GO Transit

[Acitta]

I could really use a morning train to London, or even several daily bus trips like Greyhound used to have 10 or 15 years ago.

[tomh009]

One thing to note, I saw they will not install presto in London/st Mary's/Stratford, so even if you have a presto card you need to buy a single ride ticket.

Apparently, London is too far to run an Ethernet cable to. Or maybe there is no electricity at the London station?

[danbrotherston]

How many people are commuting from London to TO for daily work? I can't imagine anyone is driving this each day to be in an office. Beyond the train time you still have to get to and from the stations. That could make this a 5-6 hour trip unless your destination on both ends is next to the stations.

I see this service more akin to Via. Cheaper and slower than Via for overnight trips.

But that's the thing, it's timed for commute trips.

While I don't think many are commuting daily, some might commute one day a week.  Regardless, nobody is giving up their car for this...hell, I wouldn't give up Via for this.

The ONLY trips this makes sense are London -> KW and the timing is terrible there.

[ijmorlan]

Honestly, sometimes I really want to meet the people in charge of these decisions and ask them what they are thinking, because some of the decisions I see are just...stupid.

Don’t start reading Steve Munro’s website:

https://stevemunro.ca

He’s always pointing out Metrolinx absurdity. You’ll double facepalm even more often than you probably already do.

[tomh009]

The ONLY trips this makes sense are London -> KW and the timing is terrible there.

I couldn't find a schedule in the news articles or press releases. What time will the trains run?

But, yes, I agree that commuting to Kitchener (from London) makes a whole lot more sense than Toronto. And that would be the case even if the full trip took three hours rather than two.

[ac3r]

Some of the discussion happening over on Twitter has pointed out that a VIA train from London to Toronto takes - on the worst days - 2.5 hours. I realize VIA doesn't run as frequent since it's not a commuter train service, but does Metrolinx really think this is a good idea? Get HSR going, not this stone age shit.

Edit: Apparently the VIA trains run 5 to 6 times a day, which is pretty decent. I imagine the GO trains won't run as often, but we'd have to see.

[jamincan]

The only thing that makes sense to me is that it's a precursor step to initiate corridor improvements, but that doesn't really make much sense to me either. Politically, it's seems a lot easier to spend $100 million improving an existing GO line than it is spending $100 million to implement a new line.

[Acitta]

Some of the discussion happening over on Twitter has pointed out that a VIA train from London to Toronto takes - on the worst days - 2.5 hours. I realize VIA doesn't run as frequent since it's not a commuter train service, but does Metrolinx really think this is a good idea? Get HSR going, not this stone age shit.

Edit: Apparently the VIA trains run 5 to 6 times a day, which is pretty decent. I imagine the GO trains won't run as often, but we'd have to see.

Between Kitchener and London, there is only one train a day each way. An evening train to London and a morning train to Kitchener. So there are 6 trains, but only one stops in Kitchener.

[tomh009]

Some of the discussion happening over on Twitter has pointed out that a VIA train from London to Toronto takes - on the worst days - 2.5 hours. I realize VIA doesn't run as frequent since it's not a commuter train service, but does Metrolinx really think this is a good idea? Get HSR going, not this stone age shit.

Edit: Apparently the VIA trains run 5 to 6 times a day, which is pretty decent. I imagine the GO trains won't run as often, but we'd have to see.

Between Kitchener and London, there is only one train a day each way. An evening train to London and a morning train to Kitchener. So there are 6 trains, but only one stops in Kitchener.

And that's why it's over an hour faster: no stops.

[Acitta]

Between Kitchener and London, there is only one train a day each way. An evening train to London and a morning train to Kitchener. So there are 6 trains, but only one stops in Kitchener.

And that's why it's over an hour faster: no stops.

I need a morning train to London. It would be nice if one of those stopped here.

[panamaniac]

Some of the discussion happening over on Twitter has pointed out that a VIA train from London to Toronto takes - on the worst days - 2.5 hours. I realize VIA doesn't run as frequent since it's not a commuter train service, but does Metrolinx really think this is a good idea? Get HSR going, not this stone age shit.

Edit: Apparently the VIA trains run 5 to 6 times a day, which is pretty decent. I imagine the GO trains won't run as often, but we'd have to see.

Between Kitchener and London, there is only one train a day each way. An evening train to London and a morning train to Kitchener. So there are 6 trains, but only one stops in Kitchener.

The other VIA trains are on the main line, no?

[taylortbb]

Between Kitchener and London, there is only one train a day each way. An evening train to London and a morning train to Kitchener. So there are 6 trains, but only one stops in Kitchener.

And that's why it's over an hour faster: no stops.

Most London-Toronto Via trains use the south mainline, via Brantford. Much better track quality makes for faster trips (the track length is the same). The one Via train that takes the north mainline through Kitchener is 3.5 hours to Union.

[danbrotherston]

Some of the discussion happening over on Twitter has pointed out that a VIA train from London to Toronto takes - on the worst days - 2.5 hours. I realize VIA doesn't run as frequent since it's not a commuter train service, but does Metrolinx really think this is a good idea? Get HSR going, not this stone age shit.

Edit: Apparently the VIA trains run 5 to 6 times a day, which is pretty decent. I imagine the GO trains won't run as often, but we'd have to see.

Yes, as your edit says, the Via runs frequently from London....the GO proposal is 1 train each way per day...(possibly 2 in the morning and one in the evening, which makes even less sense to me, but that's a different source), so yeah, also much less service than Via.

[danbrotherston]

The only thing that makes sense to me is that it's a precursor step to initiate corridor improvements, but that doesn't really make much sense to me either. Politically, it's seems a lot easier to spend $100 million improving an existing GO line than it is spending $100 million to implement a new line.

If they wanted to do a precursor, they should implement service which makes sense and is useful.

While I have no evidence, it is believable that this is intended to fail, to provide evidence against implementing more transit.

[danbrotherston]

And that's why it's over an hour faster: no stops.

Most London-Toronto Via trains use the south mainline, via Brantford. Much better track quality makes for faster trips (the track length is the same). The one Via train that takes the north mainline through Kitchener is 3.5 hours to Union.

Yes, this is correct, the Via train is faster because it takes a different route (a route which GO could have used..they already have lakeshore trains which is the route that the Via trains use--which is why it is believable this is intended to fail..more logical service is eminently possible).

In fact, the Via trail via Kitchener (there were 2 trains, pre-COVID....it's crazy how much we've lost as a result of COVID), actually makes all the same stops TO Guelph, then after Guelph skips Acton, Mount Pleasant, Bramalea, Etobicoke North, Weston, and Bloor, but stops in Georgetown, Brampton, and Malton, so Via actually makes most of the same stops as the GO train.