GO Transit

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GO Transit
logo
Reporting marks GOT
Locale Greater Toronto Area
Dates of operation 1967–present
Track gauge 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) (standard gauge)
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario

Contents

GO Transit (AAR reporting marks GOT), officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), is Canada's first, and Ontario's only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The Greater Toronto Transportation Act, 2006 provides for the eventual transfer of responsibility for GO Transit to Metrolinx, after the applicable sections of the Act are proclaimed in force. [1]

GO carries 47 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services. Since it began regular passenger service in May 1967, GO Transit has carried over one billion passengers on its train and/or bus service. GO Transit achieved its one billionth passenger mark on October 11, 2006.

GO trains are easily identifiable; they are double-decked, green and white, and the cars are shaped like elongated octagons. These Bombardier BiLevel carriages were originally designed for GO in the 1970s, and are now used by a number of other commuter railways across the continent. GO buses are not double-decked (although a BC Transit bus was used in an experiment during May 2002), but they are also characterized by a green and white colour scheme. Most GO buses are inter-city coaches (see directory below).

Although it owns its locomotives and carriages, GO contracts out the operation of its trains to the Canadian Pacific Railway on the Milton line, and to CN on all others. As a result, GO Train service has been previously disrupted by non GO Transit related labour disputes.

A five-year contract with Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. means 160 unionized engineers, conductors and newly coined "customer service ambassadors" will replace Canadian National crews now operating the trains on six of GO's seven lines. CN, which owns most of the tracks, switches and signals, will be training the new crews to take over in June 2008. Canadian Pacific Railway will continue to operate GO's Milton line. Bombardier will continue to run trains with three-person crews, but their functions will change a bit. Traditionally, the conductor focuses on safe operation, but also does customer service. Bombardier will put two engineers on each train, each driving in just one direction. When not driving, the spare engineer will handle operations. The crew person stationed in the accessible coach, formerly the conductor, will be a customer service ambassador.[2]

GO trains and buses serve a population of six million in an 8,000 km² area (3,000 sq.mi.) radiating from downtown Toronto to Hamilton and Guelph in the west; Orangeville, Barrie, and Beaverton to the north; and Port Perry, Oshawa, and Newcastle in the east. The buses extend GO's service as far as over 100 km (about 60 miles) from downtown Toronto. GO connects with every municipal transit system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas, including the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC).

The Greater Toronto Area consists of the City of Toronto and the surrounding Regions of Halton, Peel, York, and Durham. GO Transit also serves the neighbouring City of Hamilton, and reaches into Simcoe, Dufferin, and Wellington Counties.

The GO system map shows seven train routes, all departing from Toronto's Union Station and mostly named respectively after the outer terminus of train service:

A
Lakeshore West line (to Hamilton)
B
Lakeshore East line (to Oshawa, with buses to Newcastle)
C
Milton line
D
Georgetown line, with buses to Guelph
E
Barrie line
F
Richmond Hill line
G
Stouffville line, with buses to Uxbridge
Map of GO Train system.
Map of GO Train system.

However, until 2006, GO's timetables showed a single Lakeshore line, which is perhaps a more appropriate nomenclature since most off-peak, and some peak period, trains provide through service between stations east and west of Toronto.

