109-504: [REDACTED] Stouffville is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area , Ontario , Canada. Its southern terminus is Union Station in Toronto , and its northern terminus is Old Elm (formerly "Lincolnville") in Whitchurch-Stouffville . There are connections from almost every station to Toronto Transit Commission or York Region Transit bus services. During peak periods on weekdays, trains operate approximately twice per hour over
218-468: A locomotive on the east end and a cab control car on the west end. In push configuration, the cab car has a complete set of engineer's controls built into it, allowing the engineer to remotely control the locomotive pushing the whole train from the back of the train. This enables trains to travel in either direction without requiring one locomotive on each end. All GO trains have a total of three crew members. The conductor and engineer are located in
327-628: A $ 2 billion funding toward schools in Canada, of which Ontario will receive $ 763 million with the first tranche of $ 381 million arriving in the fall. The Toronto District School Board , Canada's largest, debated and later decided to delay the reopening of schools until September 15, one week later than the initial September 8 date. A survey by the board suggested 70 percent of students would be returning to in class school and 30 percent of students would be opting for learning from home. On September 8, schools opened for many parts of
436-607: A Section 22 for the same duration. On April 11, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce stated in a letter to parents that most schools in Ontario would continue in-person classes after April Break, despite the new stay-at-home order. However, Lecce backtracked the next day, and Premier Ford announced that all schools in Ontario must close indefinitely. Private schools were required to transition to virtual learning by April 15, and public schools transitioned after April Break. Child care will remain available for non-school aged children and
545-407: A ban on train whistle usage at railroad crossings, several safety upgrades had to be installed at each crossing in order to receive approval from Transport Canada. These safety measures include flashing lights, bells, and gates , signs warning the public that trains will arrive without additional warning, and removal of trees to increase sighting distance. Even when train whistling at level crossings
654-525: A decline in cases, in May through August 2020, the province instituted a three-stage plan to lift economic restrictions. The state of emergency was lifted on July 24, 2020. In early September 2020, the province showed a significant increase in new cases, beginning the second wave of the pandemic. Ontario began to reintroduce some restrictions and in early November, created a new five-tiered colour-coded "response framework". From late November to mid-December 2020,
763-677: A half died during the first wave. A 2020 Canadian Medical Association Journal study reported negative outcomes were more prevalent in for-profit facilities with a 196% increase in cases, and a 178% increase in deaths. As part of Operation Laser , assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces at five Toronto-area nursing homes, beginning in April, led to a report by the Brigadier General in charge documenting extreme conditions and abuse. The Ontario Ombudsman announced
872-456: A higher transmission rate and potentially increased fatality rates. The first confirmed case of the Alpha variant was announced on December 21, 2020, infecting a Durham Region couple initially with no known travel-related contact exposure. The couple, Dr. Martina Weir and Brian Weir, who both work in healthcare, were later charged for lying to contact tracers, admitting later they had met with
981-506: A home must be isolated for 14 days and tested within that period. The directives also require that all long-term care home staff and essential visitors for gravely ill residents wear surgical masks, "whether the home is in outbreak or not." LTC homes are expected to take "all reasonable steps" to follow the new long-term care rules. Prior to this directive, LTC staff were not required to wear masks or other PPE, and testing levels were considered low for at-risk seniors and LTC staff. During
1090-572: A hybrid model, alternating daily between in-person and online instruction to reduce class sizes, with physical classes conducted in cohorts of 15 students each. Students in Grade 4 and higher would be required to wear a face mask, parents would have the option to opt out of in-person classes in favour of online classes, and high school students with special needs would be able to attend in-person daily if they are not capable of using remote learning. The province allocated $ 309 million in funding to cover
1199-628: A new Emergency Order on March 28 that introduced temporary additional staff members to help in the facilities and allowed homes more flexibility in staff deployment. Many LTC homes in Ontario are considered old and small and feature shared bedrooms, increasing the difficulty in isolating sick residents from those who are well. On April 15, 2020, the CBC reported that the Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care had conducted resident quality inspections (RQI) at only nine out of 626 long-term care homes in
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#17327810217931308-419: A partial lockdown (termed as a rollback to "Step 2" of the previous roadmap) due to record cases caused by Omicron variant , ordering the closure of most non-essential indoor facilities. Face mask mandates and vaccination mandates were lifted on March 21, 2022, due to the decreasing number of new cases, unofficially ending the pandemic. The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table , of which Dr. Peter Jüni
1417-949: A proposal by Toronto mayor John Tory to improve commuter rail service within the City of Toronto. On April 16, 2015, the Ontario government announced a Metrolinx initiative to increase rail service throughout the GO Transit network over the subsequent decade, known as Regional Express Rail (RER). Under the plan, diesel trains would operate on the Stouffville line every 20 minutes from Old Elm to Union Station during peak periods, and hourly or more frequently from Mount Joy to Union Station. In addition, electric trains would operate every 15 minutes between Unionville and Union Station. In June 2015, new stations were approved in Toronto at Finch Avenue East and Lawrence Avenue East, to be built alongside
