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There are plans to have GO Trains (Greater Toronto Area) running at 15 minute headways all-day within the next 10 years. If they can manage that, it will have the best level of service of any commuter rail system on the continent. By a pretty big margin too. Not even the New York area's Metro North offers 15 minute headways in both directions all-day.
There are plans to have GO Trains (Greater Toronto Area) running at 15 minute headways all-day within the next 10 years. If they can manage that, it will have the best level of service of any commuter rail system on the continent. By a pretty big margin too. Not even the New York area's Metro North offers 15 minute headways in both directions all-day.
If we're going to include Canada, then don't forget about the AMT in Montreal. According to Wikipedia, Montreal has the 7th highest commuter rail ridership in North America:
1) New York
2) Philadelphia
3) Chicago
4) Toronto
5) Boston
6) Mexico City
7) Montreal
8) San Francisco
9) Los Angeles
10) Baltimore/DC
New York, Philly, and Chicago seem to be one tier, with Toronto and Boston being the 2nd tier. Then, we have Mexico City, Montreal, San Fran, LA, and Baltimore/DC as the third tier.
If we're going to include Canada, then don't forget about the AMT in Montreal. According to Wikipedia, Montreal has the 7th highest commuter rail ridership in North America:
1) New York
2) Philadelphia
3) Chicago
4) Toronto
5) Boston
6) Mexico City
7) Montreal
8) San Francisco
9) Los Angeles
10) Baltimore/DC
New York, Philly, and Chicago seem to be one tier, with Toronto and Boston being the 2nd tier. Then, we have Mexico City, Montreal, San Fran, LA, and Baltimore/DC as the third tier.
That looks about right when it comes to the tiers.
Metrolink in Los Angeles is incredibly extensive, yet for various reasons it is barely used. Here you can see on the Google Map that the Antelope Valley Line and the Orange County line don't even fit in the frame. It is pretty cool that one can travel from Ventura to the Mexican border without the need for a car! Even if it would take about a hundred years.
One aspect of Metrolink that makes it unique in the United States is its suburb-to-suburb Inland Empire to Orange County line. I believe it is the only one of its kind.
There are plans to have GO Trains (Greater Toronto Area) running at 15 minute headways all-day within the next 10 years. If they can manage that, it will have the best level of service of any commuter rail system on the continent. By a pretty big margin too. Not even the New York area's Metro North offers 15 minute headways in both directions all-day.
That's pretty awesome. Is that for all lines?
Metro-North has been increasing frequency a bit nearly every year for the last several years. I reckon commuter rail frequencies are in the upswing everywhere in North America.
Metrolink in Los Angeles is incredibly extensive, yet for various reasons it is barely used. Here you can see on the Google Map that the Antelope Valley Line and the Orange County line don't even fit in the frame. It is pretty cool that one can travel from Ventura to the Mexican border without the need for a car! Even if it would take about a hundred years.
One aspect of Metrolink that makes it unique in the United States is its suburb-to-suburb Inland Empire to Orange County line. I believe it is the only one of its kind.
Metrolink will probably get a lot better within a decade because of better connectivity to other (and better) mass transit as well as its transition towards having some run through tracks.
NYC's big problem in commuter rail is the separate agencies. If Metro-North, Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Rail Transit were run under one agency and modified for interoperability, then there'd probably be massive savings, much better concerted planning, and projects that would allow for possible new transit patterns. Unfortunately, that's pretty much politically impossible.
Metro-North has been increasing frequency a bit nearly every year for the last several years. I reckon commuter rail frequencies are in the upswing everywhere in North America.
The 15-min frequency will only apply to the more heavily used/densely populated segments each line, but yes, in Ontario Government's "Big Move" transportation strategy, they set aside about $25 billion over the next 10 years for a complete overhaul of all lines, and each year, new service and lines will be brought online.
Electrification on one of the GO lines is set to begin in late 2015/2016 as all environmental assessment hurdles have just been cleared. Last month, Metrolinx, the all-encompassing transport agency, has just posted an official notice on the government procurement website for Electric Multiple Unit train sets to several manufacturers. Supply Electric Multiple Units, Electric Locomotives And Dual Mode Locomotives
The goal is to introduce the Regional Express Rail concept, with high frequency (15 min, or even shorter headway during peak times) all day, bi-directional service, modeled after the Paris Regional Express Rail or even Germany's S-Bahn suburban rail model (frequency approaching subway/rapid transit). All this can be possible with electrification and more trackage.
More info can be found below. Metrolinx has already done a lot of planning work so far, including the completion of the Union Pearson Express Rail corridor which will open next month, and all in all, it looks like a very comprehensive rail network. Upon completion, I think the RER project will have a transformational effect on the economics, development, and transport patterns of GTA. Some big items include:
- more than 60 station renovations
- 130 bridge expansions
- 6 rail-to-rail grade separations
- 547 kilometres of new track (on top of the existing 337 km owned by Metrolinx)
- 500 kilometres of overhead catenary
- 40 rail-to-road grade separations
- property acquisitions
- improvements to GO technology and maintenance facilities
Metrolink will probably get a lot better within a decade because of better connectivity to other (and better) mass transit as well as its transition towards having some run through tracks.
NYC's big problem in commuter rail is the separate agencies. If Metro-North, Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Rail Transit were run under one agency and modified for interoperability, then there'd probably be massive savings, much better concerted planning, and projects that would allow for possible new transit patterns. Unfortunately, that's pretty much politically impossible.
The same thing applies to Philly in regards to SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATCO.
The same thing applies to Philly in regards to SEPTA, NJ Transit, and PATCO.
That would be a snazzy idea...but what would it be called ? LOL.....My question is who would run it.
LIRR , METRO-NORTH , SEPTA , NJ TRANSIT....I just dont see SEPTA OR MTA giving up Metro North and LIRR giving up their railroad divisions.
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