Since Thursday, March 4, passengers at Mimico and Danforth GO stations have noticed new colourful platform signs to help them more easily identify where to stand regardless of what length of train rolls in.

^ Sign of the times - A boarding reminder at Danforth GO Station. Image, Rob Granatstein

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Metrolinx has made many adjustments to its GO Transit train services - but one of the most noticeable for passengers has been the length of trains.

While using fewer coaches on low-ridership trips has made sure that GO can safely use its limited resources, it has left some passengers wondering, “Where do I stand?”

This is particularly true for the Lakeshore East and West lines, where trains now vary in length from six to eight, 10 and 12 coaches, depending on the time of day.

Based on feedback from passengers, Metrolinx has decided to test a potential solution that should take the guess-work out of wondering where to wait - while at the same time, making it easier to spread out on the platform.

^ Artist’s rendering of what the new signs will look like at Mimico GO Station. Image, Metrolinx.

It has installed new colour-coded signs and new maps to show passengers the general layout of the different boarding areas at the two GO stations.

Orange indicates you are standing in the six-coach waiting area. The pink signs let you know you’re standing in the eight-coach waiting area and the green signs tell you are standing in the 10- and 12-coach waiting areas.

By showing riders where the shortest six coach trains stop on the platform, Metrolinx staff hope passengers will spread out,creating a more comfortable experience for everyone on board. Look for the orange 6-car zone signs and spread out in that zone to be you are waiting in the right place for your train. If you require the accessible car, please wait at the accessible platform, which is also located in the 6-car zone.

^ Passengers at Danforth and Mimico GO stations will see these new maps on the train platforms. Image, Metrolinx.

The transit agency chose Mimico and Danforth GO stations for this pilot project because of the varying sizes of the trains that use them, the volume of passengers and the layout of the platforms.

In addition to making it easier to spread out, these new colourful markers on the platforms will also make it clearer for people to know where the accessibility coach will stop.

The pilot continues until April 30. After that, Metrolinx will evaluate the results (which will include passenger feedback) and decide about whether it should roll out this system across the rest of the network.

^ Looking up - Boarding signs at Danforth GO Station. Image, Rob Granatstein.

Like the zone-boarding systems that rail operators in other parts of the world use, Metrolinx is also working to determine whether it can use the screens and digital boards hanging over the platforms to let passengers know the length of their train before it arrives in the station. However, that work is still in the initial stages.

Sources:

• Metrolinx news blog post, “Getting on board - Metrolinx launches new signage pilot program to make catching your train even easier”, by Matt Llewellyn, Metrolinx spokesperson and senior advisor, with files from Scott Money, here.
• GO Transit: “Service updates”, here.