Backgrounder: GO Transit Service Is Expanding: A Summary of Improvements Since 2003

For Immediate Release
February 17, 2009

GO Transit

• GO Transit began in 1967 and carried 2.5 million passengers in the first year of service. Today, GO carries more than 55 million passengers each year.
• On a typical weekday, GO runs 183 train trips and over 2,000 bus trips that carry 205,000 passengers - 170,000 passengers on the trains and 35,000 by bus.
• GO Transit runs seven train lines, radiating from Union Station west to Hamilton and east to Oshawa along the Lakeshore line; and north to Milton, Georgetown, Barrie, Richmond Hill and Stouffville.
• GO buses reach riders as far as 100 kilometres from downtown Toronto. GO connects its riders to every municipal transit system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas.

A Greener Transportation Option

• During rush hour, the average automobile driven in the Toronto-area carries 1.15 people. One 10-car GO Train can carry nearly as many people as 1,400 cars, reducing traffic congestion and air pollution.
• One GO bus full of passengers is equivalent to taking 50 cars off the roads.
• On a typical weekday, GO Transit takes more than 90,000 cars off the road.

McGuinty Government’s Investments in GO Transit

Since 2003, the McGuinty government has invested $2.5 billion in GO Transit to improve service and expand routes. Here’s what has been happening at GO since the McGuinty government began investing in GO Transit again:

More GO Train Stations

Since 2003, seven train stations have opened:

• Lisgar Station on the Milton line
• East Gwillimbury Station on the Barrie line
• Barrie South Station on the Barrie line
• Mount Pleasant Station on the Georgetown line
• Kennedy Station on the Stouffville line
• Milliken Station on the Stouffville line
• Lincolnville Station on the Stouffville line

More GO Train Service

• In December 2007, GO began weekday train service between Barrie and Union Station. More than 12,000 riders take the train each weekday.
• GO has extended the length of its trains from 10 to 12 passenger cars on the Milton line and on some Lakeshore West line trips. These extra cars can carry an additional 300 people per trip.
• A new rail overpass was completed on the Barrie line in December 2006, eliminating delays caused by conflicts with freight trains.
• A new rail underpass is substantially complete on the Stouffville line, reducing delays caused by conflict with freight trains.

New GO Trains and Buses

Since 2003, GO has put into service new rail cars and buses that are modern, accessible, more fuel efficient and can carry more passengers:

• 70 new bi-level railcars can carry seven million more passengers a year.
• 27 new fuel-efficient MP40 locomotives can pull 12 cars instead of 10, adding capacity for 300 more passengers per car, or 30,000 every day once all 27 new locomotives are in service. At present, 12-car trains are operating on the Milton line and on some Lakeshore West line trips - eventually all lines will be served by 12-car trains.
• 60 new buses that are accessible, making it easier for riders to take GO.
• 12 double-decker buses can each seat 78 passengers - 21 more than a standard GO Bus.

More GO Bus Terminals

Since 2004, three new bus terminals have opened:

• Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga
• University of Guelph Campus
• McMaster University Campus in Hamilton

More GO Bus Service

• GO Transit has added 500 new bus trips a day, providing capacity for 25,000 more passengers.
• Buses now carry more passengers, more frequently on routes using Highway 407. These routes serve six institutions of higher learning, from the University of Guelph in the west to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology-Durham College in the east, as well as other points.
• Improved bus service on the Milton Corridor extending to the University of Guelph makes it easier for passengers to travel on weekends and holidays
• In June 2008, GO Transit added bus service between Stoney Creek and Burlington station on the Lakeshore West rail line, providing earlier access for customers from east Hamilton and Niagara Region to the GO system.

More GO Parking Lots and Spaces

Since 2003 GO Transit has added eight new parking lots with 4,670 spaces.

• Aberfoyle
• Barrie South
• Bowmanville
• East Gwillimbury
• Lisgar
• Milliken
• Mount Pleasant
• Square One
• Lincolnville

GO has added 11,445 new parking spaces since 2003.

Improvements to Union Station

• GO Transit has embarked on an extensive renewal program of its facilities at Union Station and the tracks to this historic station. Work completed includes:
• GO is modernizing the 70-year-old signal system so it can run more trains and improve service reliability at Union Station. So far, 46 of 100 old signals have been replaced.
• A new covered walkway connects GO’s bus terminal with Union Station.
• New entry and exit stairways reduce crowding; new signboards with real time arrival and departure times better inform riders.

GO Continues to Grow

Since 2003, more than six and a half million more riders a year are taking GO Transit.

Year	Annual Ridership	% Change from Previous Year
2003	44,296,900	0.4
2004	45,031,300	1.7
2005	46,832,900	4.0
2006	48,292,000	3.1
2007	50,986,000	5.6
2008	54,657,000	7.2

• Ridership statistics show a 1.2 percent monthly increase in November 2008 and a 5.5 percent increase in December 2008, when compared to the same period in 2007.

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Bob Nichols, Communications Branch
416-327-1158