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I agree - but the shovels are in the ground. Just wait until the anti-HSR faction in Oxford County demands 12 lanes the rest of the way to London. And, I am not joking.

- Paul

There's an anti-HSR sign up between New Hamburg and Stratford on Highway 7/8.
 
It is difficult to walk, let alone run trains over which have a (IIRC) 5 mph (8 kph) speed restriction. It's in terrible shape, so bad one only realizes it by walking it. Bolts are missing from the joint bars, some rails are splitting off their edges, and the trackbed has heaved along the entire length. The embankment is severely eroded where creeks run under it.

In a Dillon Consulting Report on Guelph Transit some years back mention was made of using it for LRT to connect Guelph to Cambridge, but the ridership demand is nowhere close to making that a proposition. Same report also mentioned using the Guelph Junction RR for LRV vehicles, even that was fantasy.

I find it hard to believe that even with the severe speed limit on it, it's been allowed to continue (two movements a week, IIRC, to Toyota in Cambridge). Derailments happen from time to time on it too.

Too bad there is no way to rip up tracks and replace them.

Oh well!

Cancel all transit plans ever.
 
Too bad there is no way to rip up tracks and replace them.

Oh well!

Cancel all transit plans ever.
it just does not seem to me (no matter how good the condition of the tracks could be) to be an efficient way to get people from Cambridge to Toronto....to have them scoot north to (just west of) Guelph and then down the KW line to Union. It is ~ 1 hour and 30 minutes from Guelph to Union now (sometimes longer) how long would the Cambridge to Guelph trip take? 30/40/more minutes?

Cambridge bus terminal to Union (via connection to train at Milton) already has a total travel time of 2:01......so the problem I have is not whether or not that corridor you suggest could be rehabbed.....but why do it to offer an inferior service to the people of Cambridge than that which already exists.

http://www.gotransit.com/timetables/en/PDF/Timetables/12170418/Table24.pdf
 
^ To this end, I wonder what would be cheaper, buy track time and adding track between Milton and Cambridge from CP Rail, or adding HOV lanes to the 401 between Milton and Cambridge?
 
Green = Guelph Sub
Red = Fergus Sub

(Give or take some squiggles)

Admittedly, this actually looks quite attractive...


...for those living working between Cambridge, Guelph, and Brampton, as well as those going to the airport. It wouldn't be a bad idea to run a shuttle-like train service (Like the SMART train in California) or some other DMU light railway to provide options for those travelling between Guelph and Cambridge, or Cambridge and Brampton. I always thought they should at least do this between Guelph and The Boardwalk in Waterloo (Which they should actually extend the Kitchener line to, I'm serious. There's a huge residential development down there and a fairly large bus terminal).
 
Tweet from Ben Spurr: "New transportation minister says she wants to investigate bringing GO train service to her riding, despite low existing ridership and big logistical challenges" article: https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gt...ain-service-for-her-riding-is-a-priority.html

For an arguably liberal newspaper, The Star really likes taking large dumps on any sort of public transit news, whether it's Hume complaining about the Eglinton Crosstown not being aboveground along Central Eglinton, hating on Lawrence East GO station for no apparent reason (with the coming of fare integration and eventual Stouffville express service), complaining about any sort of delay in construction (ie Union Station), or dismissing any sort of commuter option for Cambridge. I'm beginning to wonder what their agenda really is.

PS. Don't get me wrong, their coverage of the UPX arguably drove down the costs of fares, however, their entirely pessimistic outlook only seems to hurt the public's view of public transit.
 
Low existing ridership on what?

Presumably the bus to the Milton GO?

Citing present ridership data is not really fact based analysis... a more compelling analysis would be a ridership model which identifies potential GO users. If this data points to Cambridge as a low potential proposition for GO trains, then so be it. I wonder if the ridership from Barrie to Bradford was that much more compelling back before service was extended. Ditto for today's bus service from Bowmanville to Oshawa. I know a lot of people who drive to the Oshawa GO station - they will definitely use the GO when it gets to Bowmanville, but they won't get on a bus today for that stretch.

I believe there has been data posted here before documenting what proportion of the Milton ridership is local versus people parking there after driving from further afield. A GO train that is direct may well attract people who aren't willing to get on a bus today.

- Paul
 
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Tweet from Ben Spurr: "New transportation minister says she wants to investigate bringing GO train service to her riding, despite low existing ridership and big logistical challenges" article: https://www.thestar.com/amp/news/gt...ain-service-for-her-riding-is-a-priority.html
Presumably the bus to the Milton GO?

Citing present ridership data is not really fact based analysis... a more compelling analysis would be a ridership model which identifies potential GO users. If this data points to Cambridge as a low potential proposition for GO trains, then so be it. I wonder if the ridership from Barrie to Bradford was that much more compelling back before service was intended. Ditto for today's bus service from Bowmanville to Oshawa. I know a lot of people who drive to the Oshawa GO station - they will definitely use the GO when it gets to Bowmanville, but they won't get on a bus today for that stretch.

I believe there has been data posted here before documenting what proportion of the Milton ridership is local versus people parking there after driving from further afield. A GO train that is direct may well attract people who aren't willing to get on a bus today.

- Paul
Im kind of suprised ridership for the bus is so low. I thought it would be more giving the mayor saying for the past few years that cambridge needs the trains.

here is the city of cambridge report from 2015 https://www.cambridge.ca/en/learn-a...-on-the-GO-Business-Case-Final-June-11-15.pdf
 
Im kind of suprised ridership for the bus is so low. I thought it would be more giving the mayor saying for the past few years that cambridge needs the trains.

It's several peak-hour peak-direction buses on weekdays, connecting to trains or buses in Milton, for a total trip time (from Galt) of 2 hours. Why take that when you could drive to Milton?
 

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