Ontario government moves forward with GO train expansion into Durham Region

The Ontario government says it's one step closer to extending GO train service further into Durham Region.

On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford announced his government has given an early stage planning contract to Bowmanville Construction Partners to extend the Lakeshore East Line almost 20 kilometres east into the town of Bowmanville in Clarington, Ont. 

When the project is completed, the province says it will reduce average travel time from Bowmanville to Union Station by 15 minutes, will include new signals, seven new bridges and at-grade crossing upgrades, and is projected to carry nearly 17,000 daily trips and 4.9 million annual boardings by 2041.

"This GO train extension will be a huge boost for the people and the businesses of Durham Region," said Ford at a news conference Thursday. He added the extension will bring four new proposed GO stations into the region.

"It will provide people with more transit options and more convenience, cutting travel times and allowing people to spend less time in bumper to bumper traffic and more time at home with their families, friends."

The government says it's committing a total of $730 million to the entire expansion project. It's one file in the province's 10-year $70-billion transit plan, which Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney says is meant to build an "integrated and rapid" transit network across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The Lakeshore East Line GO Expansion as a whole will provide 15-minute or better service all day in both directions between Oshawa and Union Station, with peak weekday service being every 30 minutes between Bowmanville and Union Station, the province says.

The plan comes in preparation for the 19,000 people the province expects will live within 800 metres of a station along the extension line by 2041.

"I want to thank the Ontario government for their determination to complete the Bowmanville GO extension and strengthen the economic potential of Clarington and Durham Region," said Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster.

"I am thrilled to see the infrastructure planning contract go ahead, so that we can finally connect our community to the rest of the GTA through GO Transit."

Project has been talked about for years

The Bowmanville expansion has been a talking point for years. Provincial transit agency Metrolinx first completed the environmental project report for the project in 2011, and is currently accepting public commentary on its original plan.

The project was considered by the previous Liberal government in 2016.  Most recently, it was teased by the Ford government last May, leading up the provincial election. 

Transit advocate Steve Munro says while announcements like this are easy to make, getting shovels in the ground is a whole other feat, citing the long-awaited Eglinton Crosstown's continued construction.

"It's not a situation where this is like brand new," said Munro.

"We'll get lots of announcements going up ... construction equipment and stuff being lowered into the ground and working in hard hats, but actual trains, that's quite another thing."