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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

robmausser said:
I believe these were deadheads that they decided to put into service, but for what reason they were cancelled, im not sure. Perhaps another train yard was built that meant deadheading wasn't needed, or CP complained about slowing down their network by stopping at the stations for in-service.
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The 96 budget cuts killed them along with the Guelph and Barrie extensions back then
 
I just got an online survey, probably commissioned by Metrolinx, specifically about the Toronto-Kitchener-London train service. It first asked about whether you lived in the Toronto, Hamilton, K-W or London areas, whether you lived near a GO station, and if you are aware of the London train.

It then asked about specific reasons why you would/would not take the line, eventually getting to price, payment (whether being able to use Presto would make you more likely to use it), speed, as well as departure times and weekend service.

I responded that yes, I would consider it if there was a morning departure from Union, especially for going to places like Stratford.

Maybe this is nothing to read into, but maybe Metrolinx really is studying the route.
 
Calling this a "service" to London is an insult to transit service everywhere and obviously Londoners think the same. Right now, 20 to 25 people board the train at London and even if that doubles that represents 0.01% of London's population. That's really going to make a big dent in London's horrific traffic woes. Seriously, who would offer a "service" for commuters that takes them 4 hours to get to their destination on an uncomfortable commuter train? Who thinks that anyone in London commutes to Toronto? Hell, Metrolinx didn't even bother to look at London bus schedules when planning this grand experiment or they would have realized that it is impossible to get to the train by transit in London as they leave earlier than London transit buses start running........... a transit service that requires you to own a car to take it.

All this while there is no transit service between London & St.Thomas a city of 45,000 that nearly borders the city that has 4 different highways connecting the 2 because traffic is so heavy. Made much worse by the fact that there is an operating rail corridor between the 2 that goes downtown to downtown and runs within 100 meters of one of London's biggest employers and a magnet for it's surrounding area............the London Health Sciences Centre, the biggest hospital in SWO. It also runs parallel to main connection between the city and St.Thomas, terminally clogged Wellington Road which is burdened with 48,000 vehicles a day on a 4 lane road.The added bonus is that this track is only used by one freight train a day.

Perhaps the $2 million a year spent to subsidize the sole GO train to Toronto would be better spent on providing a service connecting the two cities and carrying 20 or 30 times as many passengers but this is what happens when you put Toronto planners in charge of another city's transportation plan.
 
Funny thing you mention the lack of London Transit connection at the station at 5:30 - because that’s one of the questions/factors that came up in the survey. So it was through, at least.

As you know, I’m very much aware of the lack of bus service to St. Thomas/Elgin County, even though every other town near London has a bus connection - London/St. Marys, Exeter, Strathroy, Dorchester, even Tillsonburg a few days a week.
 
There is also, of course, Woodstock/Ingersol to the east and Strathroy to the west. Strathroy, in particular, would be a very well patronized service as the route between the two is not a direct one. Even anemic VIA gets from Strathroy to London in just 20 minutes while one would never even reach the outskirts of London in 20 minutes little alone to Downtown/Western/Fanshawe even in non-rush hour times.

London's lack of urban freeways and generally thin and traffic clogged roads make the city ideal for commuter rail. London has the commuter rail benefits of having horrible road infrastructure yet excellent rail infrastructure and, by far, the best in the province outside Toronto. 6 rail corridors converge at London. from every direction.
 
ShonTron said:
Funny thing you mention the lack of London Transit connection at the station at 5:30 - because that’s one of the questions/factors that came up in the survey. So it was through, at least.

As you know, I’m very much aware of the lack of bus service to St. Thomas/Elgin County, even though every other town near London has a bus connection - London/St. Marys, Exeter, Strathroy, Dorchester, even Tillsonburg a few days a week.
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Whatever came of initiative by St. Thomas to start such a connection? It was being pushed for at the end of 2019.

www.stthomastimesjournal.com

Intercity transport plan in works for St. Thomas, London

Area municipalities are working on a plan to launch an intercity transit service that would link St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Aylmer and London.
www.stthomastimesjournal.com www.stthomastimesjournal.com
 
ssiguy2 said:
Perhaps the $2 million a year spent to subsidize the sole GO train to Toronto would be better spent on providing a service connecting the two cities and carrying 20 or 30 times as many passengers but this is what happens when you put Toronto planners in charge of another city's transportation plan.
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So you think Doug Ford is a Toronto planner?
 
Allandale25 said:
What about the trains that don't leave from there?
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Kitchener is a joint bus/rail base. That’s the most likely conflict point. So that’s going to be a problem.

Otherwise, I don’t remember the rail and bus divisions blocking each other at pickets in the past. They have different employers and except at Kitchener, they operate from separate facilities.
 
I thought transit workers were deemed an essential service and hence unable to strike?

I don't transit workers, regardless of their roll, should be able to strike. It is an essential service that millions rely upon and hence should be viewed the same way as nurses or police. This doesn't mean however that an employer should be able to ignore their requests. They should be able to "work-to-rule" using such things as not checking tickets, no overtime, or no coverage for people calling in sick or on vacation. This gives the workers leverage but doesn't allow a whole city being held ransom.
 
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