January 17th, 2019

Cut to Scarborough GO train causing dangerous crowding

Doly Begum, NDP MPP for Scarborough Southwest, and Jessica Bell, Ontario NDP Transit critic, are sounding the alarm about dangerous overcrowding on Scarborough GO’s rush-hour trains following a move to take two cars away from a crowded rush-hour train.

The Ontario NDP has learned that Metrolinx has removed two cars from the 7:36 a.m. westbound train on the Lakeshore East line. Commuters who rely on this line to travel into the core from Pickering had already expressed concerns about overcrowding before this rush-hour train was cut to 10 coaches from 12.

“No one should have to choose between running late to work and squeezing onto a jam-packed coach,” said Bell. “And no one should have to fear for their safety while making their way from a crowded platform onto a train.”

Alarmingly, this is just the latest story about how the Ford Conservatives are making day-to-day life worse for commuters. The Ford Conservatives have also caused chaos for commuters in other parts of the province by making cuts on the Kitchener GO line.

The Ontario NDP is urging the government to reverse its recent cut to service on the Lakeshore East line.

“The government should be investing in transit, not cutting already-strained services,” said Begum. “Commuters travelling into the downtown core from Pickering and Scarborough deserve safe and reliable transit.”