It's amazing GO runs these coaches in such long trains, and hearing how going from 12 cars to 10 caused such a massive problem.
Some US carriers run them with just two or three cars! When I saw this in Texas I laughed out loud!
![[Image: trebridge.jpg]](http://www.trainweb.org/southwestshorts/images/trebridge.jpg)
Is that simply lack of demand?
(01-23-2019, 01:16 PM)Spokes Wrote: [ -> ]Is that simply lack of demand?
I think so. The US tends be just that bit more suburban, and transit is just that bit more wrapped up in class politics, that transit ridership is always lower there. Similar cities with similar demographics in the US seems to always end up with about half the transit ridership of comparable Canadian cities. It doesn't help that one political party there seems to largely oppose the existence of transit on principle, compared to Canada where heavily conservative places like Calgary have great transit.
(01-23-2019, 02:14 PM)taylortbb Wrote: [ -> ] (01-23-2019, 01:16 PM)Spokes Wrote: [ -> ]Is that simply lack of demand?
I think so. The US tends be just that bit more suburban, and transit is just that bit more wrapped up in class politics, that transit ridership is always lower there. Similar cities with similar demographics in the US seems to always end up with about half the transit ridership of comparable Canadian cities. It doesn't help that one political party there seems to largely oppose the existence of transit on principle, compared to Canada where heavily conservative places like Calgary have great transit.
We can't rest on our 'laurel'....it seems the latest crop of conservatives in Ontario aim to kill transit same as in the US.
I was sitting on the 15:35 from Toronto yesterday around Rockwood and realized we'd been going at a fairly good clip since leaving Acton. Pulled out my phone and clocked in at 113km/hr. Too bad the entire line's not up to this speed. Felt odd going so fast across the Eramosa River Bridge when it had been in a slow zone through the fall.
The nice thing about this train is it isn't that full, so I had enough space to stretch out, pull out the laptop at Union, and comfortably work for most of the trip. I missed my usual nap I had on the connecting bus and felt weird not getting off in Bramalea, but it was nice to have the one seat ride home.
(01-23-2019, 12:31 PM)Canard Wrote: [ -> ]It's amazing GO runs these coaches in such long trains, and hearing how going from 12 cars to 10 caused such a massive problem.
Some US carriers run them with just two or three cars! When I saw this in Texas I laughed out loud!
How often do their trains run? If they are able to run three cars every 15 minutes, that would be the equivalent of sending one 12-car train an hour. Whether the train is 3 cars or 12, it still needs a slot on the tracks.
Seems like every 30 minutes in peak periods and every hour off-peak.
Good on them for realizing they screwed up and making things right.
(01-29-2019, 12:24 AM)Spokes Wrote: [ -> ]Good on them for realizing they screwed up and making things right.
Agreed, The key to good leadership is recognizing when you try something new, if it doesn't work, admit it and remedy the situation...
Still waiting for the other shoe to drop... I don't trust them to just give an extra train without either taking a train away or messing with the schedule in another detrimental-to-quality-service way.
Cynical, perhaps.