15,000 people just got stuck on GO Trains heading to Toronto
More than 15,000 people found themselves delayed this morning by a GO train that got stuck on the tracks between Kitchener and Toronto, effectively blocking any other trains from using the route.
The problematic train was carrying equipment, according to Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins, and got caught on a broken switch just west of Malton Station before 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
The regional transit agency told The Star earlier today that commutes could take "anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes longer than usual," as trains needed to be re-routed through the Barrie corridor.
Hey @GOtransit any timeframe on when trains will be moving again, Been stuck on this train from guelph since 7 this morning... #anytimenow
— Andrew Currie (@AndrewCurrie28) April 18, 2018
Customers aboard some of the delayed trains reported wait times of more than four hours, however.
Now more than 4 hours sitting on a GO train. Going to be a looooong day.
— Michael Melvin (@michaelmelvin) April 18, 2018
Aikins said on Twitter around 7:30 a.m. that crews were working as fast as possible to repair the problem, but things were taking longer than expected.
Been sitting on this GO train so long I’ve finally decided to break the rule about putting my feet up on the seat. pic.twitter.com/JAhAL2rWou
— Candice Lepage (@cinn48) April 18, 2018
The stuck train appears to have been moved, but customers on both GO and Via Rail trains were still reporting delays related to the incident as of 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
I thought my 10:11am train was only delayed 5 mins, but I'm still waiting to depart (11:22am). @GOtransit hasn't done much to find alternate solutions for customers which is disappointing. It would be great if you could work on solutions for when situations like this arise. Thx!
— Kadrah Mensah (@KadrahMensah) April 18, 2018
Fortunately for passengers affected, Metrolinx offers full refunds for all delays of 15 minutes or more (unlike some transit agencies...)
"Refunds are not automatic since passengers could take a different or an alternate route last minute," wrote GO Transit in response to one customer's query on Twitter. "Making a claim is easy, just fill in your trip and Presto details, here is the link."
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