Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! This video is the first video in our updated series
of The Future of Transit, where we outline the current and future of rapid transit for
cities and notable transit systems on a map so you guys know what's coming to the places
you live and work. Today, we are back in Ontario and the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,
and we'll be taking a look at the GO Transit Rail lines and where they're headed in the
future. Let's get started!
GO Transit is a major regional transit system serving the golden horseshoe area of Ontario,
primarily the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Beginning regular passenger service
in 1967, it was Canada's first regional transit system, and it has grown from a single train
line to the seven train lines and a supplementary bus network it has today. In this video, we're
first going to be looking at its existing network and coverage, then go through the
system line by line to show you the future stations and service improvements it will have.
All of the GO Transit rail lines begin their journey from Toronto Union Station. Located
in the heart of Downtown right beside the harbourfront, Union station is an important
intermodal transit station that links the GO Transit rail and bus network, the TTC subway
and streetcar, the Via rail network, as well as other transit options in the area. And
of course, Union station is just a short walk or ride away from important landmarks in the
area such as the CN Tower, various sports stadiums, and the Billy Bishop Airport.
Alright, time to move onto the GO Transit rail lines. Let's start with the westernmost
line, and work our way over to the east clockwise.
First up, we have the Lakeshore West Line. This line is the oldest of all of GO’s services
opening in 1967, and it spans 132 kilometers, or 82 miles from Toronto Union station, through
Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Grimsby, St. Catharine’s, and Niagara Falls.
There are 15 stations on the line, with trains every 20 minutes serving well over 60000 riders
daily. This line allows for connections to notable places in Hamilton, including the
John C Munro Hamilton International Airport, McMaster University, and it also connects
riders to the future Mississauga Hurontario LRT at Port Credit station, and the future
Hamilton LRT near Hamilton GO Centre station and West Harbour GO station.
The next line is the Milton Line. This line connects Toronto to Milton and Mississauga.
It has 9 stations and a length of 50.2 kilometers, or 31.2 miles, serving over 30000 riders with
ten trains daily. This route connects with the Toronto subway line 2 at Kipling station
and the future Hurontario LRT at Cooksville station, and Erindale station is a modest
walk to the University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus.
Next up, we have the Kitchener Line, another longer line of the system at 102.7 kilometers,
or 63.8 miles long. This line has 12 stations, travelling from Toronto to Mississauga, Brampton,
Halton Hills, Guelph, and Kitchener, and it also connects to TTC Line 2 at Bloor. Other connections
include VIA rail at Brampton, Georgetown, Guelph, and Kitchener, and to the new Waterloo
ION light rail system at Kitchener. Over 20000 people ride the Kitchener Line everyday, with
most trains originating and terminating in Brampton in off-peak hours when the line has
some limited service.
Following that, we have the Union Pearson Express, a unique presence in the GO Transit
system as Toronto’s express airport link train connecting downtown Toronto with the
Toronto Pearson International Airport. This service is the newest addition to the system
opening in 2015, and it shares most of its tracks with the Kitchener line before bending
down at the end to arrive at the airport. The stops on the UP Express include Bloor,
Weston, and Pearson, and it runs daily with all day 15 minute service.
Another one of GO Transit’s rail lines is the Barrie Line, one of the north-south lines
in the system connecting Union Station to Vaughan, King City, Aurora, Newmarket, East
Gwillimbury, Bradford, and Barrie. This line has 12 stations, carrying over 20000 passengers
daily with half-hourly peak service and hourly off-peak service. Riders can make connections
at Downsview Park for the TTC subway Line 1, as well as at Newmarket for the Viva Bus
Rapid Transit system.
The next line is the Richmond Hill line, aptly named so as it connects Toronto up north to
the city of Richmond Hill. This line has 6 stations serving about 10000 riders daily,
but it only runs during weekday peak hours. Connections on the Richmond Hill line include
the TTC subway line 4 at Oriole / Leslie (check out our station focus video for those stations),
as well as at Langstaff / Richmond Hill Centre for Viva and GO Transit bus services.
Two more lines to go, and up next is the Stouffville Line, our current favourite line to take.
