GO refund policy covers Monday's problems as Metrolinx works on K-W crowding

Metrolinx is apologizing for problems on the Kitchener GO train line and reminding passengers of its service guarantee: people can get a refund on their fares any time GO trains are more than 15 minutes late.

"We would encourage them to follow up on that. It's a commitment that we've made," Greg Percy, Metrolinx chief operating officer, told The Morning Edition host Craig Norris on Tuesday. 

• The Metrolinx service guarantee

Riders complained of delays on Monday, which started with a broken down locomotive on the 6:05 a.m. GO train from Kitchener, which had to be pushed by another train to the stop in Acton. 

The problem led to a "pretty significant cascade effect of delays," acknowledged spokesperson Matt Llewellyn, which left commuters late for work or forced to cancel plans. 

Missed Cityline taping

"We were going to see Tracy Moore at the Cityline show [taping]," Angie Gunn told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo. "Me and my mom, this is sort of our annual tradition. We've been doing it now — this would be our ninth year.  

Or, at least, it would have been. 

Gunn said the train sat on the tracks for "about 70 minutes" and by the time it was moving again it was too late to make the taping. 

Gunn said from what they could see, most people appeared "pretty relaxed" during the delays. Though after she and her mother cut their losses, disembarked and went for breakfast in Guelph, her mother did report having felt anxious.

"She was starting to feel really claustrophobic there and she was concerned too — she's diabetic," explained Gunn. "So just not knowing when we would be allowed off, she commented feeling like a prisoner. The doors are shut, no one is telling us anything."

'It's been a huge disaster'

This is just the latest in a series of delays on the Kitchener line that has customers fuming. 

"Things are getting worse," said Swarja Mann who gets on the Kitchener line at Bramalea for his work commute. "It's been extremely inconsistent. I'd say every week I'm late three or four times."

That includes his first day of work at a new job last month, where he left 40 minutes early and still ended up 10 to 15 minutes late due to cancelled and delayed trains.

Overcrowding has also been a problem and it's becoming a safety risk, Mann said.

"Especially in cold weather. The communication from GO is really poor. Sometimes you're standing outside for 30 to 40 minutes, trains are going by without opening their doors. Trains are lining up at places where doors aren't opening. It's been a huge disaster, I would say, top to bottom."

Express train to be reinstated

On Jan. 10, Metrolinx said it was working "as fast as we can" to fix crowding on the Kitchener line. The problem, it said, was due to tweaks to train schedules from adding a train trip to that line. 

One of those tweaks cut the 4:50 p.m. express train from Toronto to Kitchener.

"To be straight up," said Percy on Tuesday, "we fumbled the ball when we started that service on Jan. 7 and we do listen to our customers very carefully."

"That was a mistake," Percy added, saying Metrolinx has committed to reinstating the express train on Feb. 13.