Tiny Ball of GO Train in Toronto

Is it a GO Drone from Star Wars, searching for the rebel alliance's secret base? No, it is a GO Transit/Metrolinx art installation depicting a GO Train uniting Toronto to the rest of south and central Ontario.

The round ball is located at 16 York Street, just across from the Scotiabank Arena on Bremner Boulevard in Toronto. I waited a few hours in a line up of one to board the tiny, round train, my Presto card at the ready before I realized that this baby not only had no rails to run on, it had no door!

CN Tower from a Union Station Platform

Sometimes you have to travel to the far end of the Union Station platforms to catch a GO Train to where you want to go, winding your way through the every changing crap show that is the station construction.

I was out at this platform, number 27, incorrectly it turns out and almost ended up east of Toronto instead of west. Luckily Ann noticed the error minutes before we set off on the Lakeshore East train and we got to the Lakeshore West train just in time. But before we left I got a nice view of the CN Tower along the condos and office buildings south of the rail line.

Stay Behind the Yellow Line

Wow, how time has flown - it is already National Rail Safety Week. GO Transit says "STAY BEHIND THE YELLOW LINE. Staying behind the yellow line puts you at a safe distance from oncoming or departing trains. Mind the yellow line and always be aware of your surroundings."

I also remember when there was no Front Street in front of Union Station, you had to keep away from the barriers that kept you away from the chasm that was excavated to construct the Union Station ttc expansion.

The new glass roof rises from the yard of old steel and concrete

GO Transit train delays in #Toronto

The afternoon rush hour commute almost got thrown into disarray as an investigation near Union Station delayed several trains which were scheduled to go to Milton, Kitchener and Barrie. Starting before 4 pm the delay lasted about two hours before regular service on the lines resumed.

Early morning GO train sits at a station on Wednesday, October 29 waiting to head to Union Station

Former #Toronto Mayor David Miller

I ran into the friendly ex-Mayor as he was on his way to a speaking engagement at the University of Guelph. He wisely chose GO Transit to make the journey between Toronto and Guelph as the rush hour traffic can be quite discouraging to prompt travel within the GTA. David is currently, among many other things, the President and CEO of World Wildlife Federation (WWF) - Canada.

He says that the drama around the current Mayor distracts everyone, especially the media, from the actual issues, good and bad that are happening right now at City Hall.

Freight train derailment in GTA

Several train chemical tankers derailed adjacent to the Steeles Avenue rail crossing between Dixie and Bramalea Roads in Brampton on Monday, October 7, 2013. The large black tankers are marked PROCOR and were reported to be empty.

Police and fire department are on the scene and Steeles Avenue was closed until public safety was determined not to be at risk. The accident occurred before 7 a.m. and played havoc with commuter rail traffic on the Kitchener to Toronto Union Station line.

Georgetown GO Station survives David Price

#Toronto Mayor Rob Ford's aide David Price is alleged to have lost his cool and slammed a door at the Georgetown GO station after he missed his train. Today's picture of the building and the famous door show no damage several weeks after the August 27, 2013 incident - which has been noted was not his first episode of GO train rage.

Price is also known as 'Georgetown Dave' when he called into the Mayor's radio talk show to provide support to Rob Ford while also attacking his opponents.

GO Train Cirque

Wraps are taking over the advertising world. Anything can become a billboard, even a GO Transit commuter train. I think Cirque on the train would be a cool attraction. You can pay a little extra and get a show during the long trip home. They have also used the train as a contemporary art installation with the ART Train.

The performers could just perform in one train or they could move up and down the line of trains, keeping away from the top level in the Barrie line - it is a quiet zone.

Acton BIA welcomes passengers to new GO train stop

Nancy Wilkes, Chair of the Acton Business Improvement Area, joined other celebs and politicians as the GO Transit commuter train returned to Acton on January 7, 2013. Metrolinx commitment to bring the trains back to the GTA town of Acton was fulfilled when the 6:28 am train from Kitchener pulled into the new transit stop beside the (Olde) Hide House. The GO Kitchener Line, formerly known as the Georgetown Line, makes stops in Guelph, both Acton and Georgetown (Halton Hills) before heading into Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto.

