GO Transit

[Markster]

At the time of the Shirley announcement GO said the park street facility would close leaving four slots. The need for a Lancaster separation will become more apparent then because the trains will have cross once to complete their trip and then once more to get back to the layover facility both in the morning and at night.

Perhaps time to move this discussion the go thread?

Yeah, it went off topic fast, never to talk about GRT again! We're now in the GO thread.

[Canard]

They'll have to cross, yeah, but not stop. It's the stopping that blocks up Park that is the issue. They used to block King when the track switch was on the East side prior to the beginning of the Grade sep work.

[BuildingScout]

The Swiss equivalent of a GO transit train. In my opinion with much better aesthetics.

   

[Canard]

Bombardier TWINDEXX, if I'm not mistaken.

Keep in mind that most North American rolling stock is as ugly as it is thanks to FRA and Transport Canada being so sticky about crash regulations. Most sexy European EMU's could never operate here.

[Elmira Guy]

Canard wrote; "Keep in mind that most North American rolling stock is as ugly as it is thanks to FRA and Transport Canada being so sticky about crash regulations. Most sexy European EMU's could never operate here."

Interesting. Why is that? What's the difference in regulations that impacts the style of the trains?

(The quote function here does not work on my phone. Sorry)

[BuildingScout]

Bombardier TWINDEXX, if I'm not mistaken.

Keep in mind that most North American rolling stock is as ugly as it is thanks to FRA and Transport Canada being so sticky about crash regulations. Most sexy European EMU's could never operate here.

It's actually a Siemens RABe 511.1 Regio, serial number 123(?) as one can barely make out the numbers in front. SBB is sort of unique that uses a mix fleet from Siemens and Bombardier, including jointly developed trains. They all look rather similar.

[mpd618]

Interesting. Why is that? What's the difference in regulations that impacts the style of the trains?

The U.S. FRA has crashworthiness and buff strength requirements that are essentially designed for freight trains with poor signal/control systems - the requirements care nothing for preventing collisions, and everything about ensuring that the train is a tank for when collisions happen. It means trains need to be bulkier and heavier, and thus more expensive and slower.

It's actually a Siemens RABe 511.1 Regio, serial number 123(?) as one can barely make out the numbers in front. SBB is sort of unique that uses a mix fleet from Siemens and Bombardier, including jointly developed trains. They all look rather similar.

Pretty sure it's a Stadler.

[BuildingScout]

It's actually a Siemens RABe 511.1 Regio, serial number 123(?) as one can barely make out the numbers in front. SBB is sort of unique that uses a mix fleet from Siemens and Bombardier, including jointly developed trains. They all look rather similar.

Pretty sure it's a Stadler.

Indeed, that was a brain hiccup. It is a Stadler RABe 511.1 Regio. The part about all SBB double deckers looking rather similar is still true.

Here's the page linking the serial number to the Stadler: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/RABe_511s

[Markster]

I was on the GO Train yesterday, and got a look at the new yard on Shirley as we rolled past.
They've graded the site, and there's a big stack of rails. A few small buildings are under construction.

Things are progressing, but it seems things are still a little ways away.

[timio]

I guess December 16 launch of the two new trains. I believe it was somewhere around there for the initial launch in 2011.

[The85]

Some photo updates of the Shirley Yard from last week:

[KevinL]

I love how they used mixed brick on that little utilitarian structure, just to add some colour.

[kps]

Watching the livestream:

1. Metrolinx and CN have an agreement in principle to build a new freight corridor to free the Georgetown gap.

2. Province commits $43M to the transit hub.

3. Two more Kitchener-Toronto trains (as expected).

4. GO buses from Kitchener to Bramalea connecting to GO trains.

[MidTowner]

4. GO buses from Kitchener to Bramalea connecting to GO trains.

Is it safe to assume this will run on Saturdays, too, once weekend train service to Bramalea is established?

I think this is better news than a few extra trains which take two hours to get to Union. Having the ability to catch the bus hourly to Bramalea will be very useful for many people.

[plam]

4. GO buses from Kitchener to Bramalea connecting to GO trains.

Is it safe to assume this will run on Saturdays, too, once weekend train service to Bramalea is established?

I think this is better news than a few extra trains which take two hours to get to Union. Having the ability to catch the bus hourly to Bramalea will be very useful for many people.

Buses are always less sexy than trains but it's always been surprising to me that they're not much slower for getting from X to Y, especially once you get out of the GTA. I've taken the connecting bus from Georgetown, I think, to Kitchener, and it was fast enough.

Weekend service would be great.