GO Transit: Service thread (including extensions)

[crs1026]

We will have to wait for the announcement to know if this is a de minimus extension of one GO train, versus a much bigger expansion of GO territory and acquisition of parts of the line with intent to upgrade....just how much money is involved here? Layover track construction in Stratford or simply a double back to the Kitchener layover yard? Extension of a counter peak train or just peak commuter service to Toronto? Stratford to Kitchener at existing track standards or fixing the line up for better?

I am hoping for more, not less, but let's not assume anything until we hear the announcement.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

We will have to wait for the announcement to know if this is a de minimus extension of one GO train, versus a much bigger expansion of GO territory and acquisition of parts of the line with intent to upgrade....just how much money is involved here? Layover track construction in Stratford or simply a double back to the Kitchener layover yard? Extension of a counter peak train or just peak commuter service to Toronto? Stratford to Kitchener at existing track standards or fixing the line up for better?

I am hoping for more, not less, but let's not assume anything until we hear the announcement.

- Paul

Could they not dead head to Stratford in the morning? It could be that with the time savings on the route gives crews enough time for service to be extended to Stratford?

Do any trains dead head to Toronto in the evening?
You could have a late Stratford departure to Toronto for tourists or theatre goers.

 

[SaugeenJunction]

We will have to wait for the announcement to know if this is a de minimus extension of one GO train, versus a much bigger expansion of GO territory and acquisition of parts of the line with intent to upgrade....just how much money is involved here? Layover track construction in Stratford or simply a double back to the Kitchener layover yard? Extension of a counter peak train or just peak commuter service to Toronto? Stratford to Kitchener at existing track standards or fixing the line up for better?

I am hoping for more, not less, but let's not assume anything until we hear the announcement.

- Paul

My hope is that the weekend Kitchener trains also call Stratford. Lots of yard space where GO could stable, building electrical hookups shouldn’t be too hard. Stratford was the busiest station on the London extension and was seeing about 30 boardings at its peak, during Covid.

 

[Bordercollie]

My hope is that the weekend Kitchener trains also call Stratford. Lots of yard space where GO could stable, building electrical hookups shouldn’t be too hard. Stratford was the busiest station on the London extension and was seeing about 30 boardings at its peak, during Covid.

12 car trains to fit half a bus worth?

The yard is owned by CN and they would need some kind of lease agreement.

 

[legoswmonkey]

Press release: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007310/ontario-extending-go-train-service-to-stratford
One daily round trip to Toronto

 

[Allandale25]

It includes weekend service. Emphasis added.

NEWS RELEASE Ontario Extending GO Train Service to Stratford​ Province introducing daily round trip to support local workers, students and tourism April 17, 2026 Ministry of Transportation STRATFORD — The Ontario government is extending GO train service to Stratford, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to provide fast, reliable and affordable public transit across Ontario. Service will begin July 6, 2026, with the Kitchener GO Line offering one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto, relieving gridlock and connecting more people to jobs, education and tourism. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is extending fast, reliable and affordable transit to more communities across Ontario,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Bringing GO service to Stratford will make it easier for people to travel to Toronto for work, school and tourism, while also giving Ontarians and visitors a convenient new way to experience Stratford’s world-class attractions and culture.” Weekday service will support commuters going to work and school in Kitchener, Brampton and Toronto, with a morning trip from Stratford Station to Union Station and a return trip in the afternoon. Weekend service will support visitors wanting to explore Stratford, most notably the world renowned Stratford Festival, with a morning trip from Union Station to Stratford Station and a return trip in the evening. “Stratford is one of Ontario’s great cultural destinations, home to a signature theatre festival and a vibrant tourism economy,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “By introducing year-round GO train service, we’re making it easier for more people to experience everything Stratford has to offer while supporting local jobs and businesses. This new service will help strengthen tourism in the region and showcase Ontario as a leading destination for arts and culture.” Expanding service along the Kitchener Line is part of Ontario’s $70 billion investment in the largest transit expansion in North America. The GO Expansion program will deliver two-way, all-day service on GO Transit’s busiest rail routes, while GO extensions will bring new and improved service to communities in Durham Region, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and Niagara Region. Quick Facts​ GO train service to and from Stratford Station will include stops in Kitchener, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown and Brampton. GO Transit’s April service changes are now available online and include two new weekday express trips between Kitchener and Union Station, as well as the return of 15-minute weekend service on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines. The province recently launched the first-ever weekend train service between Toronto and Kitchener and reached an agreement-in-principle to acquire more than 20 kilometres of the Halton subdivision on the Kitchener Line, marking another step toward delivering all-day service as part of the Kitchener Extension Project. Ontario has invested $14.8 billion to deliver faster, more frequent service across the GO Transit network. The Stratford Festival is a major economic driver for the region, attracting more than 430,000 attendees in its 2024 season. The Ontario government has contributed almost $10 million in funding to the Stratford Festival since 2019-20. ​ Additional Resources​ Kitchener GO Line Expansion ​