GO Trains
leer leer leer KBFa
95.0 km Barrie South
leer leer leer HST
66.8 km Bradford
KBFa leer leer STR
63.2 km Hamilton
TUNNEL1 leer leer STR
Hunter St. Tunnel
WBRÜCKE leer leer STR
60.0 km Desjardins Canal
eABZlg leer leer STR
59.9 km Hamilton Jct.
eABZld leer leer STR
59.4 km Bayview Jct.
STR leer leer HST
East Gwillimbury
HST leer leer STR
55.7 km Aldershot VIA
STR leer leer HST
55.0 km Newmarket
AKRZu leer leer STR
QEW Underpass
HST leer leer STR
51.5 km Burlington
STR KBFa leer STR
50.2 km Milton
STR STR KBFa STR
48.9 km Georgetown VIA
STR STR STR HST
48.1 km Aurora
STR STR WBRÜCKE STR
Credit River
HST STR STR STR
44.9 km Appleby
STR AKRZu STR STR
407 Underpass
WBRÜCKE STR STR STR
41.5 km Bronte Creek
STR STR HST STR
40.6 km Mount Pleasant
STR HST STR STR
Lisgar
HST STR STR STR
39.8 km Bronte
STR HST STR STR
37.2 km Meadowvale
STR STR STR HST
36.5 km King City
STR STR HST STR
35.9 km Brampton VIA
HST STR STR STR
34.4 km Oakville VIA
STR eABZrg STR STR
34.1 km Streetsville Jct.
STR HST STR STR
32.7 km Streetsville
STR WBRÜCKE STR STR
Credit River
STR AKRZo STR STR
403 Overpass
STR STR HST STR
29.8 km Bramalea
STR STR STR HST
29.5 km Maple
STR HST STR STR
29.1 km Erindale
STR STR AKRZu STR
407 Underpass
STR STR eABZld STR
27.4 km Halwest Jct.
HST STR STR STR
26.9 km Clarkson
STR STR STR HST
Rutherford
STR HST STR STR
24.8 km Cooksville
STR STR HST STR
23.7 km Malton
STR STR AKRZu STR
427 Underpass
STR STR STR AKRZo
407 Overpass
WBRÜCKE STR STR STR
21.2 km Credit River
STR STR STR eKRZ
20.8 km Snider Jct.
HST STR STR STR
20.6 km Port Credit
STR HST STR STR
20.0 km Dixie
STR STR STR HST
19.8 km York University
STR STR HST STR
17.7 km Etobicoke North
STR AKRZu STR STR
427 Underpass
STR STR AKRZu STR
401 Underpass
STR UTurmBHFo STR STR
15.6 km Kipling TTC
HST STR STR STR
15.4 km Long Branch
STR STR WBRÜCKE STR
15.1 km Humber River
STR STR HST STR
13.8 km Weston
STR STR STR AKRZu
401 Underpass
STR WBRÜCKE STR STR
11.7 km Humber River
DST STR STR STR
Willowbrook Yard
HST STR STR STR
10.8 km Mimico
AKRZu STR STR STR
9.2 km QEW Underpass
WBRÜCKE STR STR STR
8.2 km Humber River
STR STR UTurmBHFo STR
6.2 km Bloor TTC
STR ABZrg STRrf STR
STR ABZrg HSTR STRrf
HST STR leer leer
3.2 km Exhibition
ABZrg STRrf leer leer
STR utSTRrg leer leer
TTC
CPICl utCPICr leer leer
0 km
0 km
Union VIA
STR utSTRlf leer leer
TTC
ABZlf HSTR HSTR STRlg
WBRÜCKE leer leer STR
Don River
AKRZo leer leer STR
DVP Overpass
STR leer leer UKRZu
Bloor Viaduct
STR leer leer eKRZu
CPR Trestle
HST leer leer STR
8.4 km Danforth
STR leer leer AKRZu
DVP Underpass
HST leer leer STR
13.8 km Scarborough
ABZlf STRlg leer STR
STR UTurmBHFo leer STR
Kennedy TTC
STR STR leer eKRZu
CPR Trestle
STR STR leer AKRZo
DVP Overpass
HST STR leer STR
17.1 km Eglinton
STR STR leer HST
18.2 km Oriole
STR STR leer AKRZu
18.2 km 401 Underpass
HST STR leer STR
20.3 km Guildwood VIA
STR eKRZu leer STR
CPR Underpass
STR AKRZu leer STR
401 Underpass
STR STR leer HST
22.7 km Old Cummer
STR HST leer STR
22.9 km Agincourt
STR STR leer eKRZ
25.9 km Doncaster Jct.
HST STR leer STR
26.6 km Rouge Hill
STR HST leer STR
27.4 km Milliken
WBRÜCKE STR leer STR
28.5 km Rouge River
STR STR leer AKRZu
29.5 km 407 Underpass
STR STR leer HST
29.5 km Langstaff VIVA
STR eKRZ leer STR
29.9 km Hagerman Jct.
STR AKRZu leer STR
407 Underpass
STR HST leer STR
30.6 km Unionville VIVA
eABZlf STR leer STR
31.9 km Durham Jct.
HST STR leer STR
33.5 km Pickering
STR STR leer KBFe
33.8 km Richmond Hill
STR HST leer leer
36.7 km Markham
HST STR leer leer
37.5 km Ajax
STR HST leer leer
38.7 km Mount Joy
HST STR leer leer
46.2 km Whitby
STR xKBFe leer leer
46.8 km Stouffville
STR exKBFe leer leer
Stouffville North
KBFe leer leer leer
50.5 km Oshawa VIA
VIA - Via Rail Canada station
TTC - TTC Subway connection
VIVA - York Region Transit, VIVA


