GO Transit

GO Transit

File:Gotransit logo.gif
click on map to enlarge
Overview
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Reporting mark	GOT
Locale	Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) plus environs
Dates of operation	1967–present

GO Transit (reporting mark GOT) is the interregional public transit system serving the conurbation in Ontario, Canada referred to by Metrolinx as the "Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area" (GTHA) and extending to several communities beyond it. GO carries over 50 million passengers a year using an extensive network of train and bus services; rail service is provided by diesel locomotives pulling trains of unpowered double-deck passenger cars, while most bus service is provided by inter-city coaches.

Canada's first such system, GO Transit began regular passenger service on May 23 1967 under the auspices of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Over time it has been constituted in a variety of public-sector configurations, today existing as a provincial crown agency legally known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA). GO is headed by a board consisting of appointees of the province and GTHA municipalities. The Greater Toronto Transportation Act, 2006 provides for the eventual transfer of responsibility for GO Transit to Metrolinx, after the applicable sections of the Act are proclaimed in force. Template:GO Transit rail system

Service area

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) consists of the City of Toronto, the City of Hamilton, and the surrounding Regions of Halton, Peel, York, and Durham. Each of these cities or regional municipalities has representation in GO's governance structures. GO Transit also reaches beyond the GTHA into Simcoe, Dufferin, and Wellington Counties, although service to these jurisdictions is generally less extensive, and with the exception of Barrie and Bradford, bus-based only.

In total, GO trains and buses serve a population of 7 million in an 8,000 km² (3,000 sq.mi.) area radiating in places more than 100 km (60 mi) from downtown Toronto. Present extrema are Hamilton and Guelph to the west; Orangeville, Barrie, and Beaverton to the north; and Port Perry and Newcastle to the east.

Cab Control Car of a GO Train with a view of the CN Tower in the background.

The GO system map shows seven train routes, all departing from Toronto's Union Station and mostly named respectively after the outer terminus of train service. Although colours and letters, noted below, are assigned in a consistent fashion to each line in all official media, in practice lines are rarely referred to by anything other than their names.

style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | A	Lakeshore West line (to Hamilton)
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | B	Lakeshore East line (to Oshawa, with buses to Newcastle)
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | C	Milton line
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | D	Georgetown line (to Georgetown, with buses to Guelph)
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | E	Barrie line
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | F	Richmond Hill line
style="font-size: 11pt; text-align: center; color: white; padding: 4pt; line-height: 1.25em; background-color: #Template:GO Transit color" | G	Stouffville line (to Stouffville, with buses to Uxbridge)

The Lakeshore East and West rail lines frequently operate on an interlined basis: most off-peak and some peak-period trains provide through service between stations east and west of Toronto. With this exception, however, direct movement between the various "legs" is quite limited. While several GO buses run on orbital routes that connect multiple legs, all rail-based interchange from one line to another (with the aforementioned exception of the Lakeshore lines) requires switching trains at Union Station. (Trains on multiple routes pass through or by each of the Bloor, Danforth and Scarborough railway stations, but each station is assigned to a single corridor and only accordingly-routed trains stop there.)

Rail

File:GO east.JPG

A GO Train F59PH, currently the standard power on GO Transit's rail lines passing Danforth Station.

GO trains are easily identifiable; all rolling stock is green and white, and the carriages are double-decked and shaped like elongated octagons. These Bombardier BiLevel carriages were originally designed for GO in the 1970s, and are now used by a number of other commuter railways across the continent. GO Trains generally operate in a push-pull configuration.

Most of the GO Train route network operates only in peak rush-hour periods and then only in the primary direction of travel. For example, as of February 2006, the Milton line service consists of six trains leaving Milton each weekday between 6:25 and 7:58 a.m., and six trains leaving Toronto each weekday between 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.

There is off-peak train service on parts of the Lakeshore and Georgetown lines. Hourly trains operate on weekdays off-peak hours and weekends between Aldershot and Oshawa. The Georgetown line has a more limited off-peak train service between Toronto and Bramalea.

Although it owns its locomotives and carriages, GO contracts out the operation of its trains to the Canadian Pacific Railway on the Milton line, and to CN on all others. As a result, GO Train service has been previously disrupted by non GO Transit related labour disputes.