Politicians greeting passengers at the new stop included MPP Ted Arnott, Mayor Rick Bonnette (both pictured at top on the first train), MP Michael Chong, Halton Region Chairman Gary Carr and several municipal/regional Councillors including Clark Somerville, Jon Hurst and Bryan Lewis. The representatives worked hard at all levels to get the transit stop and provided a land lease to the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (Metrolinx). There were treats like muffins, coffee and juices as well as a gift bag from the BIA filled with valuable coupons and other items from local businesses like Acton Optical.

The first GO Transit train pulls into the station on January 7, 2013 since 1993

"We are pleased to bring GO rail service to Acton and provide additional options for travellers in this very busy corridor," said Gary McNeil, GO Transit President. "With the addition of this new station, we are making it easier for residents to choose to leave their cars at home and use GO Transit."

For now the train service in Acton features two morning trips eastbound and two evening trips west towards Kitchener. "This is great news for Acton and area residents," said Town of Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette. "The addition of this service in our area gives commuters and students in our area a public transit choice for traveling to work or school. We are very excited for the restoration of train service to Acton after an absence of nearly 20 years."

The early winter morning highlighted the importance of the new heated platform shelters.

Michael Chong says "The new service is made possible by the federal government’s $15 million investment in 2009 to improve the Credit River bridge on the GO Transit line through Georgetown. The provincial government matched this federal investment, providing a total of $30 million to add a second track to the Credit River, as well as provisions for a third track. These bridge improvements, which were completed in 2010, were critical to support the increasing local demand for public transit and vital to the future expansion of GO Transit service in the region, including the new Acton station."

GO Transit: Art Train

I finally found the ART TRAIN Conductor No. 9 car on my happy commute through Toronto and the GTA. Surprisingly only the ceiling  inside was covered in art, although the outside is wrapped as well. The covered car is in service for six months from June to December 2012 then back to the plain car afterwards.

It looks a bit like a freaky spaced invaders video game

Beamer takes the GO Train

You know the commute is a bad in #Toronto when a driver takes his BMW car into Union Station! It was reported today that a police officer tried to pull over two cars when they both bolted outside of the Station. The unlucky Beamer owner lost control and ended up crashing through barriers and into the below street level pedestrian passage between the TTC and the train stations on Front Street near Bay Street - ooohhh, that's got to hurt.

Luckily the off road shenanigans happened early in the morning on June 26, 2012 - rush hour has hundreds passing through this walkway every minute. After the driver and four passengers ran from the wreckage the driver was found and charged with dangerous driving (and breach of probation).

This area is just plain bad luck - first a watermain break, then a sewer break, now a BMW hole in one.

Clouds over the GO Bus

Today's weather had a lot of "chance of thunder showers" and the puffy white clouds over the GO Transit bus  warned of the electricity in the air and the moisture that would soon fall. Tomorrow the thunder showers are supposed to repeat so bring the umbrellas.

TTC Ride the Rocket Club?

Kicked out of a subway train an amorous pair engaged in a sex act on the platform at the TTC's Spadina station on Sunday, December 11, 2011, eventually ending up charged with committing a lewd act. Who knew that the TTC had a Corridor Club like the famous rail experience rumoured to be found on GO Transit? The subway cars don't have those bathrooms, both large and small, that are found on the GO Trains and the stations are usually grimy, so GO Train has it's definite advantages. Driving the train in the tunnel caused a slight delay in the departure schedule, whereupon the TTC got back to driving the real trains in their tunnel, if you know what I mean, wink, wink, say no more. BlogTO has a link to the site hosting the video here, they also ask who else has had sex on the TTC.

Some have already noted that the TTC phrase will take on a whole new meaning when you say "Ride the Rocket"! The TTC also has a site showing the "Rack it and Rocket" locations.