Cab Control Car of a GO Train with a view of the CN Tower in the background.
Cab Control Car of a GO Train with a view of the CN Tower in the background.
A GO Train F59PH, currently the standard power on GO Transit's rail lines passing Danforth Station.
A GO Train F59PH, currently the standard power on GO Transit's rail lines passing Danforth Station.
Inside a GO Train, upper deck with stairs leading down at the back
Inside a GO Train, upper deck with stairs leading down at the back

Most of the GO Train route network operates only in peak rush-hour periods and then only in the primary direction of travel. For example, as of February 2006, the Milton line service consists of six trains leaving Milton each weekday between 6:25 and 8:00 a.m., and six trains leaving Toronto each weekday between 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.

There is off-peak train service on parts of the Lakeshore and Georgetown lines. Hourly trains operate on weekdays off-peek hours and weekends between Aldershot and Oshawa. The Georgetown line has a more limited off-peak train service between Toronto and Bramalea.

Each train route has a corresponding GO Bus service for the times (and directions) when the trains are not operating. These accept the same tickets as the trains and in many cases serve the same stations. For example, buses operate from Toronto to Milton, and from Burlington (on weekends Oakville) to Hamilton, at all times except the weekday evening peak when trains are available. Some train routes are similarly extended by buses at all times, as noted in the list of routes, with through buses when the trains do not run. Thus buses to Guelph operate from Georgetown in the evening peak, and from Toronto at other times.

Still other GO Buses are independent of rail services. Some parts of the route network use expressways (such as the frequent Toronto–Hamilton express bus via the Queen Elizabeth Way) while others are more local in character. Toronto Pearson International Airport is served by a route from Brampton to Yorkdale and York Mills subway stations. Buses serving downtown Toronto operate to a terminal adjacent to Union Station.

Many municipal transit systems connect with GO Trains. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides the most connections with GO Trains and convenient connections can be made between the trains and TTC buses, streetcars, and subway trains. Immediately adjacent to the GO concourse at Union Station is the Union station on the TTC's Yonge-University Spadina subway line. Connections at Union Station with the TTC's Harbourfront (509) and Spadina (510) streetcar lines are also possible.

Four stations on the TTC's Bloor-Danforth subway line and one on the Sheppard line are close to GO Train stations;

Additionally, three GO bus terminals are on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line, at Finch, York Mills, and Yorkdale, and one is located on the Scarborough RT at Scarborough Centre.

All GO Train stations within the City of Toronto except GO Exhibition are adjacent to TTC bus routes, and GO Danforth, GO Exhibition, GO Bloor, and GO Long Branch are also on streetcar routes.

GO runs 180 train trips and 1,430 bus trips daily, carrying about 190,000 passengers on a typical weekday — 160,000 on the trains and 30,000 by bus. GO says that their ridership growth has continually exceeded expectations. In the first year of operation, 2.5 million passengers were carried. The combined rail and bus system today handles more than 47 million riders annually.

At least 96% of the train ridership is to and from Union Station in downtown Toronto, while about 70% of all bus passengers travel to and from the City of Toronto.

In recent years, since initiating a major infrastructure renewal program in 2005, GO Transit has been plagued with frequent service disruptions, often leading to trip cancellations, and stranding passengers at GO stations. In addition to several major service disruptions, GO trains also rountinely arrive at their destinations late. Weekday passengers travelling to Union Station during the morning rush hour should expect their trains to arrive in downtown Toronto at least several minutes late. GO has blamed many of the disruptions on long-delayed construction projects it has recently undertaken. It cites underfunding by previous Ontario governments for delaying critical infrastructure improvements necessary to handle GO's growing passenger volumes. Passengers though, are more likely to fault GO directly, alleging that the agency shows little concern for their schedules, and fails to provide accurate information when major delays occur.

