Milestones, honours and firsts
GO Transit started life as an experiment back in 1967, when the first trains roared into Union Station. “It was intended to see if people would leave their cars at home and take transit to work,” says Mary Proc, Vice President of Customer Service Delivery
1978 – The next level
GO introduces bi-level trains. With a seating capacity of 162 passengers, they offer 70 per cent more seating than single-level cars.
1995 – Introducing accessibility
The first 10 GO stations become wheelchair accessible, including Oakville, Aurora, Milton, Richmond Hill, Old Cummer, Stouffville, Unionville, Pickering, Oshawa and Union.
2009 – Merging lanes
GO Transit merges with Metrolinx to coordinate the movement of millions of riders across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas.
2011 – The ‘Let GO Know’ e-panel
GO assembles an online panel of 7,500 riders that have signed up to give their opinion of the service through surveys and focus groups. One result: When GO seeks a retail partner to provide coffee and snacks to riders (20 per cent of whom pick up food on the way to the station), the e-panel overwhelmingly votes for Tim Horton’s. The first one opens May 23 at Oakville GO Station.
2012 – A service guarantee
GO Transit offers riders the following pledge: If, through GO’s fault, a train is delayed by 15 minutes or more, passengers can apply for fare reimbursement. “This was the first paperless, fully automated service guarantee on transit introduced in the world,” says Proc.
2014 – Everywhere signs
Every GO bus gets digital signage and automated next-stop announcements, making travel easier for everyone, including people with vision or hearing loss. Even better, GO commits to buying 250 accessible buses.
2015 – Going UP
Metrolinx launches the Union Pearson (UP) Express – North America’s first dedicated express air-rail train. The trip between Union Station and Toronto Pearson International Airport takes just 25 minutes, with trains departing every 15 minutes,19.5 hours a day.
2016 – Customer satisfaction ratings are up again
From 59 per cent in 2009 to 84 per cent.
2017 – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
As GO celebrates its 50th anniversary, the service looks forward to a new era of connecting the GTHA’s many vibrant communities.
1992 – Safety first
The first GO Transit enforcement officers are sworn in as special constables under a sponsorship program with the Ontario Provincial Police. This unit would be rebranded as Transit Safety Officers (TSO) in 2009. Also, GO Transit’s cuddly mascot, GO Bear, makes his first appearance.
2008 – Seeing double
GO introduces a little bit of England in the form of double-decker buses.
2010 – GO adopts Passenger Charter
Although widespread in Europe, GO is the first transit organization in Canada to adopt a Passenger Charter, pledging a reliable, safe and comfortable experience, as well as help and communication for passengers. “We preceded the launch of the charter with six months of training for staff,” says Mary Proc. “In the course of that training, they provided us with 700 ideas.” One of the best: a ‘quiet zone’ on board where passengers can read, sleep or work (implemented in 2014). That same year, GO introduces 100 portable automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to GO stations and accessible rail cars, reviving nine people in the first 12 months.
2013 – Best Transit System in North America
GO receives the coveted achievement award from the American Public Transit Association (APTA) for its on-time train performance, its Passenger Charter (which promises customers a safe, comfortable and easy travel experience) and customer approval ratings. This is also the year GO ups its service levels from hourly to every 30 minutes on the Lakeshore – the single largest expansion in 46 years. It also begins the rollout of free internet service in 14 bus terminals. By the following year, 80 per cent of passengers have access to free Wi-Fi at GO stations.
A NEW LIFE FOR THE JOHN STREET ROUNDHOUSE
Ever dream of being master of the rails? You might want to slot in a visit to Toronto’s newest museum.
At the old John Street Roundhouse, the centrepiece of the Toronto Railway Museum, visitors can operate virtual trains over tracks in the Toronto area, controlling them using a real locomotive cab and other controls. The Roundhouse was originally used to service the steam-belching locomotives of the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CPR). In fact, the locomotives were so attractively maintained that their appearance became known among railroaders as the “John Street polish.” When the CPR retired its steam engines in 1960, the building serviced diesel-electric locomotives until 1986, at which point the facility was donated to the City of Toronto for a municipal railway museum.
In time, the Railway Museum is expected to encompass many parts of downtown Toronto, bringing back the glory of the railroad era for a new generation of riders. Visit the museum to check out GO’s storied history, come see one of the very first GO Train coaches on permanent display and explore a new GO exhibit.