Spadina TTC Streetcar

Rack 'em and stack 'em GO Trains at Bathurst North Yard

GO Transit recently expanded the Toronto GO Train storage at their Bathurst North Yard between Bathurst and Spadina - just west of Union Station. The midday storage location keeps the trains close to Union Station and reduces congestion and travel time as commuters are moved out of Toronto as efficiently as possible during the afternoon peak period service.

To the east of Union Station there is another storage facility at the Don Yard. GO Transit says that "holding these additional trains in the downtown area eliminates 160 km per day or 40,000 km per year of train travel, significantly saving fuel and reducing emissions. Storing them near Union Station also reduces the number of trains that have to be handled on the busier west end tracks. In the past, all GO Trains had to start afternoon service by coming into the station from the west."

GO Transit and Metrolinx (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area entity created to coordinate and integrate all modes of transportation) have been upgrading and constructing new rail facilities that will help move people in and out of Toronto. They have been busy as beavers which helps get cars off the roads and also helps the environment.

With more people on the green and white double decker trains there can be more Shout Outs and Corridor Club participants.

Keeping watch at Union Station

The GO Transit security team keeps a sharp eye on passengers, including me, on an open section of rail line at Toronto's Union Station.

GO Transit, full metal stop

Commuting in and out of Toronto is always a challenge as the roads are always busy but at rush hour the simple 45 minute drive becomes two and a half hours. Add in the cost of parking and many people end up using public transit. Most public transportation works only within a municipality, although some routes do mingle, so that if you travel through more than one municipality the best bet is GO Transit. Not surprisingly the trains have the same shortcomings as any other method; weather and breakdowns can happen at any time - but sometimes it seems like Friday is the day for breakdowns.

Today, yes a Friday, the Georgetown line had a major problem as the 4:15pm train from Union Station decided to break down in Malton right beside the International Centre. For an hour and a half they worked on the train but could not get it running. Finally another train came and pushed the broken down train to the Bramalea station where we got out of old unfaithful and moved into the working train.

Train 247 pushes train 601

The Corridor Club - A GO experience

Boinkin on the train! The modern and luxurious GO Transit commuter train comes complete with bathrooms and apparently some of the passengers are getting to know each other quite personally with members joining the "Corridor Club". The practice has been coming up in conversations as people read (and write into) the free evening newspaper t.o.night in their "Shout Outs (email link to submit your own shout out)" column and which includes talk of banana and oreo cookie eating. Now there seems to be a TTC Ride the Rocket Club after some sex on the Spadina Subway!

The shout outs are usually full of compliments (l laughed so hard, cute, beautiful) and verbal high fives, complaints of other passengers (loudly burping, boring old prude, complete moron, etc) and the occasional request for corridor club action, or boasting of having got some action. Here is a shout out from the October 18, 2010 edition "Looks like BB is looking for more that just initiation into the club, sorry BB I could not wait any longer, I received my initiation last night. Signed, previously Mile high member now Dual Club Membership." For the other side of the coin here is Concerned Observer saying "...there are a lot of weirdos out there, just look at the corridor club".

Now I see bumper stickers pasted over newspaper boxes on the streets of Toronto which state "The Corridor Club .com ....you know who we are". Their online tag is "the place where commuters come together".

The Daily Commute

Over 1.2 million people are said to commute into and around Toronto and I happen to be one of them. For me the almost two hour ride, each way, on the GO Bus and GO Train is a huge commitment of time to get to work. Like many I enter downtown from Union Station and head up Bay Street towards the Eaton Centre.
The trains and buses disgorge people by the hundreds who grab other forms of public transportation or just walk where they want to go.

I always find it fascinating to see the people as we march in one direction, en masse. Occasionally someone fights through the crowd in the opposite direction - hoping not to get run over. Usually on our city streets there are people going both directions, it never seems a focused movement, that is until rush hour, then with a single minded purpose we are heading north from Union in the morning (pictured) or back south to Union in the afternoon.

Walking is the best part of the commute. During nice weather many people keep above ground, catching a few rays and getting some nice excercise before the start of the work day. If the weather is bad more people stay underground until the last possible minute using Toronto's fabulous PATH system.