[Woodbridge_Heights]

My money is on the September barrie train changes (two southbound maple trains now start at allandale and are 12 cars long rather than 6, added later southbound train and later northbound train). Maybe an announcement about weekday off peak coming December, but even for Del Duca there's not really anything substantive to announce between now and the service going live.

Ding ding ding you win the internets

 

[Edward Skira]

News Release

Ontario Boosting Train and Bus Service Across the GO Network
August 16, 2017

Province Providing More Travel Options for Commuters and Families
Ontario is increasing GO train and bus service across the network to help manage congestion and provide convenient and frequent service for commuters and families.

Effective Sept. 2, Ontario will introduce more peak period GO train service on the Barrie line, providing more travel options to commuters in Barrie, Bradford West Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury, Newmarket, Aurora, King City, Vaughan and Toronto. The province will also increase GO bus service on some of the most in-demand routes that serve customers in Burlington, St. Catharines, Guelph, Mississauga, Oakville, Hamilton and Richmond Hill.

These improvements will help commuters and families in communities across the region connect to jobs, school and recreational activities with a modern, integrated transit system. The service changes include:

• Extending two morning train trips on the Barrie GO line from Maple to Allandale, bringing 15-minute service to the entire line during the busiest travel period
• One new morning and one new afternoon train on the Barrie GO line, making all stops from Bradford to Union Station
• Six new weekday bus trips on Route 12 Burlington-Niagara, increasing bus service to every half hour between Burlington and St. Catharines, including an earlier morning trip from Burlington to Niagara College that will arrive in time for morning classes
• Nine new midday and evening weekday bus trips and two new weekend bus trips on Route 29 Guelph-Mississauga to provide consistent, hourly all-day service along this corridor
• 13 new weekday and four new weekend bus trips on Route 40 Hamilton-Richmond Hill to meet popular demand and provide 24-hour service, seven days a week, with a connection to Pearson International Airport and the Airport Corporate Centre
• Realignment o f Route 19 and Route 40 to provide GO bus service to the Dixie Transitway Station

These service changes are part of the GO Regional Express Rail (RER) program. GO RER includes electrifying core segments and expanding the rail network, and bringing more two-way, all-day service to commuters and families, increasing the number of weekly trips from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 by 2025. It will provide faster and more frequent service across the GO rail network and is the largest commuter rail project in Canada.

Expanding GO Transit to improve people's commute is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.


QUICK FACTS

• The province is investing $21.3 billion to transform the GO network from a commuter transit system to a regional rapid transit system.
• The GO RER program involves more than 500 separate projects across 40 municipalities.
• Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

 

[Megaton327]

News Release

Ontario Boosting Train and Bus Service Across the GO Network
August 16, 2017

Province Providing More Travel Options for Commuters and Families
Ontario is increasing GO train and bus service across the network to help manage congestion and provide convenient and frequent service for commuters and families.

Effective Sept. 2, Ontario will introduce more peak period GO train service on the Barrie line, providing more travel options to commuters in Barrie, Bradford West Gwillimbury, East Gwillimbury, Newmarket, Aurora, King City, Vaughan and Toronto. The province will also increase GO bus service on some of the most in-demand routes that serve customers in Burlington, St. Catharines, Guelph, Mississauga, Oakville, Hamilton and Richmond Hill.

These improvements will help commuters and families in communities across the region connect to jobs, school and recreational activities with a modern, integrated transit system. The service changes include:

• Extending two morning train trips on the Barrie GO line from Maple to Allandale, bringing 15-minute service to the entire line during the busiest travel period
• One new morning and one new afternoon train on the Barrie GO line, making all stops from Bradford to Union Station
• Six new weekday bus trips on Route 12 Burlington-Niagara, increasing bus service to every half hour between Burlington and St. Catharines, including an earlier morning trip from Burlington to Niagara College that will arrive in time for morning classes
• Nine new midday and evening weekday bus trips and two new weekend bus trips on Route 29 Guelph-Mississauga to provide consistent, hourly all-day service along this corridor
• 13 new weekday and four new weekend bus trips on Route 40 Hamilton-Richmond Hill to meet popular demand and provide 24-hour service, seven days a week, with a connection to Pearson International Airport and the Airport Corporate Centre
• Realignment o f Route 19 and Route 40 to provide GO bus service to the Dixie Transitway Station

These service changes are part of the GO Regional Express Rail (RER) program. GO RER includes electrifying core segments and expanding the rail network, and bringing more two-way, all-day service to commuters and families, increasing the number of weekly trips from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 by 2025. It will provide faster and more frequent service across the GO rail network and is the largest commuter rail project in Canada.

