[diminutive]

Well, in this case you need to start with overcoming over well 100 years of regulatory and industry inertia. Sad as it is, but "that just isn't done" is still a relevant answer for them.

The reason this inertia exists is because TC rail regulations are soo far from peoples' minds that nobody really cares. Most Canadians don't know and don't care that these regulations exist, which let's ossified regulatory systems persist.

In cases where Federal legislators see public demand, they have responded by overrulling regulators. Look at 2007's Chalk River shutdown. The PM/Parliament disagreed with a decision taken by the CNSC/Linda Keen, went over its head and fired its CEO.

The thought of having cancer patients denied medical procedures because of a regulatory delay would have been a PR disaster, so the Govt turfed the CNSC. It's quite clear that it could do the same to any TC bureacrat who said "that just isn't done" if it saw any point in doing so.

It's possible that freight operators could be an opposition source to regulatory reform. Maybe some kind of blanket waiver for GO? That would leave most of CN/CP's business totally unaffected.

I'm not really close enough to the issue to give a detailed solution. It seems premature to say no compromise is reachable though given that nothing's really been tried.

 

[DavidH]

Details are now available on GO's changes in the Durham corridor effective June 29th, with the launch of DRT's Pulse service.

- 95 replaced with 92 Oshawa-Yorkdale. This will still be semiexpress but will be a 7-day-a-week service (similar to what 94 was).
- 94 eliminated, as was known.
- new service 98 Pickering/Finch Express. This will run from Finch Go along Highway 2 to the 401 and to Finch terminal, via STC. This will a rush hour only, one way serviced with 9 morning eastbound trips and 10 afternoon westbound trips.

These were previously reported by DRT in their 2013 service plan, so the news here is that 98 will be limited service; that wasn't clear previously.

Additionally, 96 will go to all day,7 day a week, two way service. The rush hour service split services will stay more or less the same, albeit with some small departure time differences (e.g. the 15:45 departure from Finch moves to 15;40, etc), with off-peak and reverse-direction service generally operating at half hour frequncies and including service to STC (e.g. the current 96B will be the baseline service). Weekends will include some Durham-STC 96A trips as well (generally every second trip during the body of the day).

Schedules and details are on the GO website.

 

[drum118]

No idea what this about, but putting it here

Media Advisory - Transport Canada

EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON, May 10, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for York—Simcoe; Kevin Flynn, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Transportation; and Gary McNeil, GO Transit president, invite media to attend an announcement in East Gwillimbury.

Date:		May 13, 2013
Time:		10:00 a.m.
Location:		65 Garfield Wright Boulevard
		East Gwillimbury, Ontario
		Take the 404 north
		Turn right/head east on Davis Drive
		Turn left on Woodbine Avenue
		Turn right on Garfield Wright Boulevard
		The project site will be on your right, just after Woodbine Avenue
Parking:		Park single file on the south side of the street on Garfield Wright Boulevard, after the GO Bus and VIP parking/pylons.

SOURCE: Transport Canada

For further information:

Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ottawa
613-991-0700

Patrick Searle
Minister's Office
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Toronto
416-327-1815
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055

Bob Nichols
Communications
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Toronto
416-327-1158

Vanessa Thomas
Media Relations
Metrolinx
416-874-5974

 

[innsertnamehere]

hmmm I wonder why it is being held in the middle of an industrial complex.... nowhere near any GO tracks.

 

[Jonny5]

hmmm I wonder why it is being held in the middle of an industrial complex.... nowhere near any GO tracks.

Maybe a new bus garage? It's right next to the highway.

 

[innsertnamehere]

but why in Newmarket? wouldn't you want a bus garage in a more central location?

 

[nfitz]

Maybe a new bus garage? It's right next to the highway.

Metrolinx New East Gwillimbury Bus Storage & Maintenance Facility at 32 West Bales Drive

http://metrolinx01.gotransit.com/te...istings/Bid Takers List - RFP-2012-BI-002.pdf

 

[Jonny5]

A manned ticket booth is now open in the York Street Teamway. It operates with limited weekday hours.

 

[DKsan]

Maybe I never noticed before, but it appears that new GO TVMs have appeared on the GO Transit side of the York University bus loop.

 

[Jonny5]

I am presently on a Lakeshore West train, heading west to Aldershot, and the engine is at the front of the train. I don't ever recall seeing this configuration of the train before. Is this indeed an oddity and what would be the reason for it happening.

UPDATE: The train arrived at Exhibition on the southern-most track. It must be a construction issue.

 

[drum118]

I am presently on a Lakeshore West train, heading west to Aldershot, and the engine is at the front of the train. I don't ever recall seeing this configuration of the train before. Is this indeed an oddity and what would be the reason for it happening.

UPDATE: The train arrived at Exhibition on the southern-most track. It must be a construction issue.

Is it an MP40 or FP59?

If FP59, there most likely one at each end. Have seen this to the point being on one of those trains.

If an MP40 by itself, could be doing testing to see which is better way when the day comes that the Lakeshore line gets split into 2 different line. The west will see more service than the east due to ridership demands.

There is construction work taking place at the EX for the new tunnel and elevator including stairs to allow for the new track on the north side of the westbound platform to be install.

 

[Northern Light]

Is it an MP40 or FP59?

There is construction work taking place at the EX for the new tunnel and elevator including stairs to allow for the new track on the north side of the westbound platform to be install.

Drum, do you know what the schedule is on getting the new Fifth track all the way out to Willowbrook? That project has been on the books for ages, but I don't see any sign of work on it west of Dufferin.

 

[smallspy]

I am presently on a Lakeshore West train, heading west to Aldershot, and the engine is at the front of the train. I don't ever recall seeing this configuration of the train before. Is this indeed an oddity and what would be the reason for it happening.

UPDATE: The train arrived at Exhibition on the southern-most track. It must be a construction issue.

At least three trainsets are currently configured with locos at each end - they are allocated to the Barrie Line. One of those also does a round trip in the morning from Oshawa. On top of those three, a fourth has also been seen running from time to time over the past 2 months, and will be assigned to any run that begins and ends at Willowbrook.

Drum, do you know what the schedule is on getting the new Fifth track all the way out to Willowbrook? That project has been on the books for ages, but I don't see any sign of work on it west of Dufferin.

There is no schedule at this point, as funding has not been allocated. In any case, it is largely dependent on the City finding the funding to replace the Dufferin, Dunn, Jameson and Dowling bridges over the tracks - all of which have been identified as having structural deficiencies and need to be replaced soon.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[Jonny5]

Is it an MP40 or FP59?

If FP59, there most likely one at each end. Have seen this to the point being on one of those trains.

If an MP40 by itself, could be doing testing to see which is better way when the day comes that the Lakeshore line gets split into 2 different line. The west will see more service than the east due to ridership demands.

There is construction work taking place at the EX for the new tunnel and elevator including stairs to allow for the new track on the north side of the westbound platform to be install.

It was an FP59. I caught it again going back to Toronto that evening and confirmed there was one at each end.

 

[dowlingm]

Is there any plan to create any infrastructure such as a TTC bus drop off/loop for a re-routed 63 or other service at the north side of Exhibition post-tunnel?

http://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2009/...in-the-greater-toronto-area-and-hamilton.html

The track will be extended and realigned to create a fifth track through Exhibition Station to provide for improved reliability and peak period service. Construction is expected to begin fall 2009, and be completed by spring 2011.

Um...

http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/66960-upgrades-slated-for-exhibition-go-station/

Construction work is scheduled to begin later this month and is expected to be completed in late 2012.

Ummmm....