Northern Light
Superstar
Excellent reporting and news!
I will definitely make use of those changes on the LSE; the changes to Brampton will be helpful to many as well.
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- Thread starter drum118
- Start date
Excellent reporting and news!
I will definitely make use of those changes on the LSE; the changes to Brampton will be helpful to many as well.
reaperexpress
Senior Member
This is very positive news. But that claim of this being the largest service expansion since 2013 seems suspicious. They note that it's a 15% increase, but between August 2021 and September 2021 there was an enormous increase that was almost certainly more than that. I didn't specifically summarize the August 2021 and September 2021 GO service, but I did summarize the January 2021 and January 2022 service (the latter of which largely dated from September or October 2021).
Between January 2021 and January 2022, there was a 49% increase in train service. My data doesn't show exactly how much of this change happened in a single schedule change, but as I recall, almost all of the increases occurred overnight at the start of the September 2021 schedules. If someone has more time than me they could tally up the service in August 2021 vs September 2021, but until then I'm pretty confident in saying that there was more than a 15% increase in service as part of that service change.
My data is also approximate since I only counted inbound trips and multiplied them by two. So lines with asymmetrical service like Richmond Hill have incorrect totals. But generally speaking lines tend to be relatively symmetrical so the totals are roughly correct. I am therefore fairly confident that the number of weekly GO train trips in September 2021 (roughly 2480) was more than the number of weekly GO train trips in the upcoming April schedule (2307). The main service that existed in 2021 that is still missing in the upcoming schedule is the 15-minute weekday midday and counter-peak service on Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West. Weekend 15-minute service has never before existed but since it only runs 2 days per week it has a lower impact on the weekly totals than the weekday service.
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oakvilleBee
New Member
Long time lurker, first time poster. Lakeshore west daily rider.
Great to see more Go service, but I find it confusing that the boost for LSW is on the weekend rather than extending the rush hour service. Right now the last weekday express train on LSW out of Union is at 5:51 pm, after that the next trains are 6:17 and 6:47. The 617 train in particular is packed Tuesday through Thursday, and the 647 is pretty busy as well. Does anyone know if there is a technical reason why 15 minute service has to end before 6 pm, when there is consistently lots of demand for another hour?
Great to see more Go service, but I find it confusing that the boost for LSW is on the weekend rather than extending the rush hour service. Right now the last weekday express train on LSW out of Union is at 5:51 pm, after that the next trains are 6:17 and 6:47. The 617 train in particular is packed Tuesday through Thursday, and the 647 is pretty busy as well. Does anyone know if there is a technical reason why 15 minute service has to end before 6 pm, when there is consistently lots of demand for another hour?
Allandale25
Senior Member
Congrats on your first UT post!
wopchop
Building Toronto
This is no longer completely true. COVID and remote work has probably changed QEW traffic patterns moreso than any other highway in the GTA. The route from Oakville to 427 has improved significantly in both directions, AM and PM rush. Especially on certain days of the week when there are more people working remotely.
For example, previously it could take 15-25 minutes to get from 427 ramp to QEW westbound at PM rush. This is very rarely an issue anymore.
Is it busy? Yes, of course. But the days of crawling through Mississauga at less than 50kph are a lot rarer.
tmustudent9
New Member
From what I'm reading, 15-min service along the Lakeshore lines is only happening during weekend afternoon & evening times? If so it would be odd that they're not doing weekday 15-min service as well.
Northern Light
Superstar
While I'm not in on the internal conservation at Mx; I can share a couple of things.
1) Weekend service demand is actually higher than weekday off-peak at this point, particularly on Mondays and Fridays. That's a shift from commute-driven demand to event-driven demand (Jays game, concert, club hopping etc.)
2) Weekday mid-day on the LSE side is still very much impacted by the Ontario Line work.; I'm not sure how much work they're doing in the post-rush evenings, but I imagine its just easier to leave things open there, with fewer conflicts.
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I myself look forward to the return of 15M off-peak on weekdays, but that may require that corridor works be a bit more advanced.
tmustudent9
New Member
Very fair points. I'm assuming once the fourth track on the LSE gets completed we'll see a ramp-up of service to weekday 15M + express trains coming back.
Northern Light
Superstar
3, unimpeded, non-slow ordered tracks should be sufficient to support 15M service w/o issue; frankly, it can almost certainly be done with 2 tracks, but it may peripherally impact some work, when crews need to move or move goods across active rail.
The 3rd track is, however, quite important for any type of express service.
generalcanada
Senior Member
speaking of which how far behind are they on the bridge replacements and corridor work? im assuming the original timeline of late 2024 is going to be missed?
canarob
Senior Member
It's a strange claim to make if they are including evening Stouffville service that is being returned. I'm happy to have the service back and get that there's a lot of construction happening across the line, but positioning it as new service is a huge stretch.
mdrejhon
Senior Member
Northern Light
Superstar
Squints.... @mdrejhon is that you? Making your first post since Nov' 23? Welcome back, for as long as it lasts!
Bojaxs
Active Member
If MX continues to increase service on the Stouffville line, won't they eventually have to add a fourth track east of Union through Danforth and Scarborough?
Looking at Google maps, I only see 3 tracks running through these stations.
Northern Light
Superstar
The plan for the LSE corridor does call for 4 tracks from Scarborough Junction (where the Stouffville and Lakeshore lines meet) to the USRC.
That includes adding one through Danforth Station, and Scarborough Station. This would require extensive changes.