GO Transit was created and funded by the provincial government in 1967 as Government of Ontario Transit (hence the acronym 'GO') and was financed entirely by the Province of Ontario until the end of 1997. The Province subsidized any operating costs that were not recovered through revenue, as well as all capital costs. Responsibility for the system was then transferred to the Toronto Area Transportation Operating Authority (TATOA) and later to the Greater Toronto Services Board as part of the province's 'downloading' initiative, before finally returning to the province as a Crown Agency under Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA).

GO began as a three-year experiment in May 1967 running single-deck diesel multiple units on a single rail line along Lake Ontario's shoreline. All day GO Train service ran from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. Lakeshore GO trains carried 2.5 million riders that first year and was considered to be a success. GO Bus service, which started out as an extension of the original Lakeshore train line, has since become a full-fledged network in its own right. It feeds the rail service and serves communities that trains do not reach.

Expansion continued in the 1970s with the introduction of the Georgetown line in 1974 and the Richmond Hill line in 1978. Also in 1978 the GO Transit bi-level railcars were introduced, although many of the bi-level trains had to run with a single level cab car at first. Finally in 1979 the current GO Train concourse at Union Station was built.

The 1980s proved to be the most exciting time for GO Transit as in 1981 the Milton GO Train line opened. Then just one year later in 1982 the Bradford line and Stouffville line opened after the newly created VIA Rail Canada cut passenger rail service to these corridors. Towards the end of 1982 came GO Transit's moment of truth, as the Ontario Minister of Transportation and Communications, James Snow, announced the launching GO ALRT, an interregional rapid transit program.[3] This is a transit system that would have allowed computer controlled trains to run at a maximum frequency of two minutes instead of the usual twenty minutes during rush hour. One line would have replaced the Lakeshore GO Train line and would have run from Hamilton to Oshawa. The other would have connected Oakville with downtown Mississauga, Pearson Airport, downtown North York and the Scarborough Town Centre before finally terminating at Pickering. A short lived third line would have run north-south connecting Brampton with Mississauga. The rail cars (designed by The Urban Transportation Development Corporation) started out as a ICTS train similar to the Scarborough RT later evolved in 1983 to the length of roughly a Toronto subway train. Further redesign in 1984/85 indicated that greater carrying capacity was going to be required resulting in cars similar in length to VIA's LRC coach car. Meanwhile Hamilton residents were strongly opposed to the plan which caused the proposal to go under in 1985 which was also a result of long time Ontario PC premier Bill Davis being replaced by the late Ontario PC leader Frank Miller who served only a few months in office.

With the end of GO ALRT and the creation of a coalition provincial government between the Ontario NDP and Ontario Liberals, it was decided that certain parts of the GO ALRT proposal would live on, in the form of a GO Train extension of all-day GO Train service to Whitby and Burlington. The tracks between Pickering and Whitby were originally built for the GO ALRT system but were soon converted to handle conventional GO Trains. All day GO Train service was brought to Whitby in 1988.

In the 1990s, the era of continuous growth came to end. Ridership shrank as a result of a recession in the early part of the decade. In spite of this, GO extended limited rush hour GO Train service to Barrie, Guelph, Acton and Oshawa in 1990. In the same year, GO also introduced off-peak train service on the Milton line, much of which only operated as far west as Erindale. In May, 1992, while GO Transit celebrated its 25th birthday, all-day GO Train service was extended to Burlington with the building of a new station at Aldershot. However, in 1993 former Ontario premier Bob Rae announced the Social Contract, which would see a "temporary" reduction in spending on services. Consequentially GO Train service to Barrie, Guelph and Acton was eliminated. All day GO Train service to Whitby and Burlington was reduced to rush hours only (while limited rush hour train service to Oshawa and Hamilton remained in place). All day Lakeshore train service existed only between Pickering and Oakville. In 1995 a new set of tracks and a station were built in Oshawa, allowing for frequent rush hour GO Train service to Oshawa. In 1996, off-peak service ceased on the Milton line.

With the election of former Ontario premier Mike Harris in June, 1995, plans for expanding GO Transit were put on hold as part of an overall reduction in government spending.

In January 1997, the province announced it would hand over funding responsibility for GO Transit to the Greater Toronto Area municipalities (which consist of the City of Toronto, and the Regions of Halton, Peel, York, and Durham) as well as the neighbouring Region of Hamilton-Wentworth (which became the new City of Hamilton on 1 January 2001). In exchange, the province would assume certain other funding responsibilities from municipal governments.