This line connects Toronto to Markham and Whitchurch-Stouffville. It has 11 stations
over a 49.6 kilometer, or 30.8 mile length. Half hour peak service and hourly weekday
midday service carries more than 15000 riders daily, including us sometimes in the early
mornings and afternoons. Connections are ample here on the Stouffville line, including TTC
Line 2 at Danforth-Main Street station, Lines 2, 3, and the Eglinton Crosstown at Kennedy,
and Viva BRT services at Unionville.
And finally, last but definitely not the least, we have the Lakeshore East line, the Lakeshore
West line’s twin that travels towards Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, and finally to Oshawa. Like
its twin, this line is also very busy, with over 52000 riders using its 10 stations, and
it currently provides 15 minute weekday service, and half hour service all other times, and
even includes up to 4 express trains from Oshawa during peak hours. Most off peak and
some peak trains are interlined with the Lakeshore West line, meaning that the trains will continue
all the way to Aldershot station, Hamilton, or Niagara Falls station. Connections include
Danforth again to the TTC Subway line 2, and Guildwood and Oshawa for the VIA rail network.
So this is what the GO Rapid Transit system looks like right now, we’ve got really nice
coverage all around the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, with the lines serving more
than 230 thousand passengers every single day. However, many of the lines still have
limited, if any, weeknight and weekend service, and having more frequent service would certainly
help boost ridership and customer satisfaction. Besides that, many of the routes have stations
that are relatively spread out, infill stations could be beneficial in some spots, and of
course, extensions are always welcome. So, let’s take a look at what’s in store in
the future of GO Transit.
First up, we’re gonna start by outlining the Regional Express Rail project, as this
is the biggest part of what’s to come in GO Transit’s future. The RER project is
what the current government calls “GO Expansion” - not a very exciting name to be honest, but
it aims to improve GO service by adding all-day, two-way service to the Barrie Line, the inner
parts of the Kitchener and Stouffville lines, and generally increase the frequency of train
service on various lines to as often as every 5 minutes on five of the corridors. This service
will be operated using electric trains that have a lot of similarities with subway trains
and will likely be highly reminiscent of trains used in Sydney Australia. The name RER comes
from the very popular RER service, in Paris.
As mentioned, lines that are getting two way all day 15 minute or better service include
the Lakeshore West line between Aldershot and Union, the Kitchener line between Bramalea
and Union, the Barrie line between Aurora and Union, the Stouffville line between Unionville
and union, and the lakeshore east line between Oshawa and union.
After that, lines that are getting two-way 60 minute service include the Lakeshore West
line between Hamilton GO Centre and Aldershot, The Kitchener line from Mount Pleasant to
Bramalea, The Barrie line from Allandale Waterfront to Aurora, and the Stouffville Line from Mount
Joy to Unionville.
Metrolinx has also discussed frequent all day service to Hamilton West Harbour and all
day service to Kitchener, so we can likely expect that as well.
These service increases would be achieved with the full or partial electrification of
the parts of the line that are getting 15 minute or better service, which is slated
to be completed in around 2025. The entire project is currently being bid on by major
international companies and we will have much more to share in the future.
With the big program dealt with, let's take a look line by line to see the improvements
they have in store for the future.
As mentioned before, the Lakeshore West Line is getting all-day, two way frequent service
along most of its route, and the line will be electrified up to Burlington, all part
of the RER plan. In terms of new stations and extensions, the Niagara branch of the
line will be getting a new station in Stoney Creek called Confederation, slated to be completed
this year, and another station further down in the line named Grimsby, at about halfway
to Niagara Falls. Since regular weekday service to Niagara began in January of this year,
the area will continue to grow and see more GO service, which is super exciting. Besides
this, the line is also getting some new underpasses in order to increase service, as well as station
upgrades and renovations.
The next line is the Milton Line, and even though it is not part of the electrification
plan nor getting any new stations, it is still getting some upgrades in terms of existing
stations, especially Kipling, which will become an integrated transit hub serving the TTC,
GO Transit and MiWay, as well as Cooksville, which will be connected with the future Hurontario
line.
