timio
Active Member
Or Aldershot/Burlington.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
Or Aldershot/Burlington.
rbt
Senior Member
My interpretation is this is a feeler for bringing CP onto the bypass discussion and promising Milton RER on a 10 year timeline as part of their election campaign.
Cambridge bus ridership isn't great but Milton corridor as a whole can support significantly more service than they have today.
If McGarry made these statements on her own, I'm afraid her lifetime in the Liberal cabinet will be quite short.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Here's an example of what the tracks and RoW look like.
Stills:
http://www.niagararails.com/fergus.phtml
yrt+viva=1system
Senior Member
Seeing the pics of the ROWs really makes it sad how we've ignored so many good opportunities to connect these small communities. If Transport Canada/FRA regulations weren't a requirement, it would've been nice to see something like the Alstom Cordia Lint or Stadler Flirt used on these ROWs instead of the hulking current GO train consists. I purposely didn't mention Metrolinx cause they clearly would not be intelligent enough to figure this out. Not even going to mention Via.
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steveintoronto
Superstar
Bear in mind the rails of the almost entire length of what's left of that sub are from the Twenties, almost a century old. There's a few sections of heavier rail closer to Guelph from the Forties. That used to be the Great Western Railway main. It's been languishing ever since CNR was formed, and the Grand Trunk was almost always the choice out of the two to keep as the better route.
salsa
Senior Member
"All potential investment decisions are made according to evidence and business-case analysis,” says her spokesperson.
We'll see about that.
nfitz
Superstar
It's about 20 km southeast from Kitchener GO to Galt station - you are pretty much doubling back. It's only 40 km to Milton GO. Best travel times back in 1950 with steam engines, was 17 minutes from Guelph Junction to Galt, 11 minutes from Guelph Junction to Milton. So 28 minutes - say 30 from Milton to Galt.
About an hour between Milton and Union, so 90 minutes to Galt. Given that it's over 2 hours on GO to Kitchener, I don't think double-ing back to Galt works. Heck maybe should go to Galt, and catch a taxi to Kitchener!
Back in 1950, an express did Galt to Union in 67 minutes!
The rush-hour service route 24 they added to Galt a year or so ago to meet the Milton train. Problem is it takes 60 minutes, because it has to go all the way up to the 401, and then back down again, while the train used to do it in 30.
She's been talking about extending this forever. She'd surely discussed with GO Transit, Wynne, Del Luca before. It's a pretty obvious extension.
Arguably liberal? Red Tories are arguably liberal.
However, I don't see what one's political bent has anything to do with reporting news, etc. Are you suggesting that media would go light on a particular party because for political reasons? Seems unlikely. Look at how much The Star went after Miller. And they've hardly gone light on McGuinty, Wynne, or Trudeau.
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Streety McCarface
Senior Member
Bring back the RDCs! But any DMU should do the trick.
steveintoronto
Superstar
I agree, but many of these 'remote' routes will not be run by GO. They will have to be run by local authorities, and that only after Transport Canada relaxes or updates some regs.
There's a massive choice of DMUs to choose from once TC relaxes. Or, more likely, no rail-on-rail connection to existing track, and these are incorporated and regulated completely under provincial powers. Metrolinx is a hybrid, incorporated provincially, regulated federally.
robmausser
Senior Member
Yep, I guess we can't replace the track!
Pack er in boys, and remember, track is irreplaceable.
So once all mainline and GO tracks start to degrade we are going to have to abandon the concept of rail entirely.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Careful you don't trip up on your hyperbole. It's far, far more than just 'replacing' track. The whole RoW needs to be redone.
How about putting a highway through your backyard? Just slap down some new asphalt over that driveway sealer. No problem!
Do you think the Cambridge-Guelph line hasn't been studied? It has, I've even mentioned the Guelph Transit report by Dillon some seven years back. It has value to keep *as a transit RoW*!!!
That does not translate to heavy rail, GO Transit or Dinky Toys for big boys to play trains with for that matter.
