GO Transit in Toronto IMPRESSED Me

Toronto’s commuter rail network is talked about a lot, as one of the best in North America, and one with an impressive amount of improvement coming. I decided to ride GO Transit and see what all the fuss was about. And I have to admit, I had a great ride!
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Date of filming: June 14, 2024
Camera: iPhone 15

[@Thom-TRA]

Regarding service to Niagara Falls, it actually runs every day! Just more often on the weekends.

[@astridgrubbs4451]

They also adjusted service on April 8 specifically so that people could use it to get to and from Niagara for the eclipse. It was fun watching all the traffic on google maps from the train

[@eepynicky]

might just be specific to my location but every time i go to niagara falls and check a route on google maps, it always gives me a go bus. google maps notices that the train will be slower i assume (as long as theres no traffic)

[@obroni]

GO: Let's paint our trains green. Painter: Which shade of green? GO: Yes.

[@Thom-TRA]

Green machines

[@1One2Three5Eight13]

On a trip in to Toronto, I decided I was going to try and crochet a GO train. One of the two big challenges to this project is getting the right shades of green.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@1One2Three5Eight13 that’s so cool

[@fares-please]

Hey Thom, as a Locomotive Engineer for Metrolinx, I'm happy you enjoyed riding GO. Hope you come back to visit again soon.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you, I hope so too!

[@Thommygun-qv7um]

Most US cities: "Regional rail does not work in north america..." Toronto be like: "Hold my maple sirup!" Thank you for another great fusion of a trip report and a documentary Thom. Made my saturday! Also, as a german I am so happy you mentioned the S-Bahn systems.

[@Thom-TRA]

Hold my maple syrup 😂 I love that

[@pauldevey8628]

@@Thom-TRA Me as well. Let me take a shot of maple syrup

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@Thommygun-qv7um As a German you may be interested to know that Deutsche Bahn will be taking over operations of the GO rail system as of 1 January 2025

[@mmrw]

Nah this video was way too negative overall. Maybe with their upgrades it’ll impress me more, but as of right now GO is not better than Septa or any of the NYC area commuter lines

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@mmrw I didn't find it negative at all. GO in its current form is far above average for North America but generally underwhelming from a global perspective. For example most lines only run hourly outside of peak periods. What makes GO special is the massive improvements underway that are supported by all four of the political parties in the Provincial legislature.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

GO Transit is probably one of the best-run transit agencies in North America, with impressively good reliability and decent customer service. They do have a couple annoying policies such as closing the doors 60 s before departure (even though it only takes 20 s to close the doors). The Lakeshore East and West lines currently have the odd situation where the weekend off-peak service is more frequent (every 15 min) than the weekday off peak service (every 30 min). There are also express trains, but only a handful per day (8 round trips on weekdays, and 3 on weekends). GO doesn't seem to realise how much more competitive the express trains/buses are than their local counterparts.

[@Thom-TRA]

The weekend frequency thing is hilarious.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@Thom-TRA It's weird. In 2021 it was the other way around with 15 min service on weekdays and 30 min service on weekends

[@pauldevey8628]

I think as they move to shorter frequency between trains that will change. Maybe it has to do with the massive trains and the old doors?

[@blackman7437]

A part of me kind of wished NJ Transit worked that way, considering how insanely crowded the weekend trains are compared to the weekday ones.

[@AndreiTupolev]

It does make a change to see someone positive about Toronto and its transit system rather than relentlessly knocking it like some urbanist channels

[@Thom-TRA]

Based on my experience, it certainly wasn’t perfect, but there was plenty that made me quite jealous!

[@pauldevey8628]

@@Thom-TRA I love other cities transit systems but non are perfect. Some are less perfect than others.

[@KangaRueProductions]

That "refurbished car" you showed off was actually one purchased brand new in that configuration. The refurbished cars dont have the wraparound headrests.

[@michaelhall4626]

And the "unrefurbished" car actually was refurbished, about 15-20 years ago.

[@valkyr7208]

If you're still in Toronto, you can visit Little Canada, a minature world featuring many model trains that is built into the Eaton Center mall and Dundas Line 1 station. It's a great attraction and definitely something for rail enthusiasts (even if it's a bit ambitious on some of its representations).

[@Thom-TRA]

Man I wish I knew about this! I’ll have to come back

[@Cupertinorail]

Never been to Toronto but have heard cool things about GO Transit as a rail fan. They also operate feeder buses and these are either double deckers or full on commuter buses. It is one of the oldest commuter systems in North America. Some of the stations are near interesting points of interest. Example is Miiken Station which goes near a giant Asian Mall. You should check it out. Maybe something will remind you of Japan there. Some stations are smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Last but not least. GO did a pilot program where the train terminated in London, ON until like 10/2023.Another train KZbinr was lucky enough to ride the pilot train to London, ON. Some things I don't like: Could be be better with a snack bar onboard and not all trains run past 1am I am also a fan of that door closing door, classical Toronto: Dee dee dong!

