GO Trains to Toronto?

manny_santos · #1 Posted **Jan 17, 2020, 6:57 PM**

CTV London is reporting that the Ford government is considering GO rail service, among other possibilities for improving rail service between London and Toronto.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/ford-governmen...vice-to-london-being-discussed-1.4772107

This sounds very interesting, and certainly London's VIA station has the capacity to support it as there are 3 tracks there. If this were an extension of the Kitchener line, there is a definite need to upgrade the GEXR tracks between Kitchener and London, and likely add additional sidings since there is some freight traffic on that line, particularly between Kitchener and St. Marys. That would also improve access between Stratford and both London and Kitchener, something that has been an issue since VIA made some cutbacks in 2012. Of course this could also be an extension of the Lakeshore West line, which might actually make more sense as that would also give London improved rail access to Hamilton and Niagara Falls, but upgrades would definitely be needed there due to the amount of CN freight traffic.

haljackey · #2 Posted **Aug 20, 2021, 2:48 PM**

I was at crabby joes patio on Dundas yesterday when suddenly

https://photos.app.goo.gl/smN5h5mfcggxEwrh9

Innsertnamehere · #3 Posted **Aug 20, 2021, 2:51 PM**

They've been doing some pretty extensive test runs this week - pretty clear the service is coming very soon. My bet is there is an announcement for the September GO schedule changes. At the latest October.

I expect it to be an extremely slow service at first, verging on unusable, so don't get too excited. The line from London to Kitchener is in extremely poor shape and most of it has a 50km/h speed limit on it. It will take GO a while to make improvements in order to increase speeds and make travel times more reasonable. I expect travel times at launch to Toronto in the 3.5 hour range. It will just be way faster for people from London to just drive to Aldershot or Burlington like they do today, which would deliver a ~2.5 hour travel time.

GreatTallNorth2 · #4 Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 1:12 PM**

https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/after-decades-of-talk-about-rail-service-go-is-a-go-for-london

It's a GO, only 4 hours to Union Station lol and 2 hours to K/W. At least it's something.

Innsertnamehere · #5 Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 1:16 PM**

GO tends to do it's extensions as "service first, quality later" it seems. The same thing happened with Kitchener when it first got service, it was a crappy 2+hr ride with only a few peak hour trains.

Now a decade later and GO is planning on running trips in 1:30 all day in a few years.

The service will likely get better here over time as well. Don't expect any miracles though, even once upgrades are done the train will probably take close to 3hrs.

GreatTallNorth2 · #6 Posted **Sep 15, 2021, 1:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

GO tends to do it's extensions as "service first, quality later" it seems. The same thing happened with Kitchener when it first got service, it was a crappy 2+hr ride with only a few peak hour trains.

Now a decade later and GO is planning on running trips in 1:30 all day in a few years.

The service will likely get better here over time as well. Don't expect any miracles though, even once upgrades are done the train will probably take close to 3hrs.

I welcome the service but it will probably be most useful for day trips to St. Mary's, Stratford & maybe Kitchener. I took MegaBus a few weeks ago from London to Union. It was less than 2 hours.

MolsonExport · #7 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 1:49 PM**

4 fucking hours? You have got to be kidding me. Are they towing the Go trains with pack horses or something? Snails?

JHikka · #8 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 1:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

4 fucking hours? You have got to be kidding me. Are they towing the Go trains with pack horses or something? Snails?

The intention is more for London-KWC than for London-Toronto at this stage. Most of the issues lie on the rail b/w London & KWC in terms of speed. Will be Metrolinx' first attempt at a non-commuter service, basically.

GreatTallNorth2 · #9 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 2:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

The intention is more for London-KWC than for London-Toronto at this stage. Most of the issues lie on the rail b/w London & KWC in terms of speed. Will be Metrolinx' first attempt at a non-commuter service, basically.

Except if you want to do a day trip to Stratford, do you want to get there at 6:20 am?

JHikka · #10 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 2:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

Except if you want to do a day trip to Stratford, do you want to get there at 6:20 am?

Not sure - when do the shows start?

GreatTallNorth2 · #11 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 3:09 PM**

I think Bieber puts on a daily show at 7:00 am, so that might not be too bad.

ssiguy · #12 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 6:08 PM**

4 hours is absurd but the frequency, speed, and reliability will increase dramatically over the next decade. This is nothing more than a feasibility study on the ground.

What I think will eventually happen is you will get far more frequent "semi-express" service such as London/KW/Pearson/Union or London/SM/Stratford/KW/Union. As the track is improved, key grade separations built, and electrification the service will prove very popular and would easily shave an hour off the trip. Of course even with this, affordable fares will be key.

London is VIA's 4th busiest station so it's a market that VIA can't afford to lose so it maybe the kick in the ass VIA needs to finally improve the London/Alder/Union route.

plcan1 · #13 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 6:18 PM**

The we go Ontario we are back in 1920
4 hours ... 👍

Djeffery · #14 Posted **Sep 16, 2021, 8:13 PM**

Also saw this on the bottom of the Free Press story.

"trains will have to park for the night in Kitchener-Waterloo because GO equipment requires different voltage than what’s used by Via Rail in London, ".

So the train will come to London around 8pm, go back to KW for a few hours, and head back to London for a 5am departure? What voltage are they talking about?

GreatTallNorth2 · #15 Posted **Sep 18, 2021, 1:25 PM**

Anyone up to take the first GO train from London on October 18? I know that Reece is from RM Transit. I plan on it & have my VIA ticket purchased for the journey back, as there is no way I am riding 4 hours to Toronto and 4 hours back.

haljackey · #16 Posted **Sep 18, 2021, 2:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatTallNorth2

Anyone up to take the first GO train from London on October 18? I know that Reece is from RM Transit. I plan on it & have my VIA ticket purchased for the journey back, as there is no way I am riding 4 hours to Toronto and 4 hours back.

Dam I really wish it was operating for the K-W Oktoberfest. Great way to get there, get hammered, and not worry about driving back too much (if you live downtown close to the station, and they had a train leaving at like 2am

)

I'd have to take a vacation day to ride it on weekdays, so no dice.

Djeffery · #17 Posted **Sep 25, 2021, 3:00 AM**

Fares were announced today and will be $30 each way London-Toronto, and $17.50 between London and Kitchener. Other fares I imagine are available on the website.

GreatTallNorth2 · #18 Posted **Oct 18, 2021, 10:35 PM**

I took the first GO train today to a Toronto. Not only was it slow as advertised, but it was also 30 minutes later than scheduled. Not sure all the details of why it was the extra 30 minutes but it literally took 40 minutes to get out of London. I’m taking the via rail home, supposed to be 2 hours and 6 mins.

Djeffery · #19 Posted **Oct 19, 2021, 1:06 AM**

Do GO trains have washrooms? I can't imagine not peeing for at least 4 hours, especially that time of day lol

GreatTallNorth2 · #20 Posted **Oct 19, 2021, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Do GO trains have washrooms? I can't imagine not peeing for at least 4 hours, especially that time of day lol

If my memory is right, they do. I didn’t have to use it. The good thing is that you get the entire car upstairs & downstairs to yourself so if you had to relieve yourself, you could do it in a bottle from your seat.