 

[generalcanada]

It includes weekend service. Emphasis added.

NEWS RELEASE Ontario Extending GO Train Service to Stratford​ Province introducing daily round trip to support local workers, students and tourism April 17, 2026 Ministry of Transportation STRATFORD — The Ontario government is extending GO train service to Stratford, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to provide fast, reliable and affordable public transit across Ontario. Service will begin July 6, 2026, with the Kitchener GO Line offering one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto, relieving gridlock and connecting more people to jobs, education and tourism. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is extending fast, reliable and affordable transit to more communities across Ontario,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Bringing GO service to Stratford will make it easier for people to travel to Toronto for work, school and tourism, while also giving Ontarians and visitors a convenient new way to experience Stratford’s world-class attractions and culture.” Weekday service will support commuters going to work and school in Kitchener, Brampton and Toronto, with a morning trip from Stratford Station to Union Station and a return trip in the afternoon. Weekend service will support visitors wanting to explore Stratford, most notably the world renowned Stratford Festival, with a morning trip from Union Station to Stratford Station and a return trip in the evening. “Stratford is one of Ontario’s great cultural destinations, home to a signature theatre festival and a vibrant tourism economy,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “By introducing year-round GO train service, we’re making it easier for more people to experience everything Stratford has to offer while supporting local jobs and businesses. This new service will help strengthen tourism in the region and showcase Ontario as a leading destination for arts and culture.” Expanding service along the Kitchener Line is part of Ontario’s $70 billion investment in the largest transit expansion in North America. The GO Expansion program will deliver two-way, all-day service on GO Transit’s busiest rail routes, while GO extensions will bring new and improved service to communities in Durham Region, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and Niagara Region. Quick Facts​ GO train service to and from Stratford Station will include stops in Kitchener, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown and Brampton. GO Transit’s April service changes are now available online and include two new weekday express trips between Kitchener and Union Station, as well as the return of 15-minute weekend service on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines. The province recently launched the first-ever weekend train service between Toronto and Kitchener and reached an agreement-in-principle to acquire more than 20 kilometres of the Halton subdivision on the Kitchener Line, marking another step toward delivering all-day service as part of the Kitchener Extension Project. Ontario has invested $14.8 billion to deliver faster, more frequent service across the GO Transit network. The Stratford Festival is a major economic driver for the region, attracting more than 430,000 attendees in its 2024 season. The Ontario government has contributed almost $10 million in funding to the Stratford Festival since 2019-20. ​ Additional Resources​ Kitchener GO Line Expansion ​

stratford? thats new. i thuoght the point of the kw expansion was to end at vistoria station? is this a trial balloon for bringing back london service?

 

[KhalilHeron]

It includes weekend service. Emphasis added.

