The GO Train has left the station, but few actually 'go'
The first GO Transit train to depart London left the VIA station Monday morning, however the new service, long sought after by commuters, attracted few customers.
About a dozen boarded the multi-car double-decker train as it departed London at 5:20 a.m. bound for Toronto.
It also made scheduled stops in other communities, for the first time, in St. Marys and Stratford, before continuing onto to Kitchener and Toronto.
Matt Llewelyn, a spokesperson for Metrolinx which operates GO Transit, did not focus on the lack of riders.
He says it’s not unexpected for a first trip that has had little time to be promoted.
“It’s an important first step, which is why we are taking things slowly”, he told CTV News London.
As it turns out, at least half of the riders on the initial ride were self-described "Rail Fans."
Nick Kynoch drove from Cambridge.
“This is going to be the inaugural trip, and I really wanted to be involved in this historical trip to Toronto.”
Londoner Ferrell Manalif was also riding to be part of history. He’s excited to see the service and hopes it lasts.
The first official trip of GO Train from London to Toronto departed at 5:20 a.m. Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. (Sean Irvine / CTV London)
But, as many Londoners have already expressed, he says the GO needs to ‘go’ on the faster southern rail route to Toronto to be successful.
“I mean four hours for me is pretty much too long. But we’ll see if the customers love it. Maybe they’ll improve the tracks along the way.”
Both Manalif and Kynoch paid about $60 for the round trip to Toronto.
Kynoch believes ticket affordability over VIA Rail will eventually win over London area riders.
“I don’t want to pay $50 to go from here to Toronto. Yes, it is four hours, but I think a lot of commuters will enjoy the fact that they can get from London and work in Toronto once things go back to normal, post-pandemic.”
Llewelyn says the service will be enhanced as more riders utilize the service and offer feedback.
“We’re going to monitor the results on this pilot project and as those results come in, we are going to look for more opportunities to enhance our services and potentially bring more service to southwestern Ontario”.
The run from London to Toronto is a two-year pilot project for GO.
The evening train leaves Toronto at 4:19 and arrives in London at 8:17pm.
Interestingly as the service begins, a Via Train, using the Southern rail route to Toronto departed London one hour after the morning GO Train. It carried a larger number of passengers to the GTA in just over two hours.
Chris Childs of London, Ont. said he looked at the option of taking the GO Train but opted for VIA’s faster service, even though it cost him about $25 more than a GO ticket.
"Right now the VIA option is a lot shorter, if they cut that down I would probably choose that (GO Transit) instead."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.