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

7:41 The top speed on the Lakeshore West line is normally 150 km/h (93 mph) but there are some speed restrictions at the moment due to construction. Some trips also get slowed down if they need to switch tracks, since the maximum turnout speed is 72 km/h (45 mph).

[@Thom-TRA]

Wow, 150? Even higher than most NS lines

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@Thom-TRA Yeah the speed limit is actually 95 mph (153 km/h) but the top speed of the MP40s is only 150 km/h (93 mph). I'm not sure what the BiLevels are rated for but it's either 150 or 160.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@Thom-TRA I have a video on my channel called "How fast does a GO train go" where I track the speed via GPS

[@Nater-Tot-97]

Was just in the Toronto area a couple weeks ago for work and took GO and the Airport express train. One cool thing about the Presto fare system is I was able to use a regular debit or credit card to tap on/off at the presto card readers. Wish DC area transit had the same level of fare integration and payment options. Hopefully someday.

[@Thom-TRA]

The contractor that does SmarTrip is absolutely terrible. The app sucks too.

[@Nater-Tot-97]

@@Worldly876 I mean yeah it's not that hard, but it seems so obvious that you should be able to pay with a credit card. Plus, in order to get the most people to choose transit, we should be removing obstacles like having to get a smartrip card or fumble around in the app for a digital one.

[@awesomeman116a]

YAY!! So glad you made a video about GO Transit!

[@Thom-TRA]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@bigbandgapenergy]

To think in a few years, GO Transit will be more akin to the Paris RER with GO Expansion, coupled with the TTC's Scarborough Subway Extension, Ontario Line, Eglinton Crosstown, and Finch West LRT. They are currently in early consultations for the Line 4 extension as well, and eventually extending the Yonge portion of Line 1 to Richmond Hill! Transit expansion in Toronto is in great hands (for the most part lol)

[@bigbandgapenergy]

Damn, I forgot to mention the Eglinton East LRT that the city is currently working on too!

[@Thom-TRA]

Amazing how much they’re building and planning! It’s about time haha

[@andrewclarkson3401]

Great to have you in Toronto! Hope to see you again soon for a video on progress towards GO expansion. You don't have to wait until it's done!

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m sure there will be more GO videos someday! But for now, stay tuned for some TTC stuff coming soon

[@rikkichunn8856]

Great video on a great system that I knew almost nothing about. Living where regional rail means trains every 2 - 3 hours all day long, I'm jealous!

[@Thom-TRA]

Always glad when people learn something. I learned a lot in my research too!

[@Hawker5796]

Hope you enjoyed your stay. You are always welcome in Toronto anytime!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you friend! I’ll be back soon, I loved my time there.

[@Hawker5796]

Good

[@SomeRamdomAhole]

I remember my first time on GO I was like “damn this trains are big “ lol

[@Thom-TRA]

Big green caterpillars

[@BrennanZeigler]

Metra really needs to take some tips from GO Transit. I mean, as a Chicagoan, I like the gallery cars considering I’ve ridden on them my whole life and I also like their quirkiness, but they are woefully out of date. While, some of the stations are pretty good on some lines, especially when you get closer to the city, the stations all need a massive upgrade. Also, the electric line shouldn’t be the only line to be electrified. I still like Metra a lot, but there are definitely needs for improvement. If I were Metra’s CEO, I’d look to GO Transit for inspiration. I also like how the conductor on the GO trains referred to all the stations as GO. West Harbor GO, Aldershot GO, Oakville GO, Appleby GO

[@Thom-TRA]

Metra sometimes seems like it’s a struggle to just exist. I’ve made a video two years ago about how I would improve them. I think the new passenger cars will be a good start.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Growing up in Toronto, the idea of gallery cars always struck me as bizarrely inefficient, both for boarding/alighting and for space-efficiency

[@Thom-TRA]

@@OntarioTrafficMan well, GO did have galleries at one point!

[@BrennanZeigler]

@@Thom-TRA interesting. I didn’t know that. I know AMT in Montreal had them but that’s interesting about GO Transit

[@trainglen22]

Metra, we can't have good service and cars! GO transit: Hold my beer!

[@ThomasJM]

Something that people should keep in mind Go transit fares are by distance so the further you go the more you pay

[@Thom-TRA]

That’s fairly commonplace

[@awesomeman116a]

But the $10 weekend pass is so so amazing, you can literally go anywhere including Niagara Falls for just $10! And then go back to Toronto without paying extra!

[@Thom-TRA]

@@awesomeman116a that’s an amazing deal.

[@ThomasJM]

@@Thom-TRA true but not everyone is always aware of it. Especially in Toronto as with the TTC everything is one fare with a two hour transfer if you pay by presto card, debit or credit card.

[@mikecarrington4297]

I wish that system was in the US

[@Thom-TRA]

Me too

[@awesomeman116a]

Oh also btw the Lakeshore West & East lines already have 15min frequency on weekends! They aren’t all-day though, starting from around 2:00 to 3:00 all the way to 11:00!

[@stephensaines7100]

Are you sure about that? I've just checked. It's every half hour.

