[299 bloor call control.]

I highly doubt you'll see express trains any time soon on the Barrie line - there's insufficient track infrastructure (i.e. single track in many places, making it difficult for express trains to bypass local trains), and most boardings are at the southern end of the line, before it hits York U and runs express anyway to Union Station.

Note at the "Regional Express" designation in The Big Move doesn't necessarily mean express trains - it just means a high level of rail service above that of "regional rail", which focuses mainly on commuter service.

 

[nfitz]

Does anybody know if there are there any plans to add express trains to the Barrie line from Aurora or Newmarket to Union?

I think the answer is there are no plans in the next decade. The GO 2020 document talks about adding express trains in rush hour when demand increases to the point where there's more than 4 trains an hour - and they are currently only at 2 trains an hour. Then on page 30, it gives the description of "Train service for Bradford every 15-20 minutes during peak periods, with selected trips for Barrie. Counter-peak service every 30 minutes" with no mention of express trains (which they mention for Lakeshore and Milton).

There's also the Gormley GO station opening under construction near Stouffville Road and Leslie and opening in 2014 - though I expect the travel time from there would be similar.

I commute from Aurora to Union every day and I am seriously considering a move to Oakville to save 20 minutes each way. I really like living in Aurora but the +1 hour commute each way is taking a toll on me.

Yeah, it's a way. Personally, I'd be moving a lot close to Union. About a 30-minute maximum commute is my tolerance, perhaps a little longer if some of it is walking.

 

[drum118]

For those who use the Georgetown line be prepare for major rail shifting and slow movement on Nov 19.

The current track between Lawrence and Weston Rd will be relocated to a 2nd track in CP ROW over the weekend of Nov 16-19.

VIA trains will be shifted to the Barrie line over the weekend as well the Santa Claus GO train on Nov 18.

The line will remain this way until track 1 & 2 tunnel underpass is completed in 2014.

At the same time, trains will be slow order at Weston Rd for the building of the new embankment bridge support either at the same time or a few weeks later.

Starting sometime in Feb/March, trains will be slow order crossing the river as the first 2 new track support beams are being place.

Sometime in Dec/Jan, trains will be slow order Black Creek bridge as the new track 3 bridge is being install. This will take place at night with the road close to traffic.

After it is completed, trains will be shifted over to it as track 4 bridge will get a major rebuilt.

The existing track and supports on it will be replace with a new concrete deck being built for the tracks to stop things falling between the ties to the ground below. It will also cut down on the noise of the trains crossing it.

Once this is done, track 1 & 2 bridges will be installed.

It is unknown at this time if the existing bridge over the river and the support columns for it will remain as is or be remove and rebuilt. If it is removed, the iron rods and steel in those columns could end up in the hands of community artiest.

The current track 4 at Weston GO station will move to track 3 in 2014 while the current temporary platform and station is rebuilt to the plan station design that will go out for tender in early 2013. More on this later.

 

[drum118]

Had a look at the Sheppard underpass on Thursday for the first time since May.

This underpass will not be completed until summer of 2013.

Sewer and waterline are being installed west of the underpass to the existing bridge.

Sidewalk on the east side of underpass on the north side is complete along with some retaining wall in place.

Retaining wall being built of the west side before the sidewalk is built.

There still a lot of landscaping has to be done, but not until next year.

Water is seeping through the joints in the south side retaining wall.

They are going to have to rebuilt the centre medium on the east side for LRT ROW since it become narrows there to allow turning lanes for the new location of the existing north street.

Photos to follow later

 

[Long Island Mike]

Everyone: What is the status of extending permanently GO Rail service to Niagara Falls?

I read that VIA discontinued its last two peak-hour runs last month and only the joint
Amtrak/VIA Maple Leaf is now using this route...

I also know of the problem of the Welland Canal Bridge being a barrier to GO offering
for example 16 trains daily-8 each way...if ridership will support this service...

The fare from NFS to TWO can be $25 one way peak; $18.50 off peak...
I am comparing it to a similar-distance trip on the LIRR-84 miles...

Anyone have any thoughts or know about GO's intentions concerning this route?

LI MIKE

 

[M II A II R II K]

GO may trim parking in future expansion plans to discourage car use

Nov 07 2012

Read More: http://www.thespec.com/news/local/a...-future-expansion-plans-to-discourage-car-use


Planners at GO Transit are trying to figure out how to provide enough parking at train stations to support ridership growth while convincing people there are better ways to get to the station than driving. About 60 per cent of GO rail riders drive to the station. Twenty-one per cent walk, cycle or take transit and the remainder use kiss and ride or carpool, Joshua Engel-Yan, a senior adviser in strategy, policy and system planning at Metrolinx, told a sustainable transportation conference in Hamilton Tuesday.

- The transit agency has beefed up bike lockups to encourage cycling and works with municipal transit authorities to boost service to stations, said Engel-Yan. It is giving priority parking to carpoolers, too. But the parking crunch continues and is expected to only get worse as the GO system expands. Metrolinx, which operates GO, will produce a parking strategy next spring. GO Transit manages 62,000 parking spaces, making it one of the largest parking operators in North America. Yet 31 of GO's 62 stations are above capacity for parking, said Engel-Yan. That has commuters in some cases parking more than one kilometre from the platform, parking illegally within the GO lots or waiting up to an hour to get out of a lot. “People crowd the doors of the train and literally run across the lot to try to get out quickly,†said transportation consultant Steven Bishop.

