GO Train Service Suspended
Posted July 14, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of GO commuters were desperately trying to find a way home Friday evening after all of the system’s train services were suspended following a derailment.
Officials stopped GO train service after a CN freight train derailed near the Mimico GO station. Six of the vehicle’s 129 cars went off the tracks while it was heading toward Oakville Friday afternoon.
“They were piling on top of each other, on top of the tracks and smoke was coming out and I picked up the cell phone and called 911,” explained one witness.
By Friday night, GO Transit said there was still no train service west out of Toronto’s Union Station although trains were once again running between the Long Branch GO station, just west of the derailment, and the Burlington GO station.
Ian Thomson, a spokesman for CN Rail, said there were no hazardous materials in any of the cars and there were no injuries. It’s still unclear what caused the accident.
“It’s too early to (determine what caused it). We will have to get the cars removed and start looking at the various pieces of track and get things looked at,” he said.
“We’re going to do everything we can to rectify this situation as quickly as possible to get things back to normal.”
GO spokesman Edmund Shea said service is halted and isn’t expected to be back up and running anytime soon.
“All our train service has been suspended,” Shea confirmed.
“We’ve managed to squeeze out two or three trains right now, but to be realistic we’re not going to be running train service during the rush hour.”
There are apparently no extra buses being used to deal with the overflow of GO train riders with no way home. Regular GO bus service remains in place.
65,000 rush hour commuters found themselves stranded with no place to go, throwing the entire city into computer chaos.
“I have kids to pick up at a daycare. It is a major convenience,” said one stranded passenger.
Many were angry that no other service was been offered. GO officials say they don’t have enough resources to handle the high volume and advised commuters to take the TTC or find another way out of the city.