[@awesomeman116a]

@@stephensaines7100 Oh on the Lakeshore East line, it’s for the entire line on the Lakeshore West line, it’s only between Oakville and Union Station

[@awesomeman116a]

@@stephensaines7100and also starting between 2:00-3:00 instead of 1, oops! I edited the comment now sorry

[@Three60Mafia]

The length of these trains is a testament to how many people use them.

[@jrails46]

Hey Thom, great video! The Toronto Union Station great hall featured the classic movie Silver Streak (1976) ending crash scene.

[@Thom-TRA]

Silver streak gets mentioned in the comments under this channel more than I expected!

[@eepynicky]

was cool to see someone elses perspective on go transit. as someone who's lived in ontario my whole life and mostly goes to toronto for concerts that end conveniently around 10:30 pm to 12 am, its easy to not be impressed by go transit since the train line that takes me home is never running that late. usually need to take a go bus, or several connecting go buses if i'm leaving past 1am.

[@rmorzy75]

Cool video! Thanks for doing GO Transit, I always wanted to know more about it. Appreciate all the effort and editing you put into your videos!

[@Thom-TRA]

@@rmorzy75 thank you! Happy to do it

[@Cupertinorail]

Taking a VIA rail train with best friends is on my bucket list. Toronto Union also allows you to ride Le Corridor, The train that goes from Toronto to Montreal. The LRC cars are used on Le Corridor

[@ck4426]

My goodness those cab cars were awesome-looking from the outside!!! The frequency makes me want to GO there, that would be awesome!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

GOod one!

[@ck4426]

@@Thom-TRA trains every 30 minutes certainly make me want to GO!!!! My GOodness!!!

[@pickled51]

Seeing the Green GO Transit vehicles reminded me of when I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. When Tri-Rail train service began as a supposedly temporary service while I-95 was being widened in the late 80's and early 90's, all our train cars came from GO Transit.

[@Thom-TRA]

I love the success story of Tri-Rail. How something meant to be temporary became permanent, and , let’s face it, better than many other American commuter lines.

[@pickled51]

@@Thom-TRA Tri-Rail worked because initially it only operated Monday-Friday in the AM and PM peak time only. Almost immediately, because of the South Florida labor market having many jobs with unusual start and end times, many commuters wanted all day service. Within a couple of months, all day Monday-Friday service started. But that wasn't enough. Commuters wanted weekend service as well. A year after starting weekend service arrived. It became clear to Florida TDOT that even after the I-95 widening ended, Tri-Rail could be a necessary service that people will use as an alternate to driving on I-95 and the Florida Turnpike.

[@northernidaho5750]

If only more places in the United States of Canada had true regional rail instead of commuter rail. I got to ride the Northstar in Minneapolis a month ago, and it was really interesting to see how few people were using it as compared to the light rail. The line also passes a lot of development, so I can only imagine how popular the line would be if it was a light rail line or at least came more than 4 times a day weekdays only (they have restored service back to pre-covid levels since your video a while back, so I was able to do a round trip).

[@Thom-TRA]

Northstar deals with a lot of political adversity which is unfortunate

[@northernidaho5750]

@@Thom-TRA It is unfortunate. I found it to be efficient and comfortable, and I would imagine the vast majority of opponents haven’t ridden it at all.

[@user-st3ll3qe6i]

I agree, diesels are antiquated in the rail transportation industry. It's a slow form of transportation and compared to buses that are diesel, they're quite dirty. But the surviving diesels of the 50s to 70's, I do like seeing them. But EMUs are the way to go. They provide such a faster form of transportation on the rails. Plus the turn around is far faster, especially for operations that keep their consists in one piece, something Amtrak doesn't do

[@Thom-TRA]

As you point out, it is possible to appreciate the old and advocate for the new simultaneously.

[@jimlawton4184]

Honestly surprised to hear a positive review of it! I was excited when they announced a London to Toronto GO route, but it took 4 hours and left at 5:30am. Definitely not worth doubling the trip time. Literally no one could use it for daily commuting unless they wanted to spend a third of their life on the train.

[@sixeses]

Thanks Thom. I love the upper deck on that train. I thought it was going to be similar to what we have here, but it's a full level.

[@Thom-TRA]

You’ll always find me on the top level

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@Thom-TRA I actually enjoy the lower level sometimes because you get a much better sense of speed. You might be travelling over 140 km/h but from the top deck it still feels like you're crawling along

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I suppose that Niagara Falls, Canada (and the USA one for that matter)is mainly a tourist destination rather than a commuter town hence it having a more frequent Sunday and Saturday service than a week day one.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Niagara Falls is 130 km from Toronto so it's not really a commuter town (at least not to Toronto, some people do commute to other cities like St. Catharines or Hamilton). It is indeed more of a leisure destination than commuter.

