GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[Northern Light]

I should have clarified that I meant the Georgetown to Kitchener segment, which I believe is Metrolinx owned. Am I mistaken in thinking that?

You are correct that Mx owns the westerly segment as well as Bramalea to Union.

They do not yet own the intervening section roughly Bramalea to Georgetown.

That is what they are acquiring. *

(They are acquiring a portion of the corridor in that segment, in which they will be able to lay 2 dedicated tracks for GO, CN would retain ownership of any other track (likely 2).

 

[Metroscapes]

I'd encourage anyone unfamiliar with rail ownership structure to refer to the RAC Canadian Rail Atlas.

 

[dowlingm]

Oct. 25: Milton Line extra train service
On Saturday, Oct. 25, to help you cheer on the Toronto Blue Jays, we’ve arranged extra GO train service to get you to the game and home safely:

• A 4:30 p.m. train departing Milton GO, making all stops to Union Station arriving at 5:33 p.m.
• A 12:30 a.m. train departing Union Station, making all stops to Milton GO arriving at 1:30 a.m.

Remember to check your schedules.
Let’s GO Blue Jays!

GO Tracker says the Milton train has departed, currently running about 5” behind at Lisgar.

 

[Yahe]

Currently on one of the new extra rush hour train service on the Lakeshore East and the train is relatively empty compared to the usual rush hour trains. I would assume it’ll take some time until riders adjust to the new service but it is nice to have 10 minute service on the line.

 

[rdaner]

Didn’t Confederation GO open today transforming travel in Niagara?!

 

[reaperexpress]

Didn’t Confederation GO open today transforming travel in Niagara?!

Yes it opened today.
No it doesn't make much difference to travel in the Niagara peninsula since it's still faster to take a bus or drive to Burlington and board the train there.

 

[PShells]

I dropped my wife off at Unionville GO to use the "new" 5.37pm southbound train to Union. This counter peak 6-car train service is definitely creating induced demand vs. the bus service it replaced.

I suppose another benefit is crew efficiency given this southbound train no longer sits at Unionville for hour(s) on platform 2 as the "new as of Oct 27" 4:50pm northbound train out of Union arrives at 5:31pm before quickly returning for its southbound trip six minutes later.

 

[reaperexpress]

I dropped my wife off at Unionville GO to use the "new" 5.37pm southbound train to Union. This counter peak 6-car train service is definitely creating induced demand vs. the bus service it replaced.

I suppose another benefit is crew efficiency given this southbound train no longer sits at Unionville for hour(s) on platform 2 as the "new as of Oct 27" 4:50pm northbound train out of Union arrives at 5:31pm before quickly returning for its southbound trip six minutes later.

Are you sure it's the same train? Six minutes is extremely short for a single- tracked line where delays will cascade if a train departs late. Looking at the timetable my guess was that the 16:13 northbound arrival still becomes the 17:37 southbound departure (sitting on the second platform), and the 17:31 arrival sits overnight (on the third platform) and runs the 07:59 southbound departure.

I didn't think Unionville had layover facilities, but if the Unionville short-turn trips started from Union, why wouldn't they run in-service counter-peak?

 

[PShells]

Are you sure it's the same train? Six minutes is extremely short for a single- tracked line where delays will cascade if a train departs late. Looking at the timetable my guess was that the 16:13 northbound arrival still becomes the 17:37 southbound departure (sitting on the second platform), and the 17:31 arrival sits overnight (on the third platform) and runs the 07:59 southbound departure.

I didn't think Unionville had layover facilities, but if the Unionville short-turn trips started from Union, why wouldn't they run in-service counter-peak?

The layover facility at Unionville GO has not been built yet, although I have seen A&B Rail work trucks parked in the area north of the station where its planned.

The 5:37pm train has been sitting on platform 2 when I pass it on my commute home around 4:30pm each day the last two months.

Yesterday, I did not see a train parked when I arrived at the station around 5:25pm yesterday. I heard a train arrive around 5:30pm but I did not see where it came from when I looked up. I assumed it was the northbound trip as I don't know where else this train could have been stored....because as you said I didn't think there was a place to store a train aside from platforms 1 and 2 since platform 3 is the most heavily used.

 

[PShells]

I saw the 4:50pm 6-car northbound train to Unionville leave Union today as I waited for my 5:00pm 12-car northbound train that went further north. The 5pm train sat on the western edge of the same platform waiting for the smaller train to depart.

I just passed a southbound 6-car train at 5:39pm at Unionville GO, so I’m now 100% convinced it’s the same train doing the quick return on the southbound trip.

I’m chuckling at how tight these two trains are given they wait on the same platform at Union, tailgate each other north and then one quickly u-turns south.

 

[reaperexpress]

I saw the 4:50pm 6-car northbound train to Unionville leave Union today as I waited for my 5:00pm 12-car northbound train that went further north. The 5pm train sat on the western edge of the same platform waiting for the smaller train to depart.

I just passed a southbound 6-car train at 5:39pm at Unionville GO, so I’m now 100% convinced it’s the same train doing the quick return on the southbound trip.

I’m chuckling at how tight these two trains are given they wait on the same platform at Union, tailgate each other north and then one quickly u-turns south.

Where does the 16:13 Unionville arrival go after it drops off passengers?

 

[T3G]

Where does the 16:13 Unionville arrival go after it drops off passengers?

Looks like it deadheads back to Union, for the 17:22 Kitchener departure.

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 3:32:00PM - TransSee

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 3:32:00PM

www.transsee.ca

I just passed a southbound 6-car train at 5:39pm at Unionville GO, so I’m now 100% convinced it’s the same train doing the quick return on the southbound trip.

Yes, this is correct. The 16:50 departure from Union arrives at Unionville at 17:31, and departs back south at 17:39.

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 4:50:00PM - TransSee

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 4:50:00PM

www.transsee.ca

And it is indeed a 6 pack.

 

[reaperexpress]

Looks like it deadheads back to Union, for the 17:22 Kitchener departure.

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 3:32:00PM - TransSee

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 3:32:00PM

www.transsee.ca

View attachment 691746


Yes, this is correct. The 16:50 departure from Union arrives at Unionville at 17:31, and departs back south at 17:39.

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 4:50:00PM - TransSee

Trip schedule for Stouffville to ST - Unionville Go at 4:50:00PM

www.transsee.ca

View attachment 691747

And it is indeed a 6 pack.

View attachment 691745

Too bad they don't let people ride it while it travels from Unionville to Union in the middle of a 2-hour gap in train service.

The buses at that time take 55 minutes, versus 41 minutes by train, and apparently there's so much demand that they need to run two buses back-to-back.

Based on the northbound schedule the southbound deadhead would need to depart Unionville at 16:37 and arrive at Union around 17:15. It would meet northbound trains just south of Unionville at 16:39 and north of Kennedy at 16:52.

 

[kvvoyage]

Can confirm the 16:13 arrival runs empty to Union. Left my suitcase on it a few days ago getting off at Agincourt and used this information to retrieve the suitcase back at Union.

 

[Northern Light]

In light of the above pair of posts............. I think someone should probably point out the value to Mx of turning that into a revenue train trip.

But before anyone writes in, I think @reaperexpress should be asked nicely if he can take the time to tell us if the schedule leaves room for any intermediate stops, particularly when factoring that run into the compressed Lakeshore corridor.

It would still add value as an express; but it might make sense to deliver an intermediate stop at Kennedy if the schedule allowed for it.