Major expansion of GO Transit service across southern Ontario proposed by province

The Ontario government is asking transit agency Metrolinx to massively expand GO train service in southern Ontario.

On Jan. 9, Premier Doug Ford and Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria released a letter to Metrolinx chair Donald Wright asking to “explore the next generation of GO passenger train” service in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area. Calling the proposal–a long-standing one frequently floated by the City of Mississauga–GO 2.0, the province asks Metrolinx to work towards converting train lines currently used for freight to passenger rail. 

In the letter, Ford and Sarkaria say service on the Kitchener and Milton lines could be expanded by diverting freight rail from existing lines through the construction of a freight rail bypass adjacent to the Highway 407 corridor between the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) main line near Trafalgar Road in Milton and the Canadian National (CN) bypass line at Bramalea. 

While Ford and Sarkaria’s letter is new, the idea is not–nor is the government’s support for expanded GO service.

Last February, the province announced its support for two-way, all-day service along the Milton GO route, which includes stops at a number of Mississauga stations en route to Toronto and back again.

Previously, the federal government has also expressed support for the project. Ottawa came to the table nearly four years ago with a commitment to fund 50 per cent of the estimated $1-billion Milton GO improvement plan and was waiting for the province to do the same, Mississauga Centre MP and former federal transportation minister Omar Alghabra told INsauga.com earlier on several occasions.

In the letter, Ford and Sarkaria say that by leveraging existing freight rail infrastructure, GO 2.0 could help alleviate congestion and reduce passenger travel times. 

“It has the potential to unlock new GO lines, stations, and Transit-Oriented Communities, supporting the province’s plan to build more homes near transit. GO 2.0 could also connect into local transit, providing greater convenience and connections for commuters across the region,” the letter reads. 

In the letter, the province says more must be done to reduce congestion in the region, saying excessive traffic bears an economic burden of approximately $56.4 billion a year. The letter says that by 2044, the economic cost of congestion in the GTHA could increase substantially and cost the province more than 400,000 jobs. 

The letter asks Metrolinx to work with the Ontario government to engage with CPKC, CN and the federal government to move the plan forward. 

The current iteration of what was initially known as the “missing link” project is, the province says, one of many ongoing transit projects. Citing its investment in two-way, all-day GO service, the Hazel McCallion LRT, the Hamilton LRT, the Ontario Line and the Ontario Northlander train line, the government say it’s “delivering on the largest transit expansion in North America.” 

The Hazel McCallion LRT, a $4.6-billion, 22-kilometre light-rail transit route that will run from south Mississauga into Brampton, is currently under construction. Initially expected to be completed by fall 2024, the project is delayed, with Mayor Carolyn Parrish saying she expects the project to be completed in 2026. 

Metrolinx has not provided an exact completion date.

Another long-delayed project is the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. There is currently no projected opening date for the project, which was supposed to commence operations in 2020. Construction on the LRT–which is slated to grow by 2030 to eventually connect to Mississauga and possibly Toronto Pearson Airport–began in 2011. 

Former Metrolinx head Phil Vestor previously said construction delays and pandemic-related challenges have beset the project. 

– With files from Declan Finucane and The Canadian Press