A five-year contract with Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. means 160 unionized engineers, conductors and newly coined "customer service ambassadors" will replace Canadian National crews now operating the trains on six of GO's seven lines. CN, which owns most of the tracks, switches and signals, will be training the new crews to take over in June 2008. Canadian Pacific Railway will continue to operate GO's Milton line. Bombardier will continue to run trains with three-person crews, but their functions will change a bit. Traditionally, the conductor focuses on safe operation, but also does customer service. Bombardier will put two engineers on each train, each driving in just one direction. When not driving, the spare engineer will handle operations. The crew person stationed in the accessible coach, formerly the conductor, will be a customer service ambassador.

Bus

GO Bus

Founded	1970
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Service area	Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and environs
Service type	Intercity coach service
Fleet	305
Operator	GO Transit
Website	Official Web site

Each train route has a corresponding GO Bus service for the times (and directions) when the trains are not operating. These accept the same tickets as the trains and in many cases serve the same stations. For example, buses operate from Toronto to Milton, and from Aldershot station in West Burlington to Hamilton, at all times except the weekday evening peak when trains are available. Some train routes are similarly extended by buses at all times, as noted in the list of routes, with through buses when the trains do not run. Thus buses to Guelph operate from Georgetown in the evening peak, and from Toronto at other times.

Still other GO Buses are independent of rail services. Some parts of the route network use expressways (such as the frequent Toronto–Hamilton express bus via the Queen Elizabeth Way) while others are more local in character. Toronto Pearson International Airport is served by a route from Brampton to Yorkdale and York Mills subway stations. Buses serving downtown Toronto operate to a terminal adjacent to Union Station.

Most GO buses are of inter-city coach design, and carry approximately 50 passengers. Double-decker coaches will debut in 2008, exclusively operating on GO's Highway 407 corridor. GO also operates several Orion V buses, which more closely resemble conventional urban transit buses. All GO Buses are diesel-powered.

Connections

GO connects with every municipal transit system in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, plus Barrie Transit and Guelph Transit.

TTC connections

Thousands of passengers move between GO and TTC service at Union Station on Toronto's Front Street

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) provides the most connections with GO Trains and convenient connections can be made between the trains and TTC buses, streetcars, and subway trains. Immediately adjacent to the GO concourse at Union Station is the Union station on the TTC's Yonge-University Spadina subway line. Connections at Union Station with the TTC's Harbourfront (509) and Spadina (510) streetcar lines are also possible.

Four stations on the TTC's Bloor-Danforth subway line either are close to or directly connect to GO Train stations:

• TTC Kipling has a direct connection to GO Kipling (on GO's Milton line),
• TTC Kennedy has a direct connection to the GO Kennedy (on the Stouffville line).
• TTC Dundas West is near GO Bloor (Georgetown line), and
• TTC Main Street is near GO Danforth (on the Lakeshore East line)

The TTC Leslie station on the Sheppard line does not currently connect with the nearby GO Oriole station on the Richmond Hill line, but there has been consideration given to building a connection to TTC Leslie Station in the future as the platform at Oriole was recently moved further north to allow for it.

Additionally, three GO bus terminals are on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line, at Finch, York Mills, and Yorkdale, and one is located on the Scarborough RT at Scarborough Centre.

All GO Train stations within the City of Toronto except GO Exhibition are adjacent to TTC bus routes, and GO Danforth, GO Exhibition, GO Bloor, and GO Long Branch are also on streetcar routes.

Connections elsewhere in the GTHA

Municipal transit systems outside Toronto remain purely bus-based to date. Buses operated by Durham Region Transit, York Region Transit, Brampton Transit, Mississauga Transit, Milton Transit, Oakville Transit, Burlington Transit and the Hamilton Street Railway connect with GO stations and stops in their respective jurisdictions.

York Region's Viva bus rapid transit system interchanges with the GO Train system at two stations. Viva Blue connects with GO Langstaff on the Richmond Hill line, and the peak-only Viva Pink connects with GO Unionville on the Stouffville line.

