Viewfromthe42 - I think the GO train comparison isn't really useful, because while going from 2 to 4 trips (each way) is a 100% increase in frequency, its still really bad and doesn't really open up many new use cases.
But your general point is fair. I think the problem is you need to have speed be some minimal and acceptable level compared to the available alternatives before it stops becoming the main bottleneck to growth. And I don't think GO is there yet for most people for Kitchener-Toronto.
It's basically an optimization problem. Vastly improving the current bottleneck to growth doesn't mean you'll see a lot more growth if instead you just hit a new bottleneck. And right now both frequency and travel time are horrible for GO Kitchener-Toronto.
Edit: But to maybe tie my rambling back to a point - there's probably not a great reason to focus on high speed Kitchener-Toronto rail if we can't also offer frequent trips.
But your general point is fair. I think the problem is you need to have speed be some minimal and acceptable level compared to the available alternatives before it stops becoming the main bottleneck to growth. And I don't think GO is there yet for most people for Kitchener-Toronto.
It's basically an optimization problem. Vastly improving the current bottleneck to growth doesn't mean you'll see a lot more growth if instead you just hit a new bottleneck. And right now both frequency and travel time are horrible for GO Kitchener-Toronto.
Edit: But to maybe tie my rambling back to a point - there's probably not a great reason to focus on high speed Kitchener-Toronto rail if we can't also offer frequent trips.