GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[littlemissJJ888]

I hate GO TRANSIT!!!! Why can't we have affordable / reliable transit in Toronto?

30 min Delayed on the GO TRAIN this morning... Only in Toronto do we have people forgetting to turn the switch signals after returning from Canada Day long weekend.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I hate GO TRANSIT!!!! Why can't we have affordable / reliable transit in Toronto?

30 min Delayed on the GO TRAIN this morning... Only in Toronto do we have people forgetting to turn the switch signals after returning from Canada Day long weekend.

Welcome to the boards... this is Ontario, we can't do things on time.

 

[liamdevlin02]

I hate GO TRANSIT!!!! Why can't we have affordable / reliable transit in Toronto?

30 min Delayed on the GO TRAIN this morning... Only in Toronto do we have people forgetting to turn the switch signals after returning from Canada Day long weekend.

Was this actually given (formally or informally) as the reason for the delay or is this hyperbole?

 

[gm152]

I hate GO TRANSIT!!!! Why can't we have affordable / reliable transit in Toronto?

30 min Delayed on the GO TRAIN this morning... Only in Toronto do we have people forgetting to turn the switch signals after returning from Canada Day long weekend.

Where were you delayed? You did not mention this but if the location is east of the Kipling Station on the Milton line, there was an announcement on GO's website that a defective switch was the issue and that CP Rail would have the issue dealt with before the evening commute. The signals protecting the switch cannot display an indication other than stop if the circuitry detects a faulty switch regardless of the indication the rail traffic controller tries to set on those signals. Furthermore, if that was the case, it's not a GO Transit issue although GO tends to be blamed for some reason.

 

[canarob]

On another note, the OCS(dark territory) to CTC(signalize) conversion has been completed for the Uxbridge sub and is now in service. We'll likely seem some schedule modifications shortly as trains will no longer be restricted by the minimum 30 minute separation time as per Transport Canada's edict on the Stouffville line.

This project was only 3 months late

Thanks for the update! Hopefully the changes will involve shortening the gap between the 1720 and 1800 trains.

 

[innsertnamehere]

and running more than 10 trains a day...

 

[dowlingm]

I wonder will Northlander no longer occupying a platform during the latter part of the morning rush from some time later this year allow GO to squeeze an extra train or two in? It will be interesting to see what GO's response to the withdrawal of VIA from Niagara and Kitchener commuting is - at the very least perhaps an extra frequency or two from Aldershot in either/both of the two slots (740 and 90) vacated by VIA, if they hesitate to run equipment from NF?

Also - could an early L10L from Barrie (e.g. the 0703 arr in Union) be a candidate to send up the Stouffville line and then turn back for Union so that AM peak service could increase without additional equipment purchase? At least with a loco at each end there wouldn't be as many issues about whether a train is facing the "wrong" way. The current last train of the morning could be advanced and meet the Barrie equipment at the passing track (north of Milliken, here) and then head for Lincolnville, turn and return. In order to sequence it correctly the current second last train might have to go express to the Lakeshore to create a gap long enough for the Barrie train to sprint north past Milliken. Once the SRT is decommissioned GO could then put another passing track in north of Kennedy to allow more timetable flexibility.

 

[vegeta_skyline]

At least with a loco at each end there wouldn't be as many issues about whether a train is facing the "wrong" way.

Not sure what you mean, but as long as you don't Wye the consist or run it around a loop, it'll always be facing the right way - cab car facing west original loco facing east.

 

[reaperexpress]

Not sure what you mean, but as long as you don't Wye the consist or run it around a loop, it'll always be facing the right way - cab car facing west/south, original loco facing east/south.

So if I understand correctly, the loco faces south on the Barrie line, and north on the Stouffville Line?

 

[RedRocket191]

So if I understand correctly, the loco faces south on the Barrie line, and north on the Stouffville Line?

The primary locomotive is at the east end of the train. This would make it at the South end of a train in barrie and the north end of a train in Stouffville.

 

[smallspy]

The cab car is always on the west end of the train at Union. Thus, it doesn't matter whether the locomotive is at the north end or south end of any particular line.

