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felix123 said:
That he did, but that was also over 4 years ago. Replace Tim Horton's with McDonald's and you'll find we're right back where we started - plus ça change...
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I come back to what I said before the election: the government has announced all it would for transit; the focus has shifted to highways.

I was incredibly worried about RER funding, and am glad that’s creeping forward. Won’t pop the champagne until we start seeing tangible construction of electrification equipment.

Separately, I think we’ll see an announcement of a Pearson extension towards the end of their term) but nothing else otherwise.
 
allengeorge said:
I come back to what I said before the election: the government has announced all it would for transit; the focus has shifted to highways.

I was incredibly worried about RER funding, and am glad that’s creeping forward. Won’t pop the champagne until we start seeing tangible construction of electrification equipment.

Separately, I think we’ll see an announcement of a Pearson extension towards the end of their term) but nothing else otherwise.
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It feels a bit like the PC's are back in the first half of term 1, those slash and burn years when nothing much was being announced for GO (after they renamed the proposed works to GO Expansion).
At the time I remember almost missing Del Duca's PR because at least we were hearing more about GO then.
Like you I am still optimistic that we'll see RER move forward, despite the current snail's pace.
 
felix123 said:
It feels a bit like the PC's are back in the first half of term 1, those slash and burn years when nothing much was being announced for GO (after they renamed the proposed works to GO Expansion).
At the time I remember almost missing Del Duca's PR because at least we were hearing more about GO then.
Like you I am still optimistic that we'll see RER move forward, despite the current snail's pace.
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There’s a lot of work still going on: the Stouffville Line expansion is nearing completion, the latest phases of the inner and outer sections of the Kitchener Line (with the critical CN-controlled middle section still a few years off, though there’s more capacity there than what GO and CN are using), work on the Lakeshore East through East Toronto. (EDIT: and, of course, the Barrie Line expansion.)

Those are nothing to sneeze at, though they lack the sizzle of stand-alone new projects.

The malaise is on the operations side. Metrolinx can continue to blame staffing, but it’s up to them and Alstom to get those crews trained and retained. But there’s a classic YRT issue: so much money for infrastructure, followed by so little for operations. That’s on Queen’s Park, and on Metrolinx’s malaise.
 
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Richard White said:
This further reinforces my belief that GO transit is stuck in the pandemic.

Their service levels, their mentality are all indicative of a belief that ridership hasn't returned. It's as though they still think Covid-19 is raging and everyone is still working and studying virtually.

Phil Verster needs a reality check. He needs to realise that ridership is increasing and that covid restrictions have gone to the wayside.

If Metrolinx cannot understand that the world is moving away from the pandemic then a change in leadership is needed.

Simply put Metrolinx has to get their head out of the sand and realise that we are not still stuck in a pandemic.
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To add to this: ridership has also changed post pandemic. Its less of the 9-5 and more weekend/evening/reverse commute.

All the more reason to expand weekend service and off-peak/2 way operations.
 
robmausser said:
To add to this: ridership has also changed post pandemic. Its less of the 9-5 and more weekend/evening/reverse commute.

All the more reason to expand weekend service and off-peak/2 way operations.
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The big market that’s back too are the students at colleges and universities. Now that most courses are in-person again, that should be a top priority – of course, there are four big institutions in downtown Toronto that should help drive the traditional commuter pattern too.
 
ShonTron said:
There’s a lot of work still going on: the Stouffville Line expansion is nearing completion,
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Lots of work on the stations, yes…. But that last creek bridge shows no sign of forward motion. When I rode thru there today, there was not a construction worker on site….. but the worksite now has a homeless encampment on it. Until the double track is completed, the new station platforms are white elephants.
I question whether ML has any capability to manage projects to the end state. Lots of activity, lots of money spent incrementally… but always something not done that stands in the way of an end product.

- Paul
 
crs1026 said:
Lots of work on the stations, yes…. But that last creek bridge shows no sign of forward motion. When I rode thru there today, there was not a construction worker on site….. but the worksite now has a homeless encampment on it. Until the double track is completed, the new station platforms are white elephants.
I question whether ML has any capability to manage projects to the end state. Lots of activity, lots of money spent incrementally… but always something not done that stands in the way of an end product.

- Paul
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Sounds a bit like West Harbour
 
Looks like work is started on the Innisfil station, they have started to clear the soil near where the station is going to be. I hope they double track that area so that they can run more trains.

There is a siding at Brantford that would allow trains to pass so why do trains only go as far as Aurora most of the time?
 
Bordercollie said:
Looks like work is started on the Innisfil station, they have started to clear the soil near where the station is going to be. I hope they double track that area so that they can run more trains.

There is a siding at Brantford that would allow trains to pass so why do trains only go as far as Aurora most of the time?
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I certianly hope trains going to Barrie don't have to detour all the way over to Brantford first! What would that be, a 6-hour train journey?

:)
 
Would GO be able to do what Greyhound used to do and charter extra sections from private coach operators, at least temporarily?

The Greyhound service between KW and Toronto was always busy and it wasn't uncommon to see quadruple and even quintuple sections on certain schedules. I'd assume a lot of that demand has shifted onto the 25 which doesn't help.
 
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