SaugeenJunction
Senior Member
You have insider info? No such public plans exist.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
Bordercollie
Senior Member
Someone on this board mentioned it previously
smallspy
Senior Member
They're not public, no.
But they do exist. And in fact, timetables were created. It was planned that they were going to start running trains in April of 2020.
Of course, something happened just before that date that prevented it from occurring.
Those plans still exist, and the hope is still there to go ahead with them.
Dan
innsertnamehere
Superstar
while more service is always great, I admit it always puzzled me. Why run service to two small, low ridership stations which have minimal travel time savings over taking the TTC instead? If it at least went to Langstaff it would make a bit more sense to me, but just to Old Cummer surprised me.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
The ridership is low because there are only 6 trains a day.
innsertnamehere
Superstar
old cummer and Oriole station will likely always be pretty low ridership in the off peak periods as service won't be able to be frequent here and the TTC will offer much more frequent service with relatively similar travel times, especially to Oriole.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
To go from Leslie and then transfer to Sheppard and then go down to Union it's easier to get on at Leslie. It would be better if there was fare integration.
smallspy
Senior Member
The idea was to primarily to create a connection to the Highway 401 buses, and to try and get what was left of the Barrie and Stouffville buses off of the highways downtown.
(There is also some thought going around that doing so was a cheap and easy way to "pad" the weekly train numbers, in order to meet some arbitrary goals that were then laid out by Metrolinx's CEO.)
While yes, Langstaff seems like a far better goal - and from a ridership and network connectivity standpoint, it is - the section of the line north of about Steeles is CN's main freight line to Western Canada, and so there would need to be huge capital improvements made for that to happen. Things like a third mainline track from Steeles to Langstaff, grade separating the Doncaster diamond, etc.
Dan
cplchanb
Senior Member
well its a spiral... poor routing/service leads to poor ridership which goes back to square 1....somethings got to give in order to increase ridership.
nfitz
Superstar
Well there may be a some truth to that, Milton runs at similar times and the pre-Covid ridership was almost triple the 5,800 riders per day Richmond Hill line - despite it being a lot easier to have added extra trains to Richmond Hill than Milton!
And Metrolinx's forecast for ridership when the Yonge extension to Langstaff opens, is lower than now.
Though if they were to improve the Leslie connection and bus into Langstaff and Oriole ... it might make some sense. And add a station at Line 5. Or heck, even Line 2 - you could have fun with some angled elevators up to Castle Frank.
The real issue is that the travel time from Langstaff to Union is long - and just as long as the subway is planned to be once that opens. To solve that, you need to reactivate the very straight CP line (that VIA may use for HFR), build a flyover for the CP mainline, and reactivate the old (and again very straight) link from Leslie/Eglinton up to York Mills Road and the Richmond Hill line. Though the interchange possibilities are weak ... though a really creative elevator system over the DVP up to the west end of the Broadview platform isn't impossible. Though we are well into Fantasy Line world here.
11th
Senior Member
Make Richmond Hill line a branch of the Ontario line. Watch Oriole and Old Cummer's usage skyrockets. (Exaggerated, but they will be well used; on conditions the stations being moved north to Sheppard, and south to Finch respectively)
nfitz
Superstar
That was one of the options in the pre-2019 Metrolinx Relief Line north study, joining that line, just north of Eglinton. Probably cheaper than building an elevated structure up Don Mills Road to 407.
Bordercollie
Senior Member
What's the track speed between old Cummer and Eglinton? 45mph? If they could increase it they could make travel times shorter. I think the tressles over the valley are likely the reason why the train cannot travel faster.
But if I had the choice of riding line 1 from Richmond Hill center or taking the GO train (assuming we are going to Union) I much rather take the GO.
nfitz
Superstar
Sure, if my destination was Union, or Queens Quay.
But that's far from the biggest destination node downtown in AM peak. The biggest is Dundas. Queen is major as well. Once the subway gets to Langstaff, many (if not most) Richmond Hill riders are going to find it faster to take the subway.
It's mostly the massive curves everywhere that means the train can't go faster - which is why switching to the old, inactive, CP line offers an advantage.
There's no major trestles on the current Richmond Hill GO, that I can think of, despite how many times it crosses the Don! (or are you thinking the unused old CP tracks)
Bordercollie
Senior Member
There are at least two between Steeles and the 401.
That's where they could gain some more speed.
Even Queen Street I rather take the GO.