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GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

Official Announcement from Mx on Twitter six minutes ago:

Service Changes beginning Monday Dec 5th:

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From: https://blog.metrolinx.com/2022/12/...g-lakeshore-west-kitchener-go-express-trains/
 
Great to see the express service
crs1026 said:
I have been watching VIA’s moving maps fairly regularly the last couple weeks. Yeah, it’s VIA, not GO, but the physical limitations to service to Kitchener are identical.

Basically, train 87 runs at track speed all the way to Kitchener - no slow orders or restrictions. Top speeds of 70 mph, only one speed restriction through the curves at Acton.. Arrival at both Guelph and Kitchener is early by as much as 8 minutes. That’s a statement about how well ML has improved that section of the line.

However, VIA is back to 25-30 mph all the way from Kitchener to west of New Hamburg, and then 50-60 mph with a couple of slow orders to Stratford. And then 30 mph to London.

I suspect there won’t be improvements for GO service west of Bramalea until more track gets added. I would hope that ML has a plan to get all the way to 4 tracks from Halwest to Silver, with flyover. But I suspect it will be only 3 tracks for a decade or more, in which case sharing with CN will remain a matter for negotiation. But we really need a sense of urgency about the Halwest-Silver improvements.

- Paul
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I totally agree. Weekend service on the Kitchener Line needs to come now. And to Mount Pleasant, not Bramalea.
 
The lack of weekend service is so disappointing. I agree such a service needs to go to Mount Pleasant at minimum. But 2 morning trains from Kitchener would be great.

I hate taking the bus all the way from Union. It’s a slow milk run and trains allow you to get out and stretch.

So realistically when will Kitchener Line get weekend service?
 
urbancog said:
From Monday, the 16:19 and 16:49 trains are scheduled to make the run in 1h 39m
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Was suggesting that a few express trips should run from Kitchener to Mt. Pleasant, then express to Union, instead of running express from Bramalea to Union.
innsertnamehere said:
crazy to think really. That's a 25 minute improvement on what Kitchener trains were running a few short years ago.

I'll note that LSW trains are still running a few minutes faster than they were pre-pandemic as well - Aldershot - Union is running 53 minutes express and 66 minutes local vs. 57 minutes express and 70 minutes local pre-pandemic.
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It's more - Closer to 35 minutes. The run used to be 2 hrs and 10 mins, and there are still slow zones that can be taken care of.
 
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crs1026 said:
I would hope that ML has a plan to get all the way to 4 tracks from Halwest to Silver, with flyover. But I suspect it will be only 3 tracks for a decade or more, in which case sharing with CN will remain a matter for negotiation. But we really need a sense of urgency about the Halwest-Silver improvements.

- Paul
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Latest I've heard on this is that the Silver gryade Separation (not located actually at Silver Junction) still on the table and hasn't been cut.

There might be an update available in the new year and an agreement with CN is still in discussions along with procurement and design.
 
ARG1 said:
Wait, why are all of these services departing earlier, when they're also faster? Leave earlier, arrive even earlier?
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Yes. They're not so much "leaving earlier" as "following a completely different schedule". In many cases the original schedule has been maintained for local service but it's now cut back to Mt Pleasant or Bramalea since there's a new express train from Kitchener which connects to it at Bramalea
 
Streety McCarface said:
Was suggesting that a few express trips should run from Kitchener to Mt. Pleasant, then express to Union, instead of running express from Bramalea to Union.
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This makes no sense, Brampton and Bramalea are important connections for people arriving from the west, due to their regional bus services. If you want to skip something, skip Mount Pleasant. And besides, I don't see how you can claim that this schedule results in crowding west of Bramalea when it has more capacity than the current schedule and hasn't even come into effect yet.
Streety McCarface said:
It's more - Closer to 35 minutes. The run used to be 2 hrs and 10 mins, and there are still slow zones that can be taken care of.
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For most of its early years the travel time from Kitchener to Toronto was 2h03, so the new schedule is 28 minutes faster.
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Also, 103 km in 95 min is a 65 km/h average, which is the fastest end-to-end average speed since I started summarising GO schedules in 2014.

There is still a significant slow zone in Georgetown which could save another couple minutes if resolved.
 
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I’d argue that Mount Pleasant should eventually become an important connection point. There should be an express bus down Mississauga Road leading down to the Meadowvale employment area. This will also improve connections from NW Mississauga towards Waterloo Region.

It’s already a busier station than Downtown Brampton, largely because it has more parking.

Bramalea is the right place for the express/local split. If the trains are full west of there, then GO will need to add more trains. Otherwise you can get off at Bramalea and get your choice of seat.
 
reaperexpress said:
This makes no sense, Brampton and Bramalea are important connections for people arriving from the west, due to their regional bus services. If you want to skip something, skip Mount Pleasant. And besides, I don't see how you can claim that this schedule results in crowding west of Bramalea when it has more capacity than the current schedule and hasn't even come into effect yet.

For most of its early years the travel time from Kitchener to Toronto was 2h03, so the new schedule is 28 minutes faster.
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Also, 103 km in 95 min is a 65 km/h average, which is the fastest end-to-end average speed since I started summarising GO schedules in 2014.

There is still a significant slow zone in Georgetown which could save another couple minutes if resolved.
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Georgetown GO is rule105 territory so either a mainline platform or signalizing the track would resolve it
 
Krypto98 said:
Georgetown GO is rule105 territory so either a mainline platform or signalizing the track would resolve it
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Yes this is what I'm referring to. Verster said they would build a mainline platform. A practical meeting point is also needed for two way service since Georgetown is a half hour east of the passing track under construction in Guelph
 
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There are plans to develop the area between Mount Pleasant and Georgetown pretty intensively, with a new GO stop added. I would count on stopping service being needed all the way to Georgetown before long.
Mount Pleasant has always been the bargain-basement terminus, as it’s as far as trains can get while keeping them on the south side so they don’t interfere with CN freight routings.
I can’t see how ML can add express service - or VIA, for that matter - on top of vanilla Regional RER without a lot more trackage.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
There are plans to develop the area between Mount Pleasant and Georgetown pretty intensively, with a new GO stop added. I would count on stopping service being needed all the way to Georgetown before long.
Mount Pleasant has always been the bargain-basement terminus, as it’s as far as trains can get while keeping them on the south side so they don’t interfere with CN freight routings.
I can’t see how ML can add express service - or VIA, for that matter - on top of vanilla Regional RER without a lot more trackage.

- Paul
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What station is planned there?
 
^ It would be at Heritage Road.

It's part of the planning work the City is doing for the Secondary Plan and they'll be advocating for it to the Province, who I assume will want developers to contribute to it. It's referenced in the secondary plan FAQs below.

FAQs

www.brampton.ca www.brampton.ca
 
scarberiankhatru said:
There's no rails in downtown Barrie...maybe they can put the rails back if they haven't built stuff all over?

Will there be an Innisfil station?
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A little late with the response, but yes, there will be a station in Innisfil, hope this helps! Can’t wait for the extension to Barrie South.
 
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