Ontario is taking the next step towards two-way, all-day Regional Express Rail service along the Kitchener line, with the purchase of a 53-kilometre section of CN’s Guelph subdivision rail line used primarily for GO Transit service between Kitchener and Georgetown.
The line runs from west of Main Street in Georgetown to Park Street in Kitchener. Metrolinx has also purchased property in Kitchener for the future site of a train-layover facility.
Regional Express Rail service will mean faster, more frequent trains, operating in both directions throughout the day, in the evenings and on weekends.
By increasing Metrolinx’s ownership along the Kitchener rail corridor, GO Transit will be able to improve service, control operations and make infrastructure upgrades needed to support service expansion, including morning inbound trains to Kitchener and evening outbound trains back to Toronto.
Guleph MPP Liz Sandals said “Purchasing the CN track on the Kitchener line is great News for GO customers and essential to developing future two-way all-day GO Train service to Guelph. This announcement means that GO Transit can plan for even more service on this line in the future, so that commuters have more transit options to get them to them to work, school and appointments.”
The senitment was echoed by Bruce McCuaig, President and CEO, Metrolinx .
“This is good News for GO customers on the Kitchener line — and for people who are considering switching to GO. Ownership and control of our infrastructure is key to improving the existing service and planning for even more service on this line in the future, as we move towards two-way, all-day Regional Express Rail service across our network.”
With this purchase, Metrolinx now owns 80 per cent of the rail corridor over which GO Transit operates, up from 67 per cent.
