ShonTron
Moderator
10 trains per week!
It’s amazing anyone used GO in the early days.
In 1972, that would have been a CN train on a commuter-friendly schedule. It wasn’t until 1974 that GO’s second line – Georgetown – began operations.
|
|
|
10 trains per week!
It’s amazing anyone used GO in the early days.
Interesting that the 14:40 train terminates at Bradford at 15:49. Either it deadheads back as an equipment move, or more likely it ties up and one of the outbound evening trains deadheads back in the wee hours after its run. Or both - not sure whether 2 trains lay over at Bradford, or only one. Having a train tie up for the day before the evening rush is not optimal, but there's no easy way to get it back to Union before the afternoon fleet gets going. It will sure be great when the line is fully double tracked.
- Paul
In 1972, that would have been a CN train on a commuter-friendly schedule. It wasn’t until 1974 that GO’s second line – Georgetown – began operations.
This schedule appears to utilise one passing point, around Rutherford. That's all that's needed off-peak given 1 hour headways. If you increase the headway, you need more passing points, and these aren't there yet. At peak, there are so many trains running in the peak direction that there isn't anyplace to meet.
Interesting that the 14:40 train terminates at Bradford at 15:49. Either it deadheads back as an equipment move, or more likely it ties up and one of the outbound evening trains deadheads back in the wee hours after its run. Or both - not sure whether 2 trains lay over at Bradford, or only one. Having a train tie up for the day before the evening rush is not optimal, but there's no easy way to get it back to Union before the afternoon fleet gets going. It will sure be great when the line is fully double tracked.
Arrival at Union at :33 is just great for connections to LSE/LSW, but departure at :40 may make it hard to connect directly off LSE/LSW. A half hour layover isn't fatal. I wonder if GO has a target for timing of connections at Union, or if that is even a consideration. In the end state of 15 minute headways on all lines, it probably won't matter.
- Paul
There are now passing sidings, but not enough yet to get trains passing through against the peak flow. The second track is needed at Downsview Park, as well as at the Davenport Diamond, to make a minimal counter-peak train service possible.
Building more passing tracks gives Metrolinx the justification too, then, to close down York U station.
They've only just short-listed the bidders for the double-tracking of the line, so it will be some time before trains are able to take advantage of it.
http://www.infrastructureontario.ca/Barrie-Rail-Corridor-Expansion-Project/
Dan
Toronto, Ont.
Ugh...but ok, progress.We are probably looking at another 18 months to 2 years or so before full counter peak service happens. This is great news but I hope the sidings are put in place for proper off peak and counter peak service.
I wish it was much faster, and it frankly should be. Doesn't take that long to lay down tracks.Ugh...but ok, progress.
I wish it was much faster, and it frankly should be. Doesn't take that long to lay down tracks.
I wish it was much faster, and it frankly should be. Doesn't take that long to lay down tracks.
This entire thing should have been farmed out to a third party. With project management, it's always better to be safe they sorry, but meeting deadlines is important. I feel the slowdown is also political and the Liberals want to just announce things during the election.The procurement strategy is what is adding the delay. That, and the timing of the cash in Ontario's budget.....the money is only starting to flow for RER. That the RER funding wasn't planned to be available for a few years yet was always clear in Ontario's budgets, which Wynne's PR people quietly overlooked.
hd
While I'm as frustrated as anyone with the pace, I'm warming up to the procurement strategy. RER is far bigger than ML had the project management strength to manage internally. Ontario's decision to put all the project people in one agency (IO) and run all infrastructure from there wasn't totally wrong. They have gone much further with working in the financing end of that than Ottawa has with its not-ready-for-primetime-yet IB. Measure twice, cut once is always a wise approach so taking more time early may be prudent.
All the same, watching the pace of projects, one wonders how much time and money contingency the contractors are building in. The problem with contingency is, if you allow it they will use it up. If you don't allow it, there will be alleged "overruns" that the media loves to overstate and take out of context. Ion is one example of that. Some of the recent headlines about OPG's Darlington refurb have turned on the same thing. I wonder if IO, reflecting Ontario's risk-averse desire for all-good-news projects, is taking an ambitious enough line on timetables.
- Paul
Yup, now only 7 years away on Jan 1, 2018Its worrisome how long just double tracking is taking, considering electrification is a whole other can of worms.
2025 is fast approaching.
Still seems absurd to me not to have counter-peak trains, but to have mid-day and evening trains. I'd think that, at least cost to the city itself, that counter-peak would be busier than off-peak.
Still seems absurd to me not to have counter-peak trains, but to have mid-day and evening trains. I'd think that, at least cost to the city itself, that counter-peak would be busier than off-peak.
Not quite all day, two-way hourly train service: here's the new PDF schedule. The last southbound train leaves Aurora at 2:41 PM, the first evening train leaves at 8:41 PM. The first northbound morning train leaves at 9:40 from Union Station.
In addition to the new Barrie Line trains:
- New route 69 will provide weekday shuttle service between Newmarket Bus Terminal and Aurora GO. 69A branch will provide transitional service between Wellington/404 Park & Ride and Aurora GO.
There are 3 layover spots at Bradford. 2 have been in use since September.
Nitpick: I thought it was just the 8:19 departure that originates at Bradford. Is there another?
Currently, the 8:19 (whenever I've caught it) is a 6-pack. Come January 2, will all three Bradford trains be shorter trains? Can the 3 spots accommodate larger consists?
Looking at the weekend schedule, I see the 18:11 Aurora departure is 10 minutes later (all the others are at :01 past the hour). Is this trip served by a deadhead chasing the Union 17:00. Or does one of the Bradford trains see action on the weekend? (I'm guessing not, since there's only 4 minutes between the train leaving Bradford to go north and the southbound departure from Aurora.)
They could at least do it where double-tracking exists. Kitchener line to Bramalea for example.It is physically impossible to run counter-peak service because there aren't enough passing tracks to meet the peak-direction service, which runs as frequently as every 15 minutes. While it may seem absurd to have evening service but no counter-peak service, it would be even more absurd to reduce the frequency of peak-direction service in order to provide counter-peak service. Full double-tracking is well underway, and as more of it gets completed, more counter-peak service will become possible.