OK, you like it so much, play like an adult for a moment: Provide a business case for doing so, and stop the hype. I've walked that line many times with dog in tow, or vice versa. A lot of infrastructure (culverts, embankments, cuttings, etc) is falling down. Not to mention the multiplicity of non-grade separated rails through urban areas and flood zones.
Addendum: Here's the aforementioned Dillon Report section relevant:
http://guelph.ca/wp-content/uploads/TransitGrowthStrategy_executiveSummary.pdf
There's more reports online on Cambridge-Guelph stretch, all supposition. Guelph and GRT have yet to even co-ordinate a *bus* connection, let alone a rail one. GO won't touch this for reasons already pointed out, so knock yourself out making a case for it.
Btw: That report was an almost complete waste of money that could have well been spent on things that really matter. Not one recommendation in there was either practicable or ever came to pass.
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Megaton327
Senior Member
The Barrie Line cancellations are getting ridiculous. Today January 22nd:
Union 10:40 - Aurora 11:29 #GOtrain ends @ Maple due to freight train traffic
Aurora 11:41 - Union 12:33 #GOtrain starts @ Maple due freight traffic
Union 11:40 - Aurora 12:29 #GOtrain ends @ Maple due to freight train traffic
Union 13:40 - Aurora GO 14:29 #GOtrain will end at Maple due to freight train traffic.
There were another 2 or 4 of these a few days ago. I think about 6-10 trains a week are being cancelled.
Union 10:40 - Aurora 11:29 #GOtrain ends @ Maple due to freight train traffic
Aurora 11:41 - Union 12:33 #GOtrain starts @ Maple due freight traffic
Union 11:40 - Aurora 12:29 #GOtrain ends @ Maple due to freight train traffic
Union 13:40 - Aurora GO 14:29 #GOtrain will end at Maple due to freight train traffic.
There were another 2 or 4 of these a few days ago. I think about 6-10 trains a week are being cancelled.
Northern Light
Superstar
First I 'liked' the post above as thanks for the info; needless to say, I find the info itself dismaying.
Perhaps those in the know about track access rules such as @smallspy and @crs1026 could share why this might be allowed to happen.
To clarify, these are Metrolinx/GOs tracks; while I realize the freights have usage rights...........I would have assumed that they were assigned a window of operation by GO, and further than if they miss their window they would have to wait til they weren't in GO's way.
Clearly my understanding is wrong......
steveintoronto
Superstar
My immediate thought is that it was instituted in haste as a political ploy, rather than the line being ready for the degree of service scheduled. It has a ring of deja-vu to it, as I just happened to catch two trains going south on there yesterday as I walked the dog from Bloor Station down the West Toronto Railpath, and then east of Lansdowne, as close as can be done zig-zagging the roads immediately to the north of the RoW to King Street.
Both of the trains, unless it was due to reflections from the windows blanching detail, or they were running out of service, appeared to be effectively empty. I found it hard to believe that I couldn't see even one passenger, but apparently that was the case.
Which then leads to wondering: Why run such a service when a couple of coaches being drawn by older locos running low on power would not only do as well, but it would save wear and tear on the newest equipment doing it?
Don't get me wrong, all day service where warranted? Absolutely. But why 12 car trains on a line that virtually no-one is using at this time?
Meantime, a few coaches being dragged by an F59 to Bramalea or Mt Pleasant and Union, maybe even looped up to Richmond Hill, would be far better utilized than the Barrie Line, at least on weekends in lieu of weekday service this time of year.
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smallspy
Senior Member
Apparently, CN has freight rights in perpetuity on the lines that they've sold to Metrolinx. As well, because they dispatch the lines that also gives them a bit more leeway to run trains when they want.
(There's also the issue of common-carrier rights, which Metrolinx has declined the rights to. According to a friend who is far more versed on this than I, this will prevent them from ever taking over the freight trains on the lines that they own.)
It's hoped that once GO starts dispatching their own trains later this year that this kind of thing will become less of an issue. More double-track will help immensely as well, but unfortunately that is still several years off at least.
Dan
Toronto, Ont.