1526-543: A province-wide shutdown, all public schools in the northern half of the province were closed to in-person classes until at least January 11, 2021, and the southern half of the province until at least January 25, 2021. Some schools in the north voluntarily remained closed as a precaution. On January 12, the return to in-person classes in Hamilton, Peel, Toronto, Windsor-Essex, and York was delayed to February 10, 2021, as they were still considered hotspots. On January 20, it
1635-484: A rail link between Cambridge and Guelph operated by Metrolinx, with an estimated 14 to 17 minute travel time and frequency of every 30 to 60 minutes. The line would be built along a Canadian National spur between the two cities. Reports have forecasted a ridership of over 500,000 by 2041, and would cut travel time between Cambridge and Union Station to 87 minutes. Since the founding of GO Transit in 1967, GO trains have operated in push-pull configuration . Each train has
1744-509: A single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. GO Train service ran throughout the day from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. This line, now divided as the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines is the keystone corridor of GO Transit, and continued to be its only rail line for its first seven years of operation. GO's other five lines were opened between 1974 and 1982, significantly expanding
1853-489: A single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. When GO trains began operation, they ran on tracks mostly owned the two major freight railways of Canada: Canadian National (CN) and CPKC . Over time, GO Transit (and subsequently Metrolinx ) have acquired tracks, ensuring GO Transit has control over track maintenance and expansion. Metrolinx currently owns 80% of the GO's rail corridors. All GO Transit fares are calculated by
1962-463: A station, but before opening the doors, the CSA is required to point towards both ends of the train and announce that the platform is clear as a way to confirm that the train is stopped properly. After the CSA closes the doors, the same process is repeated to confirm that nobody is caught in the doors. According to Metrolinx, incorporating the pointing and calling procedure within GO Transit's daily operations
2071-621: A traveller from the United Kingdom, who should have been in quarantine. Dr. Martina Weir was later fired from her role. The variant was later identified in a mass outbreak causing 71 deaths at a long-term care home in Barrie . The first confirmed case of the Beta variant was announced on February 1, 2021. The case had no known link to travel. The first confirmed case of the Gamma variant
2180-533: Is an important way to enhance safety, "especially as the transit agency gets ready to launch the largest expansion of GO service in it’s [sic] history". In winter conditions, trains are stored near Union Station to so that afternoon and evening trains can travel through less snow. Trains are kept at specific temperatures during storage to speed up engine startup on cold days and to eliminate frozen train doors. Fans are used to blow hot air onto track switches to keep them from freezing in extreme cold. Track snow removal
2289-484: Is conducted using high-pressure blower snow removal equipment. In the event of exceptionally severe winter conditions, GO trains run on different schedules. Express trains will stop at all stations. The cancellation of train trips may occur, as well as replacing trains with buses. GO Transit inspects train air conditioning more frequently during summer, as A/C systems have to work harder on hot days. In extremely hot weather, train tracks can expand and buckle under
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#17327810217932398-479: Is located next to the line's GO Train overnight storage facility . The Stouffville line operates nine trains out of Old Elm every weekday and three trains every weekend in either direction. Additional services dispatched from Union run as far north as Mount Joy GO, and connecting bus services extend north to Uxbridge. Train service is provided in push pull configuration with the MPI MP40PH-3C locomotive at
2507-584: Is prohibited, there are other requirements in the Canadian Rail Operating Rules which require trains to whistle, such as when encountering a crew of track maintenance workers on or near the railroad right-of-way . As anti-whistling does not extend to these factors, residents living in close proximity to the line may still hear the whistle from time to time. It should also be understood that the elimination of train whistling at public level crossings causes an increase in liability against
2616-671: Is provided by buses. Weekend service was cut in early 2023, but resumed with 11 daily trips in each direction in September 2023 As of December 23, 2021, the entire length of the GO Transit Stouffville line (except for one crossing at the Markham/Stouffville border, three crossings in the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville , and one crossing in the City of Toronto) has train anti-whistling procedures implemented as
2725-431: Is provided under the same frequency level starting from a 3:14 p.m. departure from Union Station. All non-peak service will continue to operate between Mount Joy and Union Station, with two late-evening trips and one overnight train trip extended to Old Elm. After the implementation of a mandatory staff vaccination policy led to staffing shortages, and in response to the highly contagious Omicron variant, service across
2834-528: Is served by a GO bus stop at Uxbridge station , and the only rail service north of Old Elm is the York–Durham Heritage Railway . A key component to GO service expansion on the Stouffville line is grade separation. Grade separation is the building of underpasses or overpasses to separate road traffic from rail traffic by eliminating level crossings. Grade separation is one of the infrastructure improvements required to be completed in preparation for
2943-571: Is the scientific director, provides scientific advice to the Ontario government about pandemic response. On March 12, 2020, the provincial government announced that publicly funded schools would be closed for an additional two weeks after March Break until April 5. On March 24, Premier Ford announced that the reopening of schools would be delayed indefinitely past the original April 6 target. On March 31, Premier Ford announced that in-person classes would remain suspended through at least May 4; in tandem, Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced
