GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx, located in Toronto, Ontario has chosen INIT to deploy a new fleet management system for 424 GO Busses, 47 GO Rail cars and 50 non-revenue vehicles. The contract calls for an advanced ITS solution which includes an intermodal CAD/AVL system, on-board mobile data terminals, automatic passenger counting technology, next stop announcements, in-vehicle variable message signs, real-time vehicle diagnostics and interfaces to existing destination signs, bike rack sensors and wheelchair lift sensors.
GO is the regional public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and carries 61 million passengers a year. The fleet management solution INIT provides to Metrolinx will track revenue and non-revenue vehicles to improve enterprise productivity of current operations and provide enhanced services to GO users.
Incorporated into the new contract is the feed of real-time bus information to Metrolinx’ online Customer Information Service (CIS) and its new Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system. The new system will gather bus and rail real-time locations and predict arrival times for the dissemination of service alerts to travelers and other regional transit agencies.
In addition to the ITS for GO’s bus and rail operations, INIT will equip many of the supervisory vehicles with AVL tracking equipment. INIT will also outfit the supervisor’s mobile laptops with specialized software which will give them remote access to the central CAD/AVL system.
As part of the second phase of the project, vehicle logic units, mobile data terminals, cellular data communications and audio annunciators will be installed on one coach per train. GO operates commuter trains with service on seven lines that are coordinated with GO bus service during peak hours. The vehicle logic unit will integrate with future in-vehicle Variable Message Signs, as well as an on-board security camera system that will be installed in the future. The audio annunciators will be integrated with GO’s existing public address system on all rail coaches to provide automated next rail station announcements in every coach of the train.
The project is set to begin in 2012 and brings the number of INIT customers in Toronto to four (4) including Grand River Transit (GRT), Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and York Regional Transit (YRT). INIT looks forward to working with GO to provide fast, safe and efficient transportation solutions in the Greater Toronto area and beyond.