Expanding GO Transit to improve people's commute is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.


QUICK FACTS

• The province is investing $21.3 billion to transform the GO network from a commuter transit system to a regional rapid transit system.
• The GO RER program involves more than 500 separate projects across 40 municipalities.
• Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history. To learn more about what's happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

And detailed GO Transit Schedule Changes for September 2nd are up: http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/updates/schedulechanges.aspx

 

[jje1000]

More provincial level shenanigans:

Bombardier applies for judicial review against Metrolinx

Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO), which was excluded from bidding on a contract by Ontario-based transportation agency Metrolinx, said on Tuesday it had filed an application for judicial review.

Bombardier said in a statement it was taking Metrolinx to court after the agency designated the Canadian plane and train maker ineligible to bid on the contract valued at over C$2 billion ($1.57 billion). Bombardier said no reason was given.

Metrolinx responded in an emailed statement that Bombardier could not bid on the contract to manage its rail operations because the company already does work for the agency, including being a train supplier.

"One of the main duties of the successful bidder will be to carry out an assessment of our current operations and service providers," Metrolinx spokeswoman Anne Marie Aikins said in the statement.

"A current operator cannot oversee this function objectively. That's why Bombardier will not be eligible to fulfill that role."

In April, Bombardier had won a case to stop Metrolinx from terminating a C$770 million ($603.78 million) light rail contract due to delivery delays.

Metrolinx had signed an operations and maintenance contract with Bombardier until 2023, which the agency said would not change.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/bombardier-applies-judicial-review-against-004253244.html

 

[Allandale25]

This article posted today is about the Bowmanville Extension and a potential station in Oshawa. See the article for the site plan of the map. I don't really understand what electrification has to do with the extension and this station since I thought the electrification would stop at the existing Oshawa GO Station and the extension to Bowmanville would be with diesel (see this map). I could be wrong.

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

The fate of land potentially slated to be the home of a future GO station will not be decided until next year.

The proposed Thornton Corner’s GO station on lands west of Thornton Road South along the future extension of Consumers Drive is currently owned by Halloway Developments. When the developer’s proposal to build on the land was turned down by the City of Oshawa, it appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board to force some movement on the site.

Dating back to as early as 2008, the site has been rumoured to be the location of the future GO station as part of the province’s plans to extend GO transit east to Bowmanville. However, Metrolinx, the province’s transit authority, has remained mum about the final decision and no movement has been made to purchase the location.

“Halloway has, for over two years now, sought a commitment from Metrolinx with respect to its intention to acquire the Subject Lands or portions thereof,” reads a letter from Jennifer Meader, a lawyer with Weirfoulds LLP representing Halloway.

A further request for comment from Halloway was not returned as of The Oshawa Express press deadline.

Now, following an initial appearance before the OMB, the matter will be put over until February of 2018 as further information is yet to come.

Speaking at the hearing, Andrew Baker, a representative with Metrolinx explained that the site was identified as the location for a future GO station in an Environmental Assessment completed in 2011. However, provincial transit plans have changed.

With plans to electrify the entire Lakeshore East GO rail network by 2025, consultants have been retained to review the original environmental assessment, which could have impacts on any future plans and the proposed GO stations.

According to court documents from the hearing, those reports are expected to be completed in November

The hearing is slated to begin on Feb. 12 at 10:30 a.m. inside the council chambers at Oshawa city hall.

 

[crs1026]

This article posted today is about the Bowmanville Extension and a potential station in Oshawa. See the article for the site plan of the map. I don't really understand what electrification has to do with the extension and this station since I thought the electrification would stop at the existing Oshawa GO Station and the extension to Bowmanville would be with diesel (see this map). I could be wrong.

Your memory is good. The original EA for Bowmanville characterised it as a peak diesel powered service. The BCA for RER was silent on the extension. We will see what the updated Regional plan says, if ML ever releases it.

