New GO double decker buses

[DC83]

Originally Posted by Jon Dalton

agreed, the poor acceleration of our diesel locomotives is a huge factor. They also need to run some express trains, eg. Niagara - St. Catherines - Hamilton - Oakville - Toronto, to keep the trip times reasonable on longer distances. Even with electric trains that stop and start quickly, people will find 16 stops on a 100km train ride to be a pain in the ass.

I don't think there'll be that many stops along the way.
Between Hamilton - Niagara, I would imagaine stops at:

Downtown Hamilton
Hamilton East/Stoney Creek
Grimsby
Vineland/Jordan Station (maybe)
St Catharines (Pelham... there's still a VIA Stn there)
Downtown Niagara Falls.

GO trains currently run super slow between Burlington & Hamilton, I'm assuming b/c of all the twists & turns around RBG/Cootes/Dundurn Junction area. The track bet H & NF is almost straight until you get to NF. So, to be fair, it wouldn't move that slowly. Also, 'layovers' are less than 2mins. So I dont' think an Express Train bet Ham & NF would be necessary given the few stops in between. Also, it would be more difficult for someone from Vineland to reach St Catharines for GO Express service than say someone near Port Credit GO having to reach Clarkson GO. At least they can take Miss. Transit, there's no such connection between Niagara's towns.

[SteelTown]

For stops GO Transit has identified......

Originally Posted by SteelTown

A GO Transit report dated Sept. 18, 2006, stated that a market was identified for commuter bus service linking Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Grimsby with Hamilton, where riders could transfer to GO trains and other bus routes.

For GO Train I would imagine there would have to be two complete separate regional commuter rail system. One linking Hamilton to Toronto and another system linking Hamilton to Niagara Falls. Adding the existing GO Train to the Niagara Region would do damage to GO Transit schedules.

Hey ask Bob Bratina he's a GO Transit memeber lol.

The likely scenario is that Dalton will push for GO Transit from Niagara Region to Hamilton and I guess double the number of Toronto Express GO Bus service from Hamilton.

I'm gonna bet GO Train will extend down to Stoney Creek at Centennial Parkway and QEW area within 5 years.

[DC83]

found this from the St Catharines Standard (local print) site

[St. Catharines Mayor Brian McMullan] said while he'd be happy to have the three proposed Niagara stops Grimsby, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls tested in a pilot project this summer, reliable service over the long haul is key to bringing GO trains to Niagara.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/A...FER+PELLEGRINI

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by DC83

Wow, fantastic!! Not only would this allow more ppl to visit Niagara more often, but MAY act as a catalyst for Downtown Niagara Falls.
I believe they would share the VIA Stn at Bridge & Erie in NF, which is like a block from the downtown 'strip' (not to be confused with the new strip).

THEN hopefully The City of Niagara Falls runs some kind of monorail/lrt/whatever along the old rail line that runs to the 'new' strip!

EDIT:

pic of NF's VIA Stn


courtesy Flar from http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=Niagara+Falls

That's great, it's right in downtown Sketchville.

[ikerrin]

I have to confess that VIA rail is seriously pissing me off. They run trains to Niagara, but as soon as expansion is talked about, its GO Transit and not them. Also, the Tories offer money to expand service to Peterborough and they say that they are not interested. On the Georgetown line, its all about GO Transit offering more service to Waterloo and to Guelph.

Jeessh! Maybe the GO Service can start offering High Speed Rail to Montreal.

I don't know why everyone thinks GO Transit is so good. They go what? 80 km max?

[JT Jacobs]

Originally Posted by ikerrin

I have to confess that VIA rail is seriously pissing me off. They run trains to Niagara, but as soon as expansion is talked about, its GO Transit and not them. Also, the Tories offer money to expand service to Peterborough and they say that they are not interested. On the Georgetown line, its all about GO Transit offering more service to Waterloo and to Guelph.

Jeessh! Maybe the GO Service can start offering High Speed Rail to Montreal.

I don't know why everyone thinks GO Transit is so good. They go what? 80 km max?

