SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis Strengths: • The ability to travel comfortable for long distance travel • Has large capacity to transport large amounts of people in short time • Low cost of usage • Fast during peak hours • Already has a vast number of loyal passengers • Environmentally friendly, especially during these times of Global awareness. • Promotes the use of transit • Access to instant pricing with real time reservation, creating a convenient, trouble-free booking process. • No need to waste precious vacation time waiting on line at the station to get your ticket, Fast booking experience • The ongoing recession puts direct financial constraints or at least concern on many people. Naturally, riding intercity train or bus is an economic way to commute or travel individually. • Go Train is the healthiest public transportation system in Canada. It has the highest revenue to cost ratio in the sector (83.6%) and generates significant sundry revenue which covers 4.8% of the operating cost. • Creates new economic opportunities • Builds communities by linking them together economically • Reduces consumption of oil • Increases Productivity • The rising fuel cost (though reversed somehow by the recent recession) makes driving in and out the metropolitan area much more expensive than riding train or bus. Weaknesses • High initial investment for building new rail system • Buses and trains do not run 24hrs compared to municipal transit such as TTC • Cost of Go Transit fares is much higher than those of other public transit due to the expenses to make their consumers comfortable. • Has a history of timing issues; trains do not run on schedule most of the time. • Need to increase the size of parking lots • Slow in some areas during severe weather • Limited to certain areas • Noise may be a concern • Creates a load on the electricity grid • Will need a expansion of electricity production • Limited competition in the bidding process for buying trains, making them cost more • Go Train’s existing operations heavily rely on the railway systems owned by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific. Expenditure on access to railways and railway crews is the largest portion of Go Train’s operating expense. Will need to build new transportation infrastructure

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The changes of accountability have added difficulties in continuously improving the infrastructure and operations of Go transit. The continuous budget deficit of the provincial government and many of the municipal governments makes the funding for Go Transit quite difficult. Especially, any long-term improvement or expansion plans are quite questionable under the deficit condition. The current conservative federal government is not in favor of giving funding to Go Transit, which is a commitment made by form liberal federal government. in order to work effectively high speed rail must be backed up by a decent urban/light rail transit system

Opportunities • Ability to expand to other markets surrounding Ontario, (US and Quebec) • Internet friendly bookings and access on trains • Received funding from the federal and provincial government to help boost the economy; this will create new opportunities for jobs • Loyal consumers are likely to try new services offered by Go Transit commuters are willing to pay for faster services • No other service can compete with high speed train in terms of speed and efficiency • Advertising on board will increase revenue • Gas prices rise causing a increase of customers • The Greater Toronto Area is in need of a transit link between cities • Massive increase in Jobs for local manufactures • Private-Public partnership to establish more efficiency in timing and customer service • The large population and high population density can become an excellent market for intensive intercity transit system. Threats • Government may not fund the train • Gas prices drop, making it cheaper for commuters to drive • People may appose the building of rail lines near their home • Weather Condition of Canada may effect the speeds and quality of service • Noise Pollution may concern people • Airlines tightening up procedures to get people through airports faster and will encourage airports to have better city links • Existing transit operators might introduce an upgrade in their services and take customer away from us • Inflation will increase costs, which are passed on to commuters • Union operated trains have risks of strikes • Local transit operators will get priority over funding compared to GO transit • Massive Construction required to build railway, my damage countryside environment