- Paul

 

[Allandale25]

Your memory is good. The original EA for Bowmanville characterised it as a peak diesel powered service. The BCA for RER was silent on the extension. We will see what the updated Regional plan says, if ML ever releases it.

- Paul

And I assume when the announcement was made that the Premier and/or Minister didn't clarify? Also, I assume the "Bowmanville Extension" line item in the budget shown at the June 2017 Metrolinx Board meeting doesn't provide an answer either way.

 

[dowlingm]

Electrification to Bowmanville on CP shared alignment would be interesting!

 

[robmausser]

Your memory is good. The original EA for Bowmanville characterised it as a peak diesel powered service. The BCA for RER was silent on the extension. We will see what the updated Regional plan says, if ML ever releases it.

- Paul

Why would ML release an updated regional plan so far away from an election season? Expect it to surface during elections.

 

[robmausser]

This article posted today is about the Bowmanville Extension and a potential station in Oshawa. See the article for the site plan of the map. I don't really understand what electrification has to do with the extension and this station since I thought the electrification would stop at the existing Oshawa GO Station and the extension to Bowmanville would be with diesel (see this map). I could be wrong.

Whats even more interesting is it appears that the trackage is all entirely new track, and not CP's.

See the tunnel they want to build? That is substantially NORTH of the CP track.

 

[kEiThZ]

Why would ML release an updated regional plan so far away from an election season? Expect it to surface during elections.

Still worried about how much of this survives the election. Especially if the Liberals aren't re-elected.

 

[Allandale25]

Whats even more interesting is it appears that the trackage is all entirely new track, and not CP's.

See the tunnel they want to build? That is substantially NORTH of the CP track.

I'm not really understanding your geographic references. As best I can tell, the Bowmanville extension branches off of the Lakeshore East line just before the existing GO/VIA Oshawa Station. It then crosses the parking lot, the 401, and Thornton Station is located on the west side of Thornton Road, south the CP Rail tracks. After Thornton Station, it passes under the CP Rail GM plant spur track, and the stays on the south side of the existing CP Rail track from Oshawa to Bowmanville. The whole point of keeping it on the south side of the CP Rail tracks is so that it doesn't interfere.

The only part on the map below I don't get is the "existing track to be removed" because the maps used at the announcement showed the Oshawa GO station at its present location would continue to be used.

 

[innsertnamehere]

my understanding is that they have since "changed their minds" on stopping use of Oshawa GO. All day trains will continue there as well as many peak hour trains, with only peak hour service on the extension.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

This article posted today is about the Bowmanville Extension and a potential station in Oshawa. See the article for the site plan of the map. I don't really understand what electrification has to do with the extension and this station since I thought the electrification would stop at the existing Oshawa GO Station and the extension to Bowmanville would be with diesel (see this map). I could be wrong.

Your memory is good. The original EA for Bowmanville characterised it as a peak diesel powered service. The BCA for RER was silent on the extension. We will see what the updated Regional plan says, if ML ever releases it.

- Paul

my understanding is that they have since "changed their minds" on stopping use of Oshawa GO. All day trains will continue there as well as many peak hour trains, with only peak hour service on the extension.

Why not just continue on the current line and build the Clarington stations near the lake? This plan always contradicted the Lakeshore East RER plan

On the rail side, this is the only change for September.

The bus side will see pretty major improvements to the 12, 29 and 40. The 12 is getting improved peak-period service, while the 29 and 40 are getting improved off-peak service and more-regular headways (hourly and half-hourly, respectively).

The 19 and the 40 will also be moving to the east end of the Mississauga Transitway. The 25 and 29 will follow at the end of April.

There are also a lot of minor tweaks to the Barrie Corridor bus service, in preparation for the launch of weekday off-peak service at the end of December.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

Good to see 7 day off peak service on the Barrie line. Now for the rest of them. They need to come to a deal for mount pleasant with CN already.

 

[amnesiajune]

Why not just continue on the current line and build the Clarington stations near the lake?

Because there's another rail corridor that runs through the middle of Oshawa and Bowmanville. That means Go Transit can be better-connected to local transit and attract more passengers than they would at a station that relies on people to drive in for nearly all of its usage.