[@jstephens2758]

Toronto is a great city. I have spent nearly four months there over the years. For me, it is a 3 1/2 hour drive but I take the train since having a car in Toronto is a liability and unnecessary since there is good public transit and I like to walk. From here, the Maple Leaf takes nearly 6 hours - IF there are no delays. It was once a 9 hour ordeal. Be prepared for a long, frustrating customs experience at the U.S. Border. Customs is much more efficient going into Canada, but there is still an unnecessarily long delay with a wait in a very crowded station. At least the Niagara Falls, US station where you will wait is new and reasonably comfortable. It is more than twice as long from Toronto to Penn Station but you can say you went from the second busiest station in North America to the busiest.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thankfully we weren’t delayed and even border control went smoothly. But I have heard some horror stories.

[@jstephens2758]

@@Thom-TRA Glad it went well.

[@blackpanda7298]

You cameeeeeeeeeeee❤ I’m so excited.

[@norbertsteinkamp9380]

Great to see you cover Toronto GO Transit, which brings back memories of a half-year stay and several subsequent visits to friends in this great city. Toronto's commuter train system is indeed very efficient and convenient. What surprised me a bit is how relatively underpowered those trains are with only one diesel engine hauling up to 12 bi-level coaches, weighing more than 700 metric tons. A Siemens Desiro HC or similar system could accelerate future commuter services significantly.

[@dexteralexander2437]

When in Toronto last year, via Amtrak’s Maple Leaf, we hoped to ride down to Niagara Falls on a GO train. That trip didn’t work out with our schedule, but we did ride TTC’s subway train to the Royal Ontario Museum and back to our hotel. We were impressed with Toronto’s and Ontario’s public transportation and enjoyed our trip.

[@Thom-TRA]

The TTC is pretty nice, I enjoyed riding it too

[@HenryKobul2-pv5td]

So glad to see a video of GO Transit! I made almost this exact same trip on Go Transit a year ago.

[@GORTAGSY32]

I was so exited to see this video before I took a trip to toronto

[@peterfrey6062]

wow, another great vid, thanks Thom.

[@Thom-TRA]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@UnspecifiedTransit]

Hey Thom! Something cool I think you'd like to know is that some trains on the Lakeshore West line will terminate at Union, and then continue straight onto the Lakeshore EAST line! It's really convenient if you're trying to get to East Toronto/Scarborough without transferring.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yep! The local train I let go first was a through service like that

[@bryanCJC2105]

Great video as always. Outside of NYC, Metra may be the US's best commuter rail but it pales in comparison with GOTransit, especially given that the urban structure of Toronto is not very different from most US cities. In fact, Toronto population/sq mile pales compared to cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, so population densities are not a good indicator for transit as GoTransit has higher ridership than Chicago and Los Angeles commuter rail (some Chicago bus lines have as much ridership as all of Metrolink). The biggest difference is that GoTransit owns 80% of it's rail lines whereas Metra and Metrolink only own a small portion of their rail lines. It is nice to have a single downtown station instead of the 4 that Chicago has, 3 of which aren't even L connected. I wish that Ogilvie and Union Station were at least connected by underground concourses being that the station entrances are only 950 feet apart. Canada is not plagued by the inexplicable and out-of-control sky-high cost structure as the US is which, unlike in the US, makes more expansion and improvements feasible.

[@Thom-TRA]

Let’s hope that the three RTA agencies working together more (like the shared day pass they’re about to launch) signals the start of better cooperation. It’s absurd that you would have to walk several city blocks to the L after arriving by Amtrak or Metra.

[@pauldevey8628]

What Toronto does have going for it is the densities immediately around subway stations. They tend to have massive densities while the city is very low density. GO is working on redeveloping around GO stations with high density towers. Good comment.

[@BDavinci06]

Once again good vid Thom. I've taken GO Transit to Niagara Falls by using their commuter rail and bus. It's sort of similar to New Jersey Transit's rail and bus. It's very nice. I'm pretty stoked at you're gonna ride Amtrak's Maple l Leaf from Toronto, it's a nice experience going up the Hudson River through upstate, New York and then crossing into Canada and then the trip return trip back I did that in 2017 I look forward for that video! I still want to go back to Toronto one day!

[@Thom-TRA]

The Maple leaf was great! Nothing bad happened at the border or on the way, which I’ve heard isn’t always a guarantee.

[@FeltNokia]

Great timing with this video; I'm taking this line in a few months. I'll also be using GO for the very first time, so I appreciate the segment showing how tickets are purchased! I've taken a lot of trains, but everyone seems to manage to have a slightly different system for purchasing tickets. Great video as always!

[@Thom-TRA]

You can also use your debit or credit card too if that’s easier!

[@b30233]

Pre Covid LW had 15 minute service all day- it was great. Post Covid service hasn't been as great but still good. Lots of weekend construction upgrades as well

[@paultauriainen]

You should definitely come to Vancouver BC if you haven't already. The SkyTrain and bus system are pretty great

[@Thom-TRA]

Someday

[@DanTheCaptain]

Awesome video! Many people may sometimes take for granted how amazing GO Transit is compared to most of North America! I take it all the time and rely on their buses to get to work! It would be a lot longer and more difficult without it! I’m incredibly excited for the electrification and frequency improvements coming in the near future! Other cities need to look at us and watch and learn! GO Canada!

