Quote:
Originally Posted by ScreamingViking
As GO evolves I hope it does become less Union-focused. Two-way all-day service is meant to help do that and give people a rail option for trips that don't involve commuting to downtown Toronto... will the demand justify the service plan? I think so, though it will take time, and be very dependent on the transit connections at destinations and auto trips being much less attractive than they are today.
Hamilton's stations would be well-positioned to take advantage of inbound services -- especially compared to stations that are largely suburban -- with much within walking distance, particularly for the GO Centre, and the local transit improvements that are on the way. But it's still fairly easy to drive into downtown and the employment density would have to rise despite it being a relatively large node in the city.
The GO Centre has some big limitations. It's a shame, it's a beautiful station and ideally situated. Hopefully more service can be provided, but that will be up to what CP is willing to negotiate and the maximum capacity of the tunnel. The poor rail connections to CN's main corridor on the east side is not something that would easily be changed either.
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I agree, GO Centre is beautiful and is deserving of being a central station. However, CP really bottlenecked its use with their tunnel (perhaps by design?) and there isn't really a clear way to fix it without a full rebuild, which is a lot more than Mx or the city wants to cough up. To gain access to the east side is a non-starter unless we reactivate rail on the beachfront, which while a great idea is also too expensive to consider right now.
GO has been underinvested in now for decades. With DB at the helm, the core GO network
will be a true S-Bahn, full stop. It can, and will, easily absorb a significant amount of demand both from new park-n-ride commuters and ideally existing transit users. Much of the GTHA is at a density that high-quality buses feeding into strong rail connections will work pretty well, effectively becoming the TTC on steroids. It is going to be transformational, and I always feel a bit jealous that no one has put up capital to extend electrification just a little bit to West Harbour, but I digress. We are positioned at the axiom of the GO line with the most compelling trips outside of Union, so I think we are going to be OK.
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