[RS3488]

Hopefully I'm not going off topic but why did they go from 2 to 1? I can't remember if 2 was for reliability or train length.

They used 2 for reliability due to the age of the F59 locomotives.

They switched to 1 after it was found there were potential loading point issues at Union Station, and thus an edict was made to restrict GO Trains from running doubleheader.

 

[smallspy]

They used 2 for reliability due to the age of the F59 locomotives.

It was for reliability, but it had nothing to do with the F59s or their age. If they were able to, they would have run 2 MP40s on those runs.

The idea was that the run was so distant from GO's core network that it would have taken hours and hours to get support out to rescue a stuck train. So, the hope was that by using two locos that the second could limp the train somewhere convenient, or even to the end of the line if need be.

Of course, this doesn't take into account issues that have arisen and that would preclude the second loco from being useful to limp the train along.

Dan

 

[turbanplanner]

It was for reliability, but it had nothing to do with the F59s or their age. If they were able to, they would have run 2 MP40s on those runs.

The idea was that the run was so distant from GO's core network that it would have taken hours and hours to get support out to rescue a stuck train. So, the hope was that by using two locos that the second could limp the train somewhere convenient, or even to the end of the line if need be.

Of course, this doesn't take into account issues that have arisen and that would preclude the second loco from being useful to limp the train along.

Dan

Did anything go wrong in practice?

 

[anb]

The thing is, we already have a REALLY solid connection from the 407 to the lakeshore in the form of GO bus # 56, which is Oshawa - Oakville via the 407 corridor. And it’s a route I undoubtedly utilize a lot. But I especially find route 21C to be the most redundant as the corridor it utilizes is 100% covered by mi-way. (And is the easiest to continue running into union). But my main question is why the 16 was allowed to survive even though it’s easier to convert into a train and takes the exact same congested routes the 21 did. Either keep all or keep none! I’m hoping we’ll have some sort of improvement with service over the next year or so, even a bus from kipling terminal that serves the milton line stations would be a massive improvement compared to the hourly mess we have to deal with nowadays.

Well if they made the 56 run on weekends it would be a lot more better for the region and less need for these 21 detours. In fact there is absolutely no reason why they can't run it as the entire routing of the 56 is fully served by 3 different buses on weekends. If it did happen, hopefully they also allow the 21 buses to head to different transit hubs in Toronto instead (407, Yorkdale, Kipling, etc).

The 16 is still here because there is no fast and sustainable connection from Toronto to Hamilton,. If there were all day Union-Hamilton Centre trains and it ran stops like the Niagara train, then thats where the 16 would become redundant. A lot of people prefer this bus because it is a downtown to downtown option that goes directly to/from each other non stop (minus the local stops in Hamilton).

 

[Allandale25]

Service Updates | Trip Planning | GO Transit

Check this page to see if there are any current delays on GO Transit. Learn the status of your train or bus and see estimated departure time and platforms.

www.gotransit.com

 

[anb]

Service Updates | Trip Planning | GO Transit

Check this page to see if there are any current delays on GO Transit. Learn the status of your train or bus and see estimated departure time and platforms.

www.gotransit.com

View attachment 509877

Kinda read it wrong at first and thought they were actually implementing weekend train service to Kitchener regularly. But the fact they could do this now shows that there’s a lot of progress that was made during the years.

 

[tylerbell]

Service Updates | Trip Planning | GO Transit

Check this page to see if there are any current delays on GO Transit. Learn the status of your train or bus and see estimated departure time and platforms.

www.gotransit.com

View attachment 509877

I really hope these trains are packed and Metrolinx sees how much demand there would be for weekend service all the way to Kitchener.

 

[ShonTron]

I really hope these trains are packed and Metrolinx sees how much demand there would be for weekend service all the way to Kitchener.