3052-740: The Agincourt rail yards ." Via Rail provided train service to Peterborough until 1990, when service was cancelled. The potential to provide commuter rail service to Peterborough was noted by GO Transit in its 2020 strategic plan, and was also included in The Big Move . Metrolinx completed a study for bringing commuter rail service to Peterborough in February 2010. Different routes were explored, all of which use CPKC's existing Havelock subdivision between Peterborough and Toronto. Once reaching Toronto, three different routes were explored through
3161-720: The Locust Hill line to Locust Hill . GO Transit has contemplated a Midtown corridor since the 1980s as a contingency plan once capacity at Union Station became constrained, making North Toronto an alternate station for Downtown Toronto . The major barrier to these plans, however, is the fact that the Midtown corridor is composed of existing rail lines owned and actively used by the CPKC as its main freight line between Ottawa , Montreal , London and Windsor . CPKC has been reluctant to provide capacity to GO Transit on its tracks, and
3270-618: The Milton line (which runs along CPKC tracks to the west) only came after considerable negotiations, the 1979 Mississauga train derailment , and an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. All three lines in the corridor were listed under the 15-year plan of The Big Move upon its publication in 2008. However, the Havelock line was moved to the 25-year plan on February 14, 2013, because of "very modest ridership potential and significant infrastructure and operational challenges related to
3379-528: The Ontario Hospital Association , and Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health declared the province was experiencing a third wave of the virus. Following the third wave surge, ICU numbers in late March climbed to their highest numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. On April 1, 2021, the government announced a second province-wide shutdown beginning April 3. Ford later issued a third state of emergency and stay-at-home order for
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3488-647: The Uxbridge Subdivision at Scarborough and begins curving towards the north until the Midland and Danforth Road intersection, at which point the line points straight north. The train then passes through residential neighborhoods up to Eglinton Avenue, and stops at the Kennedy GO station , which is the terminus for the TTC 's Line 2 , Line 3 , and Line 5, upon opening . As the train progresses through
3597-531: The locomotive or the cab car to operate the train. Another guard-like staff member, the Customer Service Ambassador (CSA), is located in the accessibility coach, which is the fifth car from the locomotive. The CSA is responsible for opening and closing the train doors, making announcements over the PA system, and acts as the first responder in case of an emergency on board. The CSA announces
3706-532: The 15- to the 25-year plan on February 14, 2013, when amendments were made to The Big Move. The Midtown corridor refers to three new GO Transit services in The Big Move . The first is a Crosstown line from Dundas Street to the former CP North Toronto and Leaside stations in Toronto . The second and third segments would extend east from North Toronto and/or Union Station : the Seaton line to Seaton , and
3815-598: The Bradford and Stouffville lines. This coincided with GO's initial purchases of the rail corridors it operated on, taking ownership of the entire Stouffville line past Scarborough station, and most of the Barrie line north of the Toronto border. In addition, GO took control of the critical Union Station Rail Corridor , which all GO trains on all lines used. By the end of 2005, GO owned over a third of its rail network. From 2007 to 2017, GO's network saw six extensions, requiring
3924-586: The Bradford line to be renamed as the "Barrie line", and the Georgetown line to "Kitchener line." These long distance extensions, along with the other extensions on the Lakeshore West, Richmond Hill and Stouffville lines, expanded GO's network length by 29%. Six critical corridor purchases were also made, tripling its length of owned corridors and bringing its ownership percentage to over 80%. Finally, 10 new stations were added, one of which coincided with
4033-429: The City of Toronto. Weekend service was operated entirely by bus until November 2, 2019, when weekend train service was introduced. Between Union Station and Scarborough GO Station , the Stouffville line shares tracks with the Lakeshore East line . Stouffville line trains operate non-stop through the shared segment, bypassing Scarborough and Danforth stations. Originally laid by the Toronto and Nipissing Railway ,
4142-566: The GO Transit Expansion Program. There are several benefits of grade separation, the main one being that vehicles no longer have to stop for trains. By eliminating traffic conflicts, vehicular traffic flow through busy streets is improved once trains become much more frequent. A less important but still noteworthy benefit is that grade separation is the only solution that effectively removes the need for train whistling without compromising public safety. As of July 26, 2023,
4251-402: The GO system was once again reduced starting on January 10, 2022. For Stouffville line service, this meant reverting to the schedules that took effect on August 7, 2021. Temporary service reductions were put in place on January 19, 2022, which removed most late-evening service to Mount Joy and Old Elm as well as all weekend train service. These temporary service reductions end on May 24, 2022, with
4360-710: The Metrolinx Uxbridge Subdivision, originally the Toronto and Nipissing Railway . From Union Station to Scarborough GO station , the Stouffville line's tracks are shared with the Kingston Subdivision and the Lakeshore East GO Transit corridor. The first station after Union Station, Danforth GO Station , is therefore shared with Lakeshore East trains. Stouffville line trains no longer serve Danforth and Scarborough stations. The Stouffville GO train switches to
4469-727: The RER electrification. In February 2020, Metrolinx hosted a series of Public Information Centres detailing planned expansion and future service levels. On the line, peak direction service from Old Elm will be increased to every 20 minutes, with hourly reverse direction service to Mount Joy. There would also be 7 + 1 ⁄ 2 -minute bi-directional service from Union Station to Unionville. During off-peak times, trains will run in both directions every 10 minutes to Unionville and every 30 minutes to Mount Joy. There are long-term plans to extend service beyond Old Elm to Uxbridge , over tracks already owned by GO Transit . Until such an expansion, Uxbridge