A year later, on 1 January 1998, the GTA municipalities and Hamilton-Wentworth (now the city of Hamilton) began to fund GO Transit, cost-sharing all of GO's capital expenses and any operating costs that are not recovered through passenger fares and other revenue. On 1 January 1999, a new municipal agency created by the province came into being: the Greater Toronto Services Board (GTSB), composed of regional chairs, municipal mayors, and local councillors from the GTSB's service area. GO Transit transferred over to the municipal sector as an arm of the GTSB (Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority) on August 7, 1999, thus completing the process that had begun with the funding change of 1998.

In 2000, all day GO Train service was restored from Burlington to Whitby and finally brought to Oshawa (although weekend & holiday Lakeshore GO Train service would still only see service between Pickering and Oakville).

On September 27, 2001, Ontario Premier Mike Harris announced that the Provincial government would be taking back responsibility for GO Transit, and putting $3 billion into public transit in Ontario. For the practically impoverished GO, it was a welcome funding commitment.

The GO Transit Act, 2001 was passed by the Ontario Legislature on December 5, 2001. As of January 1, 2002, GO Transit is no longer the responsibility of the municipalities of the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. GO has returned to provincial responsibility as a Crown Corporation, and the Greater Toronto Services Board no longer exists.

On December 30, 2006, the GO Train service was fully restored along the Lakeshore East line to Oshawa, having service include weekends and holidays.

On September 4, 2007, much of the weekday train service on the Lakeshore West line was extended to Aldershot station, although many rush hour trains continue to originate and terminate at Burlington. Weekend service will continue to terminate in Oakville until GO's contract with CN Rail expires, and GO can dictate the levels of service it wants to provide to its new contractor.

On October 28, 2007, the GO Train service was fully restored along the Lakeshore West line to Aldershot, having service include weekends and holidays.

On December 17, 2007, the GO Train limited rush hour service was restored along the Bradford line to Barrie.

GO Transit has a ten-year plan in place, which includes provisions for new train stations, more parking spaces at existing stations, and increasing service on some (or all) existing train lines. While Go Transit has not expressed the desire for new train lines, some have been proposed in MoveOntario2020, the provincial transit plan. Here are some of the improvements being planned, or in the process of completion:

  • Construction of the Mount Pleasant Station on the Georgetown line (Bovaird Drive and Creditview Road) continues, but the station has been open for service since February 2005.
  • Expanding the Highway 407 bus service to York University; other academic institutions served on the 407 routing include: McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario (new terminal set to open January 2007), Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Centennial College and University of Toronto at Scarborough in eastern Toronto, Durham College and UOIT in Oshawa, Ontario, and more recently University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario.
  • Increasing available parking spaces at Bradford and Milton stations, along with multi-deck parking at several stations.
  • Moved the Milliken station south of Steeles Avenue into Toronto from York Region on 6 September 2005.
  • Construction of a new Kennedy station, which will allow for transfers to/from the TTC (Bloor-Danforth Line, Scarborough RT or connecting TTC bus services) that opened for service on 2 June 2005.
  • Construction of a new Stouffville North GO Station, at 10th Line and Bethesda Road in Stouffville-Whitchurch, where the current layover facility is located. Opening estimated for late 2007 or early 2008.
  • Improved overnight train storage facilities at Milton, Hamilton and Mount Pleasant; permitting GO Transit to operate longer trains, improve train schedule reliability and add new train trips.
  • Installation of railway crossing protection arms at various roads.
  • Improving accessibility to GO Transit's services for the physically challenged.
  • Fleet expansion, including buses and Bombardier Bi-Level Rail Cars, and the replacement of old locomotives with more reliable and powerful models.
  • Extending platforms at several Lakeshore and Milton Corridor stations to permit 12-car train sets by 2008.
  • Lisgar Station—a new station on the Milton Corridor, located near Highway 401 and Winston Churchill Boulevard in Mississauga—opened 4 September 2007.
  • A third track from Burlington to Bayview Junction (between Aldershot and Hamilton) on the Lakeshore West line, and one from downtown Toronto to Scarborough on the Lakeshore East, to facilitate improved schedule reliability and increased service on the Lakeshore and Stouffville corridors.
  • Rail to rail grade separation started in Markham, Ontario, on the Stouffville Line (see below).
  • Improvements to Union Station to increase passenger access and capacity-handling.