Ridership

GO runs 180 train trips and 1,430 bus trips daily, carrying about 190,000 passengers on a typical weekday — 160,000 on the trains and 30,000 by bus. GO says that their ridership growth has continually exceeded expectations. In 1967, the first year of operation, 2.5 million passengers were carried. The combined rail and bus system today handles more than 50 million riders annually, and GO Transit achieved its one billionth passenger mark on October 11, 2006.

At least 96% of the train ridership is to and from Union Station in downtown Toronto, while about 70% of all bus passengers travel to and from the City of Toronto.

Inside a GO Train, upper deck with stairs leading down at the back

Number of Passenger Trips (2006)
Rail lines
	Lakeshore West	13,561,100
	Milton	6,049,400
	Georgetown	3,821,300
	Bradford	2,310,200
	Richmond Hill	2,042,100
	Stouffville	2,675,000
	Lakeshore East	10,767,200
Subtotal - Rail lines		41,226,300
Bus routes
All GO Bus Service		7,065,700
Total - GO System		48,292,000

History

Creation of GO Transit

Oakville GO Station, the service's original western terminus

GO Transit was created and funded by the provincial government in 1967 as Government of Ontario Transit (hence the acronym 'GO') and was financed entirely by the Province of Ontario until the end of 1997. The Province subsidized any operating costs that were not recovered through revenue, as well as all capital costs. Responsibility for the system was then transferred to the Toronto Area Transportation Operating Authority (TATOA) and later to the Greater Toronto Services Board as part of the province's 'downloading' initiative, before finally returning to the province as a Crown Agency under Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA).

GO began as a three-year experiment on May 23 1967 running single-deck diesel multiple units on a single rail line along Lake Ontario's shoreline. All day GO Train service ran from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. Lakeshore GO trains carried 2.5 million riders that first year and was considered to be a success. GO Bus service, which started out in 1970 as an extension of the original Lakeshore train line, has since become a full-fledged network in its own right. It feeds the rail service and serves communities that trains do not reach.

Expansion in the 1970s and 1980s

Expansion continued in the 1970s with the introduction of the Georgetown line in 1974 and the Richmond Hill line in 1978. Also in 1978 the GO Transit bi-level railcars were introduced, although many of the bi-level trains had to run with a single level cab car at first. Finally in 1979 the current GO Train concourse at Union Station was built.

The 1980s proved to be the most exciting time for GO Transit as in 1981 the Milton GO Train line opened. Then just one year later in 1982 the Bradford line and Stouffville line opened after the newly created VIA Rail Canada cut passenger rail service to these corridors.

Proposed GO ALRT System

Towards the end of 1982 came GO Transit's moment of truth, as the Ontario Minister of Transportation and Communications, James Snow, announced the launching GO ALRT, an interregional rapid transit program. This is a transit system that would have allowed computer controlled trains to run at a maximum frequency of two minutes instead of the usual twenty minutes during rush hour. One line would have replaced the Lakeshore GO Train line and would have run from Hamilton to Oshawa. The other would have connected Oakville with downtown Mississauga, Pearson Airport, downtown North York and the Scarborough Town Centre before finally terminating at Pickering. A short lived third line would have run north-south connecting Brampton with Mississauga. The rail cars (designed by The Urban Transportation Development Corporation) started out as an ICTS train similar to the Scarborough RT later evolved in 1983 to the length of roughly a Toronto subway train. Further redesign in 1984/85 indicated that greater carrying capacity was going to be required resulting in cars similar in length to VIA's LRC coach car. Meanwhile Hamilton residents were strongly opposed to the plan which caused the proposal to go under in 1985 which was also a result of long time Ontario PC premier Bill Davis being replaced by the late Ontario PC leader Frank Miller who served only a few months in office.

With the end of GO ALRT and the creation of a coalition provincial government between the Ontario NDP and Ontario Liberals, it was decided that certain parts of the GO ALRT proposal would live on, in the form of a GO Train extension of all-day GO Train service to Whitby and Burlington. The tracks between Pickering and Whitby were originally built for the GO ALRT system but were soon converted to handle conventional GO Trains. All day GO Train service was brought to Whitby in 1988.

