jamincan
Active Member
Just a note that neither Kitchener, nor Guelph, are terminal stations.
The Kitchener station seems nice....not sure the need to pump it up by criticising others. Kipling has, what, trains/subways/buses? Kitchener will have trains/lrt/buses?
We can only hope! Ideally, I'd like to see three types of service using the line. A DMU LRT betwen Kitchener and Guelph, running on a fairly frequent schedule (like every 30 minutes), existing GO trains with bi-levels at rush hour, and - this is my dream - having GO buy Talgo sets, or some other FRA-compatible but comfy and modern intercity coaches, and running hourly intercity service to Union that make stops at Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, Brampton, some airport transfer-to-the-LINK station near Attwell Road, Bloor and Union.
It would purely be an investment in rolling stock, and not in fixed capital.
Just a note that neither Kitchener, nor Guelph, are terminal stations.
Is OC Transporo planning to keep the O-Train running after its light rail lines are in operation? If not, maybe Grand River Transit could get a deal on them.
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Is OC Transporo planning to keep the O-Train running after its light rail lines are in operation? If not, maybe Grand River Transit could get a deal on them.
This project gives me hope that the reduction in service on the North Main Line is temporary. I can't help but sigh when I see predictions from 2009 of ten GO and VIA trains a day per direction serving Kitchener by 2011. Fast forward to 2013 and what will we have? Four.
Is OC Transporo planning to keep the O-Train running after its light rail lines are in operation? If not, maybe Grand River Transit could get a deal on them.
This project gives me hope that the reduction in service on the North Main Line is temporary. I can't help but sigh when I see predictions from 2009 of ten GO and VIA trains a day per direction serving Kitchener by 2011. Fast forward to 2013 and what will we have? Four.
There's been discussion by both the Region of Waterloo and the City of Guelph about DMU service, so I know it's on their radar.
This year and next, VIA / RailAmerica are having signalling put in on the entire Guelph Subdivision. So that should hopefully allow some additions instead of removal of service.
I can't see them doing bi-directional service on the north main line without double-tracking, and that would add a lot to the bill. That said, I would love to see an O-Train style service on it. It could connect a lot of N/S corridors with downtown incredibly well.
They could always do like what the O-Train does now: plan the frequencies around where the passing tracks are. They are planning on double tracking a couple more sections of the track so they can increase the frequency, but most of it will still be single track.
Double track the line at Ficher Hallman Station, Kitchener Station, somewhere around Shantz Station Rd, then Guelph Station. Some of those sections already are double tracked.
The O-Train in Ottawa is getting a southen extension right now, and that's the reason they are purchasing new vehicles. It's about time for the extension! It was criminal that the line stopped 800m north of Hunt Club Rd. I believe a strong reason for the extension was population growth in Riverside South, and so they're adding a Park-and-Ride at Leitrim Rd.
Phase 3 of the Ottawa LRT is the full conversion of the Deisel O-Train to electric LRT, with the extension to southern Barrhaven, as was the original N/S LRT plan. I'm not sure if the current design of the Bayview LRT station will allow for interlining direct to downtown.