Larger-scale infrastructure improvements are also being planned, including:

  • Rail-to-rail grade separations where the Bradford and Stouffville lines cross CN's east-west freight line, to allow for increased service, and at the West Toronto Diamond, to take the CN tracks on the Georgetown line under the CP tracks so that more trains can run more reliably--construction on the Stouffville Line began in May 2006.
  • Increased track capacity on the Georgetown line's busy section between Brampton and northwest Toronto to allow more frequent train movements, and a new train layover facility near Mount Pleasant station.
  • Track upgrades on the Milton line to run more peak and off-peak trains.
  • The controversial proposal for the Blue22 high-speed train service between the Pearson Airport and Union Station via the Georgetown line using Bombardier diesel cars. So named for the numbers of minutes the trip would take between Pearson and Downtown (one-way distance around 30 km). Because the Airport is located some 5 km from the line, a proposed spur line would need to be constructed to connect the trains to the LINK Train currently serving the terminal facilities. It is uncertain how this service would be coordinated with GO Transit, which uses the same Georgetown Line and extensive track upgrades along this line would be required. The project was announced as a transportation priority by the previous federal Liberal government in 2000 and a contract to build the diesel cars was awarded in 2003, with the expectation of project completion by 2008. At the current pace, this is unlikely, and is opposed by residents in places like Weston.

GO Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

  • Launched in the fall of 2000, GO's Bus Rapid Transit service began by operating along Highway 407 to serve the York University campus. It has grown and flourished, with greatly improved services and new park & ride lots. The GO BRT service is now one of our fastest growing services, yielding 12,000 rides on a typical day. As part of this service, we are working with the City of Mississauga to build new, exclusive bus lanes on roads in Mississauga along Highway 403. Visit Mississauga's BRT website for more information on this project. The new locomotive's paint scheme is similar to the new look our buses are sporting.

Expansions beyond GO's present service area — initiatives that are part of the project funding announcements made by the Ontario and the Canadian federal governments, including:

  • Extending the Bradford line train service to the Barrie, Ontario area, using track corridor owned by the City of Barrie (who acquired the right of way following CN's abandonment, after GO Trains last ran there)
  • Introducing commuter bus services to Niagara Region, and to Waterloo Region to build the market for train service. Both Waterloo and Niagara regional governments are strongly in favour of GO Trains service being brought to these areas. Service expansion to Peterborough has also been proposed, but GO has expressed no interest in providing it. The City of Peterborough is also strongly in favour of having GO service there, but only by rail.
  • In the Fall of 2007, GO Transit added a new Bus service between the University of Guelph and Cooksville, with additional stops at Aberfoyle and Square One. Additionally, the Highway 407 express route servicing the Meadowvale and Bramalea GO stations and York University was extended to the University of Guelph. A new park and ride facility will also be built in Aberfoyle at Brock and McLean roads near the 401. [1]

Detailed information on these expansion projects can be found on the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP) website.

Theoretically, GO Transit can serve any region in Ontario and set up service in other areas as well, as it is a provincial agency; however, there is no real market for inter-regional service in other regions (such as in/near the larger cities in Southwestern Ontario and in the National Capital Region) that is not provided by private agencies or VIA Rail.

GO is also developing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that will provide extensive east-to-west express service across the GTA, using transit priority measures and park-and-ride stations with links to local transit. GO's already popular Highway 407 Express buses are the BRT's precursor, showing that demand for such service is already there.

The former provincial Minister of Transportation announced plans in 2005 to introduce the Presto Card, an unified smartcard-based payment system for the entire Greater Toronto Area similar to the Octopus Card used in Hong Kong.

The Provincial transit plan, MoveOntario2020, has proposed a number of new train corridors. They include:

-Union Station to Bolton This line would follow a CP rail line through western Toronto and Woodbridge to the suburban community of Bolton, replacing a bus service that currently encompasses two inbound and two outbound trips.

-Seaton Line This line would use CN's Havelock division to run initially from a new station either at Yonge Street in the former North Toronto Station, or adjacent to the Dupont Subway Station at Spadina Road east to Brock Road in Pickering.

