Safety and security

The safety of our passengers and employees is our number one priority — on GO Trains and GO Buses, in stations, terminals, parking lots, and on platforms. Our safety programs and practices have made our system one of the safest in North America.

GO Safely: Staying alert -- A guide to passenger security (pdf brochure)
Safety on the GO Train
Safety on the GO Bus
Safety at Union Station
Protecting your vehicle
Safety programs for kids
Transit industry programs and awards
To report a crime or security matters

Safety on the GO Train

On platforms
When waiting on GO station platforms, stand behind the yellow platform line. Trains can pass at any time, some at high speed — it is never safe to be on the tracks.

Passenger security on the train
If you need help while on board a GO Train, press the yellow emergency strip — these are located above the windows in the railcars — or request assistance from the conductor or another train crew member. The conductor is normally stationed in the train’s accessible car (the fifth car from the locomotive). To board a railcar staffed by a crew member, look for the yellow light on the outside of the coach, just below the roof. (Train crew members may have to leave the coach temporarily for operational reasons.)

Transit enforcement officers and customer attendants
Our transit enforcement officers are special constables, trained and equipped to handle emergencies and look out for your safety. The trains may also be staffed by customer attendants, who also have extensive training in first aid and CPR.

Just in case
Information about the emergency features of the railcars is posted near the entry doors, and all emergency equipment and instructions are clearly marked. Passengers can move between cars anytime, and every other window is equipped as an emergency exit. Each railcar is also equipped with a first aid kit, next to the washroom in each car. To learn more about emergency equipment and procedures, passengers can watch a video in the GO concourse at Union Station, or pick up the Just in Case flyer at any GO station.

Educating emergency response teams
GO ensures that community emergency response teams, such as police and firefighters, are familiar with our safety procedures through a hands-on training program.

Safety on the GO Bus

Evening travel
When travelling after dusk by GO Bus, you may leave the bus anywhere on the route, as long as it’s operationally safe for the driver to stop. Just let the driver know in advance where you’d like to get off. (Because it may not be safe or practical to stop in several locations in very close proximity, passengers may be asked to use a reasonable common location between the regular bus stops.)

Driver training
To keep their safety skills well-honed, our bus staff take defensive and professional driver improvement courses, and participate in ongoing safe-driving competitions among each other. They also have first aid training.

Safety at Union Station

Union Station is a historic facility, and was not designed for the growing number of people who use it each day. Managing the flow of customers who move through the station during the morning and afternoon rush periods is a challenge. Please see our list of Union Station safety tips for more information.

Protecting your vehicle

Crime Stoppers
GO Transit and the Ontario Association of Crime Stoppers are working together in an effort to reduce the number of vehicle-related incidents in GO parking lots. Crime Stoppers is a partnership of the public, police, and media that provides the community with a proactive program for anonymously assisting the police in solving crimes. Posters have been put up at GO stations and parking lots with Crime Stoppers contact information. GO will also be issuing notices to customers at stations and parking lots about crime activity to increase awareness.

C-CAT decal
GO has teamed up with the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA Central Ontario) and local police services to provide the C-CAT decal (Commuter-Combat Auto Theft) to deter car thieves. GO riders display the decal in their vehicle’s rear window. If police spot the car on the road between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays, they will presume that the car has been stolen from a GO parking lot and pull it over to verify their driver’s licence and registration. Pick up a C-CAT decal at any GO Train station or the Newmarket Bus Terminal.

Lock It or Lose It
GO works with local police forces to decrease the number of vehicles left unlocked or otherwise unsecured in GO station parking lots. With the Lock It or Lose It program, GO’s transit enforcement officers or local police officers leave a notice card for drivers if their cars are insecure in some way — unlocked doors, open windows, valuables in plain view, or keys left in the car.

Tips to help protect your vehicle
Here are some tips on how to protect your vehicle and who to contact if you would like to report a crime:

· Always lock your vehicle, close all the windows, and don’t forget the back doors.

· If you have an anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock or alarm – use it!

· Don’t leave valuables or your personal belongings in open sight – that includes loose change.

· If you have information about a crime, call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS. Rewards may be paid for information leading to arrests and convictions. You never have to give your name. To find out more visit the Crime Stoppers website at www.ontariocrimestoppers.com.

· Call 911 or GO Transit at 905 803-0642 if you witness a crime in progress.

· If something happens to your car, report it to GO Transit. It is critical that you keep us informed of incidents of vandalism and theft. This allows us to focus on the problem with patrols and surveillance, and to work with local police.

Safety programs for kids

Education is the key to rail safety for children. GO is a regular participant in Rail Safety Days and other Operation Lifesaver presentations to schoolchildren on keeping safe around railway lines. We’re also involved in the Peel Children's Safety Village and the Kids' Safety Village of Durham Region, each a miniature town that teaches children about the dangers of cars, trains, and trespassing on railway property.

Transit industry programs and awards

GO Transit was the first North American commuter rail system to become part of the American Public Transportation Association's rail safety audit program, a network of transit organizations set up for information exchange and evaluation. Members of the network, who join voluntarily, exchange ideas and data on the latest and most accepted rail safety standards, and are audited by a review committee every three years.

We’re also proud to have won the American Public Transportation Association's and the Canadian Urban Transit Association's awards for bus safety several times throughout the 1990s.

To report crime or security matters

Our transit system is one of the safest in North America. Still, unexpected incidents can happen. If you are involved in or witness an incident on the GO system that we should know about, please report it as quickly as possible by calling Transit Enforcement at 905 803-0642 in Mississauga (24 hours a day), or call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-TIPS.

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