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I wasn't expecting too much - the new government hasn't yet formed (despite the re-election of a majority PC government, it's still technically a new government) so changes will be limited. I like the weekend Route 25 service, though I really wish there were 25C buses on weekdays. I would have also liked to see some express Route 88 buses, as that's a painfully slow milk run too these days.
 
Very happy about weekend 12B buses! In practice, they're probably faster than the train. Also, the 25C Express is finally back. That milk run was awful.

Also, direct service to St. Jacobs Market!! I biked there from U of W a few times. Too bad it's only on the milk run.
If the milk run is delayed by 5+ min, then you can do the express to milk run transfer at UW.
 
If the milk run is delayed by 5+ min, then you can do the express to milk run transfer at UW.

9 times out of 10 the express service would be ahead of the posted schedules anyways when it gets to Laurier, but it also depends on any 401/8 traffic as well. Since every stop on the milk run takes about 2-5 mins to get to off the highway and then back on, as well as the local run through K-W and the 30-120 seconds it possibly takes to drop off/pick up, the express run could catch up to about 5-10 mins ahead and it also helps that you can check the ETA from any navigation source as if you were driving since its non stop to the universities.
 
So I did a test wondering what types of service GO will get with their predicted 10,500 services a week, so I created some frequency maps on what I assume the levels of service the network will get after GO Expansion, and even with the service I predicted with most lines having service under 10 minutes throughout the day, it still comes below the 10,500 number:

Here’s my predictions, and the end result will probably be even better:

GO Transit Post-GO Expansion Departure Amount:

Rush hour, 6-9am, 4-7pm:
120: Stouffville, Kitchener, Barrie Lines
216: Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West Lines
13: Richmond Hill Line
24: Milton Line
48: Union-Pearson Express Line

Total trains:
421


Off-Peak, 9am-4pm, 7pm-10pm:

640: Stouffville, Kitchener, Barrie, Union-Pearson Express Lines
80: Milton Line
200: Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West Lines

Total trains:
920


Late night 10pm-1am & 5am:

224: Lakeshore East, Lakeshore West, Stouffville, Kitchener, Barrie, Union-Pearson Express Lines



Weekday total amount:
1,565

Weekend total amount:
1,144

5 day weekday total amount:
7,825

2 day weekend total amount:
2,288

Total amount of trains per week:
10,113

Official GO Transit prediction of trains per week:
10,500

 
looks great - but a couple of comments..

LSW:
- I think you are underestimating peak services east of Aldershot here. Hamilton GO already has 30-minute peak service, so it definitely won't be downgraded to hourly. Similarly I expect 30 minute peak service to extend further into the Niagara Peninsula during rush hours.
- Off peak is looking like bi-hourly service on the Niagara line past Confederation, and 30 minute service through Hamilton to Confederation.

Milton
- Off peak service on the Milton line is not in the plans at all right now.

Kitchener
- 15 minute service is unlikely to extend beyond Bramalea, particularly off peak. 30 minute service at most.

Barrie
- We know 15 minute service will not extend past Bradford. I believe the plan is for 30 minute frequencies to Barrie off peak.

Stouffville
- off peak service is planned to end at Mount Joy. Track configurations mean that service will likely be limited to 30 minute service north of Unionville as well.

LSE
- Looks good, though you are missing the Bowmanville extension. I'm not sure 3 minute frequencies on LSW or LSE are realistic either.
 
looks great - but a couple of comments..

LSW:
- I think you are underestimating peak services east of Aldershot here. Hamilton GO already has 30-minute peak service, so it definitely won't be downgraded to hourly. Similarly I expect 30 minute peak service to extend further into the Niagara Peninsula during rush hours.
- Off peak is looking like bi-hourly service on the Niagara line past Confederation, and 30 minute service through Hamilton to Confederation.

Milton
- Off peak service on the Milton line is not in the plans at all right now.

Kitchener
- 15 minute service is unlikely to extend beyond Bramalea, particularly off peak. 30 minute service at most.

Barrie
- We know 15 minute service will not extend past Bradford. I believe the plan is for 30 minute frequencies to Barrie off peak.

