GO Transit

[jamincan]

Even on the Lakeshore line, express trains only skip the inner stations. (Port Credit to Expedition).

[Thenewsroom99]

Out of curiosity, I've been following the implementation of the new GO train service and, while it is only day one, there are clearly some issues.

The new 20:57 Kitchener to Union was about 10-15 minutes late departing Kitchener. GO is simply turning around the 18:53-20:50 train. If the train encounters any delay of over 5 minutes like it did tonight (10 minutes), it will typically not start its return to Union until just after 21:00.

Also, due to "passenger train traffic", the first 21:43 Union to Kitchener train will be stopping at Georgetown. This looks to be because the 19:51 VIA train from London hit an 1 hr 45 minute long delay from London to St Mary's. It just left Kitchener at 22:42 which would put it at Georgetown around 23:30.

All to say that if there is any kind of major delay, the new GO schedule seems to go out the window. It's too bad they can't extend the last train to arrive in Kitchener vs Guelph.

[danbrotherston]

Serious delays and and even at least one train cancellation this morning, as a result of freight traffic. I guess this is the planned long term normal state for the Tory's cheaper "no bypass" train service.

I wonder how big a factor reliability is compared with frequency in the transit value proposition.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Serious delays and and even at least one train cancellation this morning, as a result of freight traffic. I guess this is the planned long term normal state for the Tory's cheaper "no bypass" train service.

I wonder how big a factor reliability is compared with frequency in the transit value proposition.

Agreed.

What good is increased frequency if the trains are never on time?

[SammyOES]

It seems to me that both the Liberals and Conservatives are doing (or did) half-assed jobs here - it's just a different half of the ass in each case.

It feels like the Liberals came up with a long-term plan and then just shrugged off doing any actual short-term improvements pointing out that things would be better a decade from now. The Conservatives have no long-term plan but are at least making short-term improvements...

[danbrotherston]

It seems to me that both the Liberals and Conservatives are doing (or did) half-assed jobs here - it's just a different half of the ass in each case.

It feels like the Liberals came up with a long-term plan and then just shrugged off doing any actual short-term improvements pointing out that things would be better a decade from now.  The Conservatives have no long-term plan but are at least making short-term improvements...

Are they improvements though? Yes, it sounds like we have more trains, but if they cannot be relied on, it could be worse than not having them (because they cost money).

[ijmorlan]

It seems to me that both the Liberals and Conservatives are doing (or did) half-assed jobs here - it's just a different half of the ass in each case.

It feels like the Liberals came up with a long-term plan and then just shrugged off doing any actual short-term improvements pointing out that things would be better a decade from now.  The Conservatives have no long-term plan but are at least making short-term improvements...

There have been a number of improvements in GO service over the last few years, so I wouldn’t say the Liberals did nothing. My main complaint with them is having big plans but then not doing much with them. Remember that most of the lack of execution on Transit City in Toronto is actually the fault of McGuinty/Wynne, not Rob Ford (although Rob Ford kicked off the delays that eventually led to the almost complete non-execution of the plan).

[tomh009]

It seems to me that both the Liberals and Conservatives are doing (or did) half-assed jobs here - it's just a different half of the ass in each case.

Now that is complicated ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX5gv8x4vSs

[MidTowner]

Someone on Urban Toronto linked to this ridership map. It shows numbers for April to July this year.

Kitchener had a total of 24,200 riders, a 17.1% increase from the same period last year.

[Spokes]

That's fantastic growth. I wonder if that was what they expected with the increase in service

[SammyOES]

I'm pretty excited that I have an upcoming trip to Toronto where Go is the obvious best option on how to get there and back. It's never happened before because the times were always so limited.

[plam]

I'm pretty excited that I have an upcoming trip to Toronto where Go is the obvious best option on how to get there and back.  It's never happened before because the times were always so limited.

Yep. I took the afternoon train out to Toronto last week and the evening train/bus back (the train/train existed but was 15 minutes slower). It gets me home a lot later (1.5 hours) but I don't have to drive.

I also have a friend visiting Waterloo (in general, lives in SF, but for this trip, coming from Toronto); he is taking the VIA on Sunday evening and the GO / 115 back to YYZ. It's more viable than it used to be.

[Bob_McBob]

Looks like the GO Train hit a pedestrian at Lancaster.

https://twitter.com/WRPSToday/status/119...0557293568

https://twitter.com/RosieDelCampo/status...3875075075

[panamaniac]

That crossing seems to be good for one or two hits a year.

[ac3r]

Looks like the GO Train hit a pedestrian at Lancaster.

https://twitter.com/WRPSToday/status/119...0557293568

https://twitter.com/RosieDelCampo/status...3875075075

It seems like it was a mother and child who were both hit. They were airlifted to Hamilton, but CBC is reporting there may be a possible fatality.