Bordercollie
Senior Member
I guess these would be the only other option and they are FRA compliant. https://www.railwayage.com/news/sbcta-stadler-dmu-out-for-delivery/
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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)
- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
Krypto98
Active Member
Andy_in_Toronto
Active Member
Allandale25
Senior Member
nfitz
Superstar
I'd assume it would return on Lakeshore West at some point. I think they said it won't return for a few years on East because of the Ontario Line and RER construction.
ARG1
Senior Member
Demand still at Historic Laws
reaperexpress
Senior Member
GO stated recently that ridership is currently around 40% of pre-pandemic. That honestly seems like very healthy demand considering that they are scheduling barely half of the normal service, almost all of which is slow local service.
When I lived in Waterloo, I almost always took GO express bus services to travel to/from the GTA (30, 25F, 25C). But I wouldn't waste my time on the 25 local, which is the only one GO is currently scheduling on weekends. Why would I pay regional ticket prices for a bus that's barely faster than a municipal bus? And that's not even considering the extra time standing around waiting for GO to call in an extra bus for the people who couldn't fit on the normally scheduled one.
The low "demand" (ridership) that GO observes is a direct consequence of the poor service offerings.
When I lived in Waterloo, I almost always took GO express bus services to travel to/from the GTA (30, 25F, 25C). But I wouldn't waste my time on the 25 local, which is the only one GO is currently scheduling on weekends. Why would I pay regional ticket prices for a bus that's barely faster than a municipal bus? And that's not even considering the extra time standing around waiting for GO to call in an extra bus for the people who couldn't fit on the normally scheduled one.
The low "demand" (ridership) that GO observes is a direct consequence of the poor service offerings.
I certainly hope express service will return on Lakeshore West and Kitchener. It is absurd that trains are stopping at every single station en route from Niagara Falls (130 km) and London (190 km).
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dowlingm
Senior Member
They meet *an* FRA standard but aren‘t built to the same regulatory basis as UPX trains - they likely need a waiver founded on signal/protection enhancements even to run with FRA Tier 1 DMUs such as UPX or RDCs without temporal separation, never mind CPR or GO. https://www.metro-magazine.com/10023132/denton-county-files-alt-vehicle-tech-waiver.
dowlingm
Senior Member
I wonder how that 40% spreads out over the week. I suspect based on downtown/PATH activity it is nearer 30pc on Mondays and Fridays and 50pc or more on Tuesday-Thursday, because most people that still have hybrid arrangements are starting or ending the week at home.
Fritter
Active Member
From an internal email, it looks like Mon-Fri is still at about 30% pre pandemic, but weekends its close to 85% pre pandemic. we shall see how things shake out, but GO may und up being a more leisure/recreational transportation service as oppose to a commuter service.
Jonny5
Senior Member
Where I work in a tower at King/University there are about a dozen staff who were former GO users that have flipped to driving, both because they find parking much cheaper and closer to the office than it was pre-pandemic, and also they like the flexibility to leave at the time they want without concern for the train schedule. "I'll finish this work day at home later" has become a much more accepted practice. As long as you are trusted to get it done, it doesn't matter if the work is emailed out at 4:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m., so more people go in to the office at 8:00 a.m. and head home at 2:30 p.m. which doesn't work well for many GO lines.
However, none of them think that's a long term situation. They expect things more normalised by September.
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innsertnamehere
Superstar
I bet it's a lack of service too. Why take the slow, non-express GO line when traffic is generally still below pre-pandemic levels and you can drive faster for a similar price?
re-introducing peak express services will help, and as more and more people go into the office more and more will return to GO. I'm not sure peak demand will ever be as acute as it was pre-pandemic, but ridership will probably be back to 80% of pre-pandemic or so within the next 12 months I imagine.
re-introducing peak express services will help, and as more and more people go into the office more and more will return to GO. I'm not sure peak demand will ever be as acute as it was pre-pandemic, but ridership will probably be back to 80% of pre-pandemic or so within the next 12 months I imagine.
ShonTron
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Traffic coming into Toronto is worse - and the DVP is awful going northbound from about 2PM to about 6PM - backing up all the way to Dundas or Queen sometimes, which wasn't normal pre-COVID. The only thing GO doesn't offer is flexibility, especially on the Richmond Hill or Milton lines, where the GO buses aren't as convenient or as fast, especially caught up in that traffic. The new GO bus terminal is nice in many ways, it's more suited to long-distance coaches. I found the old terminal easier to get to and from, especially on a bike.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
That was pretty typical from what I remember. Traffic is pretty close to normal in most of the GTA now, but still slightly below pre-pandemic levels if you ask me. The central 401 is definitely not constantly congested all day long like it was in 2019.
Lots of congestion to go around still though. Traffic now reminds me more like how it was about a decade ago, still bad, but more tolerable.
GO's problem is a general fear of public transit still, a lack of service to attract riders, and the fact that many are simply still not commuting. Many people are back to the office now but many still aren't as well.
Lots of congestion to go around still though. Traffic now reminds me more like how it was about a decade ago, still bad, but more tolerable.
GO's problem is a general fear of public transit still, a lack of service to attract riders, and the fact that many are simply still not commuting. Many people are back to the office now but many still aren't as well.
crs1026
Superstar
I suspect there will be a tipping point for commuting - the less busy roads have made it convenient for commuters to switch back to autos, but as the roads fill up again, that option will become less convenient. I do hear about people spending at least a couple days a week in the office again.
Any rides I have taken on LSE/LSW off-peak have been pretty well patronised. No more getting a quad to one's self, in fact they fill up pretty well. My rides on Kitchener/Barrie/Stouffville seem to be about what they were pre covid.
- Paul
Any rides I have taken on LSE/LSW off-peak have been pretty well patronised. No more getting a quad to one's self, in fact they fill up pretty well. My rides on Kitchener/Barrie/Stouffville seem to be about what they were pre covid.
- Paul