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4578-593: The Steeles Avenue East grade separation has completed construction. In the near future, six more grade crossings will be grade separated: four in Toronto and two in Markham (right of way acquired for overpass with extension of Donald Cousens Parkway north of Major Mackenzie to terminate at Highway 48 deferred to 2026). There is also another crossing in Toronto that is included in this project that will be closed instead of grade separated since it runs through
4687-509: The Stouffville Corridor. This represented the completion of the second of five stages of work to implement expanded service, and recommended adding double track segments and other improvements between Union Station and Unionville to support increased train service levels. Double tracking of the line from Unionville GO station to Scarborough GO was scheduled to begin in 2015. This section is proposed to become part of SmartTrack ,
4796-540: The Stouffville line consists of nine southbound train trips during the morning peak and eight northbound train trips during the afternoon/evening peak, running the entire length of the line. During regular weekday operation, the frequency of peak train service is every 30–60 minutes. During midday non-peak hours, five southbound and five northbound trips are provided between Union Station and Mount Joy. From early to late evening, three southbound and three northbound trips are provided between Union Station and Mount Joy, and during
4905-667: The best method to carry passengers into Toronto from the Mactier subdivision, and the preferred option was to direct trains east-west along CN's Halton subdivision, and north-south again along GO Transit's existing Barrie line . This would provide four new stations in the communities of Woodbridge and Kleinburg in the City of Vaughan , and Bolton in the Town of Caledon , and also use the existing Downsview Park station before terminating at Union. The feasibility study estimated that minimum infrastructure costs were $ 160 million for peak direction rush-hour service, and resulting ridership
5014-454: The city where a train accident causing injury , permanent disability , or death occurs. As it is a well-established fact that whistle bans will increase both the frequency and severity of accidents, the city where such an accident occurs would have to assume liability to which it otherwise would not be exposed. In June 2013, GO Transit held a first "Public Information Centre" of an environmental assessment study for expanding rail service in
5123-627: The closure of all schools in Peel Region for at least two weeks beginning April 6 (dates including April Break), in an order issued pursuant to Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act . Later that day, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health announced that the Medical Officer of Health Nicola Mercer would issue a similar order on April 6. On April 6, Toronto Medical Officer of Health Eileen de Villa also issued
5232-628: The cost of construction for two-way all day service on the Milton line. The project would involve a complete separation from CPKC's tracks by building dedicated GO Transit tracks along the rail corridor, and is estimated to be at $ 6 billion dollars. No timeline has been provided, and construction has not yet started. In 2010, then-premier Kathleen Wynne announced plans to electrify GO Transit. Electrification would drastically cut down on GO Transit's carbon emissions and would allow GO Transit to run faster, more frequent trains, increasing ridership. In 2018, it
5341-404: The costs of additional cleaning supplies, protective equipment, and staffing. The plan faced criticism from parents, educators, and health care professionals, noting that some schools had insufficient ventilation and that there was no reduction in elementary school class sizes—with only one metre of distancing specified between desks. Lecce stated that the distance of desks was in conjunction with
5450-424: The current Oshawa GO station and continue along the CPKC corridor to Bowmanville, adding four more stations, Thornton's Corners East, Ritson, Courtice, and Bowmanville. The Milton line is owned and operated by Canadian Pacific Kansas City which has restricted the number of passenger trains, only allowing for one-way service. In 2024, the Ontario government under Doug Ford called on the federal government to share
5559-471: The doors are closing and will remind passengers to stand clear of the doorways. All cars have a speaker above the doors, which plays a door closing chime in the form of a descending major triad . The chimes are an accessibility feature intended to warn the visually-impaired that the doors are closing. In March 2021, Metrolinx adopted the Japanese shisa kanko (pointing and calling) method. Upon entering
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#17327810217935668-587: The east end, to deal with the same "significant infrastructure and operational challenges related to the Agincourt rail yards" that complicate GO's Havelock line. The study also kept the option open of using either Union Station or North Toronto station as the terminus of the line. Capital costs to upgrading the Havelock subdivision were estimated to be between C$ 329 and 384 million. GO introduced bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa on September 5, 2009. Proposals from regional councillors have pushed for
5777-436: The entire route, but in the peak direction only. Otherwise, trains operate hourly in both directions seven days a week between either Unionville or Mount Joy stations and Union, with a small number of trips covering the full line to Old Elm. GO bus routes 70 and 71 provide service in the directions, time periods, and segments not covered by train service. However, buses to and from Union Station bypass all other stations within
5886-425: The event of a positive case, the entire cohort will be dismissed and required to self-isolate for 14 days. Students may return to class if they have not developed symptoms during the 14-day period. However, they will not be required to receive a test. Schools may be shut down entirely if the local health unit determines that "potential widespread transmission" is occurring. The same day, the federal government announced
