MoveOntario 2020: GO Transit Electrification

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Opinion piece from the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/838090--all-aboard-the-electric-train

AoD

 

[Second_in_pie]

Good ol' Canadian excuse making! I like how each of the biggest "arguments" against electrification are oh so casually swatted down by a simple writer, yet they're still held up as truth, or at least things that need a dozen million dollar studies to look into.

 

[Dan416]

Good article. Although noticing it was written by someone from the Clean Train Coalition revealed their "bias", but I still agree with them completely.

 

[kettal]

Greg Gormick was employed by Metrolinx a few years ago. IIRC, he quit when Metrolinx asked him to write editorials pushing their flawed agenda.

 

[spider]

A 2001 study found that GO could have converted the entire Oshawa-Hamilton line for $300 million with the locomotives and hardware from an aborted Mexican project. Premier Mike Harris’s government didn’t even consider it. That unused American-made equipment was scrapped.

Ho Hum, more Harris bashing. No one else in the world wanted these trains either but only Harris gets reamed.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

Was everyone else in the world running Ontario? No, Harris was. Everyone else can be reamed for not taking care of their locales; Harris gets it for this instance in Ontario.

 

[Duke-of-East-York]

Ho Hum, more Harris bashing. No one else in the world wanted these trains either but only Harris gets reamed.

Even if no one else wanted these trains, do you still honestly think that Harris would have considered electrification of the line?

 

[dowlingm]

In Quebec, Hydro is essentially offering to subsidise electrification of transit to soak up their surpluses - this is then assisting the Province when they consider spending tax dollars on hugely expensive dual mode locos. Unfortunately in Ontario our hydro companies have not had the problem of huge surpluses most of the time, although with the continuing hammering that our manufacturing sector is taking, this may change.

 

[kEiThZ]

I'm a fan of electrification. However, I'd like Metrolinx/GO to be allowed to deploy resources as best as possible. If their analysis shows that electrification has no net benefit, then I'd like to hear the report challenged, not just statements that they don't get it. I do believe analysis will show that they need to electrify the lines. But I am open to them considering the alternatives.

 

[kEiThZ]

Even if no one else wanted these trains, do you still honestly think that Harris would have considered electrification of the line?

He might have. His whole electoral strategy was based on pitting the 905 against the 416. What better way than to invest in GO (pretty much a 905 commuter service only at the time) and not the TTC.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Except improving GO is less an imperative then than it is now. He would have gotten more votes putting that same amount into highways.

AoD

 

[CDL.TO]

He might have. His whole electoral strategy was based on pitting the 905 against the 416. What better way than to invest in GO (pretty much a 905 commuter service only at the time) and not the TTC.

Pretty unlikely. Harris cut all provincial operating funding for GO.

 

[kEiThZ]

Pretty unlikely. Harris cut all provincial operating funding for GO.

True. Forgot about that. And I guess AoD is right. The 905 was far more suburban and less packed than it is now.

 

[Swarley]

Electrification Study Baseline Report

 

[drum118]

Nov 16 report