NEWS
Provincial budget includes funding for train line expansion
Bryan Myers
Independent Free Press
Monday, April 5, 2021
Halton Hills residents are on track for all-day GO Train service.
The release of the 2021 provincial budget included funding for the expansion of the Kitchener GO Line, which would bring all-day, two-way train service through Halton Hills.
“I can recall, back in 2019, when a council delegation from Metrolinx told us that this was going to happen by 2024,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “Well I am very pleased to see that this timeline is being kept.”
Bonnette said the council and mayors along the GO line have advocated for the expansion for seven years.
The next step, according to the provincial budget, is investing in infrastructure to enable the expansion of the line between Georgetown and Kitchener, including additional tracks and new platforms.
Construction is expected to begin this fall, with procurement of subsequent phases to take place between 2021 and 2023.
Georgetown's Kendra Marion — a regular commuter before the pandemic hit — feels all-day service could be a blessing and a curse. The latter part refers to her concerns over GO lot parking.
But overall, she welcomes the added convenience to come.
"I prefer to take the train into the city, even on weekends."
Having moved here from Oakville, Marion said she's noticed some major differences between the Lakeshore West line and Kitchener line.
“The Lakeshore West line has so many trains,” she said. “It’s very different here.”
At present, GO Transit offers five train trips into Toronto and five return trips by train. GO Buses are also available, though travel during peak times can extend trips by roughly twice the length of dedicated train service. The Lakeshore West line has more than 30 trips between Oakville and Union Station daily.
“The trains are way more crowded once you get to Brampton,” Marion said.
While the long-term goal, according to Metrolinx, is to have the trains run on electrification, the company said, in August 2020, there were no immediate plans to electrify the segment between Kitchener and Georgetown.
“Metrolinx has been looking at multiple improvements to the Kitchener corridor,” Scott Money, media relations for Metrolinx said, “including the study for future electrification of the 54-kilometer rail corridor between Georgetown and Kitchener.”
In January, a potential site for a traction power substation (required for track electrification), was ruled out and no suitable site has since been identified.
“In the meantime, Metrolinx will continue to advance two-way all-day GO service in the near term while we work to better understand electrification in the long term for the Kitchener corridor,” Money said.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: With funding for the expansion of the Kitchener GO line included in the provincial budget, we wanted to see how commuters and officials felt about the expanded service to come.
Bryan Myers is a reporter for the Independent and Free Press with a focus on municipal politics in Halton Hills. He also has an interest in writing about all aspects of food from production to waste.
