GO train spotting has Londoners envisioning the transit possibilities
A rare sighting in London is creating quite the commotion amongst commuters, who are hoping for its potential return.
On Saturday, a GO Transit train was spotted downtown around 1 p.m., and many rail enthusiasts made the trip to check it out.
“It’s not something you ever see in the London skylines, it's different but it's exciting at the same time,” says rail enthusiast and St. Thomas resident, Kyle Stefanovic.
And Stefanovic was not the only one.
"We took pictures when it came by the BMO soccer field… then we had friends out there in Stratford and St. Marys taking pictures there, since it was the first time seeing a GO train in those places.”
A spokesperson with Metrolinx, Fannie Sunshine tells CTV News London that tests are being run across Southwestern Ontario, to explore "a range of options to improve the speed and frequency of passengers rail service.”
While you may come across a GO Transit train - a permanent route in London has not yet been determined.
"We will be sure to keep the public informed as we continue to implement the province's transportation vision for Southwestern Ontario,” says Sunshine.
But the sighting has commuters envisioning the transit possibilities.
Dr. Hojjat Salehinejad resides in London but travelled to Toronto, Ont., for work pre-pandemic.
"I woke up in the morning and I saw the picture on social media and I immediately starting searching to see more about it, looking a the news and the government website for information. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything, but it made me super excited because I think it's very necessary for London.”
London Mayor Ed Holder says the city is always looking for ways to improve transit options.
“Certainly have had thoughtful dialogue with the premier and minister of transportation, I think to me if feels a little early to say what that looks like.”
Although transportation talks are underway - Holder says it's not time for Londoners to get attached to the GO train just yet, as the one-time sighting may just be that.
"I’m not really ready to read as much into the recent sighting as much as I would say, we need to be patient and let folks who are looking at what they’re looking at review what needs to be done.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.