[@pauldevey8628]

Great video and well researched. RMTransit has many vids on the direction of GO and the local subway system. So much change to regional and subway system it is amazing. Within the city limits GO frequency will be between 3.5 and 7.0 minutes each direction - similar to a low frequency US style subway system. Extensions to Bloor as well as Young subway, building the new Ontario Subway line and in the future extending the Shephard to offer more cross town connectivity.

[@peabody1976]

As you know from living in the DC area, we have three state-level jurisdictions, and two of them are literally territorial about their own commuter rail systems, each with depressing quirks. To even get Metro to work, they had to form a compact and that is fraught with territoriality. Plus, add that the infrastructure in Maryland is electrified on only one one of three MARC lines (and I'm annoyed successive governors haven't pushed for that with the feds to electrify in part the other two) and neither of Virginia's two VRE lines are electrified mean that just linking services through Union Station is a mess. I have no explanation for Metra in Chicago except vast infighting between the city and the rest of the state keeps that from any good changes. Toronto is odd in that, like New York State, the government of Ontario recognises how important the GTA is not just to the province but to the rest of Canada, and even with fits and starts has one unified organisation in place to work on both capital and operational improvements.

[@davidaldinger113]

I e always thought it was strange that the Lake Shore East and the Lake Shore West routes are treated as separate routes but they are in reality one route with trains running straight through Union Station.

[@Thom-TRA]

Not all trains run through. But they’re probably treated differently because of the old mentality of commuter rail, where the assumption was that the train only mattered to people going to and from Toronto. But maybe as they step away from that mentality, they’ll rename it the Lakeshore line again.

[@brycebundens6866]

What a system!!!! Metro frequencies on regional rail!? As soon as those parking lots are transformed into real destinations, Toronto sounds like a North American transit paradise

[@Thom-TRA]

You’ll love it there!

[@collinkavaner1612]

The GO Train is great although there are still many things that are frustrating. For example there is no service on the Kitchener line on the weekends that actually goes all the way to Kitchener. Also if you want to go out of Toronto in the morning that just isn't a thing that really works, trains mostly go into Toronto in the morning and out in the afternoon/evening. Definetly still a commuting train but it could be so much more in the future if they keep improving it.

[@B4s3MXxD]

Quick tip, you didn't need a paper ticket. You can tap on at the start of your trip/off at the end of your trip with your phone/watch or credit card. You just need to look for the machine that was to the right of the ticketing machine at the beginning of your video.

[@Thom-TRA]

I collect transit tickets

[@rebeccawinter472]

Welcome to Toronto Thom! Hope you’re enjoying Pride & Canada Day weekend! The GO upgrade project is exciting and will make a big improvement - especially for people living *in* Toronto. With more stations in the city, faster speed up, slow down times. They recently brought in free transfers - from GO to any local transit agency in southern Ontario.

[@rebeccawinter472]

Whoops, you’re catching a train back across the border. 🤦🏻‍♀️ That’s gonna be painful. I’m sorry. We haven’t figured out international trains yet.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks! I always film my videos several weeks/months before I upload them. You can find the date of filming usually in the first few seconds of the video.

[@greble11]

Well done, Canada!

[@Thom-TRA]

Yay Canada!

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for this excellent video. Go Transit is certainly very good, and I do like the look of the refurbished Bombardier bi-level cars. A much newer version of those cars can be found with SunRail in Orlando ! The future plans of GoTransit sound great too, and I hope they come to pass. The mere mention of METRA in Chicago makes me want to head there immediately ! I know you berate the ageing Gallery cars, but I really love them, and as for the fabulous diesel locos, they are in a league of their own, and all still powered by EMD engines ! As a senior railfan, please forgive my indulgence ! I look forward to hearing about your ride on the Maple Leaf - hopefully she will be on time, and you can enjoy the run down the Hudson in daylight ! Many thanks.

[@Thom-TRA]

I don’t berate the galleries nearly as much as everyone else - I appreciate their quirkiness. I would however get upset if a railroad ordered brand-new ones!

[@anthonywarrener1881]

@@Thom-TRA Yes, I agree. Amusingly VRE who run what must be the newest Gallery cars in the U.S are ordering new bi-level cars, though I am unsure who will build them !

[@missamo80]

Man this brings back memories. My wife and I took the GO train to Hamilton to see the Tragically Hip live back in, uh, 1996? We missed the last train back and had to take a bus 😅

[@Thom-TRA]

At least you didn’t have to walk back! 😂

[@tokugawa12able]

GO, Thom!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Let’s GO!

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Government of Ontario Thom?

[@b30233]

GO would love EMUs but replacing a fleet of over 1,000 bi level coaches would be extremely expensive and take a good decade or so. The Electric locomotives are seen more as a stop gap type solution for now

[@Dimewick21]

Great video as always Thom! Very exciting project for Toronto. Seems like a high frequency diesel locomotive hauled system will be a first that I know of, at least in the western world. I’m sure someday the lines will be electrified and replaced by KISS or similar sets. The US has a few S-Bahn/RER like systems. NYs Metro North and LIRR, NJ Transit on several lines, Phila’s SEPTA, SF Bays Caltrain, Denver’s RTD commuter rail (though one can argue that this is really a hybrid heavy rail/commuter rail). SLC seems on track to have a frequent RER like commuter rail in the FrontRunner as it aims to increase frequencies.