- In a customer survey, 30 per cent of GO users who drive to the station would be willing to try a different method to get there and 85 per cent said they would still use GO if parking lots were full. “There is opportunity there to shift people out of their cars.†The Drummond report into provincial finances recommended that GO charge for parking. Right now, only reserved parking comes at a price: $80 a month. There are about 4,000 reserved spots across the system. “Metrolinx is currently looking at best practices elsewhere in terms of revenue tools, including paid parking,†Anne Marie Aikins, manager of media relations for Metrolinx. “Everything is under review but at this time no decisions have been made.†Providing parking is by no means free. Most surface lots — where the cost of each space ranges between $6,000 and $7,000 — can't be expanded. Spots in multi-level parking garages cost $30,000 to $35,000 each and are three and a half times as expensive to maintain ($350 a year per spot).

.....

 

[gweed123]

Maybe it's time to start charging for parking, at least on weekdays. Maybe using a bit of a stick will get people to consider alternative modes of getting to the station. Or at the very least, it'll help further subsidize the system.

 

[smallspy]

Everyone: What is the status of extending permanently GO Rail service to Niagara Falls?

I read that VIA discontinued its last two peak-hour runs last month and only the joint
Amtrak/VIA Maple Leaf is now using this route...

I also know of the problem of the Welland Canal Bridge being a barrier to GO offering
for example 16 trains daily-8 each way...if ridership will support this service...

The fare from NFS to TWO can be $25 one way peak; $18.50 off peak...
I am comparing it to a similar-distance trip on the LIRR-84 miles...

Anyone have any thoughts or know about GO's intentions concerning this route?

LI MIKE

At this point (and unless they get told otherwise by someone higher up), GO has no plans to service Niagara Falls beyond the current buses and the summer weekend train runs.

Train service will be extended to St. Catharines with a bus connection to Niagara Falls, but that is still several years off.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[drum118]

Short Notices

[FONT=&quot]TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2012 /CNW/ - On Sunday, November 18, GO Transit will run extra trains along all of its GO Train lines for the annual Santa Claus parade in downtown Toronto. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For each GO line, a train will travel into Toronto before the parade and depart Union Station homebound afterwards. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This year, more people will have the chance to get downtown for the annual holiday tradition—GO operated special service along the Lakeshore and Barrie lines for last year's parade but now is expanding the service to include the Milton, Kitchener, Richmond Hill and Stouffville lines. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]A special flat-rate day pass for November 18 is available at most GO Train stations now. The $20 GO group pass is an easy way for families to travel; five people can ride all day for the price of two adults. With no downtown driving or parking, GO Transit certainly makes the 'nice' list for this year's parade. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For more information on GO services, visit gotransit.com, or call 416.869.3200, 1.888.GET ON GO (438.6646) or 1.800.387.3652 TTY. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]GO Transit is Metrolinx's regional public transit system linking Toronto with the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area. GO carries about 62 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans more than 11,000 square kilometres. Metrolinx is an agency of the Province of Ontario.[/FONT]

 

[canarob]

Since the bridge work is finished (aside from some of the landscaping, etc.) this will be the first time that the Stouffville line will have special event service. I'm very pleased that GO is listening to its riders and adding more of this type of service.

 

[nfitz]

Short Notices

It's been on GO's website for over a week.

 

[drum118]

It's been on GO's website for over a week.

Don't check the site on a regular, but this was a media release and still too short for it.

GO Does need to add more event service period, including more than 1 train each way.

 

[nfitz]

GO Does need to add more event service period, including more than 1 train each way.

Seems there's been a lot of event service recently, compared to previous years. And the week after the Santa Claus parade is the Grey Cup, which will also have special service on the GO rail lines.

 

[wolfewood]

They've started paving (if that's the right word for it) the platform and possibly parking lot at Acton. There's also a small brick building they've finished recently, no idea what that might be for. They also have a small shelter set up as of this morning, the black and orange types you see at GO bus stops at train stations.

It also looks like the siding at Guelph is being relaid and reconnected to the main line. Still just have a crappy pre-fab shelter with a giant crack in it and the front half of the train isn't opening either. No pics, sorry.

 

[Long Island Mike]

At this point (and unless they get told otherwise by someone higher up), GO has no plans to service Niagara Falls beyond the current buses and the summer weekend train runs.

Train service will be extended to St. Catharines with a bus connection to Niagara Falls, but that is still several years off.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Dan: Thanks for the reply...I now also realize that serving Hamilton would become another problem...

New Niagara train service would mean probably another Hamilton station like the former CNR station or
track alignment or addition to allow thru service from the Hamilton GO Centre (the former TH&B station)
to Niagara...I feel that all GO service should serve the better located GO Centre if at all possible...

For now expanded GO Bus service will help riders until expanded GO Rail train service becomes feasible...

LI MIKE