Reduction of service in the 1990s

In the 1990s, the era of continuous growth came to end. Ridership shrank as a result of a recession in the early part of the decade. In spite of this, GO extended limited rush hour GO Train service to Barrie, Guelph, Acton and Oshawa in 1990. In the same year, GO also introduced off-peak train service on the Milton line, much of which only operated as far west as Erindale. In May, 1992, while GO Transit celebrated its 25th birthday, all-day GO Train service was extended to Burlington with the building of a new station at Aldershot. However, in 1993 former Ontario premier Bob Rae announced the Social Contract, which would see a "temporary" reduction in spending on services. Consequentially GO Train service to Barrie, Guelph and Acton was eliminated. All day GO Train service to Whitby and Burlington was reduced to rush hours only (while limited rush hour train service to Oshawa and Hamilton remained in place). All day Lakeshore train service existed only between Pickering and Oakville. In 1995 a new set of tracks and a station were built in Oshawa, allowing for frequent rush hour GO Train service to Oshawa. In 1996, off-peak service ceased on the Milton line.

With the election of former Ontario premier Mike Harris in June, 1995, plans for expanding GO Transit were put on hold as part of an overall reduction in government spending.

Shifting of responsibilities

In January 1997, the province announced it would hand over funding responsibility for GO Transit to the Greater Toronto Area municipalities (which consist of the City of Toronto, and the Regions of Halton, Peel, York, and Durham) as well as the neighbouring Region of Hamilton-Wentworth (which became the new City of Hamilton on 1 January 2001). In exchange, the province would assume certain other funding responsibilities from municipal governments.

A year later, on 1 January 1998, the GTA municipalities and Hamilton-Wentworth (now the city of Hamilton) began to fund GO Transit, cost-sharing all of GO's capital expenses and any operating costs that are not recovered through passenger fares and other revenue. On 1 January 1999, a new municipal agency created by the province came into being: the Greater Toronto Services Board (GTSB), composed of regional chairs, municipal mayors, and local councillors from the GTSB's service area. GO Transit transferred over to the municipal sector as an arm of the GTSB (Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority) on August 7, 1999, thus completing the process that had begun with the funding change of 1998.

In 2000, all day GO Train service was restored from Burlington to Whitby and finally brought to Oshawa (although weekend & holiday Lakeshore GO Train service would still only see service between Pickering and Oakville).

On September 27, 2001, Ontario Premier Mike Harris announced that the Provincial government would be taking back responsibility for GO Transit, and putting $3 billion into public transit in Ontario. For the practically impoverished GO, it was a welcome funding commitment.

The GO Transit Act, 2001 was passed by the Ontario Legislature on December 5, 2001. As of January 1, 2002, GO Transit is no longer the responsibility of the municipalities of the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton. GO has returned to provincial responsibility as a Crown Corporation, and the Greater Toronto Services Board no longer exists.

Recent developments

On December 30, 2006, the GO Train service was fully restored along the Lakeshore East line to Oshawa, having service include weekends and holidays.

On September 4, 2007, much of the weekday train service on the Lakeshore West line was extended to Aldershot station, although many rush hour trains continue to originate and terminate at Burlington for the time being.

On October 28, 2007, GO Train service was fully restored along the Lakeshore West line to Aldershot, having service include weekends and holidays.

On December 17, 2007, the Bradford line was extended to Barrie South GO Station, restoring GO Train service to Barrie for the first time in 15 years.

Future expansion

GO Transit has a ten-year plan in place, which includes provisions for new train stations, more parking spaces at existing stations, and increasing service on some (or all) existing train lines. While Go Transit has not expressed the desire for new train lines, some have been proposed in MoveOntario 2020, the provincial transit plan. Here are some of the improvements being planned, or in the process of completion:

• Construction of the Mount Pleasant Station on the Georgetown line (Bovaird Drive and Creditview Road) continues, but the station has been open for service since February 2005. Current work is to make the station wheelchair accessible and to add an extra track, allowing more service.
• Decked parking at Ajax, Aurora, Burlington, Centennial, Clarkson, Erindale, Oakville, Unionville and Whitby stations.
• Construction of a new GO Station, at 10th Line and Bethesda Road in Stouffville-Whitchurch, to be named Lincolnville GO Station, where the current layover facility is located. Opening estimated for June, 2008.
• Fleet expansion, including buses and Bombardier Bi-Level Rail Cars, and the replacement of old locomotives with more reliable and powerful models.
• Extending platforms at Lakeshore and Milton Corridor stations to permit 12-car train sets in 2008.
• A third track from Burlington to Bayview Junction (between Aldershot and Hamilton) on the Lakeshore West line, and one from downtown Cherry Street to Scarborough on the Lakeshore East, to facilitate improved schedule reliability and increased service.
• Improvements to Union Station's platforms, train shed and signalling system.

