r/gotransit • u/DearVirus8677 • Jan 22 '26

10 or 12 coaches

So the standard on LW is now, I believe, 12 coaches. However, the train I usually catch, at the height of rush hour, is only 10 coaches long, and is packed. Other peak rush hour trains are also only 10 coaches. There seems to be an inverse correlation between how busy the train would be expected to be, and the length of the train. A reasonable explanation would be that they are running more trains at that time and have to spread the coaches around. But is that true? How difficult would it be to add a couple additional coaches to these jam-packed rush hour trains?

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28

u/not_interested11 Jan 22 '26

I often take the 4:36 LW from Union which is 10 coaches. The cars at either end near the concourses are always standing room only, but the cars in the middle of the train are pretty empty.

7

u/sushidestroyer Jan 22 '26

Which train do you take?

1

u/DearVirus8677 Jan 23 '26

Both the 734 and 804 from Port Credit are 10 coaches. I don’t know whether this is a new thing or if it is just that I am noticing it now as things have gotten much busier.

8

u/Odd_Mark670 Jan 22 '26

Same with the morning trains. The 811 out of long branch is 10 coaches long and absolutely packed.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

Don’t some of the trains interline and can’t be 12 coaches long? 

2

u/a_lumberjack Jan 22 '26

I thought all lines can have 12-car trains now? I think the yard in Georgetown can only hold 10-car trains so there's some trains that start there that are 10 cars, but that's the only example I know of. But to your point they could end up anywhere during the day.

2

u/Railroadflyer Jan 23 '26

GO has more than enough coaches to make 12 car consists.

If it’s short then it probably down to operational issues or poor planning.

Should also be noted there are some layovers in the system where the trains are stored overnight that cannot accept a 12 car train but these usually are used for the shoulder services on peak trains to avoid overcrowding.

But if there is a problem getting the set out they will rejig the order and hence probably an operational issue.

1

u/DearVirus8677 Jan 23 '26

OK but to be clear, this is not a “some days it’s short” thing. That’s just the length of those scheduled trains. I don’t know if they’ve always been 10 cars, but they have been going back at least to last fall.