Next up, we have some upgrades for the Kitchener line and the UP Express. The Kitchener line
corridor will be electrified between Bramalea and Union, and as we’ve mentioned in our
last video, it is also getting a fourth track in this corridor, which involves multiple
underpasses and overpasses, new track, as well as a tunnel under Highways 401 & 409.
This will ensure that both the Kitchener Line and the UP Express have two tracks each to
use, and it would mean much better service for the Kitchener line.
Besides this, there are a number of new stations coming, or potentially coming to the Kitchener
line. The most significant one of those is Mount Dennis station, soon to be a massive
transit hub that will serve the The Kitchener Line, UP Express, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT,
as well as other TTC bus services, and is slated to be completed in 2021 along with
the Eglinton Crosstown.
Unfortunately though, as part of the plan to add a new track to the line, Etobicoke
North station is going away since it is in the way. Instead, Woodbine Entertainment Group
has agreed to privately fund a new station at the Woodbine Race track, which will be
a much bigger and more connected option, with the Woodbine Mall and Racetrack and Humber
College in the vicinity. However, this new station will not be served by the UP Express,
as it is right at the split section of the tracks.
There are a few proposed stations as well, including Breslau near Kitchener, St.Clair-Old
Weston near Mount Dennis, as well as Liberty Village near the CNE.
As for the UP Express, since the Kitchener Line will be getting all-day 15 minute service
just like the UP Express already has right now, it will be treated entirely as a branch
of the Kitchener Line from a service perspective.
Let’s move on to the Barrie Line now. For the Barrie Line, the whole line will be electrified,
and it will see hourly or better service for the whole line, with 15 minute service between
Aurora and Union. A big part of this is the Davenport Diamond Project, which will transform
an intersection of GO tracks and CP tracks into a grade separated solution in order to
lessen congestion at this intersection, as well as becoming a new public space for local
residents to enjoy.
The Barrie line will also be getting some much needed connections with the Toronto subway
system, with Bloor-Lansdowne station being the future transfer hub with the Bloor Danforth
Line, and Caledonia being the future transfer hub with the Eglinton Crosstown.
Besides these, a number of other stations have also been proposed, including Spadina
in downtown Toronto, Kirby near King City, Mulock near Newmarket, and Innisfil up north
towards Barrie.
Alright, the next line we're gonna talk about is the Richmond Hill line. Now, unlike the
other busier lines, the Richmond Hill line is unfortunately not getting electrification,
but service during weekday peak hours will be increased to every 15-30 minutes, which
is a welcome improvement. There'll also be an extension to Bloomington that is under
construction right now, extending GO Transit's network into an underserved area.
Now, let’s take a look at the Stouffville Line. The Stouffville Line has been undergoing
a lot of work on the whole corridor, especially with double tracking and station improvements
from Unionville station to Union, and with electrification coming on the horizon, by
the time the whole project is complete in 2025, you can expect much better service on
the whole route, notably 15 minute all day, two way service between Unionville and Union.
We’ve already done a series of videos focused on the construction all along the Stouffville
Line, so check those out if you haven’t seen them yet.
New infill stations along the route have also been proposed including east harbour, Gerrard,
Lawrence east, and Finch east, and an extension to Uxbridge is also in the works since GO
already owns the tracks required.
And finally, we’ll take a look at the improvements coming to the Lakeshore East Line. The line
is getting electrified for the whole of its current length all the way to Oshawa, increasing
the number of trips per day and providing much more frequent service.
This line is also getting the longest extension out of all the lines in the system, with the
extension to Bowmanville adding 4 new stations in the Oshawa, Courtice, and Bowmanville areas.
The project is currently in the preliminary design and study phase with 4 different alignment
options being considered, and hopefully we’ll see this extension open for service in around
2025.
Alright guys, so here it is: the future of GO Transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton
Area. With the addition of all-day two-way service and the Regional Express Rail plan,
plus all the additional stations and station improvements, GO Transit’s rail network
will become an even more reliable and convenient system for commuters and regular passengers
alike, and we can’t wait to see this system truly fleshed out and realized.
Like, subscribe, and comment down below to tell us what you are most excited about in
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Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one!