistook the context I originally answered you with. You also make my point, albeit unintentionally. At this rate, there is no getting around having a freight by-pass to affect all day two way to K/W, and especially not without screwing Brampton (and region) by doing it. If the math was indisputable a year ago, how in hell did it suddenly change when Yurek came on the scene? All the 'regulars' here were arguing about how necessary a third, perhaps fourth track around Brampton was inescapable, etc, etc, etc.
cbrown2009 said:
More announcement/press conference worthy would be how we would get more than hourly evening and weekend service and more daily service to Kitchener without the bypass.
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If I'm reading your point correctly, you believe in Yurek having supreme magical powers. Am I to believe that Yurek and CN have found God together? (Edit: Unless CBrown intended that point to be sarcasm)
TOareaFan said:
This whole mess this week seems to have flowed out of a well intended change to try and serve Kitchener with more trains. The unintended consequence was what appears to be (in hindsight) a very significant shift in the commute patterns of the bulk of the riders on the line.
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And as to how that wasn't foreseen boggles the senses. Three Card Monte never looked so easy...

There's a few more boots to drop on this one yet...

More reference:
[...]The Ontario government said negotiations are underway with CN Rail to further use the existing rail lines for all-day service.
During December’s announcement, Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek hinted that full service may arrive within 12 and 18 months.

With the addition of Monday’s two trip options, Ferguson said, Metrolinx expects an incremental increase of about 29,000 annual boardings by 2020.

On average, the Kitchener line currently has 25,500 boardings every weekday, Ferguson added.
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https://globalnews.ca/news/4820663/go-train-service-guelph-kitchener-toronto/

And not to be overlooked from the above link:
1547251739438.png

Ah yes...freedom...
 
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steveintoronto said:
This was a manufactured crisis! And all for the purpose of PR.
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While I love a good conspiracy theory, it's ludicrous to suggest that someone would create this kind of embarassment so that the Province could dash in and solve it. I'm still on the "Desperately Seeking for Quick Wins" channel.

Am I to believe that Yurek and CN have found God together?
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No, it's more like this:
Minister: Look, I'm the new Sheriff in town, don't treat us like those silly Liberals
CN: Well, we're non partisan. The thing is, there just isn't room on the Halton Sub for all the trains the Libs were talking about, and our freight too - so like we told the Libs, find a way to keep our freight moving and you can have what you want.
Minister: Well, we were never in favour of HSR, and all we really intend is a GO train every hour or two to Kitchener. Forget all the RER stuff, we can't even stand the name let alone the service plan.
CN: OK, Well that will fit, if you agree to some construction.... so skip they Bypass. But don't come back and ask for any more trains after we ink the deal. We told the last government that they could only have x trains when they rebuilt our line in 2007, and they acted like they never heard us. Oh, and by the way, we need to get moving on the intermodal yard in South Halton. That's gotta be in the contract.
Minister: Deal. You guys are great. We can keep all this quiet under Ministerial Privilege, right?
CN: Sure, And, no additional slots for VIA, by the way.
Minister: Well, anything they need, Ottawa can pay for themselves. Ontario sure ain't paying.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
While I love a good conspiracy theory, it's ludicrous to suggest that someone would create this kind of embarassment so that the Province could dash in and solve it. I'm still on the "Desperately Seeking for Quick Wins" channel.
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I may have phrased that awkwardly. It was completely manufactured, but unintentional in its breadth of incompetence, albeit it is yet to be determined if that was the product of one idiot, or a gaggle of them. My point is it was completely avoidable. But Yurek's *first move" was for PR. Any and all that he's done so far has been. In defence of Yurek, he's no more a fool than those preceding him.

Your second paragraph? Absolutely, that may not be the detail, but it's certainly the gist. You obviously get it, as do some others, but somehow Yurek has a spell over many others. Perhaps because they're so wanting they're desperate to believe? The Messiah has come!

I was initially of the opinion that two tracks, albeit intensely signalled, controlled and populated through Brampton could do it all. But it can't. This is Ontario, and it's CN's section, and it's a succession of weak kneed amateurs in Queen's Park. And the Feds may have stiffer legs but not by much.

The only way to do it is a Freight Bypass. And it has to be the Feds who take the initiative. I hear crickets chirping again...Late Edit: I see one hope, and I hate it being this way: Private Enterprise spearheads the Bypass.
 
^The guy who was completely invisible in all this was Verster. Even AMA was much lower profile than usual.

The Minister said lots, and the rest came from the depersonalised @GoTransit twitter account.

Don’t know what that means, but it’s a change.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
^The guy who was completely invisible in all this was Verster. Even AMA was much lower profile than usual.

The Minister said lots, and the rest came from the depersonalised @GoTransit twitter account.

Don’t know what that means, but it’s a change.

- Paul
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AMA was in most of the TV coverage. She was unusually diplomatic, and hinted at tensions with Yurek, she admitted the situation up to the point of blame, but then deferred. Something's going on. Verster? Good guess? He's seething, and purposely being kept out of the spotlight, perhaps by AMA saying words to the effect of "Let me handle this Phil," and as much as she has a lot to account for, I thought she did very well under the spotlights. She had her act together far better than anyone in QP.

And that would have been that...save for Yurek's pointing fingers at Metrolinx...I think there's real trouble brewing behind the scenes, Verster probably muttering words to the effect of "either he goes or I do". We'll see.
crs1026 said:
Don’t know what that means, but it’s a change.
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It really is.

The Cons have only one person worthy of being Transport Min that I'm aware of, and that's Rod Phillips, but he has the Environment portfolio. The pickings for transit in this province are not looking good.
 
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lrt's friend said:
Brampton needs to be punished for voting in Patrick Brown as mayor.
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Why? I don't think he had anything to do with the recent scheduling blunder on GO service to Brampton?

And he seems to have gotten the Hurontario LRT back on track, on a direct route - which is pretty fast after the election.

He seems to be doing pretty good on the transit front to me.
 
nfitz said:
Why? I don't think he had anything to do with the recent scheduling blunder on GO service to Brampton?

And he seems to have gotten the Hurontario LRT back on track, on a direct route - which is pretty fast after the election.

He seems to be doing pretty good on the transit front to me.
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You missed my sarcasm. I don't think Doug Ford is a big fan of Patrick Brown. Why not throw a little transit chaos at Brampton for their choice of mayor? More likely just stupid bad planning but ....................
 
nfitz said:
This has very little or nothing to do with extending a single train to Kitchener, or adding 3 stoops to an express.

It's all about reducing the number of trains at the peak time.
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I fully agree, but it appears what prompted theses changes (the first domino to fall if you will) was the extension of the train to Kitchener. That seemed (to me anyway) to trigger a bunch of other changes on “while we are doing that” basis.....and those changes (which had never been hinted at before) did, as you point out, the damage.

If not for the desire to increase the service to Kitchener on an immediate basis, I think the service in the corridor would have remained exactly as it had been for quite some time.
 
steveintoronto said:
Brown actually impressed me with how he comported himself in the various interviews I've watched on the story. It gave him a chance to 'show his stuff' and considering the potential for him to be vindictive, he was courteous, measured and firm.
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Will we ever know the full story behind Patrick Brown being ousted and replace by Doug Ford? As you have suggested, Patrick is demonstrating that he is a good politician. As an old red tory, I would have considered voting for him provincially, something I could not stomach with Doug Ford.
 
^ Yeah I saw that. What happened to the VIA train? And I assume it was struck in a location where the Kitchener-bound GO trains couldn't go around it?
 
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