(The following story by Tess Kalinowski appeared on the Globe and Mail website on July 19.)
TORONTO — Frustrated by the number of late trains it says are beyond its control, GO Transit is taking its complaints about switching problems and signal failures up the corporate ladder at Canadian National Railway.
GO’s directors have asked their chair, Peter Smith, to meet the chair of CN in the hopes of resolving the numerous delays originating on CN tracks at Mimico and Oakville.
More than 90 per cent of the trains that run on the busy Lakeshore line are owned by GO, but the tracks, signals and switches belong to CN, a private company. GO officials say CN’s aging equipment is the cause of too many delays on the commuter system.
But even GO’s managing director acknowledges that’s a distinction that’s lost on commuters when their train runs late.
“It’s amazing how many people say, `You have to fix our signal system.’ I would love to fix our signal system,” Gary McNeil said yesterday.
On Tuesday, he wrote to CN’s vice-president of operations asking to help resolve the matter. Smith, who was not at the Friday GO board meeting, has since indicated he also wants to be actively involved in lobbying CN, said McNeil.
“We’ve been pushing CN to be proactive on preventive maintenance, but they’re not responding at all,” McNeil told the board, adding that CN hasn’t shown any interest in GO’s offers to pay for more maintenance.
“In terms of the Lakeshore West, we’re doing our best to address various issues,” CN spokesperson Mark Hallman responded yesterday, adding that the overall service record is still good.
Of the 95 per cent of GO trains controlled by CN, 92 per cent were on time overall, he said. And GO’s expansion on the Lakeshore line will continue to improve service.