[@Thom-TRA]

I did spend quite a bit of time talking about the electrification…

[@Dimewick21]

@@Thom-TRA sorry yes, I wasn’t very clear, l meant eventually fully electrify the system (not just partially), so they can eventually switch to KISS or some other EMU. Conversely I wonder if Stadler would build a bi-mode KISS set like they do with the FLIRT.

[@michaelb9629]

My dad said he was on this kind of train when he was in Toronto last summer for work. I don’t think there’s been another time he rode it when he eventually went back more because he had a car he could either drive or ride with his work buddies unlike the first trip. I still gotta get there but I don’t have a passport yet. At least I’m in no absolute hurry to get one.

[@officialmcdeath]

Maybe there's a video to be made to see how much variety you can get in your shopping experience by staying exclusively inside the network of corridors and tunnels that connects much of downtown to Union Station - excellent presentation in the meantime - reckon they might need to order more cars even when electrification makes more intensive fleet utilisation a reality - Stadler KISS anyone? \m/

[@Thom-TRA]

I see you FLIRTing around with the idea of new trains!

[@michaelto1975]

Thanks!

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you so much!

[@allenkwan8310]

It's alway interesting seeing people react to the GO trains because for me they just don't run frequently enough to be useful for day visits to cities outside of Toronto unfortunately. It's really designed to bring people into Toronto and then funnel them back out. I guess that's why the bus network exists, but I've never taken those at all.

[@ontario_transit]

That was not a refurbished car, that was a newer series X coach. The one you were in was built in the 80s. Niagara service runs 7 days a week all day year round. The train you were on was likely a Niagara train returning from Niagara.

[@Thom-TRA]

No, it came from Hamilton. Which you can easily check by looking at the schedule.

[@haj8579]

Sadly, even though transfer between regional trains and metro/light rail trains is so important(especially in North America, where regional rails have so few stops in downtown areas), many systems miss that point. I am glad Toronto did not.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s so important. And if for example in Chicago you ever say anything about the lack of intermodal connectivity, a bunch of apologists immediately come and accuse you of being a hater.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

Ontario is building several more GO+Subway interchange stations: - Mount Dennis station will open soon, connecting the UP Express and GO Kitchener lines to the new Line 5 Eglinton - Kennedy station already serves the Stouffville Line and subway Line 2 but it will also serve Line 5 when that opens next year. - They're currently building a direct entrance from Bloor station on the GO Kitchener Line and UP Express to Dundas West subway station on Line 2 (which are actually on top of each other so they will become one station) - The new Line 3 Ontario subway will connect to GO at Exhibition Station - East Harbour station will serve the Lakehore East, and Stouffville GO lines as well as Line 3 Ontario

[@pauldevey8628]

@@OntarioTrafficMan They are spending big $ to increase connectivity between GO and local transit (busses and subways). The discussions around the Shephard extension are about connectivity. Good comment.

[@moho472]

​@@pauldevey8628They're planning to move Oriole GO next to Leslie Station as well. I wonder if they'll do the same for Agincourt GO.

[@Ejb905]

It's not great when there's often no service west of Oakville at times. 30 minutes Union-Oakville , Union-Oakville and little or no service to West Harbour in Hamilton.

[@CanImperator]

Nice vid! I was hoping you'd get a chance to get up here. Glad to see you made it!

[@Thom-TRA]

Had a great time!

[@vette1]

11:53 regarding GO using future electric locomotives instead of EMU's it makes the most sense at the moment because GO currently has over 1000 BI level cars and it makes the most sense to make the most of them

[@Thom-TRA]

It makes sense but they’re not very suitable

[@michaelhall4626]

@@Thom-TRA The newer Bi-levels were actually designed to be convertible to EMUs.

[@wolfy_dragon]

I wonder if they'll ever uniformly raise the platforms and add platform gap extenders. It doesn't look too hard

[@Thom-TRA]

I know, the low boarding is one of my biggest peeves about American trains

[@CanImperator]

I think the plan has always been to raise platforms at some point. They've actually been building their stations to accommodate this eventuality for decades. All the glass structures on the platforms have a layer of concrete at the bottom. This way, when they want to raise the platforms, they can just pour more concrete around the structures without having to remove them all.

[@history_leisure]

I'm going to be going to be in DC in Mid-August. I live on one of the SEPTA regional rail branches with a single limited express round trip each way during peak hour. I could probably take the next train and still make my Amtrak train (with the issues on the corridor lately). However, by taking the express plus the extra time will allow me to get breakfast at or around 30th st. It's also about 26mins from my stop to 30th St funny enough

[@rebeccawinter472]

12:17 you make a great point about the EMUs. They haven’t purchased the locomotives yet (I’m 90% sure) so there is still a chance to prevent a big mistake being made. The way I see it, it is going to take a long time to electrify the routes, and will take time to get EMUs built and delivered (at a reasonable cost). So just run out the old diesel trains on the old unmodified lines, and, as lines are upgraded, run the EMUs as they come in.

