lenaitch
Senior Member
Yes . . . I always look forward to starting my vacation day a couple of hours before dawn or just before dinner.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
steveintoronto
Superstar
lol...you beat me to it. The sub-string was about the train, and in fact, as the excellent blog on the Niagara train points out, the local GO bus has been serving the region for a decade, every hour, during the day. And IIRC, faster too. It would have to be a really broke tourist or a real transit nerd to consider taking the GO to Niagara Falls. Mega and Greyhound are start at $17 return from Toronto, albeit, yes, booked. Try just showing up at a hotel after getting off your unbooked GO ride. Real adventure!
nfitz
Superstar
The comment about marketing to tourists in the future, to be exact, was "possibly introduce express/semi-express trains to Niagara. If so, it might eventually be marketed to tourists" so wasn't even discussing the current schedule and daily train.
Surely replying and pointing out the inadequacy of the current schedule deserves a reply pointing out the current bus schedule.
Sandpit
Active Member
Thank you. Of course I mean in the future. I think 1 train/day is just a baby step.
steveintoronto
Superstar
Well my apologies. When exactly do you think this might happen? Ten years? Twenty? Is this before or after Private Enterprise builds the stations and CN comes to an agreement with Metrolinx?
Or were you talking buses all this time?
Because I answered:
And now suddenly it's all about buses...which have been running for years.
Meantime, still up on GO's website (their one promoting the Niagara Region to tourists)
https://www.gotransit.com/en/travel...-and-events/niagara-seasonal-go-train-service
Well I'm glad they've got everything sorted out...
So perhaps @nfitz could correct them on that not being trains, but buses? What's a poor tourist to do? Trust a Metrolinx website, or read forums like this one?You asked and we listened.
Regular GO service is coming to Niagara Region in January 2019!
If there’s something you love about Ontario, it can probably be found in Niagara. It’s the site of a titanic natural wonder of the world. It’s premier wine country, home to the famous vintages Canadians love. It’s dotted with B&Bs, picture-perfect hotels, and plenty to explore. The region is currently served by trains running between Union Station and Burlington GO, with buses to Niagara Region. The summer GO service between Union Station and Niagara has been a huge success.
But good things are growing in Niagara, and more people are moving there.
And we have very exciting news! We are bringing regular GO train service to commuters in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines starting January 2019. Find out more about the service at gotransit.com/schedulechanges.
We are able to deliver these improvements now thanks to an even stronger working relationship we have built with CN Railways.
We are continuing to work to bring GO service to Confederation station in Stoney Creek and to Grimsby as soon as possible.
And this new service is just the beginning. Expect more great news from us in 2019!
Niagara Region Project Map
http://www.metrolinx.com/en/greaterregion/regions/niagara.aspx
Perhaps it's becoming apt to ask "What do you mean by 'Regular'"?
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Streety McCarface
Senior Member
I mean, which tourists are we referring to?
Here in Kitchener, I'd say that 20-30% of all Thursday/Friday traffic on (former) 6:47 and 7:10 trains were people going to Toronto for a day trip (especially if there was a school PA day or a holiday or whatnot). Obviously it makes no sense for Toronto tourists to go to Niagara Falls so late at night, but it might make sense for some people in Niagara Falls to visit Toronto by taking the GO train. Like the 401, the QEW is a nightmare to drive on especially during rush hours, so avoiding driving or taking a bus that requires the use of extremely congested routes may make more sense to some people.
Jonny5
Senior Member
No one uses the QEW because it's always so busy!
TOareaFan
Superstar
Yogi Berra is in the house!
Lernd2LuvTO
New Member
Thank you for posting this; and to all who have discussed!
The discourse around Niagara - "that there is no GO unless there's a GO *train*" - has been bugging me for years. It sort of boiled over during the weekend, resulting in that blog post. The goal was to reach 1) at least a few people who are already thinking about transit networks and 2) hopefully a few others who had never stopped to think about transit as a legitimate travel option. I really appreciate seeing some "Category 1 interaction" here and on twitter (...despite the flaws of that platform).
I am less confident that I made a dent into Category 2. I wonder if those folks are just not interested enough to say something. Or maybe the "Toronto gets everything; buses are for losers" sentiments are too strong to be penetrated by a single dissenting blog post from a Niagara ex-pat?
Fritter
Active Member
In my years of experience, I find it funny that there are people who will drive to a further GO station to where the train originates, but not use the closer GO station that has the bus train-meet connection. These are often the same people who will demand a shuttle bus when there is some sort of train service disruption.
Allandale25
Senior Member
ShonTron
Moderator
The morning VIA/Amtrak train to Niagara Falls is usually quite cheap (Escape fare) as it never fills up, especially with the summer/Thanksgiving weekend GO train service (the afternoon return is less useful as it's more prone to delays through the US and at the border). It's a shame the morning VIA train from Niagara/evening return to Niagara was cut -- that was a much faster and more comfortable ride, though it lacked that all-important stop in central Hamilton..
Jonny5
Senior Member
Is this true? Is Metrolinx robbing Peter to pay Paul?
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Richard White
Senior Member
It is likely true and done in the name of "efficiency". Why have 12 cars if you can cram the same amount of people in 10. Saves money on fuel and you bring in the same revenue.
Jonny5
Senior Member
What I meant to ask was did those two new cars added to the rush-hour Kitchener line train last week come by pulling two cars off a Lakeshore East train? Sure, one trip is in the morning, the other is the afternoon, but I know train cars can't magically move around to different trains on different lines very fast. Did they take two from the Lakeshore East line and shove them onto trains for the Kitchener line with the hope that a PR problem would go away, but then they actually created a new one?