As for Stouffville, despite the announcements to the otherwise, there is supposed to be one more trainset allocated to it by the end of this year.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[reaperexpress]

Also - could an early L10L from Barrie (e.g. the 0703 arr in Union) be a candidate to send up the Stouffville line and then turn back for Union so that AM peak service could increase without additional equipment purchase? [...] The current last train of the morning could be advanced and meet the Barrie equipment at the passing track (north of Milliken, here) and then head for Lincolnville, turn and return. In order to sequence it correctly the current second last train might have to go express to the Lakeshore to create a gap long enough for the Barrie train to sprint north past Milliken. Once the SRT is decommissioned GO could then put another passing track in north of Kennedy to allow more timetable flexibility.

You know what, I think that just might work. Working from the Stouffville Line timetable, here's what that run would look like:

0709 Depart Union
0724* Pass southbound train at Scarborough
0730 Depart Kennedy
0741 Depart Milliken
0743 Pass southbound train at siding
0746 Depart Unionville
0751 Depart Markham
0756 Depart Mount Joy

But here's the problem. If the train continues north, it will cross another southbound train before it gets to Stouffville, at a location where I don't think there's any passing track.

The only option at this point seems to be to terminate the run at Mount Joy, and become the 0759 southbound run which would have otherwise originated at Lincolnville. (With OCS, it's probably possible to move this trip forward to 0757).

The train which currently runs that service can depart Linconville later, as soon as track is available.

So it's possible to run a counter-peak train, but it would mean having the second southbound train skip Milliken, Agincourt and probably Kennedy stations, as well as creating a roughly one hour gap in service at Stouffville station at the peak of rush hour.
Though extending southbound service by one train somewhat offsets these losses.


*Rough estimate, since I don't actually know how much time it takes to get from Scarborough to Kennedy.

 

[smallspy]

You know what, I think that just might work. Working from the Stouffville Line timetable, here's what that run would look like:

0709 Depart Union
0724* Pass southbound train at Scarborough
0730 Depart Kennedy
0741 Depart Milliken
0743 Pass southbound train at siding
0746 Depart Unionville
0751 Depart Markham
0756 Depart Mount Joy

But here's the problem. If the train continues north, it will cross another southbound train before it gets to Stouffville, at a location where I don't think there's any passing track.

The only option at this point seems to be to terminate the run at Mount Joy, and become the 0759 southbound run which would have otherwise originated at Lincolnville. (With OCS, it's probably possible to move this trip forward to 0757).

The train which currently runs that service can depart Linconville later, as soon as track is available.

So it's possible to run a counter-peak train, but it would mean having the second southbound train skip Milliken, Agincourt and probably Kennedy stations, as well as creating a roughly one hour gap in service at Stouffville station at the peak of rush hour.
Though extending southbound service by one train somewhat offsets these losses.


*Rough estimate, since I don't actually know how much time it takes to get from Scarborough to Kennedy.

Except, of course, that the trainset in question is already scheduled deadhead to Oshawa to do an inbound run at 8:25am.

In fact, the first trainset that isn't already scheduled to do another run in the morning is trainset 37A, the first Milton train which arrives at Union almost 20 minutes later.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[reaperexpress]

Except, of course, that the trainset in question is already scheduled deadhead to Oshawa to do an inbound run at 8:25am.

In fact, the first trainset that isn't already scheduled to do another run in the morning is trainset 37A, the first Milton train which arrives at Union almost 20 minutes later

Darn.

Why does it deadhead to Oshawa? Why not go in service?

And could that Milton trainset go to Oshawa instead, or is there an issue of operators (CP vs Bombardier)?

And where do you get all this info? I'd love to have better sources than a timetable.

 

[smallspy]

Darn.

Why does it deadhead to Oshawa? Why not go in service?

Probably so that they can ensure that it will be on time out of Oshawa. If it was in service, it would take 62 minutes to make the run - as a deadhead, it it timetabled for 54.

And could that Milton trainset go to Oshawa instead, or is there an issue of operators (CP vs Bombardier)?

That Milton trainset used to provide that departure from Oshawa. They found that the train was operating late too often and so they switched it for an earlier trainset.

The issue with crews is a non-issue - the crew would just get swapped out for a CN/Bombardier crew at Union.

And where do you get all this info? I'd love to have better sources than a timetable.

"Contacts", really is the long and the short of it. As well, I've been railfanning for many years and have been able to put some of the schedules and deadheads together by seeing and listening in on them via a scanner.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.