[@Thom-TRA]

Good points!

[@quavergamma4223]

Nice video! As much as I love Montreal’s transit network, its commuter rail network leaves something to be desired, especially in comparison to GO transit. Hopefully they make some changes in frequency and lines, and hopefully they even get some of CN or Canadian Pacific’s rail lines for that.

[@Thom-TRA]

No offense, but I find the new CRRC cars not very good-looking haha

[@quavergamma4223]

@@Thom-TRA No offense taken, they’re pretty ugly lol but at least the inside looks modern

[@octoboi]

Great video! One tiny gripe is that I have to disagree when you said the trains are slow - while they can be slow at times, I've recorded my Lakeshore West train topping 140 km/h / 85 mph, which is a good bit faster than highway speed.

[@pauldevey8628]

The new German consulting firm who is planning GO transit have asked why GO trains are not faster? The feel with all the straight-dedicated trackage they should be going even faster.

[@Thom-TRA]

26 minutes for 27 kilometers? That’s slow. I also never said they’re inherently slow: I said my ride was slow. So no need to feel that tiny gripe.

[@seansheppard8635]

One other thing you might like while you are in Ontario is the ION light rail in Waterloo Region which is a place you can get to on GO Transit's Kitchener line.

[@Thom-TRA]

Unfortunately I only had a short time in the area

[@landon176]

As an American, it is kinda weird for Toronto Ontario Canada’s railway terminal to be called Union station

[@Thom-TRA]

Not really, a Union Station is just where multiple railroads came together to share a facility

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

No it's not, it's a Unified Railroad Terminal just like in Chicago and Los Angeles

[@johnnystall9683]

Thank you! Was your family in the diplomatic service?

[@Thom-TRA]

No, they were not.

[@EddieLeindecker-re1hg]

Wow, the go transit system in Toronto is amazing I noticed the door closing chime on the train is the same chime that is used on the TTC subway trains and TTC street cars Very interesting video and it is going to be great to see how go transit completes this rail expansion project I hear that go transit also has excellent commuter bus service as well

[@Thom-TRA]

I didn’t notice that about the doors until you pointed it out!

[@michaelhall4626]

​@@Thom-TRA The subway cars, streetcars and GO coaches are all made by Bombardier, hence the same chime.

[@andrewhanna7453]

GO currently has 10$ unlimited all day travel on weekends. this offer is not applicable on presto and must be purchased as an eticket, only on weekends and holidays tho. also, the lakeshore west corridor has service every 15min on weekends. lastly, it’s cheaper to tap a debit card on the presto machines instead of buying a ticket from the kiosk. they charge the presto fee and not the normal fee.

[@brianhubert8418]

Great video! I'm so excited to see what Ontario has done and will be doing with GO. It should be a model for U.S. systems. t's cool to seem them using ETCS but I do hope some EMU's will be in the future especially for local service. I'm hoping the MBTA can take its good start and level up to what GO is doing.

[@Thom-TRA]

I know the MBTA is at least in planning BEMUs on the Fairmount line!

[@brianhubert8418]

@@Thom-TRA It'll be interesting to see who builds those, will it be some sort of high-variant of the BEMU Stadler FLIRT or something else. It's too bad they're not just going with OCS it's only like an 8-mile branch. I supposed it will be an upgrade over F40PH-screamer/push-pull sets though.

[@trainglen22]

Finally, a video on GO transit!

[@tommarino1056]

I enjoyed the video and learned a lot about GO Transit. Although I was in Toronto I never got to ride it. I did ride VIA Rail to Montreal. Hope you had a good trip to New York on Amtrak.

[@Thom-TRA]

The Amtrak trip was great, thanks!

[@eliaspagonis]

Wait when I visited Toronto last year I was at that same station and took a express back to that station and it was the first stop but this kinda reminded me of the lirr

[@Theozpilot93]

Randomly, the chime that comes over the PA at around the 1:20 mark is the same as Sydney Trains in Sydney, Australia.

[@Thom-TRA]

That’s so fun

[@Trainsaregreat365]

I havent even watched the video yet but i know it will be good

[@mariachrzski18]

I'd love to see you explore more of transit in Canada! I'd recommend visiting the transit in Edmonton as I think it's super cool and underrated.

[@Thom-TRA]

I think the best thing to do would be to subscribe! Then you’ll see more Canada content before you know it :)

[@mariachrzski18]

I do enjoy your videos and have been subscribed!

[@j3ojos]

Maybe an odd question: why do trains (not metros) in North America always have ringing bells when arriving at stations? It‘s something I’ve never heard in the UK, the rest of Europe or Australia.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s a relic from the steam train era, it’s just an audible reminder that there is a train moving

[@j3ojos]

@@Thom-TRA good to know, thanks Thom!