Larger-scale infrastructure improvements are also being planned, including:

• Rail-to-rail grade separations where the Stouffville line crosses CN's east-west freight line (a similar project on the Barrie-Bradford line was completed in Fall, 2007 at the Snider Diamond), to allow for increased service, and at the West Toronto Diamond, to take the CN tracks on the Georgetown line under the CP tracks so that more trains can run more reliably--construction on the Stouffville Line began in May 2006.
• Increased track capacity on the Georgetown line's busy section between Brampton and northwest Toronto to allow more frequent train movements, and a new train layover facility near Mount Pleasant station.
• Track upgrades on the Milton line to run more peak and off-peak trains.
• The controversial proposal for the Blue22 high-speed train service between the Pearson Airport and Union Station via the Georgetown line using Bombardier diesel cars. So named for the numbers of minutes the trip would take between Pearson and Downtown (one-way distance around 30 km). Because the Airport is located some 5 km from the line, a proposed spur line would need to be constructed to connect the trains to the LINK Train currently serving the terminal facilities. It is uncertain how this service would be coordinated with GO Transit, which uses the same Georgetown Line and extensive track upgrades along this line would be required. The project was announced as a transportation priority by the previous federal Liberal government in 2000 and a contract to build the diesel cars was awarded in 2003, with the expectation of project completion by 2008. At the current pace, this is unlikely, and is opposed by residents in places like Weston.

GO Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

• Launched in the fall of 2000, GO's Bus Rapid Transit service began by operating along Highway 407 to serve the York University campus. It has grown and flourished, with greatly improved services and new park & ride lots. The GO BRT service is now one of GO Transit's fastest growing services, yielding 12,000 rides on a typical day. As part of this service, GO Transit is collaborating with the City of Mississauga to build new, exclusive bus lanes along Highway 403. Mississauga's BRT website has more information on this new project.

Expansions beyond GO's present service area

• Initiatives that are part of the project funding announcements made by the Ontario and the Canadian federal governments, including:

Main article: Barrie South (GO Station)

• Extending the Bradford line train service to the Barrie, Ontario area, using track corridor owned by the City of Barrie (who acquired the right of way following CN's abandonment, after GO Trains last ran there)

• Introducing commuter bus services to Niagara Region, and to Waterloo Region to build the market for train service. Both Waterloo and Niagara regional governments are strongly in favour of GO Trains service being brought to these areas. Service expansion to Peterborough has also been proposed, but GO has expressed no interest in providing it. The City of Peterborough is also strongly in favour of having GO service there, but only by rail.

• In the Fall of 2007, GO Transit added a new Bus service between the University of Guelph and Cooksville, with additional stops at Aberfoyle and Square One. Additionally, the Highway 407 express route servicing the Meadowvale and Bramalea GO stations and York University was extended to the University of Guelph. A new park and ride facility will also be built in Aberfoyle at Brock and McLean roads near the 401. [1]

Detailed information on these expansion projects can be found on the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP) website.

Theoretically, GO Transit can serve any region in Ontario and set up service in other areas as well, as it is a provincial agency; however, there is no real market for inter-regional service in other regions (such as in/near the larger cities in Southwestern Ontario and in the National Capital Region) that is not provided by private agencies or VIA Rail.

GO is also developing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system that will provide extensive east-to-west express service across the GTA, using transit priority measures and park-and-ride stations with links to local transit. GO's already popular Highway 407 Express buses are the BRT's precursor, showing that demand for such service is already there.

The former provincial Minister of Transportation announced plans in 2005 to introduce the Presto Card, a unified smartcard-based payment system for the entire Greater Toronto Area similar to the Octopus Card used in Hong Kong.

