Wellington County calls for better GO service
Posted Jan 25, 2011 05:06:06 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The impact of expanded GO train service from Waterloo Region is being felt in neighbouring municipalities.
Late last year, the province announced it would be bringing two GO trains per day into Kitchener by extending the Georgetown rail line. That expansion, due to be in operation later this year, will also serve Acton, Guelph and other parts of Wellington County.
And it’s from there that the province is hearing its latest appeal for more service.
“If you put four trains (on that line) every day and it’s under-utilized, then you can make a decision,” urges Chris White, Warden for Wellington County. “But if you don’t give enough service up front, you can never be sure and it can give you the wrong impression that there’s no demand. I think we need to try it to make sure.”
White’s appeal is actually for the number of trains the province had initially suggested it would run on the expanded Georgetown route. But when the official announcement came from the Ontario Liberals last November, the commitment was to two trains daily (departing and returning) instead of four.
White describes GO trains as a “great service” because it’s efficient and environmentally-friendly. And he stresses that viable transportation is a missing ingredient in rural Ontario.
“If you’ve only got one vehicle or there is no convenient public transportation in your rural area, it’s very difficult, especially for seniors,” White notes.
Until the province decides to double the number of GO trains it is running daily on the Georgetown line, White has another solution. He’s proposing a partnership with Via Rail that would allow train passengers access to both systems seamlessly.
“From my perspective, if it says GO on the side or VIA, I don’t care,” White insists. “The problem is that I’m sure the fares are different and that makes it difficult to blend the two services. But what I’m saying is that we’d love to have the service and we’d like to look at flexible options to get that done.”
Historically, there is a precedent for partnership between the two rail companies but neither Via nor GO is offering specific details on what might be possible in Wellington County.