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

It was something that was mandated in the American Legal code in the 1840s that got passed in Mexican, Canadian, and even Cuban Railroads as the railroad regulations were standardized (partially because most railroads in Mexico and Cuba and some in Canada were outright owned by American Railroads like the Great Northern, New York Central, Southern Pacific and Florida East Coast) anyway the regulation never went away because it works better so all Rail Vehicles in North America are required by law to have both a Whistle/Horn and a Bell

[@Absolute_Zero7]

"As you can see, the seats have received an upgrade. Both in terms of comfort and aesthetic, these better reflect the brand that GI transit is trying to create". I don't think you realize how much of a hot take that is, the new seats have been near universally panned as being awful and inferior to the old seats in terms of comfort, with much stiffer padding.

[@Thom-TRA]

Well, see, here’s the thing. Among the railroad world, and especially in North America, among influential rail fans there is this prevalent mindset of new=bad. Such statements spread like wildfire online and soon you have people criticizing seats without realizing their own confirmation bias. I, on the other hand, like to try things out for myself and form my own opinion. And I found the new seats to be a much more pleasant experience. The old seats were more cramped and I found no discernible difference in comfort.

[@Absolute_Zero7]

@@Thom-TRA Perhaps you are right, but in this case this is something I noticed before I joined any rail fan community, in fact this forced Metrolinx to go back to the drawing board and have a public showcase of seats. Simply put, the green seats are a lot stiffer than the blue seats, and you don't sink in nearly as much. For many of us, it does cause a lot of pain over a longer period of time.

[@paulmoreno6279]

Impressive network 💯 👌

[@68I53I6]

I'm old because I remember when those "unrefurbished" cars were the freshly refurbished ones 😅

[@Thom-TRA]

Haha oops

[@andrewohare8550]

6:59. That train looked more like Amtrak but I could be wrong. Great video by the way. Love it. I hope you make more. Cheers

[@Thom-TRA]

There’s only one Amtrak train on that line a day and I was on it! That was VIA rail 71 from Toronto to Windsor.

[@andrewohare8550]

@@Thom-TRA yes that Amtrak leaves Toronto Union at 8:20am I think. Ok, ye it’s hard to see the train as it was going really fast. It must have been one of the older budd cars which I love. Thank you for sharing

[@michaelhall4626]

@@Thom-TRA Toronto to Niagara, actually.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@michaelhall4626 no, Windsor. The only via train to Niagara is the one I took later that day.

[@michaelhall4626]

@@Thom-TRA Sorry, you're right. I mis-read your comment.

[@malikchabou]

FYI - No need to buy a paper ticket anywhere in the province of Ontario; PRESTO readers accept all contactless payment cards and apps from the major card networks, in addition to the PRESTO Card.

[@Thom-TRA]

But I like to keep them as souvenirs

[@malikchabou]

@@Thom-TRA Good point and good reason! 🎫

[@HDCanadianTrainVideos]

It's way easier just to get paper tickets. WAY easier.

[@johnfriel-uj2zs]

😊 Thanks For Outstanding Video As Usual. 😂😅❤😊🎉

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

Its odd they aren't replacing the Older Bilevels with Multiple Units and having a mixed fleet like NJ Transit and SEPTA

[@user-bm4rh6gz2j]

Another good video wondering if you are gonna ride the TTC

[@Thom-TRA]

Of course!

[@deaventuraconkikomas4281]

Hi Thom... Do you know if any of these Go trains have any route to the Niagara falls??...

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, they do!

[@hermanhuang9048]

Thanks for the tour, Thom! 12:20 - Did you get a chance to ride the UP Express? What are your favorite and least favorite airport trains in other cities?

[@Thom-TRA]

I didn’t get to ride the UP express sadly. But my favorite airport train is the Keisei Skyliner in Tokyo, Japan! I also love the Rap:t in Osaka but I’ve never been on that one yet.

[@wilfstor3078]

I want to figure out how to start a petition to Metrolinx, since many trains will run beyond the wires, it seems like they are going to run diesel the whole way. I want it to be where a portion of the new electric locomotives are the Alstom ALP-45A like what NJT runs, to take advantage of the wires where they exist. Or, since Montreal got rid of their last wires, trade a like number of our Tier 3 or Tier 4 diesels for their fleet of ALP-45DPs. The Milton and Richmond Hill lines dont make any stops besides Union and, in the RH lines case, turns off the Lakeshore almost immediately, so those lines staying pure diesel I can understand...

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah I’m not a fan of diesel under the wires either. Where I live, MARC does it all the time, and it drives me crazy.

[@TrainSounds]

When they switch to electric, they should get EXO’s ALP45DPs.

[@Thom-TRA]

But then what will Exo use?

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

​@@Thom-TRAExo De-electrified and is Buying Siemens Chargers

[@kelvincao8359]

Next time you can just tap your credit card at the readers before and after boarding the train, it’s faster and 15% cheaper than the vending machine

[@Thom-TRA]

But I don’t get to keep the souvenir ticket