Does anyone have a list or can create a list of mid-day or reverse direction trains ever operated on GO?
For now all I see is:
Stouffville: one reverse direction train in early 2000's from Union to Markham.
Milton: Midday train service back and forth between Union and Erindale.
Kitchener Line: Midday train service back and forth between Bramalea.
Richmond Hill line: ??? (I live near this line and notice a lot of deadheads. Anyone know now many deadheads?
Barrie Line: Summer Midday service.
Anything I am missing?
Its so frustrating knowing that at a time in the past things were better than they are now in terms of transit service. And its frustrating knowing that what once occurred is most likely possible again, without extra trackage, and yet we sit around and keep hearing that no bi-directional service can happen without double tracking. Clearly it can, and did.
Train time is anytime for the RR and they have to deal with a number of issues to do it.
Having a train go dead on the line because the crew ran out of time can start having a snowball effect on other trains behind it as well going the opposite direction that can cause more crews to die on the line.
Having a GO train on line will add more problems to the point it can get stuck also.
It take time to get a fresh crew to a train that die on line that can take hours to do depending where the train stop.
If a train break down, again it can take hours to get a another engine out to deal with the dead train. Was on a train a few years ago and it took 6 hours to get a replacement engine and we couldn't use the washrooms as there was no power.
I have call since the EA for the Georgetown expansion in the early 2000's that all rail corridors have 4 tracks to allow GO to have 2 and the RR having 2. The EA was approved to upgrade the line from 1 track to 2 tracks, but became 3 tracks as CN decided to add that 3rd track as they saw they needed it. The line is to be 4 tracks outside the pinch point that will remain 3 or become 3 and is supposed to be done by 2020 under current plans.
The lakeshore EA call for the 2 tracks between Port Credit and Oakville to be 3 and I said we will be back here in 15/20 years adding the 4th track when it should be done now.
There are only 2 lines outside the Lakeshore Line that GO could run hourly service all day today, but lack crews to do so.
GO has to pay a running fee to use CN and CP tracks and it not cheap to do so until there are 4 tracks in their corridor.
The Weston Sub from Bramalea to Union Station is now own by Metrolinx who are now rebuilding the corridor from the ground up to have 8 tacks to Dundas, 6 tracks to West Toronto Diamond, 4 to the Airport for future needs. I track will not be built at at this time until the demand is needed for it in all section with provision for it.
The Milton line was to be 3 track by 2011, but only a few areas have 3 tracks and haven't been used in years. Don't know the real story why the 3rd track was not completed by 2011. Current plans calls for the line to 4 tracks by 21/23 including a new fly under at Lambton.
Manpower is the biggest area at this time to put more service on the lines than track space with Milton having the most track space at this time considering the amount of riders wanting to use that line for the past decade.
RH line doesn't have the storage area like the other lines until late this year, but it still has to deal with CN as this is CN main route to western Canada and do send a midday train down the valley. As for deadhead moves, how many trains use the line and that your answers. The Georgetown has one deadhead move with equipment being move for service at about 5am. There is another a 9:30 to Bramalea for the 7th train south. There are only 6 at pm going north.
A bigger issue for all day service on most lines is the size of the trains. Lakeshore only needs 5 cars for hourly off peak before moving to 30 minutes. The other lines will only need 2/3 cars once hourly service, but 10 car will be use until DMU's are allow to run on these lines.
What took place back in the 90's for service is a totally different animal today. CP was looking at selling their line at one time in Eastern Canada and why it was rename with the possibility of UP buy up the system. If you think CP is bad to work with, UP is even worse.
Sit back and see who comes to power on the 12 as it will dedicate what while happen to transit as a whole. Transit lives or dies on June 12 with the PC killing it like they did in the 90's.