Proposed train routes

The Provincial transit plan, MoveOntario2020, has proposed a number of new train corridors. They include:

Union Station to Bolton

This line would follow a CP rail line through western Toronto and Woodbridge to the suburban community of Bolton, replacing a bus service that currently encompasses two inbound and two outbound trips.

Seaton Line

This line would use CN's Havelock division to run initially from the former North Toronto Station on Yonge Street, or from a new station adjacent to the Dupont TTC Station at Spadina Road, east to Brock Road in Pickering.

Pickering Airport Line

This proposed route would run from the same station as the Seaton Line, northeast to Brock Road in the small community of Claremont, within the city of Pickering. This line would serve the growing community of Cornell in Markham, as well as the established Morningside Heights subdivision in Toronto, however the main purpose of the line as stated by its name would be to serve the planned Pickering International Airport, set to open sometime after 2010. Although it has not been proposed, it is possible that trains on this line may eventually run to Peterborough, as the growing city has previously stated that it only wants GO service if it is by train.

Midtown Corridor

This route would use the CP freight mainline that cuts through Toronto just north of the downtown area. It would run from somewhere near the Junction (intersection of many CN and CP lines, as well as the GO Georgetown and Milton routes) to somewhere near the Don Valley if operated as its own route. Otherwise, it would simply be an extension of the Seaton and Pickering routes westward, or a combination of trains from the Georgetown and Milton lines. This route would take pressure off of Union Station, but the proposal faces many roadblocks. Canadian Pacific has not been very willing to operate GO trains on its tracks, and this line would use its most congested route, the mainline. Also, the proposed transfer points to the Yonge-University-Spadina subway are disadvantageous. Passengers transferring at Union Station take advantage of some rare rush-hour spare capacity on the line, whereas the new station would only add to the growing congestion on the Yonge and University segments.

Recent service disruptions

In recent years, since initiating a major infrastructure renewal program in 2005, GO Transit has been plagued with frequent service disruptions, often leading to trip cancellations, and stranding passengers at GO stations. In addition to several major service disruptions, GO trains also routinely arrive at their destinations late. Weekday passengers travelling to Union Station during the morning rush hour should expect their trains to arrive in downtown Toronto at least several minutes late. GO has blamed many of the disruptions on long-delayed construction projects it has recently undertaken. It cites underfunding by previous Ontario governments for delaying critical infrastructure improvements necessary to handle GO's growing passenger volumes. Passengers though, are more likely to fault GO directly, alleging that the agency shows little concern for their schedules, and fails to provide accurate information when major delays occur.

On Monday February 11 2008, Patricia Eales has launched an online petition demanding better service and rebates to compensate riders for delays and cancellations. Eales is hoping 25 per cent of GO ridership or about 40, 000 people sign the online petition. The petition will be presented to the Board of Directors at their monthly meeting on Friday, March 14, 2008.

On Wednesday February 27 2008, GO Transit's new, more powerful locomotive MP40, broke down near Whites Road during the afternoon rush with a full load of passengers. The train failure came less than two months after the introduction of the first of 27 stronger, faster, sleeker MP40 locomotives.

Vehicles

Vehicles: 316 buses, 45 locomotives, 374 coaches, of which 49 are cabcars (2007)

Locomotives

Retired engines

Year	Manufacturer	Model	Numbers	Notes
	General Motors Diesel Division EMD	FP7A & F7B locomotives		used as power cars
	General Motors Diesel Division	GP40TC locomotive
	General Motors Diesel Division	GP40-2L locomotive
	General Motors Division	F40PH locomotive
	General Motors Diesel Division	GP40U locomotive

Active engines

All F59PH locomotives operated by GO Transit have been manufactured by EMD in London, Ontario.
All MP40PH-3C locomotives operated by GO Transit have been manufactured by Wabtec MotivePower Industries in Boise, Idaho.

F59PH the standard power on GO Transit's rail lines

GO 602 MP40PH-3C preparing for turn around service for morning Rush Hour.