-Pickering Airport Line This proposed route would run from the same station as the Seaton Line, northeast to Brock Road in the small community of Claremont, within the city of Pickering. This line would serve the growing community of Cornell in Markham, as well as the established Morningside Heights subdivision in Toronto, however the main purpose of the line as stated by its name would be to serve the planned Pickering International Airport, set to open sometime after 2010. Although it has not been proposed, it is possible that trains on this line may eventually run to Peterborough, as the growing city has previously stated that it only wants GO service if it is by train.

-Midtown Corridor This route would use the CP freight mainline that cuts through Toronto just north of the downtown area. It would run from somewhere near the Junction (intersection of many CN and CP lines, as well as the GO Georgetown and Milton routes) to somewhere near the Don Valley if operated as its own route. Otherwise, it would simply be an extension of the Seaton and Pickering routes westward, or a combination of trains from the Georgetown and Milton lines. This route would take pressure off of Union Station, however the proposal faces many roadblocks. Canadian Pacific has not been very willing to operate GO Trains on its tracks, and this line would use its most congested route, the mainline. Also, the proposed transfer points to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway are disadvantageous. Passengers transferring at Union Station take advantage of some rare rush hour spare capacity on the line, whereas the new station would only add to the growing congestion on the Yonge and University segments.

Vehicles: 288 buses, 45 locomotives, 392 coaches (2006)
Employees: 1,447 (2007)[4]

The new GO bus paint scheme back view
The new GO bus paint scheme back view
The new GO bus paint scheme frontal view
The new GO bus paint scheme frontal view

All locomotives operated by GO Transit have been built by EMD in London, Ontario:

Year Manufacturer Model Numbers Notes
General Motors Diesel Division EMD FP7A & F7B locomotives used as power cars
General Motors Diesel Division GP40TC locomotive
General Motors Diesel Division GP40-2L locomotive
General Motors Division F40PH locomotive
General Motors Diesel Division GP40U locomotive

All active engines were manufactured by EMD.

Year Manufacturer Model Numbers Notes
1988 EMD F59PH I 520-535
1989-1990 EMD F59PH II 536-547
1990 EMD F59PH III 548-561
1990 EMD F59PH IV 562-5681
2007 MPI MP40PH-3C 602, 603 Delivered to GO Transit, undergoing Non-Revenue Testing
2007-2008 MPI MP40PH-3C 600, 601, 604-627 Undergoing building or testing

NOTES:

  1. 565-568 have been sold to Trinity Railway Express in Irving, TX, USA.
  2. GO Transit is ordering new, more powerful locomotives for delivery by 2007. The new engine class MPI MPXpress MP40PH-3C are being built by Motive Power, Inc. and will be put into action in 2008.
  3. The first 27 engines received by Motive Power will be used on the Milton line, and in Express Service on the Lakeshore lines. (Source on page 3)
  4. GO Transit's current 45 engine roster will possibly be sold to Minnesota's proposed Northstar Corridor Commuter Rail Service that will start in 2009. (Source on page 6)

Year Manufacturer Model Numbers Notes
Hawker Siddeley RTC-85/85C SP (Single-level self-propel unit) retired MU were manufactured at the HS transit shops in Thunder Bay, Ontario, now owned by Bombardier Transportation Limited

Manufacturer Model Numbers Handicapped/disabled access Notes
HSC Bi-Level I coach 2002-2079
HSC Bi-Level II coach 2100-2155, 200-214
UTDC Bi-Level III coach 2200-2253, 215-222
UTDC Bi-Level IV coach 2300-2341, 225-241
Bombardier Transportation Bi-Level V coach 2400-2455, 2499
Bombardier Transportation Bi-Level VI coach 2500-2521
Bombardier Transportation Bi-Level VII coach 2522-2544, 2600-2641, 242-250
Bombardier Transportation Bi-Level coach leased from Tri-Rail
Bombardier Transportation Bi-Level coach leased from West Coast Express
Pullman-Standard Bi-level coaches leased from CPR Montreal commuter rail service (1974) and CN&W (1976)

GM buses were manufactured at the Diesel Division in London, Ontario and Orion/Ontario Bus buses in Mississauga, Ontario:

