(09-01-2021, 12:10 PM)jamincan Wrote: It's not just been one train, they've been running test trains almost daily now apparently. It's also not out of the blue - the Ontario government announced they were looking to introduce train service to London two years ago.

The problem, as I see it, is that some of the ground work needed to make it work is still missing. If the train is to leave at a reasonable time in the morning, it would either have to deadhead there from Kitchener (plausible, but wasteful), or they would need to install wayside equipment in London for overnight power. I'm not sure there is even track space to overnight in London right now. The track condition west of Kitchener is also terrible, so service will be very slow. It would easily be the longest train journey on GO if it happens.

(09-01-2021, 01:26 PM)ac3r Wrote:

(09-01-2021, 12:10 PM)jamincan Wrote: It's not just been one train, they've been running test trains almost daily now apparently. It's also not out of the blue - the Ontario government announced they were looking to introduce train service to London two years ago.

The problem, as I see it, is that some of the ground work needed to make it work is still missing. If the train is to leave at a reasonable time in the morning, it would either have to deadhead there from Kitchener (plausible, but wasteful), or they would need to install wayside equipment in London for overnight power. I'm not sure there is even track space to overnight in London right now. The track condition west of Kitchener is also terrible, so service will be very slow. It would easily be the longest train journey on GO if it happens.

Interesting, I had no idea they were looking into that. Given that the track condition west of Waterloo Region is bad, I wonder if they'd instead use the CN Dundas subdivision or the CP Galt subdivision. The latter would be interesting because it could legitimize the request that Waterloo Region (specifically, the City of Cambridge), Halton Region and the Town of Milton have petitioned to Metrolinx.

Anyway, I don't want to derail (ha) this thread with GO Transit stuff too much since there is a thread for that. I wasn't sure where to put the Amtrack announcement.

(09-01-2021, 03:29 PM)taylortbb Wrote: I also think for this to make sense it really should be a joint Amtrak-Via service, so that it's possible to use the train for trips within Canada. Right now the Amtrack services are (IIRC) disembark-only after crossing the border until they reach their Canadian destination, then embark-only until they cross the border after turning around. When the section in Canada is just a tiny bit from Niagara Falls to Toronto it's not a big deal, but Windsor to Toronto could use another local train on it, and the additional revenue would make the project more viable.

(09-01-2021, 04:43 PM)plam Wrote: I don't know if you can get on the train between Toronto and Niagara Falls though.

(09-01-2021, 05:14 PM)taylortbb Wrote:

(09-01-2021, 04:43 PM)plam Wrote: I don't know if you can get on the train between Toronto and Niagara Falls though.

I may be wrong and/or out of date. I remember reading about that limitation a decade ago, but I can't find anything online that supports my claim.

That would certainly make it easier to justify the new Chicago-Toronto route, it could even replace one of the existing Windsor-Toronto runs if Via's budget was the issue.

(09-02-2021, 08:34 PM)dtkvictim Wrote: Does anyone know what the plans are here? Rather strange setup at Benton/Courtland. No through traffic across Courtland, and I think the sharrows might be new? To top it off, the most comically large right turn lane.
...

(09-02-2021, 08:54 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Why no through traffic across Courtland?

(09-02-2021, 09:18 PM)tomh009 Wrote:

(09-02-2021, 08:54 PM)panamaniac Wrote: Why no through traffic across Courtland?

Judging by the arrows, there is no through traffic. The centre lane is not marked at all.

It's a remnant of long-dead plans for a thoroughfare. The same plans dictated the city purchasing the rowhouse unit closest to Benton and tearing it down, too.

I do think the region recognizes that it makes no sense in its current configuration, but, as Dan says, there is no plan for what it should be in the future.

(09-02-2021, 09:36 PM)panamaniac Wrote: One would think big changes might wait until the road needs rebuilding,  which would be 20 or 30 years down the road, no?

(09-02-2021, 09:40 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:

(09-02-2021, 09:36 PM)panamaniac Wrote: One would think big changes might wait until the road needs rebuilding,  which would be 20 or 30 years down the road, no?

Try 3-5 years. But first, why should we wait that long, we should make changes to fix the road now, right now it divides my neighbourhood and endangers me when I want to cross.

But also, the region has proven that they won't make changes even when there is a big rebuild...our region is just generally incompetent and needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into good policy.

I'd have worse things to say, but sadly I've been watching what the province has been doing for the past year, so they don't look so bad by comparison.

(09-03-2021, 08:32 AM)panamaniac Wrote:

(09-02-2021, 09:40 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: Try 3-5 years. But first, why should we wait that long, we should make changes to fix the road now, right now it divides my neighbourhood and endangers me when I want to cross.

But also, the region has proven that they won't make changes even when there is a big rebuild...our region is just generally incompetent and needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into good policy.

I'd have worse things to say, but sadly I've been watching what the province has been doing for the past year, so they don't look so bad by comparison.

3-5 would be great, although I thought rebuilds happened after about 70 years or so (Benton was widened in the mid-60s, iirc).  What they must avoid is spending money on cosmetic changes that are going to be torn up when they get to rebuild time.