You're right: GO sucks, like all crown corporations. Canadian public transportation generally sucks, too. Canada is the ideal country for high-speed rail. We should have a route from Windsor to Quebec City. Alas! We need some politicians with guts to fight for such. And a populace to desire it, too. Who really wants to fight to TO on the QEW everyday anyway when we could have a dynamic, high-speed rail infrastructure in place?

[Jon Dalton]

I don't get the hate-on for GO. It's one of the most successful transit systems in North America. As to why GO is expanding so much more than VIA, I expect that has everything to do with the Ontario Liberals going nuts over public transit, while the feds that are in charge of VIA, probably not so enthusiastic about public transit.

[miketoronto]

Why would people want to take GO to Niagara? It would be slow as a snail unless there are express trains from Toronto to Niagara.

VIA already provides a fast service to Niagara. Maybe VIA should have its service boosted, or if GO is going to take it over, than it better be much faster service than now.

Who is going to sit on a GO bus to Hamilton from Niagara just to transfer onto another GO service in Hamilton?

There are private companies that already provide service to Niagara Region, with fast service. I can hop on Coach Canada and be in St Catharines in just over one hour from Toronto. Sure beats the probably two hour milk run or longer it will take with GO.

I also don't get why people take GO to Guelph from Toronto, which many do. Just to save 2 bucks? The private companies get you there in like an hour compared to GO's three hours.

[matt602]

I would certainly use a GO service to Niagara. I don't see why it would be slow either. That stretch of the QEW is usually quick aside from the always under construction part through St. Catherines, before the skyway. You're making it sound like GO's service in particular is somehow slower than any other bus service. How is this so? An express bus is gonna get there the same speed as any other bus service's express bus.

[FairHamilton]

I think the comparison is between a GO service with stops vs. a private companies direct runs.

Some might take GO because muti-ride (i.e. 10 Rides, Monthly passes) are partially tax deductible, and the private companies fares are not. They may also take the GO because they are riding to only one of the stops, and not to the final destination. The stops would also pick-up people to get them to other stops the private companies don't service.

Also, some of the GO Service could be direct express (i.e. no stops) so same duration as private services.

[matt602]

The GO Bus service is supposed to be express to Niagara Falls, I'm fairly certain. The train service would include stops.

[DC83]

The problem with (most) Torontonians is that all they see GO as is a mode of getting people into and/or out of Toronto as a central destination.

However, it's obvious that Metrolinx (And the Gov't of Ont) is dedicated to getting people out of their archaic vehicles and into a more sustainable way of getting around: Public Transit.

So rather than branding the GO as a way to connect Ontario to Toronto, McGuinty & Co. wants GO to be a way of connecting Ontarians to Ontarians via Public Transit. I can see a huge network (like in Europe) of GO Lines from Niagara, to Hamilton, Brantford, KW, Sauga, Brampton, Barrie, Peterborough, etc etc. It's going to happen eventually. Just that much more reason for people/business to invest in Ontario. Alberta may have oil (for now), but Ontario still has all the people!

[DHLawrence]

GO Transit truly needs to become an all-Ontario transit system, just like one of the economy train-operating companies in the UK. Operate trains and buses all across the province with hubs in cities like London, Hamilton, TO, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, etc. with the current diesel trains and express service to the GTA with the electrified single-level trains mentioned in the press recently.

[Millstone]

I don't think there's a lot of money (probably a loss) in connecting Thunder Bay and Sudbury to Toronto.

[DHLawrence]

No, hubs that are connected to surrounding communities by trains--not necessarily connected to each other, though that's certainly a plus. Besides, I doubt there's much of a parket for people taking the train from Penzance to Aberdeen, but you can get there by one train.

[thistleclub]

Across the pond, designs for the new Routemasters...

[omro]

Originally Posted by thistleclub

Across the pond, designs for the new Routemasters...

Ah, the Routemaster, one of Blue Boris's campaign pledges to rid the streets of London of Bendy-Buses and return the Routemaster.