NEWS RELEASE Ontario Extending GO Train Service to Stratford​ Province introducing daily round trip to support local workers, students and tourism April 17, 2026 Ministry of Transportation STRATFORD — The Ontario government is extending GO train service to Stratford, marking a major milestone in the province’s plan to provide fast, reliable and affordable public transit across Ontario. Service will begin July 6, 2026, with the Kitchener GO Line offering one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto, relieving gridlock and connecting more people to jobs, education and tourism. “Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is extending fast, reliable and affordable transit to more communities across Ontario,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Bringing GO service to Stratford will make it easier for people to travel to Toronto for work, school and tourism, while also giving Ontarians and visitors a convenient new way to experience Stratford’s world-class attractions and culture.” Weekday service will support commuters going to work and school in Kitchener, Brampton and Toronto, with a morning trip from Stratford Station to Union Station and a return trip in the afternoon. Weekend service will support visitors wanting to explore Stratford, most notably the world renowned Stratford Festival, with a morning trip from Union Station to Stratford Station and a return trip in the evening. “Stratford is one of Ontario’s great cultural destinations, home to a signature theatre festival and a vibrant tourism economy,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “By introducing year-round GO train service, we’re making it easier for more people to experience everything Stratford has to offer while supporting local jobs and businesses. This new service will help strengthen tourism in the region and showcase Ontario as a leading destination for arts and culture.” Expanding service along the Kitchener Line is part of Ontario’s $70 billion investment in the largest transit expansion in North America. The GO Expansion program will deliver two-way, all-day service on GO Transit’s busiest rail routes, while GO extensions will bring new and improved service to communities in Durham Region, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton and Niagara Region. Quick Facts​ GO train service to and from Stratford Station will include stops in Kitchener, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown and Brampton. GO Transit’s April service changes are now available online and include two new weekday express trips between Kitchener and Union Station, as well as the return of 15-minute weekend service on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines. The province recently launched the first-ever weekend train service between Toronto and Kitchener and reached an agreement-in-principle to acquire more than 20 kilometres of the Halton subdivision on the Kitchener Line, marking another step toward delivering all-day service as part of the Kitchener Extension Project. Ontario has invested $14.8 billion to deliver faster, more frequent service across the GO Transit network. The Stratford Festival is a major economic driver for the region, attracting more than 430,000 attendees in its 2024 season. The Ontario government has contributed almost $10 million in funding to the Stratford Festival since 2019-20. ​ Additional Resources​ Kitchener GO Line Expansion ​

Hoping there will be some sort of extension of off peak GO busses at some point. I bet residents and students would like the ability to go to Kitchener or Toronto for the day during the weekend, or god forbid you miss the one daily train. A very welcome extension though. Would have been very useful for me about 2 months ago : )

 

[LNahid2000]

I'm excited about a weekend morning trip to Kitchener! The current weekend service is useless to me since I live in Toronto.

 

[lastcommodore]

I wonder if this is a 'staging' for a future restoration of service to London. I suspect it could not be performed with current infra if MX/QP wants a morning service both ways to and from Union.

 

[crs1026]

I wonder if this is a 'staging' for a future restoration of service to London. I suspect it could not be performed with current infra if MX/QP wants a morning service both ways to and from Union.

If so, it's more of a toe-in-the-water exercise than I would like. But the reality is, until the Halton Sub construction is complete, there is little hope of a regular, all-day service upgrade on this route. (The slow pace on other items such as Guelph and Acton passing tracks is deplorable, however)

I do hope that Guelph and K-W market the heck out of the weekend service. While there isn't an obvious no-brainer destination as there is with Niagara Falls, It is now possible, for instance, to reach the St Jacobs Farmers Market by public transportation (albeit with train to LRT to bus, a bit of a trek...but cycling from the LRT to St Jacobs is an easy ride, so bring your bike on the GO). Getting a couple hundred cars off the 401 for Saturday/Sunday matinees in Stratford is wonderful, but the Festival runs on weekdays also, when traffic is even dodgier. I hope there has been good coordination between the Festival, Stratford Transit, and Metrolinx over last mile connections - it's a bit of a walk to the venues from Stratford station., think about summer heat and thunderstorms.

