MILTON, Ontario — GO Transit will add more than 300 trains per week beginning April 28, the largest expansion of the Toronto-area commuter rail service in more than a decade, the Ontario government announced Monday.
The UP Express service between downtown and Pearson Airport will also see changes, with every other train non-stop between Union Station and the airport.
The additional trains will bring the number of weekly trips to 2,307, a 15.4% increase from the current level, said Phil Verster, CEO of regional transit agency Metrolinx.
Changes will include an increase in frequencies from every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes during afternoons and evenings on the Lakeshore West and Lakeshore East lines between Oakville and Oshawa, Ont.; trains every 30 minutes on weekday afternoons and evenings on the Kitchener Line between Bramalea and Toronto Union Station; additional evening service seven days a week on the Stouffville line, and an additional round trip between Milton and Union Station.
“Today’s announcement, along with our recent introduction of free transfers between different transit systems through One Fare, will help get people across the region where they need to go faster,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, “while saving the average transit rider $1,600 every year.” The One Fare program, launched in February, integrated fares on all Toronto-area transit agencies [see “Ontario to launch ‘One Fare’ program …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 6, 2024].
The Toronto Star reports the change to the UP Express service drew immediate protests from some riders. Two intermediate stations, Bloor and Weston, offering connections with Toronto Transit Commission streetcar and subway lines, will see half the service going forward. Riders who use those stops immediately launched an online petition seeking to reverse the move.