Stouffville
- off peak service is planned to end at Mount Joy. Track configurations mean that service will likely be limited to 30 minute service north of Unionville as well.

LSE
- Looks good, though you are missing the Bowmanville extension. I'm not sure 3 minute frequencies on LSW or LSE are realistic either.
Yes I did mess up the frequencies to Confederation, it’s not supposed to be hourly or 15 minutes, it’s supposed to be 30 minute service on all maps.
The federal government said all-day 15 minute service on the Milton Line will happen, the question is when; which I don’t know so I just included it anyway.
I was not aware about the Kitchener, Barrie, or Stouffville service restrictions; thank you.
I didn’t feel like including the Bowmanville extension since the software I would be using to widen the map for it would blur the rest of the map; and that’s not useful in this situation.
3 minute service on the Lakeshore West was confirmed months ago, and I assume all of the Lakeshore West services will continue to through-run with the Lakeshore East.

You have to remember that even with the mistakes I did like adding all the extra Milton Line service extensions and 3 minute service on the Lakeshore East, the amount of services per week STILL turned out to be over 300 services below their projected number, so there’s a good chance that this is happening and more.
 
At least the PCs committed to spend $160 million on upgrading the Kitchener-London section of track of the Guelph Sub during the election campaign. Hopefully this translates to construction soon.
Hopefully it translates to buying the line rather than using taxpayer dollars to add value to a private asset of an extremely profitable megacorporation while continuing to not have full control over service levels or dispatching.
 
Hopefully it translates to buying the line rather than using taxpayer dollars to add value to a private asset of an extremely profitable megacorporation while continuing to not have full control over service levels or dispatching.
I would be shocked if buying the line wasn’t part of the plan. The province gets to do some fancy accounting when it invests in infrastructure it owns, wherein investing in an asset it owns increases its asset value on the books, which is generally good.

We’ve seen some indications in past VIA annual reports that CN is interested in selling the line, and $160 million is a ton to invest in something you don’t own.
 
At least the PCs committed to spend $160 million on upgrading the Kitchener-London section of track of the Guelph Sub during the election campaign. Hopefully this translates to construction soon.
I noticed when I rode VIA 87 from Toronto to Stratford last week that CN has dumped a tonne of ballast and ties in their MOW area beside the Stratford yard. There's also track panels laying beside the tracks at several crossings between Kitchener and Stratford. A good sign - hopefully means some of the slow orders will be eliminated this summer. I know VIA's 84/87 are cancelled over several weekends this summer and fall.
 
Hopefully it translates to buying the line rather than using taxpayer dollars to add value to a private asset of an extremely profitable megacorporation while continuing to not have full control over service levels or dispatching.
CN would probably want to sell the line of, they only run 1 local on that segment of track, which is a train that is restricted to 30 mph regardless
 
CN would probably want to sell the line of, they only run 1 local on that segment of track, which is a train that is restricted to 30 mph regardless
Yes, even if they gave the line away for free they'd be better off than today.
- As part of the purchase agreement, CN would retain trackage rights to continue serving the customers on the line.
- The Province would pay for maintenance, charging only minimal track fees (far cheaper than maintenance).
- The Province would pay to upgrade the line to much higher standards, so CN's freights would be able to do their runs much more quickly, using less equipment and personel time. Even if their trains get put in a siding sometimes to let a GO train by, they'd still get to their destinations faster than today.

The purchase price is not based on the amount of money which would make it worthwhile for CN, it's based on the amount of money that CN can get out of the Province, knowing that the governmnent has promised the public to provide regular GO service to London.

To this last point, I'm wondering if it would be a good strategic tactic to temporarily cancel the London-Kitchener GO Train service and introduce an hourly(?) bus service from London to Kitchener (which would also replace the PC Connect bus service which currently follows that route), and also a once-daily commuter train via Brantford, taking over the schedule of the former VIA commuter run which VIA apparently doesn't want to reinstate. The government can say that the promise of London GO train service was kept thanks to the south mainline GO service, and it continues to connect London and Kitchener with a faster GO service anyway.

I suspect that CN does want to sell the line, so if they see that upgrading the Kitchener-London railway isn't the Province's only option, they may lower the selling price to entice them to take the line over.
 
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