GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[nfitz]

1 person in 6 months? what a waste of diesel

It isn't. Either their calculations don't let you have 0 riders, and assume 1. Or someone walked there to get a train, and tapped on somehow ... though you'd think they'd have turned the machines off ...

Interesting to see that the termini have some of the higher percent. Gosh, Milton is only a total of 2.7%. Richmond Hill at only 1.5%.

The highest retention is St. Catharines and Niagara Falls ... presumably some artifact from the summer service.

Then the next highest is Danforth.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Basically the stations that had the most non-commuters retained the most ridership. Termini stations are often where people go when coming from other parts of the province to access downtown, especially on the lakeshore lines. Niagara is because of summer recreation trips. Dan forth high because it probably has the most “captive” trips - riders who don’t own a car.

 

[Transportfan]

It was always odd that GO operated that to me anyway. It was effectively a local route where everyone paid a DRT fare anyway. It was odd.

Its kind of like the pre-YRT Yonge and Bayview "C" buses that used city-style buses and operated as municipal transit and accepted tickets and transfers.

 

[Allandale25]

Metrolinx Press Room

Find the latest Metrolinx news, project updates and more.

blog.metrolinx.com

 

[drum118]

This can be place in a number of threads
Assessment phases for Metrolinx’s GO expansion draw to a close

 

[Deadpool X]

Does it make sense to link some of the lines so that trains continue through Union instead of terminating there just like what happens with the two Lakeshore lines?

How about some Milton line trains continuing to Richmond Hill (both these lines won't be electrified). Similarly Kitchener line trains can continue to Stouffville. This will reduce some load at Union because not everyone wants to get off at Union. Some coming from the east might need to end their journey at Exhibition and some coming from the west may have their jobs at East Harbour. This also solves the problem of finding layovers in or near downtown.

 

[Richard White]

Does it make sense to link some of the lines so that trains continue through Union instead of terminating there just like what happens with the two Lakeshore lines?

How about some Milton line trains continuing to Richmond Hill (both these lines won't be electrified). Similarly Kitchener line trains can continue to Stouffville. This will reduce some load at Union because not everyone wants to get off at Union. Some coming from the east might need to end their journey at Exhibition and some coming from the west may have their jobs at East Harbour. This also solves the problem of finding layovers in or near downtown.

I can't see how that would be practical. Sending a train from Kitchener to Uxbridge isn't ideal when you have to get crews and equipment back to their respective locations.

I recall an operator doing that last year on the last stouffville run out of Union. He headed out to Lincolnville then out to Mt Pleasant then to Willowbrook I believe.

It's best to keep equipment close at hand.

 

[Deadpool X]

Just like how rail operators or airlines change the crew. The train operator coming from Milton will get off at Union and operate the train that just arrived from Richmond Hill and take it back to Milton and vice versa. They can have a few extra crew members to avoid time wastage in crew change. Although it may not even be necessary. 2 full end to end round trips can be made in 8 hours.

 

[smallspy]

Does it make sense to link some of the lines so that trains continue through Union instead of terminating there just like what happens with the two Lakeshore lines?

How about some Milton line trains continuing to Richmond Hill (both these lines won't be electrified). Similarly Kitchener line trains can continue to Stouffville. This will reduce some load at Union because not everyone wants to get off at Union. Some coming from the east might need to end their journey at Exhibition and some coming from the west may have their jobs at East Harbour. This also solves the problem of finding layovers in or near downtown.

It may not appear that way, but the train cycling already works in this manner. Prior to the original lockdown, the mid-day trains would start on the Stouffville line, do a run to Aurora and back (on the Barrie line), and then out to Mount Pleasant and return to do it again. The weekend trains would do the same, although without the run to Mount Pleasant as there wasn't service on the Kitchener line yet.

In the long run however, once all of the work is doing around Union Station, many trains will simply end their runs at Union and head back. It may seem counter-intuitive but the future track and signal layout, along with the use of double-berthing at many on the long platforms, is set up in this manner.

Dan

 

[asher__jo]

I can't see how that would be practical. Sending a train from Kitchener to Uxbridge isn't ideal when you have to get crews and equipment back to their respective locations.

I recall an operator doing that last year on the last stouffville run out of Union. He headed out to Lincolnville then out to Mt Pleasant then to Willowbrook I believe.

It's best to keep equipment close at hand.

Yes. Milton and Richmond Hill serve much different purposes and commute patterns, in addition to Richmond Hill having undesirable routing due to potential flooding. I wouldn't be surprised if RH becomes obselete with Ontario line being extended further north.

 

[Deadpool X]

It may not appear that way, but the train cycling already works in this manner. Prior to the original lockdown, the mid-day trains would start on the Stouffville line, do a run to Aurora and back (on the Barrie line), and then out to Mount Pleasant and return to do it again. The weekend trains would do the same, although without the run to Mount Pleasant as there wasn't service on the Kitchener line yet.

In the long run however, once all of the work is doing around Union Station, many trains will simply end their runs at Union and head back. It may seem counter-intuitive but the future track and signal layout, along with the use of double-berthing at many on the long platforms, is set up in this manner.

Dan

Does that mean ease of operations is a priority over customer convenience?

Anyways, for double berthing, will it possible with only 6 car trains or they can even fit 12 car trains head to head?

 

[anb]

I can't see how that would be practical. Sending a train from Kitchener to Uxbridge isn't ideal when you have to get crews and equipment back to their respective locations.

I recall an operator doing that last year on the last stouffville run out of Union. He headed out to Lincolnville then out to Mt Pleasant then to Willowbrook I believe.

It's best to keep equipment close at hand.

The kitchener-stouffville corridor are sometimes interlined with the hourly service but then again that's probably more resourceful and better since its just a mount pleasant-mount joy (and back) run. I even could see some people heading from brampton to markham using this routing and not the more sensible 407 buses

Apparently Kitchener-Aurora is a thing as well as the KI and Barrie lines are questionably interlined, more specifically with the 8:39PM Kitchener-Union train

 

[Undead]

not everyone wants to get off at Union.

iirc 90% do, so... (I don't believe this number will change much after full RER implementation, btw)

 

[smallspy]

Does that mean ease of operations is a priority over customer convenience?

Customer convenience how, exactly?

If by "ease of operations" you mean being able to run more trains more frequently, than I guess so, yes.

Anyways, for double berthing, will it possible with only 6 car trains or they can even fit 12 car trains head to head?

The middle tracks of the station easily allow for a pair of 12-car trains to be double-berthed.

Dan

 

[crs1026]

iirc 90% do, so... (I don't believe this number will change much after full RER implementation, btw)

Especially if the schedule is designed such that it’s not consistent whether the thru run goes to Barrie, Kitchener, or wherever.

I wonder whether ML can or will find a way for those doubleberths to facilitate transfers without going downstairs. It would be desirable to minimize stairway traffic. Four stub track berths, with a track removed in the middle, would create an “upstairs” mall that could integrate four routes. The “wait downstairs until we post the track for your train” process is the worst thing about Union’s design.

- Paul