GO Transit packed with people headed to Niagara Falls for eclipse

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Pfft. State of emergency be damned!

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The mayor of Niagara Falls may have made the declaration last week in anticipation of the crowds that would form to bask in the area’s path of totality of the solar eclipse, but it failed to dissuade people.

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Hordes of people squeezed their way onto GO Trains and buses in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the total eclipse.

And because GO Transit knew people wouldn’t listen to the declaration, it added extra trains serving Niagara Falls to alleviate the anticipated overcrowding.

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Naturally, Union Station was a gong show as travellers packed the transportation hub to make the two hour-plus ride. But like with any big event, many of the cars were reportedly standing room only or, if they were lucky enough, a seat on the stairs.

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And some passengers reported that stations on the westbound Lakeshore line were being skipped due to the high volume on the trains.

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The early-morning trains had the largest crowds, but post-rush hour departures were still fairly busy.

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While there was some concern on whether GO would be running the same number of trains and buses back to Toronto, GO confirmed it was adding four return trips Monday evening.

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