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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

reaperexpress said:
Ideally the trains should be spread further apart if there are slots available to do so in the USRC, perhaps shifting the 16:35 to 16:30.
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16:30 would be stuck waiting for the oncoming UPE arriving at 16:37, buying maybe two minutes at most, but 16:26 looks like it'd work.

reaperexpress said:
And on an unrelated note, the current schedule has the 17:40 VIA overtaking the previous GO train at Malton at 18:00 (previously they met at Brampton), which is probably a good idea given that it simplifies operation on the CN segment.
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You'd think it would! But no, apparently they haven't seized this opportunity. The 17:40 VIA uses the north track and catches up to the 17:27 GO before Wice, only reaching Malton around 18:02 and passing the GO at or sometimes after Bramalea. The track assignments west of there are the same as before the changes, with VIA on the south and GO on the north track up to Georgetown. To overtake the GO before Halwest the VIA would have to use the southernmost track through Toronto, and to avoid a conflict with an eastbound UPE at Wice it'd have to leave 2-3 minutes earlier. And then it'd have to leave Brampton a little earlier if GO and VIA are to use the same track from Bramalea to Mount Pleasant, otherwise the GO would be delayed by 1-2 min entering Brampton.
 
Of course, according to the Sun, and reader comments (low IQ test applies) it's all the fault of the Liberals!

I read this from the Sun last night:
HANN: Metrolinx fails GO riders — again and again
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hann-metrolinx-fails-go-riders-again-and-again

Not once is "Yurek" mentioned.

For instance:
An ill-conceived plan to bolster service on the Kitchener line (via Bramalea and Brampton) backfired because an express train was withdrawn, resulting in dangerous overcrowding on all-stops trains. Additional coaches were added but the problem persisted to the point where Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster was rolled out to do a video promising reinstatement of the express train.

Metrolinx has grand plans to expand transit across the GTA and beyond. While its efforts to grow transit are commendable, some of its plans appear flawed. Here are a few snapshots of puzzling changes negatively impacting Durham Region riders:

— The introduction of weekday 15-minute service last year seemed like a good idea. However, trains are frequently bottlenecked and late arriving at Oshawa as crews have to switch ends. Plus, these additional trains do not have a GO bus connection to downtown Oshawa and east to Newcastle. Durham Region Transit buses are not scheduled to meet those trains either. So, if you need the bus, you’re waiting for the next train to arrive which has that connection, negating the benefit of taking that newly-added train. [...and so on...]
Click to expand...

Lots of natter on how bad the bus is, but no mention of the idiot driving it.
 
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steveintoronto said:
Of course, according to the Sun, and reader comments (low IQ test applies) it's all the fault of the Liberals!

I read this from the Sun last night:
HANN: Metrolinx fails GO riders — again and again
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hann-metrolinx-fails-go-riders-again-and-again

Not once is "Yurek" mentioned.

For instance:


Lots of natter on how bad the bus is, but no mention of the idiot driving it.
Click to expand...

So, the Liberals are who to blame for GO overcrowding? Or Ford? Or both....
 
thettctransitfanatic said:
So, the Liberals are who to blame for GO overcrowding? Or Ford? Or both....
Click to expand...
You missed the point of reference for my claim:
An ill-conceived plan to bolster service on the Kitchener line (via Bramalea and Brampton) backfired because an express train was withdrawn, resulting in dangerous overcrowding on all-stops trains. Additional coaches were added but the problem persisted to the point where Metrolinx President and CEO Phil Verster was rolled out to do a video promising reinstatement of the express train.

Metrolinx has grand plans to expand transit across the GTA and beyond. While its efforts to grow transit are commendable, some of its plans appear flawed. Here are a few snapshots of puzzling changes negatively impacting Durham Region riders:

— The introduction of weekday 15-minute service last year seemed like a good idea. However, trains are frequently bottlenecked and late arriving at Oshawa as crews have to switch ends. Plus, these additional trains do not have a GO bus connection to downtown Oshawa and east to Newcastle. Durham Region Transit buses are not scheduled to meet those trains either. So, if you need the bus, you’re waiting for the next train to arrive which has that connection, negating the benefit of taking that newly-added train. [...and so on...]
Click to expand...
THAT is completely on Yurek's watch, and Yakabuski's before him.

We're talking here and now, not when Napoleon invaded....The Libs have more than their share of peccadilloes...but it's about time Yurek and the blind NeoCon supporters took some responsibility for present events.

Or am I expecting too much? Taking responsibility for actions? Verster is due his share for consorting with fools and idiots, but even he'll only grovel so far on this...
 
steveintoronto said:
Of course, according to the Sun, and reader comments (low IQ test applies) it's all the fault of the Liberals!

I read this from the Sun last night:
HANN: Metrolinx fails GO riders — again and again
https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hann-metrolinx-fails-go-riders-again-and-again

Not once is "Yurek" mentioned.