Year	Manufacturer	Model	Numbers	Notes
1988	EMD	F59PH I	520-535
1989-1990	EMD	F59PH II	536-547
1990	EMD	F59PH III	548-561
1990	EMD	F59PH IV	562-5681
2007-2008	MPI	MP40PH-3C	601-606	In revenue service/In transit for delivery
2007-2008	MPI	MP40PH-3C	600, 607-627	Undergoing building or testing

NOTES:

1. 565-568 have been sold to Trinity Railway Express in Irving, TX, USA.
2. GO Transit is ordering new, more powerful locomotives for delivery by 2007. The new engine class MPI MPXpress MP40PH-3C are being built by Motive Power, Inc. and will be put into action in 2008.
3. The first 27 engines received by Motive Power will be used on the Milton line, and in Express Service on the Lakeshore lines. (Source on page 3)
4. GO Transit's current 45 engine roster will possibly be sold to Minnesota's proposed Northstar Corridor Commuter Rail Service that will start in 2009. (Source on page 6)

Multiple units

Year	Manufacturer	Model	Numbers	Notes
	Hawker Siddeley Canada	RTC-85/85C SP (Single-level self-propel unit)		retired MU were manufactured at the HS transit shops in Thunder Bay, Ontario, now owned by Bombardier Transportation Limited

Coaches

All GO Trains now consist of bi-level railway cars

Manufacturer	Model	Numbers		Notes
HSC	Bi-Level I coach	2002-2079
HSC	Bi-Level II coach	2100-2155, 200-214
UTDC	Bi-Level III coach	2200-2253, 215-222
UTDC	Bi-Level IV coach	2300-2341, 225-241
Bombardier Transportation	Bi-Level V coach	2400-2455, 2499
Bombardier Transportation	Bi-Level VI coach	2500-2521
Bombardier Transportation	Bi-Level VII coach	2522-2544, 2600-2641, 242-250
Bombardier Transportation	Bi-Level coach			leased from Tri-Rail
Bombardier Transportation	Bi-Level coach			leased from West Coast Express
Pullman-Standard	Bi-level coaches			leased from CPR Montreal commuter rail service (1974) and CN&W (1976)

Buses

GM buses were manufactured at the Diesel Division in London, Ontario and Orion/Ontario Bus buses in Mississauga, Ontario:

Retired

Year	Make	Model	Length		Engine	Numbers
1970	GMDD	T8H-5305A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1000-1019
1973	GMDD	T8H-5307A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1020-1029
1974	GMDD	T8H-5307A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1030-1039, 1120-1123
1975	GMDD	T8H-5307A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1045-1056
1976	GMDD	S8H-5304A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1060-1099
1977	GMDD	T8H-5307A	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1100-1119
1985	Ontario Bus	Orion I 01.508	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1125-1129
1987	Ontario Bus	Orion I 01.508	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1130-1141
1975	MCI	MC-8	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1250-1262
1978	MCI	MC-8	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1270-1281
1980	MCI	MC-9	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1290-1294
1981	MCI	MC-9	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 8V71	1300-1324
1986	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1400-1416
1987	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1417-1425
1988	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1426-1435
1989	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1436-1445
1990	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1446-1458
1991	MCI	102A2	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1459-1468
1990	MCI	102A3	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1500-1514
1991	New Flyer	D40S	Template:Ft to m	No	Detroit Diesel 6V92TA	1900-1950

Active

All active buses are 2.591 metres wide.

• 
  GO Transit MCI D4500 2109 at York University
• 
  GO Transit MCI 'New Look' D4500 2267
• 
  The new GO bus paint scheme back view
• 
  The new GO bus paint scheme frontal view

Year	Make	Model	Length		Engine	Numbers
1993	MCI	102C3	Template:Ft to m	No	Cummins L10	1520-1531
1999	Prevost	XL LeMirage	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 60	1600-1619
2000	Orion	V 05.501	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 50	2000-2007
2001	Orion	V 05.501	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 50	2008-2017
2001	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 60	2100-2113
2002	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 60	2114-2148
2003	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 60	2149-2184
2004	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 60	2185-2215
2004	Orion	V 05.501	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Detroit Diesel Series 50	2018-2029
2004	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Caterpillar Adam III C13	2216-2266
2005	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Caterpillar Adam III C13	2267-2286
2006	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Caterpillar Adam III C13	2287-2317
2007	MCI	D4500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Caterpillar Adam III C13	2318-2353
2008	Alexander Dennis	Enviro 500	Template:Ft to m	Yes	Cummins M11 EPA 07	8000-8011 (on order)

Staff

GO has a workforce of 1,447. (2007) All staff are employees of GO Transit with the exception of conductors and engineers on trains, who are contracted from Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, and train maintenance personnel, who are employees of Bombardier Transportation under contract.

