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Arriving at Etobicoke's Williwbrook GO yard by train, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne chose a purposeful location to announce funding for transit in the Greater Toronto Area, with a Federal investment of slightly over $1.8 billion earmarked towards GO Transit's Regional Express Rail.
Drawing from the New Building Canada Fund established in 2014, the contribution to GO RER represents the "the single largest transit project in which the federal government has ever invested," according to the PMO. The new Federal funding contributes to what the Province cites as a "$21.3 billion transformation of the GO network."
Alongside $7.8 billion worth of improvements to the existing network and extensions of regular train service to Niagara and Bowmanville, the lion's share of the ongoing GO network investment—totalling some $13.5 billion—will go towards the implementation of GO RER.
The new Federal funding specifically targets the GO RER project, with the investment set to be geared to help "build new track, upgrade stations and create grade separations along the Kitchener, Barrie and Lakeshore corridors," according to the Province.
In total, the GO RER project will add 12 new stations and all-day express service to parts of the regional network, with five lines set to be electrified and served by new electric multiple unit (EMU) train sets. Targeting core areas of the regional network, the GO RER electrification will bring two-way, all-day 15-minute service to much of the Lakeshore West, Lakeshore East, Kitchener, Barrie, and Stouffville lines.
According to Trudeau, the new transportation infrastructure will be a key element in shaping the growing region's sustainable development. "More families are choosing to settle in communities like Etobicoke – communities that allow parents to work in the big city, and allow kids to ride their bikes on the street. These communities are growing at a rapid rate, and investment in public transit needs to keep pace. That is why we’re investing in the GO rail network and over 300 additional projects in Ontario to reduce commute times, decrease air pollution, and improve the lives of millions of Ontarians.”
The 312 additional initiatives cited by the Prime Minister are made up of much smaller transportation project throughout the Province, with the Federal government pleading some $200 million to fund 50% of costs.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available, and the implementation of GO RER continues to take shape. Want to share your thoughts? Leave a comment in the space on this page, or add your voice to the ongoing conversation in our GO Electrification Forum thread.