For instance:


Lots of natter on how bad the bus is, but no mention of the idiot driving it.
Click to expand...
I heard a radio interview with Verster the day after they announced the restoration of the 4:50 express. In that interview he confirmed that the initial re-jig of the schedule (including the moving of the 4:50 to 4:35 and converting it to all stops) was 100% his and his staff's idea......the reinstatement of the 4:50 express was 100% the doing of the the minister.
 
TOareaFan said:
I heard a radio interview with Verster the day after they announced the restoration of the 4:50 express. In that interview he confirmed that the initial re-jig of the schedule (including the moving of the 4:50 to 4:35 and converting it to all stops) was 100% his and his staff's idea......the reinstatement of the 4:50 express was 100% the doing of the the minister.
Click to expand...
Can concur, One of the news radio stations posted the interview *and* the written text (680 News?) which I'd quoted some posts back.

Verster can only accept so much blame...and then it's Captain Queeg's time to fess-up. Cue the strawberries...
The Caine Mutiny - Wikipedia
(Substitute "Train" for "Caine")
Ah, but the strawberries, that's, that's where I had them, they laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, with geometric logic, that a duplicate key to the ward room icebox did exist, and I've had produced that key if they hadn't pulled the Caine out of action. I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officer. [He pauses - looked at all the questioning faces that stared back at him, and realizes that he has been ranting and raving] Naturally, I can only cover these things from memory. If I left anything out, why, just ask me specific questions and I'll be glad to answer them, one by one....
Click to expand...
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Caine_Mutiny_(film)

But now we know where the "extra two cars added back in" came from! The Icebox! (On Lakeshore)
 
steveintoronto said:
You missed the point of reference for my claim:

THAT is completely on Yurek's watch, and Yakabuski's before him.

We're talking here and now, not when Napoleon invaded....The Libs have more than their share of peccadilloes...but it's about time Yurek and the blind NeoCon supporters took some responsibility for present events.

Or am I expecting too much? Taking responsibility for actions? Verster is due his share for consorting with fools and idiots, but even he'll only grovel so far on this...
Click to expand...

Yurek obviously has a different style to bring transportation minster than others....
 
Streety McCarface said:
If by style you mean incompetence, I'll agree with you.
Click to expand...
I can't say I was particularly impressed by the competence of Yakabuski, McGarry, or Del Duca either. And Murray certainly had a different style - though at least you got the impression he genuinely cared, even when his head was up his imagination.

The revolving door doesn't help - you have to go back to James Snow in 1975 since they appointed a minister who lasted an entire full term! We've had a shocking 22 ministers since that James Snow left in 1985! Honourable mention to Ed Fulton who lasted the entire 25-,month Peterson minority government and most of Peterson's surprisingly short (34 month) majority government.
 
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The PC's haven't been in power long enough to have much impact on ML. And their agenda is to stop spending, period.

ML's problems are mostly self inflicted. The article is correct that the old GO Transit was recognized as a leader for North America. Much changed since then. ML's biggest problem has simply been that demand has hugely outstripped investment. New constraints keep emerging that are attributable to capacity constraints across the infrastructure. The Liberals (McGuinty and Wynne) both threw money at the situation, but too much too fast without much attention to governance or accountability. The result has been a bloated, inexperienced organization that has too many left hands, too many people who think a study is an end product, and too few people remaining who can manage nuts and bolts. The increased political involvement hasn't helped, especially since the culture is now "a sexy plan and good PR is more valuable than actual accomplishment" and "rebranding is the cure for failure to deliver".

ML's motto might as well be "Ready, Aim, Aim, Aim......."

Having said that, a lot has been invested, and it's a work in progress. It just lacks governance, accountability, transparency, and any ability to speak plain facts. Not that Ford actually could help with any of that. I expect cutbacks in the upcoming budget, nothing more.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
ML's motto might as well be "Ready, Aim, Aim, Aim......."
Click to expand...
And then reformed, where the firing squad is put in a circle facing in...and this time they fire...

I'd love to see how Yurek is going to finesse his way out of this...Verster doesn't have his back this time.
 
crs1026 said:
The PC's haven't been in power long enough to have much impact on ML. And their agenda is to stop spending, period.

ML's problems are mostly self inflicted. The article is correct that the old GO Transit was recognized as a leader for North America. Much changed since then. ML's biggest problem has simply been that demand has hugely outstripped investment. New constraints keep emerging that are attributable to capacity constraints across the infrastructure. The Liberals (McGuinty and Wynne) both threw money at the situation, but too much too fast without much attention to governance or accountability. The result has been a bloated, inexperienced organization that has too many left hands, too many people who think a study is an end product, and too few people remaining who can manage nuts and bolts. The increased political involvement hasn't helped, especially since the culture is now "a sexy plan and good PR is more valuable than actual accomplishment" and "rebranding is the cure for failure to deliver".

ML's motto might as well be "Ready, Aim, Aim, Aim......."

Having said that, a lot has been invested, and it's a work in progress. It just lacks governance, accountability, transparency, and any ability to speak plain facts. Not that Ford actually could help with any of that. I expect cutbacks in the upcoming budget, nothing more.

- Paul
Click to expand...
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