Kitchener is one of the
seven train lines of the
GO Transit
GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven millio ...
system in the
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada. It extends westward from
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
to
Kitchener, though most trains originate and terminate in
Brampton
Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...
in off-peak hours. A two-year pilot project which began in October 2021 extends the line west to
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
.
History
Services
The GO Transit Georgetown line opened on April 29, 1974, becoming the second line in the GO Transit rail network. Peak-direction train service operated between
Georgetown and Union Station, replacing a commuter service previously operated by
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
(CN).
Service was extended beyond Georgetown to Guelph on October 29, 1990, but was again cut back to Georgetown on July 2, 1993.
[
Limited weekday midday service was introduced in April 2002, with four trains in each direction between Union and Bramalea. These trains were discontinued in 2011 to facilitate construction of the Georgetown South Expansion project.
On December 19, 2011, the Georgetown Line was renamed the Kitchener Line as service was extended to Kitchener, making one intermediate stop at ]Guelph
Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...
. Another intermediate stop, Acton Acton may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Acton
Australia
* Acton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Acton, Tasmania, a suburb of Burnie
* Acton Park, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, formerly known as Acton
Canada ...
, opened on January 7, 2013.[
Weekday midday service was re-introduced in September 2015, with hourly service between Mount Pleasant and Union.]
In September 2019, GO Transit introduced limited off-peak train service along the entire length of the line, with two new weekday round trips operating between Toronto and Kitchener outside of peak periods.
On October 18, 2021, service to London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
began as a pilot project; one train per weekday in each direction runs as an extension of Kitchener line service, with intermediate stops in Stratford and St. Marys. The existing Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...
station in each community serves as each stop.
Infrastructure
As a part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program, the West Toronto Diamond
The West Toronto Diamond is a junction (rail), railway junction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It connects the Metrolinx Weston Subdivision, which carries the GO Transit Kitchener line, UP Express and Via Rail Corridor (Via Rail), Corridor passeng ...
was grade separated. The Metrolinx Weston railway, which carries the Kitchener Line as well as Union Pearson Express
The Union Pearson Express (UP Express or UPX) is an airport rail link connecting Union Station in Downtown Toronto to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The UP Express began operation on 6 June 2015, in time for the 2015 Pan American Games. ...
and Via
Via or VIA may refer to the following:
Science and technology
* MOS Technology 6522, Versatile Interface Adapter
* ''Via'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae
* Via (electronics), a through-connection
* VIA Technologies, a Taiwan ...
trains, was lowered into a trench to pass under CP's North Toronto main line. Trains began using the new grade separation in May 2014.[
]
The Georgetown South railway expansion project was initiated in 2009 with Metrolinx
Metrolinx is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages and integrates road and public transport in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), which comprises much of Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. Headquartered at Union Sta ...
now as its proponent. The project represented a significant increase in railway capacity, with the former one- to two-track railway being widened to 4 tracks within Toronto, with a total of 8 tracks where the Milton line and Barrie line share the corridor. All level crossings along the corridor were eliminated using railway or roadway underpasses. The plan would allow for an increased frequency of trains on the route, increasing service from approximately 50 per day to about 300. It drew criticism from Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
community groups, which opposed the increased use of diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
s on the basis of air pollution. They preferred instead that the corridor be electrified
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source.
The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...
. The group has also requested more stations along the route.
The Georgetown South project was later reduced in scope due to cost overruns: the corridor was expanded to three tracks, with the fourth track as well as the dedicated Barrie line tracks deferred to future projects. Construction on the Weston subdivision itself finished in 2015, allowing Union Pearson Express to begin operating, while additional track work in the Union Station Rail Corridor
The Union Station Rail Corridor (USRC) is a corridor of railway tracks that exist through and adjacent to Union Station in downtown Toronto. It is long, approximately stretching from Bathurst Street (mile 1.1) in the west to the Don River in the ...
continued into 2016.
In 2009 Metrolinx purchased of track along the corridor from Toronto to Bramalea for $160 million. In September 2014, it purchased the of track from Georgetown to Kitchener from CN for $76 million.