5995-1603: The fare zones that the origin and destination of the trip are in, as well as by passenger category (adult, student, senior or child). GO train fares are not differentiated based whether or not buses are used for part of the trip. [REDACTED] Mississauga Oakville Burlington Hamilton St. Catharines Niagara Falls Aldershot GO Hamilton GO West Harbour GO Niagara Falls station Limited two-way service to Niagara Pickering Ajax Whitby Oshawa Oshawa GO Brampton Georgetown Acton Guelph Kitchener Bramalea GO Mount Pleasant GO Kitchener station Limited two-way service to Kitchener Two-way all day service to Mount Pleasant on weekends Mississauga Milton Milton GO Rush hour one-way to Milton in afternoon No weekend service No service outside rush hour Vaughan King City Aurora Newmarket Bradford Barrie Aurora GO Allandale Waterfront GO Rush hour one-way to Barrie in afternoon Two-way service to Aurora outside rush hour Limited service to Barrie outside rush hour Two-way all-day service to Aurora on weekends Limited service to Barrie on weekends Richmond Hill Aurora Bloomington GO Rush hour one-way to Bloomington in afternoon No weekend service No service outside rush hour Markham Stouffville Mount Joy GO Old Elm GO Rush hour one-way service to Old Elm in afternoon Two-way all day service to Mount Joy outside rush hour Two-way all day service to Mount Joy during weekends Limited service to Old Elm during weekends GO Transit rail service began on May 23, 1967, on
6104-510: The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered. In February 2021, shipments for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines increased significantly. By May 2021, over 50 percent of Ontarians had received their first dose. Throughout the pandemic, a concern about hospital capacity, and critical care like intensive care unit beds has become a major issue at the peak of the three waves. During
6213-441: The first step in service restoration on the Stouffville line, with all weekend train trips restored with slight schedule adjustments. On September 8, 2020, the first stage of the restoration of weekday train service commenced, which consists of five southbound trains from Old Elm to Union Station and five northbound trains from Union Station to Old Elm. Effective January 23, 2021, as a response to diminishing customer demand caused by
6322-456: The formation of Via Rail in 1977. On September 7, 1982, VIA Rail service was discontinued and replacement service—then just a single weekday run—was started by GO Transit. On June 29, 1998, GO Transit restored full service to the Lakeshore lines, and terminated Stouffville Line service to Danforth and Scarborough , which are shared with the Lakeshore East line . On December 13, 2007,
6431-669: The government has reported 72 cases of COVID-19 in 60 schools and one school closure in Pembroke in Renfrew County in Eastern Ontario. The last day of class for public schools in 2020 was December 18, the province closed the fall semester with 7,292 cases reported in public schools. Before the winter break, there more than 20 schools closed in addition to all public schools in the Windsor-Essex region. Due to
6540-442: The government of Ontario announced funding to Metrolinx for network expansion, which included $ 20 million to build a second track to enable all-day two-way service between Union Station and Markham. On September 2, 2008, the line was extended northwards from Stouffville to Old Elm . Lincolnville (now Old Elm) GO Station was built directly over GO Transit's Stouffville Yard, and so it consists of six tracks and platforms instead of
6649-531: The heat. These "sun kinks" can occur when temperatures are above 30 degrees Celsius for at least 48 hours. For safety reasons, sun kinks require trains to be operated at reduced speeds. Sun kinks are usually fixed during overnight or in the early morning. On holidays that fall on weekdays, service changes will occur. The following table shows the service type by holiday. COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario The COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario
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#17327810217936758-427: The largest population, only ranks sixth adjusted per capita. Ontario surpassed one million lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on January 24, 2022; one day before the anniversary of the first confirmed case on January 25, 2020. On March 17, 2020, a state of emergency was declared by Premier Doug Ford . This included the gradual implementation of restrictions on gatherings and commerce. From late spring to early summer,
6867-742: The late night, one northbound trip will depart Union Station and terminate at Old Elm. All non-peak train services are operated with a frequency level of every 60 minutes in either direction. Bus service is provided approximately every 30 minutes in the direction opposite that of the train trips during peak hours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , train service on the Stouffville line had been previously limited to three southbound trains from Old Elm to Union Station and three northbound trains from Union Station to Old Elm daily. Further reduction of train service began on June 20, 2020, with buses replacing all weekend train service. On September 5, 2020, Metrolinx began
6976-609: The launch an investigation into long-term care facilities on June 1. Six corporations— Chartwell Retirement Residences , Extendicare , Responsive Group, Revera , Schlegel Villages, and Sienna Senior Living — together owning and operating 200 long-term care homes—experienced "unusually high rates of COVID-19 infection and related deaths." In March 2024, the Ontario Superior Court certified class action lawsuits against these corporations for gross negligence on behalf of thousands of people who contracted COVID-19 during
7085-452: The line curves northward again, passing industrial areas before approaching Mount Joy GO station , now a major terminal station for all non-peak trains. As the train departs from Mount Joy GO station, the scenery becomes much more rural as the line continues north, crossing 19th Avenue, exiting Markham, and entering the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville . Suburban development is seen once again as
7194-524: The majority of stations on the line. North bound trains have a service frequency of 30–60 minutes with most frequent service taking place during rush hour. The last northbound train does not depart Union Station until 7:12 p.m. As of November 2, 2019, the Stouffville line operated on all weekends and holidays with three trains departing hourly from Old Elm starting from 7:14 a.m. and three trains departing hourly from Union Station starting from 10:15 a.m. All non-peak and most weekend/holiday service
7303-562: The majority of the deaths were residents of long-term care homes. In late April 2020, one out of five of all long-term care homes in Ontario had an outbreak and 70 percent to 80 percent of all COVID-19 deaths had been in retirement and long-term care homes. Following medical assistance and observation by the Canadian Armed Forces , the military released a report detailing "a number of medical, professional and technical issues" amongst for-profit long-term-care homes including neglect , lack of equipment and allegations of elder abuse . Following
