‘They just need to get it back to normal:’ Commuters frustrated as GO issues persist for third day

CP24’s Courtney Heels has the latest on the G0 train derailment that has caused significant signal system damage.

Metrolinx says most of the necessary GO train track repairs are now complete after a derailment on Monday caused serious transit disruptions, however service impacts will likely continue to be felt on Thursday.

In an update Wednesday, the Crown corporation that runs GO Transit said while the “majority” of the track work is finished, additional repairs to the signal system are required due to the “significant damage” it sustained.

“Those repairs will take longer to complete, and at this stage we expect the impacts to extend into tomorrow,” a spokesperson said in an email.

Commuters who take the GO train experienced long delays after Monday morning’s derailment.

Metrolinx said a train on the Kitchener line was leaving Union Station at a low speed when a car at the back derailed, making contact with a track switch. That caused signal problems across the network, including on the UP Express, the agency said.

GO trains have been operating on a modified service schedule ever since and although Metrolinx said it is experiencing ongoing delays, service has been steady network-wide.

It said 15-minute service has returned to the UP Express and additional trips on the Lakeshore and Milton lines have been added.

• GO train riders could get a refund for trips delayed by Monday’s derailment. Here’s how

“We realize Monday’s events created delays for thousands of our customers, and we thank them for their continued understanding as we work to restore full service on our lines. We know it’s been a challenging commute this week and we appreciate your patience,” the spokesperson said.

‘Creating havoc with commuting’

Suzanne Van Sligtenhorst’s commute from her home to the office usually takes an hour but GO Transit’s modified schedule has added an extra half hour.

She usually gets on an express train to Union at the Clarkson GO station in Mississauga. However, GO Transit has taken out its express service to accommodate more passengers.

Van Sligtenhorst said trains have been at capacity the last few days.

“The train was full when it stopped at Clarkson, and then people just kept on coming on, which is understandable, because everyone’s trying to get to work. It’s creating havoc with commuting,” she told CP24.com in an interview on Wednesday afternoon.

She shared that it was standing room only on the train and she hadn’t had a seat in days.

“The last couple of days have been really, really bad, but especially with everyone returning to the office. There’s lots of mornings where, by the time we get to Clarkson, there’s no place no place to sit,” Van Sligtenhorst said.

The train was so packed that she heard the customer service ambassador say, “You get on at your own risk,” which she said she’d not heard before in her years taking the GO train.

“They just need to get it back to normal. I know they’re trying, and they’re working,” Van Sligtenhorst said.

Her son, who is a third-year student at Toronto Metropolitan University, has also been affected by the GO train delays.

“The trains are running now once an hour, so. The one he meant to catch today was cancelled, so I think he’s been driving into school. No one’s gonna reimburse him for those trips,” she said.

It’s unclear when the signal system repairs will be completed.

Has your commute been impacted throughout this week? Are you frustrated by the lingering service delays? Have you decided to take another mode of transit amid the service interruption?

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