Special Constables

GO Transit has Special Constables patrolling the transit agencies' properties and vehicles. As well as enforcing the Criminal Code and related violations of GO Transit By-law # 2. They are also known as Transit Enforcement Officers. The GO Transit Special Constables are appointed by the Ontario Provincial Police and have police authority for a variety of federal and provincial acts. These officers patrol the GO system and can arrest and enforce a variety of laws. Their authority is essentially no different than that of a police officer during certain situations. Jurisdictional police are actively involved in the safety and security of the GO system and work together with GO Special Constables. GO Transit also operates on railway tracks owned by CN and CP Rail. Railway police (CN or CP) also assist GO Special Constables in the security and safety of the GO system. GO Transit also employs Provincial Offences Officers (internally known as Customer Attendants) to enforce and assist with the proof of payment system. They are not to be confused with a GO Special Constable.

Contractors

• Gray Coach Lines - defunct
• Travelways
• Charterways Transportation Limited
• Penetang-Midland Coach Lines (PMCL)
• CN engineers and conductors operate all GO Trains excluding those operated on Milton line.
• CP engineers and conductors operate GO Trains on Milton line only.
• Exclusive Advertising - Represents 3,950 interior poster faces and 790 digital displays throughout the GO Train fleet.

Terminals

GO Transit Orion V 2000 at Finch Bus Terminal bound for Newmarket.
Since the introduction of York Region Transit's VIVA Blue line, the GO Newmarket "B" route only operates during rush hour periods.

GO Bus service uses 14 bus terminals, with numerous intermediate stops and ticket agencies, in addition to providing off-peak and express services to GO Train stations. The terminals have a wide range of owner/operator/user relationships; GO owned facility with exclusive use or shared with local service; municipal transit operation shared by GO; intercity terminal shared with Greyhound, Coach Canada, etc. During the school year there are also thousands of rides a day to the York University Bus Loop, one of the biggest transit hubs in the GTA.

• Ajax Bus Terminal
• Barrie Bus Terminal
• Bramalea City Centre Terminal
• Brampton Bus Terminal
• Finch Bus Terminal - former GO York Region Terminal
• Guelph Bus Terminal
• McMaster University Bus Terminal
• Newmarket Bus Terminal
• Oshawa Bus Terminal
• Scarborough Centre Bus Terminal
• Square One Bus Terminal
• Union Station Bus Terminal
• Yorkdale Bus Terminal
• York Mills Bus Terminal

Facilities

• GO Transit Willowbrook Yard- covering 17 hectares of land and 13,000 m² of workshops.
• Don Yard, a layover falility for trains. Formerly, CNR Don Sorting Yard.
• North Bathurst Yard 1987 - a layover facility for trains. Formerly CN
• Georgetown, a layover facility for trains.
• Milton, a layover yard for trains.
• Stouffville, a layover facility for trains.
• Steeprock Bus Garage 1979 - stores 130 buses, 70 bus staging areas, 20 bus repair bays.
• West Region Office- Wolfedale (Mississauga)
• East Region Office - Middlefield Road and McCowan Road
• GO Buses are also stored and serviced in Bramalea, Guelph, Beaverton, Milton, Oshawa, Ajax, Oakville, Barrie, Caledon, Bowmanville and Hamilton.

References

• Burnet, R. G. "Significant Dates in GO Transit". Retrieved 2007-07-21.
• Sergeant, Wilfred (2004). "Building GO-Transit: The Rail Commuter Initiative of The Government of Ontario & Canadian National Railways, People in the project 1965-1969". Starkville, MS: HTA PRESS.

External links

• GO Transit
• GO Transit Rail Improvement Program (GO TRIP)
• Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1587
• FindTheWay.ca
• Exclusive Advertising (representing GO Train interior advertising)