At this point, I am sure Metrolinx sees the demand for weekend train service to Kitchener -- look how busy Route 30 weekend buses got as soon as they were introduced last spring. The special reading week trains are likely there to ease crowding on the existing buses during a known crunch time. I could see something happening again for the winter break and the February reading week too now, with limited weekend trains sometime later next year.

 

[Garuda]

I feel like I’m at strip club reading announcements like this. We’re so close to weekend service all the way to Kitchener.

Service Updates | Trip Planning | GO Transit

Check this page to see if there are any current delays on GO Transit. Learn the status of your train or bus and see estimated departure time and platforms.

www.gotransit.com

View attachment 509877

 

[ShonTron]

I wrote about the painfully slow GO Transit ride to Peterborough on my website. Part of the issue is that the bus pulls off to serve carpool lots that no one usually gets on or off at. But there's an opportunity to make at least the 35/115 split park-and-ride actually useful. A few daily express runs would be great too.

The slow way to Peterborough

Peterborough has useful GO bus service, but it’s a slow ride from Toronto. New coach bus competitors offer speed, but not much else. There’s an opportunity to do better here. I also upd…

seanmarshall.ca

 

[pattyrick]

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but the new Old Elm GO is to open on Tuesday, October 17.

Source: big sign at the old station.

 

[Allandale25]

The train geek in me wishes little white flags could be added to the GO engines for these trains to indicate it's a special or extra just as railways did in the past. Hope I have that history correct @smallspy @crs1026

 

[crs1026]

^You are correct - at one time, white flags and white marker lights - collectively referred to as "symbols" - indicated a train that was not shown in the timetable and therefore had no timetable priority in relation to scheduled trains.

The symbols were a function of the old timetable-and-train-order operating rules where trains' authority to proceed was laid down by timetable and then modified by written orders relayed by local station operators. That system of operation was superseded in the 1980's by a newer system which was based on verbal orders dictated from RTC directly to the crew, usually by radio. The new system dispensed with timetable authorities, and therefore all trains effectively became "extras".

Even in the old days, white flags and lights were redundant in territory governed by CTC, although special instructions sometimes required extra trains to display white flags while in CTC territory.

The GO F59's were built with marker lights, and occasionally some crew member lights them up just for laughs - but they have no significance any more, and I'm not sure if their use is even allowed. But maybe the engineer will be tempted......

- Paul

 

[Dan416]

View attachment 510132

Must be nice to be on a line where they can add trains.

The Milton 17:55 train is 30 minutes after the 17:25 train departing Union, and is really crowded they really need a 17:40 train.

 

[reaperexpress]

I really hope these trains are packed and Metrolinx sees how much demand there would be for weekend service all the way to Kitchener.

They are clearly well aware of the demand for weekend service to Kitchener given that they need to run three double decker buses express to Kitchener for each train arrival at Bramalea during busy parts of the day:

I wrote about the painfully slow GO Transit ride to Peterborough on my website. Part of the issue is that the bus pulls off to serve carpool lots that no one usually gets on or off at. But there's an opportunity to make at least the 35/115 split park-and-ride actually useful. A few daily express runs would be great too.

The slow way to Peterborough

Peterborough has useful GO bus service, but it’s a slow ride from Toronto. New coach bus competitors offer speed, but not much else. There’s an opportunity to do better here. I also upd…

seanmarshall.ca

It's good that they've finally introduced some express trips on the 88, but it's a bit limiting that it's only 3 round trips per day on Thursdays and Fridays. They really ought to run some express trips on Sundays as well, to cover the other direction of people's weekend trips.

The timing of the express trips is also not great - they have a 25-minute transfer to the train at Oshawa station, which undermines their speed advantage.

I wonder what route the 88C express takes. The fastest route would be via the 407E and and 418, but I don't know if the province waives the fees on the 407E (which they own) for GO. They really should, it's the least they could do to make that public expenditure of theirs at least a little bit useful for people who don't own cars.

Also, Flixbus and Rider Express aren't the only ones running from Toronto to Ottawa via Peterborough, Book a Ride does as well.