7412-712: The middle of a residential neighborhood and underpass or overpass construction is infeasible. GO Transit rail services GO Transit rail services are provided throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Greater Golden Horseshoe . The GO Transit rail fleet consists of 90 MPI MP40 locomotives and 979 Bombardier BiLevel Coaches . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 40,807,100 passengers per year. GO Transit started on May 23, 1967, running single-deck trains powered by diesel locomotives in push-pull configuration on
7521-406: The network experienced two long distance extensions to southern Barrie and Guelph in 1990, only to have those extensions reversed three years later. GO did extend its Lakeshore East line again in 1995 from Whitby to Oshawa , finishing that line as it exists today. The reach of GO's network remained relatively unchanged between 1996 and 2005. However, seven new infill stations were opened along
7630-471: The next station after the train departs a station, and an automated voice will repeat the announcement when the train arrives at its next station. Automated public service announcements are made in both English and French . When a train arrives at a station, the CSA puts a small accessibility bridge across the gap between the platform and the doorway. This is to allow passengers with mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers to board and exit
7739-527: The north end of the train and the Bombardier BiLevel cab control car at the south. The trains are typically six, ten, or twelve cars long, with the fifth car from the locomotive being the door control location. Service levels have generally been adjusted several times a year with significant cutbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. For a much of the year in 2022 until September, off-peak service
7848-477: The ongoing coronavirus pandemic which had been increasing in severity across the province, Metrolinx removed one southbound train from Old Elm to Union Station, one northbound train from Union Station to Old Elm, and all late evening and weekend train service. All removed trains have been replaced by buses. Metrolinx began the second step in Stouffville line service restoration on the Stouffville line on August 7, 2021. One southbound train from Old Elm to Union Station
7957-683: The opening of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension , creating a new interchange between GO and the TTC subway. A 20km extension of the Lakeshore East line to Bowmanville was announced by then-premier Kathleen Wynne in 2016. Construction began on July 22, 2024 and is not expected to finish for years. No completion date has been provided. The extension is expected to cost $ 730 million, and will provide two-way all day service. The line will travel upwards from
8066-529: The pandemic after visiting these homes or residing in them. On April 15, 2020, the Ontario Nurses' Association released a statement saying that long-term care (LTC) homes pre-COVID-19 were already understaffed, but now they are in "crisis" mode. Prior to the pandemic, long-term care home staff who were part-time or casual staff were allowed to work at multiple locations, increasing the risk of transmission and spread between LTC homes. The province issued
8175-538: The province began placing regions in rolling lockdowns , culminating in a province-wide shutdown beginning Boxing Day . In the post-winter holiday surge of new infections, Premier Ford declared Ontario's second state of emergency on January 12, 2021, which was lifted February 10, 2021, and a stay-at-home order effective January 14, 2021, which was phased out regionally between February 10 and March 8, 2021. Following Health Canada 's approval of various COVID-19 vaccines , widespread plans for vaccinations began during
8284-413: The province beginning April 8, 2021, and ordered all schools to close on April 12, 2021 (public schools were in the middle of spring break , delayed from March to April). In order to ensure greater decline in the number of reported daily infections, the stay-at-home order was extended yet again to June 2, 2021, at which point it expired. Following the expiration of the stay-at-home order, on May 20, 2021,
8393-750: The province in 2019, down from a bare majority in 2018 and larger proportions from 2015 to 2017. RQIs are proactive, unannounced and more comprehensive than the other main category of care home inspections in the province, complaint and critical incident inspections, where facilities know of the impending scrutiny in advance; the 2018 Long-Term Care Homes Public Inquiry noted that "focusing only on specific complaints or critical incidents could lead to missing systemic issues." As of 15 April 2020 , 114 care facilities in Ontario had experienced COVID-19 outbreaks, and those that had multiple COVID-19 deaths last had their RQI in 2018 or earlier. On April 7, 2020, Ontario reported that there are 51 long-term care homes in
8502-520: The province that are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, and by April 10, 2020, it had surged to 69 LTC homes in Ontario. Some LTC workers pointed to a lack of personal protective equipment as a cause of the outbreaks. By April 21, 2020, 121 outbreaks have been reported in long-term care homes. On April 8, 2020, the Ontario Ministry of Health released directives to ramp up coronavirus testing and infection control. Also, new residents entering
8611-435: The province, using preventive measures such as masks, physical distancing in classrooms, and remote learning. Teachers in a Mississauga Catholic school were reported as briefly refusing to work until proper personal protective equipment was provided. On September 11, the Ontario government released a website to track COVID-19 infections in public schools and daycares . By the end of the second week of school reopening,
8720-524: The provincial government released a three-step roadmap to reopen the economy based on vaccination rate goals. In late summer 2021, the province began preparing for a fourth wave of the virus, which was now largely affecting unvaccinated individuals. After hitting a stand-still on vaccination rates, on September 1, 2021, Ontario became the fourth province to implement a proof of vaccination mandate for various non-essential functions, which went into effect on September 22, 2021. In January 2022, Ontario entered
8829-410: The rail network from 86 to 332 kilometres long, and from 16 to 43 stations. To that point, all of GO's rail services ran on tracks mostly owned by the two major freight railways of Canada: Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP). in 1988, a small but significant milestone in network growth occurred when it expanded its Lakeshore East line on new track it built by itself. But following that,
