Some Brampton GO Commuters Experiencing Serious Overcrowding

Brampton | Ontario | Latest News |

Published January 10, 2019 at 4:37 am

Back in December, the provincial government made this announcement with much fanfare about ex

Back in December, the provincial government made this announcement with much fanfare about expanded GO train services. 

Starting on January 7, people travelling by GO Transit between Kitchener and Toronto’s Union Station will get additional GO train service every weekday morning and afternoon, with a new trip option for customers in Kitchener, Guelph and Acton.

But what this meant was that a number of trains that usually began their trip into downtown Toronto from Georgetown will now start in Kitchener, picking up passengers from Guelph and Acton before arriving in Brampton.

As a result, commuters getting on at Mount Pleasant, Brampton and Bramalea GO stations have found it difficult to get a seat on the train, let alone a place to stand during the trip.

Case in point, someone posted to Twitter what the rush out of downtown Toronto in the afternoon looks like now with the expanded service.

One might expect this kind of overcrowding in Mumbai or Tokyo, but Toronto? Even on a really bad day?

Mayor Patrick Brown agreed that this was an unacceptable situation for Brampton residents, saying he will be making a formal complaint to the provincial transportation minister on behalf of the city, as seen in this letter he sent the minister, Jeff Yurek:

The mayor specifically proposed adding an express train that was cancelled, more coaches to meet the demand as well as an offer to the minister to visit a Brampton GO train with him. “I believe you made these decisions without consulting GO train passengers. Brampton residents deserve better GO train service!”, Brown said.

Yurek’s office issued this statement.

The minister’s statement said the overcrowding only shows that there is the demand for the service, but he said transit safety officers will be sent to manage the crowding at the affected stations.

Overall, expansion existing services without additional infrastructure could lead to continuing problems like overcrowding in the future. In the same announcement about the changes to the Kitchener Line, the province said the change allowed people access to the service “without waiting for a costly rail bypass”.

A freight bypass was a solution to getting more GO train service along the Kitchener line from the previous Liberal government, which would have freed up the line from freight traffic and allowed strictly commuter trains to go back and forth.

However they solve the situation regarding “all day two way” GO train service, it’s clear that most people in Brampton just want to get home and to work on time, without caring much how the service is delivered.

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