ShonTron
Moderator
I've been on the Orangeville-Brampton train. It's a windy, slow (but very scenic) ride. There's no need nor any economic sense in sending GO trains up to Orangeville. Let's try for Bolton first.
When I landed in Gatwick, I booked my ticket (which could be used anytime) on the Southern Rail website for $30 roundtrip. It took 5 minutes longer than the Gatwick Express.I took the Gatwick Express train from the Airport to Victoria Station while in London for the Olympics last week.
Trains ran every 15 minutes - journey was just short of 30 minutes - and the cost was $47 for a "anytime return ticket"
We really have come full circle to the point where neighbourhood activism and 'grassroots democracy' is a bigger menace to societal well-being than large-scale, technocratic planning.
I kind of wish that, in her final years, Jane Jacobs would have disavowed a phenomenon which she rightfully started. It just shows that movements have their time and place, whether it's Greenwich Village ca. 1959 or Palestine ca. 0 AD, and after a while they grow stale, maybe even dangerous.
^^I live a few houses from the tracks and frankly am not overly concerned about the line. Hopefully I do not have my head too much in the sand. But it is simply false to suggest (1) Metrolinx has been accommodating (the noise the neighbourhood north to me went through was nuts); (2) electrification will come in a few years; or (3) there is an immediate need for the line.
Apparently Metrolinx is looking at putting up a big soundwall along Georgetown South because of the diesel trains. This would not be required for electrification, and I suspect would not be built if there was a serious plan to electrify in any reasonable period of time (and will likely be worse to the community than any diesel trains). Based on nothing but my own skepticism, I'm going to predict 20 years to electrification. 2035.
Moreover, there just isn't any need for this air-rail link. Traffic downtown from the airport is fine except for about 3 hours 5 days a week. It appears the air-rail link will cost more than a taxi if you're travelling in a pair. I don't disagree that it is nice to have, but would be far far better to integrate it with a DRL type commuter transport and be reasonably priced. It appears this is not going to happen because of the Pan Am games, which is remarkably short sighted. This line was designed by private interests to be profit making. It likely won't be, but it makes little sense in the grand scheme of Toronto's transit and commuter needs.