8938-431: The result of public outcry regarding the level of noise to which some residents were introduced as a result of the provision of increased rail service along the line. The Canadian Rail Operating Rules currently requires trains to begin blowing train whistle warning signals a quarter mile from every railroad crossing and continue to do so until the train enters the crossing as a warning to motorists and pedestrians that
9047-601: The resumption of late-evening train service and the addition of one southbound train from Old Elm and one northbound train to Old Elm. On May 28, 2022, weekend train service was reintroduced with the same service frequencies as prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Stouffville line operates entirely over railways owned by Metrolinx . The line begins at Union Station and follows the Kingston Subdivision (GO Lakeshore East line ) to Scarborough Junction, just east of Scarborough GO Station . It then branches north onto
9156-661: The route travelling adjacent to the Scarborough RT corridor in between Eglinton Avenue and Ellesmere Road, the train enters several industrial districts. Near the Kennedy GO Station area are several industrial spurs serviced during the overnight hours by the Canadian National Railway, the former Uxbridge Sub owner. Continuing north, the train arrives at Agincourt GO station next, which is close to Sheppard Avenue. North of Sheppard Avenue,
9265-491: The same service frequencies as prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 7, 2021, the third step of Stouffville train service restoration began. The new service levels for weekday train service match the pre-pandemic schedule more closely. Southbound morning peak service, consisting of eight train trips, is provided under a frequency level of every 30–60 minutes, starting from a 5:20 a.m. departure from Old Elm. Northbound evening peak service, consisting of five train trips,
9374-593: The school-aged children of essential workers. On June 2, Premier Ford announced that all schools would remain closed through the end of the semester, but that he would allow in-person outdoor graduation ceremonies in all grades. In particular, Premier Ford cited safety concerns surrounding variants of SARS-CoV-2 as reasoning, stating that "It was a hard choice to make, but I will not, and I repeat, I will not take unnecessary risks with our children right now." COVID-19 vaccination in Ontario began in December 2020, when
9483-403: The second phase of its "Learn from Home" program, which would involve "teacher-led" instruction delivered via distance education . On April 14, Premier Ford delayed the reopening of public schools once again. On April 26, it was announced that there were plans to resume in-person classes on May 31. On May 19, Premier Ford announced that all public schools would remain closed through the end of
9592-495: The second shutdown and the third wave, the provincial government stated that it was its "firm belief" that in-person classes needed to continue, as they were "critical to student mental health", and that "due to our strong infection prevention measures, 99 per cent of students and staff have no active cases of COVID-19, however we must remain vigilant and keep our guard up in order to keep schools safe and open." However, on April 5, Peel Medical Officer of Health Lawrence Loh announced
9701-503: The second wave of the pandemic, LTC homes began to experience outbreaks again. Tendercare Living Centre in Scarborough for example has experienced 43 deaths related to COVID-19. On December 25, 2020, North York General Hospital took over control of the home. Data as of February 6, 2022 The Ontario government has become aware of a number of variants of SARS-CoV-2 arriving in Canada due to travel, many of which have been linked to
9810-430: The semester, with plans to pursue in-person classes when the next school year begins in September 2020. For the next school year, Lecce presented three scenarios: full online learning, a hybrid of online and in-class learning, and a return to full-time in-class learning. On July 30, it was announced that elementary schools would return to class full-time, while high schools in 24 districts with higher enrollment would use
9919-403: The third wave, ICU capacity has reached near critical capacity. Data as of May 30, 2022 On April 28, 2020, Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam stated that as many of 79 percent of Canada's COVID-19 fatalities occurred in long-term care homes, with Ontario and Quebec accounting for most of the cases. Over 4,000 residents' in Ontario's long-term care homes died during the epidemic—about
10028-614: The track came into operation in 1871. The T&N merged with the Midland Railway of Canada in 1882. Only two years later, the Grand Trunk Railway leased most of the lines in the area as part of a major expansion plan and then purchased them outright in 1893. The Grand Trunk would later merge with the Canadian National Railway in 1923. CN would provide passenger rail service on the line until
10137-403: The train begins curving in the east direction, passing through historic Unionville (which includes the former Unionville Station building and platform) and residential suburban neighborhoods built closer to the track before arriving at Centennial GO station . Further along the line to the east is Markham GO station , which is located in the historic Markham Village . After Markham GO station,
10246-633: The train enters the historic village of Stouffville , stopping at Stouffville GO Station . Stouffville was once a major junction that connected the Uxbridge Sub with the Lake Simcoe Junction Railway . Prior to 2020, passengers could see an abandoned track beside the main track where the trains were used to be stored. This track has since been removed. The train continues until a little northeast, just exiting urban Stouffville, where it terminates at Old Elm GO Station , which
10355-427: The train is fast approaching. The 24/7 whistle ban prohibits train engineers operating on the line from performing this warning signal. Every city served by the line had to apply to Transport Canada individually in order to stop whistling. The railroad authority Metrolinx worked closely with these cities to implement whistle cessation as quickly as possible provided that all safety requirements are met. To impose