Year Make Model Length (ft) Handicapped/disabled access Engine Numbers
1970 GMDD T8H-5305A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1000-1019
1973 GMDD T8H-5307A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1020-1029
1974 GMDD T8H-5307A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1030-1039, 1120-1123
1975 GMDD T8H-5307A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1045-1056
1976 GMDD S8H-5304A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1060-1099
1977 GMDD T8H-5307A 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1100-1119
1985 Ontario Bus Orion I 01.508 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1125-1129
1987 Ontario Bus Orion I 01.508 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1130-1141
1975 MCI MC-8 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1250-1262
1978 MCI MC-8 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1270-1281
1980 MCI MC-9 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1290-1294
1981 MCI MC-9 40 No Detroit Diesel 8V71 1300-1324
1986 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1400-1416
1987 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1417-1425
1988 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1426-1435
1989 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1436-1445
1990 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1446-1458
1991 MCI 102A2 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1459-1468
1990 MCI 102A3 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1500-1514
1991 New Flyer D40S 40 No Detroit Diesel 6V92TA 1900-1950

All active buses are 102 inches wide.

Year Make Model Length (ft) Handicapped/disabled access Engine Numbers
1993 MCI 102C3 40 No Cummins L10 1520-1531
1999 Prevost XL LeMirage 40 Yes Detroit Diesel S60 1600-1619
2000 Orion 05.501 40 Yes Detroit Diesel 50G 2000-2007
2001 Orion 05.501 40 Yes Detroit Diesel 50G 2008-2017
2001 MCI D4500 45 Yes Detroit Diesel S60 2100-2113
2002 MCI D4500 45 Yes Detroit Diesel S60 2114-2148
2003 MCI D4500 45 Yes Detroit Diesel S60 2149-2184
2004 MCI D4500 45 Yes Detroit Diesel S60 2185-2215
2004 Orion 05.501 40 Yes Detroit Diesel 50G 2018-2029
2004 MCI D4500 45 Yes Caterpillar Adam III C13 2216-2266
2005 MCI D4500 45 Yes Caterpillar Adam III C13 2267-2286
2006 MCI D4500 45 Yes Caterpillar Adam III C13 2287-2317
2007 MCI D4500 45 Yes Caterpillar Adam III C13 2318-2327
2007 MCI D4500 45 Yes Caterpillar Adam III C13 2328-2353

All staff are employees of GO Transit with the exception of conductors and engineers on trains, who are contracted from Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, and train maintenance personnel, who are employees of Bombardier Transportation under contract.

GO Transit has Special Constables patrolling the transit agencies' properties and vehicles. As well as enforcing the Criminal Code and related violations of GO Transit By-law # 2. They are also known as Transit Enforcement Officers. The GO Transit Special Constables are appointed by the Ontario Provincial Police and have police authority for a variety of federal and provincial acts. These officers patrol the GO system and can arrest and enforce a variety of laws. Their authority is essentially no different than that of a police officer during certain situations. Jurisdictional police are actively involved in the safety and security of the GO system and work together with GO Special Constables. GO Transit also operates on railway tracks owned by CN and CP Rail. Railway police(CN or CP) also assist GO Special Constables in the security and safety of the GO system. GO Transit also employs Provincial Offences Officers (internally known as Customer Attendants) to enforce and assist with the proof of payment system. They are not to be confused with a GO Special Constable.

GO Transit Orion V 2000 at Finch Bus Terminal bound for Newmarket. Since the introduction of York Region Transit's VIVA Blue line, the GO Newmarket "B" route only operates during rush hour periods.
GO Transit Orion V 2000 at Finch Bus Terminal bound for Newmarket.
Since the introduction of York Region Transit's VIVA Blue line, the GO Newmarket "B" route only operates during rush hour periods.

  • GO Transit Willowbrook Yard- covering 17 hectares of land and 13,000 m² of workshops.
  • Don Yard, a layover falility for trains. Formerly, CNR Don Sorting Yard.
  • North Bathurst Yard 1987 - a layover facility for trains. Formerly CN
  • Georgetown, a layover facility for trains.
  • Milton, a layover yard for trains.
  • Stouffville, a layover facility for trains.
  • Steeprock Bus Garage 1979 - stores 130 buses, 70 bus staging areas, 20 bus repair bays.
  • West Region Office- Wolfedale (Mississauga)
  • East Region Office - Middlefield Road and McCowan Road at CPR Toronto Yard
  • GO Buses are also stored and serviced in Bramalea, Guelph, Beaverton, Milton, Oshawa, Ajax, Oakville, Barrie, Caledon, Bowmanville and Hamilton.

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