In 2019, Metrolinx conducted a series of public forums on electrification of the Kitchener line from Georgetown to Kitchener, in a change from its earlier Regional Express Rail plan, which had called for continuation of diesel train service on the western portion of the line. Electrification plans reaffirmed overall Metrolinx goals of track bed and bridge improvements, quad-tracking sections of the line, and the addition of a station at Breslau.
Station list
Current service
GO Transit train service operates on weekdays only. During the times that trains do not operate, corresponding GO bus service is provided.
On weekdays during peak periods in the peak direction, approximately 2 trains per hour operate the full route between Toronto and Kitchener, while additional trips operate shorter segments to and from Toronto. Express trains typically serve all stations between Kitchener and Bramalea, and operate non-stop between Bramalea and Union.
Outside of peak periods, service operates hourly between Mount Pleasant and Union, of which 2 off-peak in each direction also cover the entire route from Kitchener to Toronto.
Future expansion
The 2008 proposal to extend services past Georgetown to Kitchener included some components which have not yet been realized. In addition to the now-realized stations in Kitchener, Guelph and Acton, the report proposed a station in Breslau which would serve as a park-and-ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system (rapi ...
facility for Waterloo Region
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumfr ...
. A layover
250px, Layover for buses at LACMTA's Warner Center Transit Hub, Los Angeles ">Los_Angeles.html" ;"title="Warner Center Transit Hub, Los Angeles">Warner Center Transit Hub, Los Angeles
In scheduled transportation, a layover (also waypoint, way ...
yard in Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
was also proposed. The Breslau station received further approval in an official expansion plan in June 2016.
The provincial initiative known as GO Regional Express Rail
GO Expansion, previously known as GO Regional Express Rail (RER), is a project to improve GO Transit train service by adding all-day, two-way service to the inner portions of the Barrie line, Kitchener line and the Stouffville line, and by inc ...
proposes a substantial increase in Kitchener line service over the next decade. During peak hours, trains would run in peak direction every 30 minutes from Kitchener to Union Station and every 15 minutes from Mount Pleasant to Union Station. Electrification will be in place from Bramalea to Union Station, with trains running every 15 minutes along the electrified line throughout the day. CN Rail owns a segment of the line between Georgetown and Bramalea that will be bypassed by a track to which freight traffic will be shunted. Once completed, Metrolinx will acquire the track segment between Bramalea and Georgetown.
A new station is also proposed where the line crosses Eglinton Avenue
Eglinton Avenue is a major east–west arterial thoroughfare in Toronto and Mississauga in the Canadian province of Ontario. The street begins at Highway 407 (but does not interchange with the tollway) at the western limits of Mississauga, as a ...
in the Mount Dennis
Mount Dennis is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is within the former suburb of York, now Ward 11 in Toronto. Primarily located along Eglinton Avenue between the Humber River and the Kitchener commuter rail line, the neighbourhoo ...
neighbourhood. It would interface with the western end of the Line 5 Eglinton
Line 5 Eglinton (also known as the Eglinton Crosstown or the Crosstown) is a light rail line that is under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Metrolinx and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the line will be part ...
LRT at Mount Dennis station
Mount Dennis is an intermodal transit terminal under construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located east of the intersection of Eglinton Avenue and Weston Road in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood in the district of York, the station will be th ...
, and open when that line opens in 2022.[
]
The Region of Waterloo
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo (Waterloo Region or Region of Waterloo) is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo (KWC or Tri-Cities), and the townships of North Dumf ...
is planning to build Kitchener Central Station
Central Station is a light rail station in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, which is planned to be expanded into an intermodal transit terminal. , it consists of an Ion light rail stop and Grand River Transit bus stops. The site is planned to also ...
, a transit hub, at the north-east corner of King and Victoria streets in Kitchener. The hub would serve GO Transit trains and buses as well as other local and intercity public transit services.
As part of Toronto mayor John Tory
John Howard Tory (born May 28, 1954) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 65th and current mayor of Toronto since 2014.
After a career as a lawyer, political strategist and businessman, Tory ran as a mayoral candidate in the 2003 ...
's Smart Track initiative, new stations are planned where the line crosses St. Clair Avenue West and near Liberty Village
Liberty Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered to the north by King Street West, to the west by Dufferin Street, to the south by the Gardiner Expressway, to the east by Strachan Avenue, and to the northeast by the ...
