GO Transit

[Canard]

Is the 30 (the hourly connection between Kitchener GO and Bramalea GO) only serviced by older, single-decker busses?

[timio]

^ I've seen double deckers on the runs back to Toronto mid day as I've been on single deckers heading to kw.

I also took a double decker at 748am to Bramalea.

Depends on usage elsewhere in the system it seems.

[Canard]

Ah, thanks!

Maybe I’ll try a Bus/Train combo on the way back; the trip in is a single-decker and I was really hoping to snatch an upstairs front seat on a double.

(Although I imagine there’s a mad rush on the Bramalea>Kitchener bus for that seat since everyone arrives on the train at the same time.)

[timio]

The connection to the 2:53 and 3:35 train has always been single decker over the past year. Generally there's one or two people waiting for the bus by the time the train arrives, but you can get there ahead of most people by sitting in the east end of the train; front door of the first coach or back door of the second coach will get you right at the eastern tunnel and line you up to hoof it to the far east platform to catch the bus in hopes you're ahead of anyone else getting off the train.

[Canard]

Thanks for the feedback!

I took the 5:50pm train back. 2h17 to go 100 km, so an average of about 43 km/h. It was pretty agonizing how slowly it crawled along the way.

We must do better.

[tomh009]

It's a Train for the People.

[Spokes]

Increase in GO Train service started Monday

A 25 per cent increase comes in the form of two more trains per day, one in the morning and one at night. 

A morning trip that currently begins at Georgetown GO Station will now begin at Kitchener GO Station at 5:40 a.m., arriving at 7:43 a.m. at Union. 

The existing trip that leaves Union Station at 3:35p.m. and ends at Georgetown GO Station will extend to Kitchener GO Station, arriving at 5:43 p.m. 

MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga Mike Harris spent his morning visiting commuters who are using the added GO service in and out of the Region. 

He tells 570 NEWS in a statement that the additional trains offer people more flexibility and options when they're commuting to and from Toronto. 

But NDP MPP for Waterloo Catherine Fife says that the added trains are not necessarily an improvement. 

"My office has already been hearing from commuters that rightly point out that we've gone from three slow trains and one express train -- in the morning and evening -- to now five slow trains." 

Fife notes that the express route in the morning toward Toronto has not been removed. 

She says that the increase in options is a good thing, but that's not all that matters. 

"The speed that one gets from Kitchener-Waterloo to Toronto and back actually matters to people," says Fife. "It affects their lives, their time with family, and their productivity."

https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-new...ay-1186283

[danbrotherston]

Increase in GO Train service started Monday

A 25 per cent increase comes in the form of two more trains per day, one in the morning and one at night. 

A morning trip that currently begins at Georgetown GO Station will now begin at Kitchener GO Station at 5:40 a.m., arriving at 7:43 a.m. at Union. 

The existing trip that leaves Union Station at 3:35p.m. and ends at Georgetown GO Station will extend to Kitchener GO Station, arriving at 5:43 p.m. 

MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga Mike Harris spent his morning visiting commuters who are using the added GO service in and out of the Region. 

He tells 570 NEWS in a statement that the additional trains offer people more flexibility and options when they're commuting to and from Toronto. 

But NDP MPP for Waterloo Catherine Fife says that the added trains are not necessarily an improvement. 

"My office has already been hearing from commuters that rightly point out that we've gone from three slow trains and one express train -- in the morning and evening -- to now five slow trains." 

Fife notes that the express route in the morning toward Toronto has not been removed. 

She says that the increase in options is a good thing, but that's not all that matters. 

"The speed that one gets from Kitchener-Waterloo to Toronto and back actually matters to people," says Fife. "It affects their lives, their time with family, and their productivity."

https://www.kitchenertoday.com/local-new...ay-1186283

I'm guessing that MPP Harris wouldn't be allowed to say if he was hearing complaints, even if he wanted too...of course, given he was gifted a riding, he probably doesn't even care.

[Spokes]

This seems like a constant political back and forth issue.

[timio]

Curious who made the call to remove the pm express:

PC government? Unlikely (although they have the most part to play in bringing it back, and get an underserved photo op as well if they do)
Metrolinx: unlikely
GO: potentially
CN: likely

Not that I give the government any credit for this (or anything, really), but I highly doubt they intentionally cut the express trip. More likely a scheduling thing. Only a specific block of time available at Union which didn't correlate with a block of time to go through CN territory with express.

But yes, this does suck for those who work until 1630. I'm fine with the 1535 train, but not everyone has the flexibility to do so.

[urbd]

Ah, thanks!

Maybe I’ll try a Bus/Train combo on the way back; the trip in is a single-decker and I was really hoping to snatch an upstairs front seat on a double.

(Although I imagine there’s a mad rush on the Bramalea>Kitchener bus for that seat since everyone arrives on the train at the same time.)

It's not a great experience. The extra height and high speeds they travel at make it very unpleasant, the bus swerves a lot and feels unsafe.

[danbrotherston]

Depends on the person, I prefer the view, and the swaying doesn't bother me.

[timio]

I had one driver that rode the brakes the entire trip on a single level. By the time we reached Charles street, I was quite happy to be ashore again.

[urbd]

I had one driver that rode the brakes the entire trip on a single level.  By the time we reached Charles street, I was quite happy to be ashore again.

Exactly, they do this all the time. Greyhound too... it's scary.

[Bob_McBob]

The new schedule is apparently causing huge issues for commuters all over the place. The loss of the express service is going down as well as expected.

https://bramptonist.com/changes-to-the-g...commuters/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/w...-1.4972886