How a Pilot Project Hurts Service Rather than Improves It (On the failure of Metrolinx's GO Train Extension to London)
Roughly two years ago today, Metrolinx announced that it would end its pilot project of running one GO Train in both directions between Toronto and London, effective October 2023.
Two years on, I'm annoyed that the end result of this pilot project has been worse service from VIA Rail.
Before the London pilot project, VIA ran two trains a day, each way, between Toronto and London via Kitchener. One left Sarnia at. 6:10 in the morning, passed Kitchener at around 9:20, and got into Union at 10:50. A second train departed London at 7:51 in the evening, stopped at Kitchener at 9:45, and arrived in Toronto at 11:15 at night. Return trains from Toronto departed Union at around 11 a.m. (admittedly this train was kind of useless) to London, and at 5:40 in the afternoon, getting into Sarnia at 10:20 p.m.
Today, that's only one train, leaving Sarnia later in the morning, passing Kitchener at noon and getting into Toronto at 1:40 p.m., with the return trip departing Union at 5:40 p.m. This had the effect of reducing train service between Kitchener and Toronto on the weekend from two trains each way to one. And while I have no proof that the Metrolinx pilot project caused VIA's cutback, the fact that this change at VIA happened just weeks into the launch of the Metrolinx pilot project suggests a considerable cause and effect.
By all accounts, the Metrolinx pilot project was something of a failure. Ridership was low. The problem was, the trip was an excessively long run for a so-called commuter train. At close to four hours, the seats were uncomfortable, and tthere were no provisions for snacks and drinks. At least there were washrooms in every car. People in London wanting to commute to Toronto had faster and more comfortable VIA Trains operating to Toronto via Brantford. However, the service still provided an important second daily link between Toronto and the communities of Stratford and St. Mary's. Now they have only one. Similarly, Kitchener has lost the opportunity of an evening trip home after visiting London.
Whoever is responsible, it's shameful that an attempt to improve public transit in southwestern Ontario has ended up making service worse, and I call upon the Ontario government to step in. I believe there is a demand for improved train service into southwestern Ontario and if Ontario wants it, Ontario should pay for it. However, they should pay VIA to provide it.
Train travel to southwestern Ontario won't be commuter-based. It will be intercity based, and the equipment should reflect that. The trains should have more comfortable seating for those longer journeys. There should be a cafe car for snacks and meals on these journeys. This is the sort of service VIA runs, and Ontario should help out with funds to purchase the equipment needed for VIA to expand. You could add to the Siemens Venture order that Ontario Northland has already piggybacked off of for its restored Northlander train. Or GO's bilevels could be retrofitted with the long-distance seating and cafe car equipment which is already available from Bombardier.
There is plenty of precedent for this sort of arrangement in the United States, where states can top up Amtrak's subsidies to run increased state-based service. Just as there is Amtrak California, we could use VIA Ontario.
At the very least, let's restore the missing VIA services that Metrolinx left behind as it pulled its train out of London. The communities enroute deserve nothing less.