- As I type, I am tuning in to VIA's Moving Maps to see how fast VIA 84 operates from Stratford to Kitchener. I suspect there is definitely room to make the service run faster. Hopefully Doug will show this initiative some fiscal love.

- Paul

 

[reaperexpress]

If so, it's more of a toe-in-the-water exercise than I would like. But the reality is, until the Halton Sub construction is complete, there is little hope of a regular, all-day service upgrade on this route. (The slow pace on other items such as Guelph and Acton passing tracks is deplorable, however)

GO already runs 11 weekday round trips from Toronto to Kitchener, so regardless of the Halton Sub construction they could potentially run 11 times as much service as they're proposing if they built the applicable passing tracks on the Guelph sub west of Kitchener (which in that scenario they would have purchased). In the meantime, the new weekday counter-peak express trip would be a perfect candidate to extend to Stratford, allowing people from Kitchener-Guelph-GTA to visit Stratford on weekdays too, not just weekends. And a trip from Stratford to Toronto on weekends allowing people from Stratford to visit those cities on weekends too, not just weekdays.

The Halton sub construction also does not limit service west of Georgetown. Kitchener and Guelph are decent sized cities in their own rights and Stratford is a fairly significant destination, so there could be a case for some Stratford-Kitchener-Guelph trips in the interim until the Mount Pleasant grade separation is complete. Those shuttle trips would be additionally useful to expand the reach of the existing bus services from Kitchener to Bramalea and from Guelph to Hamilton.

Even if we're interested in regular all-day hourly service from Stratford to Toronto, the Halton sub is still not a constraint. Design work is already well underway on the Halton sub to enable hourly service from Kitchener to Toronto, but there has not been any planning for passing tracks or speed upgrades between Stratford and Kitchener. If we started planning those right now, the Halton Sub construction would already be complete around the same time as the Stratford-Kitchener work.

If the hourly Stratford-Kitchener-Toronto service were to use the Guelph and Silver Junction passing tracks, hourly service to Stratford would require two sidings: exactly 30 minutes west of Guelph (13 minutes west of Kitchener, which would probably be near New Hamburg) and 60 minutes west of Guelph (second platform at Stratford station). If the service were to use the Breslau and Acton passing tracks, the Stratford hourly service would need one new siding 20 minutes west of Kitchener (maybe somewhere near Shakespeare).

 

[LNahid2000]

It is now possible, for instance, to reach the St Jacobs Farmers Market by public transportation (albeit with train to LRT to bus, a bit of a trek...but cycling from the LRT to St Jacobs is an easy ride, so bring your bike on the GO).

GO actually had a direct bus from Square One to St Jacobs Market a few years ago, but I guess it wasn't that successful since they killed it.

 

[crs1026]

- As I type, I am tuning in to VIA's Moving Maps to see how fast VIA 84 operates from Stratford to Kitchener. I suspect there is definitely room to make the service run faster. Hopefully Doug will show this initiative some fiscal love.

As I feared….. 55 mph out of Stratford to New Hamburg, but 30 mph New Hamburg to Kitchener.

Hopefully there is a plan to do trackeork before July, otherwise this service will be a dud.

- Paul

 

[Sauga89]

As I feared….. 55 mph out of Stratford to New Hamburg, but 30 mph New Hamburg to Kitchener.

Hopefully there is a plan to do trackeork before July, otherwise this service will be a dud.

- Paul

It doesn't sound like it. The CBC listed some travel times.

On weekdays, the train will travel from Stratford to Toronto's Union Station in the mornings, leaving Stratford just after 6 a.m. and arriving in Toronto before 9 a.m. The return trip in the evenings would leave Toronto around 5 p.m. and arrive in Stratford at about 7:30 p.m..

On weekends, the train will start in Toronto and bring people to Stratford in the mornings, then return to Toronto later in the day.

I checked the Kitchener line schedule. If it takes an hour and 45 minutes to get to Kitchener from Union, then a 2 1/2 hour trip to Stratford implies a 45 minute trip from Kitchener to Stratford.