.
, Metrolinx is considering replacing its Etobicoke North GO Station
Etobicoke North GO Station is a GO Transit train and bus station on the Kitchener line in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 1949 Kipling Avenue just north of Belfield Road, close to the junction of Highways Ontar ...
with a proposed Highway 27–Woodbine station about 2 kilometres west, near Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a race track for Thoroughbred horse racing in the Etobicoke area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Woodbine Entertainment Group, Woodbine Racetrack manages and hosts Canada's most famous race, the King's Plate. The track ...
. Metrolinx wants to demolish Etobicoke North station site to effect service improvements.
In February 2020, Metrolinx held a series of Public Information Centres detailing plans for expansion on the line. During peak hours, the plan calls for hourly peak direction service from Kitchener and 30 minute service from Georgetown. Both of these will run express from Bramalea, with trains from Kitchener making a stop at Weston. The plan also calls for full 10 minute bi-directional service from Bramalea and hourly off-peak services running express from Bramalea to Union Station, with weekday trains stopping at Bramption and Mount Pleasant.
On April 30, 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx released a preliminary business case for mid-term infrastructure improvements which would permit more frequent Kitchener line service, as well as a Request for Qualifications for smaller, short-term infrastructure improvement projects on the line. The business case, dated to March 2021, estimated a reduction of GO train travel times from Kitchener to Toronto's Union Station from 111 minutes to 98 minutes with infrastructure improvements which would lift existing slow order
A slow order is a local speed restriction on a rail line that is set below the track's normal speed limit.
Slow orders are usually imposed by railway dispatchers for sections of track that are in some way deficient or when there is a requirement ...
s on the line due to poor infrastructure repair. With grade separation of Silver Junction near Georgetown, there would be a further reduction to 90 minutes, along with improved reliability due to the elimination of the need for a train meet A train meet is the situation in railroading or rail transit operations in which a train traveling in one direction "meets" another traveling in the opposite direction, either while traveling on parallel double or multiple tracks, or while stopping ...
at Georgetown, as well as the mitigation of potential conflicts with freight operations. Metrolinx estimated that ridership on the line with full improvements would be 11,008,500 per year, compared to 7,035,100 per year with no improvements ("business as usual"); the vast majority of the increased ridership would be attributable to the instituting of all-day, two-way service. In May 2022, Metrolinx announced that the construction contract was awarded to Dagmar Construction Inc. The work would include:
* a second platform at Guelph Central GO Station
Guelph Central Station (also known as Guelph Central GO Station) is the main Intermodal passenger transport, inter-modal transportation terminal in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. It is used by VIA Rail and GO Transit trains, as well as Guelph Transit lo ...
* an extension of the north platform at Guelph Central GO Station
* a new storage track for maintenance vehicles west of Guelph
* a new passing track long in Breslau ( Woolwich Township)
* a new passing track at Acton GO Station
* a new storage track for maintenance vehicles near Rockwood
* track re-alignments between Kitchener and Georgetown
See also
* Halton Subdivision
The CN Halton Subdivision is a major railway line in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by the Canadian National Railway (CN).
Route description
The Halton Subdivision is long and runs generally northeast–southwest. Milepoint ...
– Canadian National rail line between Brampton and Georgetown partially used by Kitchener line trains
* Quebec City–Windsor Corridor (Via Rail)
The Quebec City–Windsor Corridor (french: Ligne de Québec à Windsor), also known as simply the Corridor, is a Via Rail passenger train service in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The Corridor service area has the heaviest passe ...
– larger trans-provincial rail corridor which includes the Kitchener line route
* Rail transport in Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
References
External links
Kitchener Line: Train and Bus Schedule on GO Transit
updated January 5, 2019
GO Transit's Kitchener Line on Transit Toronto
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchener line
GO Transit
Passenger rail transport in Toronto
Passenger rail transport in Mississauga
Passenger rail transport in Brampton
Passenger rail transport in Guelph
Passenger rail transport in Kitchener, Ontario
Rail infrastructure in Perth County, Ontario
Passenger rail transport in London, Ontario
Passenger rail transport in the Regional Municipality of Halton
Rail transport in Wellington County, Ontario
Railway lines opened in 1974
1974 establishments in Ontario