GO Transit

[taylortbb]

Metrolinx quietly drops Deutsche Bahn, Aecon from multibillion-dollar GO expansion project

Liberated edition: https://archive.is/KWhBN

Wow, it looks like GO Expansion is a major shit show. The entire premise of the contact structure was that ONXpress would be responsible for both construction and operations, so that they would have the freedom to balance both. But instead GO is completely scrapping the operations contract (Deutsche Bahn and Aecon) and reverting to Alstom.

Deutsche Bahn talked a lot publicly about how GO operations were very outdated, and they were going to bring modern operating practices from Europe to the GO train network. I'd love to be a fly on the wall, was Metrolinx an unreasonable customer? Was DB in over their head and not familiar with North American rail operations? So many questions. But regardless, this is almost certainly going to mean delays to GO service improvements.

[nms]

Did DB give any suggestion of what "modern operating practices" might be possible?

[bravado]

All I know for sure is that I'm glad we'll never know the true details of what happened, Ontarians and government transparency just don't mix!

[ac3r]

Die Ochsen hinter dem Wagen spannen. I could see DB getting absolutely fed up with the way we operate shit on this continent, then sought a way to get out of having to be stuck working with Metrolinx and Ontario politics in general. Germans would NOT put up with an apathetic Canadian mentality, especially in regards to massive infrastructure projects.

[KevinL]

Wow, it looks like GO Expansion is a major shit show. The entire premise of the contact structure was that ONXpress would be responsible for both construction and operations, so that they would have the freedom to balance both. But instead GO is completely scrapping the operations contract (Deutsche Bahn and Aecon) and reverting to Alstom.

Here's some background on the causes of the split; unsurprisingly, it's institutional inertia at Metrolinx where their way of doing things is seen as superior, and the new concepts DB were paid to bring in got stonewalled and revised to uselessness. https://www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-tril...s-10786705

[KevinL]

A Reddit user has proposed, in addition to the spur to Cambridge from Guelph, using the spur line in KW to build a station in Waterloo (between Regina and Willow, walking distance from the Ion).

Seems intriguing, not sure of its practicality though.

[MidTowner]

That does not make any sense as an investment.

We have the Ion right at Waterloo Town Square. When the station at King and Victoria is built, it will take less than ten minutes to travel to/from there and Uptown Waterloo.

Edit: I thought maybe the user wasn't aware of Ion, but instead it seems like he's not aware of the plan to relocate the Central Station to King Street.

[ijmorlan]

That does not make any sense as an investment.

We have the Ion right at Waterloo Town Square. When the station at King and Victoria is built, it will take less than ten minutes to travel to/from there and Uptown Waterloo.

Edit: I thought maybe the user wasn't aware of Ion, but instead it seems like he's not aware of the plan to relocate the Central Station to King Street.

I think it would be cool to see GO trains on the Waterloo Spur (and Paul Puncher a train station again), but with the Ion in place I can’t see it making any sense. Additionally, their suggested platform (essentially most of the track from Willow to Regina) would cut off an important pedestrian crossing of the tracks.

[westwardloo]

Looks like we are finally going to see some weekend service! It's too bad it is starting in the wintertime though. I could imagine this service will be much more popular in the summer months. 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article...kitchener/

It appears like the Government and CN have come to an agreement to allow GO to build 40 km of track and realign some of the existing tack. This should have been done a decade ago, but this is better than nothing.

[ZEBuilder]

Looks like we are finally going to see some weekend service! It's too bad it is starting in the wintertime though. I could imagine this service will be much more popular in the summer months. 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article...kitchener/

It appears like the Government and CN have come to an agreement to allow GO to build 40 km of track and realign some of the existing tack. This should have been done a decade ago, but this is better than nothing.

For those curious much of the additional track is going to be in the existing part of the corridor that CN owns (Georgetown to the 407), engineering work has been happening for a while on that.

[danbrotherston]

That's amazing. And I am just fine with that happening in the winter...Nov is just in time for me to use it when I come back for Christmas.

[MidTowner]

Awesome news to be getting weekend service. Also great news that Kitchener will get another weekday train.

[ac3r]

Does anyone know what they anticipate the schedule to be like? Hopefully it isn't like...2 trips a day to start.

[KevinL]

4 daily trips on weekends, to start.

[timio]

Awesome news to be getting weekend service. Also great news that Kitchener will get another weekday train.

This is likely the late night one that stopped in Guelph due to CN movement. So not as useful, but better than transferring for those who want to carry on past Guelph.