10464-714: The train passes through more residential and industrial areas. Just south of Steeles Avenue is the Milliken GO Station . Past Milliken , the train crosses Steeles Avenue and the site where the original Milliken station once stood, and enters the City of Markham , continuing north. Past Denison Street, the Stouffville train descends below 14th Avenue and the CN York Subdivision tracks before making its way back up, going beneath Highway 407 and stopping at Unionville GO Station . North of Unionville GO station,
10573-410: The train. Each car has a number of accessibility seats provided. If the CSA sees a passenger with a physical disability and there are no accessibility seats available, they could ask that a passenger sitting in one of those seats to move to another area in the train to allow the passenger with a disability to sit in an accessibility seat. Before closing the doors, the CSA will make an announcement that
10682-469: The use of masks. The hashtag "#UnsafeSeptember" was used on Twitter to publicize concerns regarding the back-to-school plan. A poll conducted by Maru/Blue in mid-August suggested 38 percent of parents surveyed were not going to send their children back to school, and a majority believed they stood with teachers and that there should be a staggered start to the school year. On August 26, details were issued regarding how positive cases will be handled. In
10791-404: The usual one or two. On February 2, 2015, select trains began stopping at Danforth GO Station as part of a year-long pilot project to increase GO service within the City of Toronto. As of June 2017, many peak-period trains continue to stop at Danforth station, and one daily train also stops at Scarborough station. These extra stops were ended sometime before November 2021. All-day weekday service
10900-401: The week of December 14, 2020. Early vaccination efforts were highly criticized and a shortage of vaccine supply in late January and early February slowed immunization rollout significantly for a number of weeks. The rollout continued to be highly criticized for lack of equitability and clarity, which was significantly helped by volunteer groups like Vaccine Hunters Canada . In mid-March 2021,
11009-528: Was a viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ( SARS-CoV-2 ). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Canada was announced on January 25, 2020, involving a traveller who had recently returned to Toronto from travel in China , including Wuhan . Ontario has had the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among Canada's provinces and territories, but due to having
11118-399: Was added to the morning peak service, one northbound train from Union Station to Old Elm was removed from the evening peak service, and two late evening trains from Union Station to Old Elm was added. An additional southbound train operates out of Old Elm each morning but only provides service between Mount Joy and Union Station. Non-peak service, including weekend service, was reintroduced with
11227-528: Was announced on February 7, 2021, in Toronto. The patient, who was later hospitalized, had recently returned from travel in Brazil . On April 23, 2021, Public Health Ontario announced that there were 36 cases of b.1.617 in Ontario. By June, the government announced that it was speeding up vaccine doses for people living in Delta-variant hotspots such as Toronto and Peel. A study in Ontario found that
11336-632: Was announced that only seven school boards would resume on January 25. On February 3, it was announced that most remaining schools outside of Peel, Toronto, and York would return to in-person class on February 8. In-person classes in Peel, Toronto, and York would return on February 16 after the Family Day holiday. On February 11, it was announced that March break would be delayed to the week of April 12 ("April Break") in order to prevent community transmission via non-essential travel and gatherings. Amid
11445-479: Was decided to use an overhead wire system over a third rail. Hydrogen fuel cells were studied as an alternative to rail electrification but ultimately were deemed unfeasible. A report suggested the trains would be 30% faster and 60% cheaper per kilometre. In 2022, the Ontario government under premier Doug Ford began the first phase of electrification, with plans to electrify 600 kilometres of track and an estimated finish date of 2032. GO Transit rail service to Bolton
11554-644: Was first proposed by the Ontario government under the MoveOntario 2020 plan in June 2007. It was subsequently carried over to The Big Move , where it was placed on the 15-year plan. In November 2010, Metrolinx completed a feasibility study that focused on utilization of Canadian Pacific Railway's Mactier subdivision, which runs from the West Toronto Diamond in Toronto northward to Bolton. Four different service alternatives were assessed to determine
11663-469: Was forecasted to be 2,391, 2,884, and 4,388 in 2015, 2021, and 2031, respectively, in the morning peak period. If service was increased for two-way all-day service, total costs increased to $ 210 million, and ridership was forecasted to be 6,074, 7,324, and 11,146 in 2015, 2021, and 2031, respectively. Metrolinx determined that the projected ridership did not justify the costs, and downgraded the Bolton line from
11772-987: Was introduced on June 24, 2017. Trains began operating from as early as 5 a.m. to as late as 11:45 p.m. with hourly service in both directions between Unionville and Union Station during the midday and evening. Service in the counter-peak direction continued to be operated by buses. On April 8, 2019, midday train trips were extended to Mount Joy station, and buses continued the rest of the trip from Mount Joy to Lincolnville. On August 31, 2019, GO Transit began providing bidirectional late-evening service between Union Station and Mount Joy, hourly between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. The final northbound trip continues past Mount Joy and arrives at Lincolnville at 12:29 a.m. Starting on November 2, 2019, hourly two-way weekend train service between Mount Joy and Union Station began, with some morning and late night trips arriving in Lincolnville. On weekdays, GO Transit train service on
11881-558: Was suspended to allow for construction. As of September 2023, on regular service days (excluding weekends and holidays), the first southbound train departs Old Elm at 5:14 a.m. The rest of the trains follow at a service frequency of 30–60 minutes with most frequent service taking place during rush hour. The last southbound train departs Old Elm at 9:17 a.m. The first northbound train departs Union Station at 9:12 a.m. These mid-day trains turn back at Mount Joy, providing two-way service at 1 hour intervals until evening rush hour for
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