GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[gweed123]

The 2012 home opener was 16 innings. What if the game goes on that long? Or longer? Will they be able to keep the tracks available for all trips back on all lines, or is there a point in the night where CN/CP would tell them they cannot go back until the morning?

That's why I put the stipulation in there for running rights. The trip on the Kitchener line could also begin and end at Bramalea, so that it's using exclusively Metrolinx track.

 

[Jonny5]

less than 10% of all MLB games go to extra innings......even fewer (far fewer) go beyond a couple of extra innings.

You have to be prepared for it to happen at all of them. There's no way around that.

 

[mdrejhon]

There's never been any notice or bulletin about taking it easy on the throttle for a new unit. I'm guessing that they need to make sure that it can withstand the rigors of the day to day operation before they'll let it run on it's own so it would defeat that purpose to take it easy. Plus there's the second unit to keep the train running if something goes wrong.

Thanks for the primer of how engineers/train drivers handle the throttle. Makes sense. I do definitely (on average) notice more frequent "events" of quicker acceleration with two locomotives. There are times I said "wow, that's an unusual acceleration for a GO train" only to later disembark and notice two locomotives... I'd do a double take if I only saw one.

For the memorable late Hamilton PanAm express GO train that zoomed past Burlington in only 30 minutes after departing Union and berthed at West Harbour 47 minutes after departing Union -- what throttle setting is needed to maintain 90mph rail speed limit on the grades of Lakeshore West? I presume they don't even need throttle at maximum throttle to maintain/coast 90mph even up the minor (less than 1 degree) grade that exists in some sections of LSW.

 

[smallspy]

EDIT: re-read your post. Do 470/481 turn at Union and head back? I guess it makes sense not to let it get too far from Willowbrook. Won't see it for a while then, if so.

The train deadheads from Willowbrook to West Harbour, runs in service to Union, then deadheads back to Willowbrook. It reverses this in the afternoon.

The bus stop in Georgetown moved to the north side of the tracks last year. I don't know why - I thought it might have something to do with construction, though. It adds 2-3 minutes over the old route.

A sort of temporary/makeshift wheelchair access was added to the GO platforms at Georgetown Station recently on the north side. The buses were moved there as well, so that anyone in a wheelchair accesses the station from the same area.

This will all be fixed in a couple of years when they build the new platform and tunnel (with elevators). Buses will then be able to use the south side again.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[mdrejhon]

When you follow the trail of money...

Very educational!

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?

 

[Ard9001]

Very educational!

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?

Yeah I seen a few employees on the Lakeshore East going possibility to Mimco around the afternoon time. They usually sit around in the Cab car.

 

[salsa]

This morning another pedestrian was killed by a GO train, not far from Danforth station. The 200 passengers on the train were held on scene for 90 minutes for the police investigation.

 

[Markster]

This morning another pedestrian was killed by a GO train, not far from Danforth station. The 200 passengers on the train were held on scene for 90 minutes for the police investigation.

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.

 

[gweed123]

I had read on here a few pages ago that GO was planning on introducing new "event trains" to run after Jays and Raptors games, but I didn't know that it was already implemented! I went to the game last night, and left a bit early so I could catch the 10:13 train. Got to Union and found out that there was a 10:28 train, in addition to the regularly scheduled 10:43 train. I was happy for the additional service, but mad at myself that I didn't think to look in advance so I didn't have to miss the end of the game.

 

[mdrejhon]

I bet that the extra train needed no extra tax subsidy, even with double overtime! (if such a thing exists).

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?

 

[TOareaFan]

I had read on here a few pages ago that GO was planning on introducing new "event trains" to run after Jays and Raptors games, but I didn't know that it was already implemented! I went to the game last night, and left a bit early so I could catch the 10:13 train. Got to Union and found out that there was a 10:28 train, in addition to the regularly scheduled 10:43 train. I was happy for the additional service, but mad at myself that I didn't think to look in advance so I didn't have to miss the end of the game.

Yep they announced there would be an extra train for LSW and LSE for each Jays home game in April. They monitor the game and announce its departure time towards the end of the game (I see it on twitter but I am sure they announce it elsewhere too).

Aside from my earlier "beef" (still believe it) that "extra" trains should be on the other lines not the two already fully served around games....what interests me is that it is not clear they consulted with the Jays ticket office prior to announcing it. Even with the Yankees in town, midweek games early in the season never get close to selling out.....so both crowds this week have been sub 30k. So, with 3 trains within an hour of the last pitch, my earlier calcs of what % of the crowd can be taken home by normal GO service on LSW and LSE were too conservative.

 

[gweed123]

Yep they announced there would be an extra train for LSW and LSE for each Jays home game in April. They monitor the game and announce its departure time towards the end of the game (I see it on twitter but I am sure they announce it elsewhere too).

Aside from my earlier "beef" (still believe it) that "extra" trains should be on the other lines not the two already fully served around games....what interests me is that it is not clear they consulted with the Jays ticket office prior to announcing it. Even with the Yankees in town, midweek games early in the season never get close to selling out.....so both crowds this week have been sub 30k. So, with 3 trains within an hour of the last pitch, my earlier calcs of what % of the crowd can be taken home by normal GO service on LSW and LSE were too conservative.

The issue with running those "extra" trains on another line isn't the outbound trip, it's the inbound trip. Most Lakeshore passengers stagger their arrival times to games. Some like to arrive over an hour early, some like to arrive half an hour early, some like to arrive right at first pitch. Those trip patterns are already taken care of by existing trips. With the other lines, largely those trips don't exist, except with buses.

But after the game, most people leave right after, so the people that took 3 or 4 trains to get in, are now trying to take 1 or 2 trains to get out.

I get that there should be service on other lines, but it's a lot easier to provide one extra outbound trip than it is to provide both an inbound and an outbound trip.

 

[TOareaFan]

The issue with running those "extra" trains on another line isn't the outbound trip, it's the inbound trip. Most Lakeshore passengers stagger their arrival times to games. Some like to arrive over an hour early, some like to arrive half an hour early, some like to arrive right at first pitch. Those trip patterns are already taken care of by existing trips. With the other lines, largely those trips don't exist, except with buses.

But after the game, most people leave right after, so the people that took 3 or 4 trains to get in, are now trying to take 1 or 2 trains to get out.

I get that there should be service on other lines, but it's a lot easier to provide one extra outbound trip than it is to provide both an inbound and an outbound trip.

I get all of that.....but the existing trains on LSW/LSE would get everyone home from the game....so adding trains does not move more people it just moves them more comfortably......if, say, you just took those two trains and assigned them to Stouffeville and Barrie lines would you actually get more people using GO? Would more office workers on those lines take the train in the morning if they were going to game after work?

 

[gweed123]

I get all of that.....but the existing trains on LSW/LSE would get everyone home from the game....so adding trains does not move more people it just moves them more comfortably......if, say, you just took those two trains and assigned them to Stouffeville and Barrie lines would you actually get more people using GO? Would more office workers on those lines take the train in the morning if they were going to game after work?

That's a good question, and I honestly don't know the answer. I'm sure there was a cost-benefit analysis done, somewhere.

 

[TOareaFan]

That's a good question, and I honestly don't know the answer. I'm sure there was a cost-benefit analysis done, somewhere.

I am equally sure there was no meaningful cost benefit analysis above what you surmised in your earlier post

I get that there should be service on other lines, but it's a lot easier to provide one extra outbound trip than it is to provide both an inbound and an outbound trip.