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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
steveintoronto
Superstar
Northern Light
Superstar
Oh, FFS........
I'm all for not wasting deadheads; but express...........to Long Branch??? Really? That looks like an add, solely for the purpose of claiming seat miles.
If they wanted to add extra late-night runs, ideally they would be facing out from Union, not inbound, but at the very least they have to stop at Union (or another destination station).
At least this stunt isn't costing much in the way of $$.
The extension of the 2 runs to Barrie is fine, as far as it goes.
I hope the substantial service improvements suggested for September are a good deal more meaningful.
steveintoronto
Superstar
That's exactly what it is. It's the former deadheads back to the yard from the end of the run west.
ShonTron
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At least Long Branch Station has all-night service on TTC routes 301 and 315. I can't see many people using it, but at least you're not stranded.
Jonny5
Senior Member
There will totally be people who wind up there expecting that the train was going to Union, even if there are twenty announcements before the train leaves Aldershot, and those are the same people who likely don't have the transit route knowledge to figure out what to do next, or even where the streetcar loop is--because it isn't exactly visible from the platform. I assume there won't be an attendant in Long Branch station at those hours either so that will be fun times for them.
I wonder if there will be any unscheduled stops to let people out who didn't know what was happening. I recall during the PanAM games they had trains express from Toronto to Hamilton and they did make an unscheduled stop at Oakville once as several confused people were begging the CSA to have the train stop and let them off there, and not force them to go all the way to West Harbour.
nfitz
Superstar
True - though at a minimum, they could simply stop at the stations they pass.
Doing what you would suggest would mean the first train would leave service (presumably westbound at Mimico) at 1:28 AM - 58 minutes later. If they simply stopped at the stations they are running express through it would only add 16 minutes, ending at Long Branch at 12:46 AM.
An interesting move.
There's other new rail changes. On the Kitchener line, they've tweaked the mid-day timetable, making most of the runs 3-minutes faster, and added the Etobicoke North, Weston, and Bloor stops to the 3 pm from Mount Pleasant finally. The final inbound train still skips these stops. Would nice to see counter-peak, evening, and weekend service ... if only to Bramalea. Particularly counter-peak where there's extensive traffic downtown.
And the final Unionville train (8 pm from Union) has been extended to Mount Joy.
Both of these minor changes may carry more passengers than the Long Branch midnight express! There's some minor timing changes on the Milton line too. Though the Barrie changes are the most significant.
Andy_in_Toronto
Active Member
The Barrie line is now getting weekend train service even all the way to Waterfront?
raptor
Senior Member
It always had weekend service all the way to Allandale.
nfitz
Superstar
The 301 is an excellent service after midnight as well. During the daytime it's about 75 minutes from Long Branch to Queen/Bay, with a change at Humber. At 2 AM, it moves like greased lightening and (after 11 pm) you don't have to change at Humber. The travel time on 301 from Long Branch to Queen/Bay is only 44 minutes after 2 AM (51 minutes at midnight). And it leaves every 9 minutes (until after 3 AM!). The GO train from Long Branch to Union is 25 minutes.
It's all the missed stops in 905 that are more disappointing.
Currently there are 3 morning trains on Saturdays and Sundays from Allandale, at about 9, 10, and 11 AM. This adds a 4:20 PM and 8:40 PM train.
Northbound from Union there's currently trains at about 5 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm. This adds an 11:40 AM train, and adjusts the later two trains (and adding one) to 9:40 pm, 10:40 pm, and 11:40 pm.
I'd have thought extending the 7:20 pm but perhaps not the 10:40 pm would have been better - but overall it's a great improvement for weekend service north of Aurora. There's still 7 northbound and 8 southbound trains on Saturdays and Sundays that terminate/start in Aurora. (there's no more trains total, they extended two existing runs from Aurora to Barrie and tweaked the schedule).
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robmausser
Senior Member
Well always since like 2016. Before that from like 2013 it was seasonal, and before that it never had weekend service.
"always" might confuse someone without the knowledge of the history of the line.
dowlingm
Senior Member
Apologies if someone posted this upthread but good to see ONTC-MLX cooperation. More please.
thettctransitfanatic
Senior Member
Regarding the Long Branch night Express, if they really wanted people on using the service least they could is stop at bare minimum two stations between Aldershot and LB. Would make more sense that way there's guaranteed to be a few people using it
dowlingm
Senior Member
Port Credit (once Hurontario LRT up and running, assuming that it will run 24 hours), and Oakville would be what I would be thinking of.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Lots of funny grumbles from parade atendees waiting for GO Trains home today.
"They should have doubled service for the rush hour!"
Because GO apparently has 200 spare coaches sitting around unused at 5:00 p.m. on a weekday. It's a good reminder how out of touch most people are with how things actually work and how impossible it is to ramp up service more than a few runs, nevermind all the other complications of track space and allotments at Union.
"They should have doubled service for the rush hour!"
Because GO apparently has 200 spare coaches sitting around unused at 5:00 p.m. on a weekday. It's a good reminder how out of touch most people are with how things actually work and how impossible it is to ramp up service more than a few runs, nevermind all the other complications of track space and allotments at Union.