Ontario Celebrating 50 Years on the GO

GO Transit

Province Transforming GO Network with Largest Commuter Rail Project in Canada

Toronto, ON – May 23, 2017

Ontario is celebrating the 50th anniversary of GO Transit, which has been making it easier for people to travel across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) by connecting communities and helping to manage congestion, and looking to the future as it transforms the network into a true regional rapid transit system.

Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, was at the Toronto Railway Museum today to mark the anniversary by opening the museum’s newest exhibit–a fully restored original GO train coach–and highlighting the new investments that are underway.

GO Transit, short for Government of Ontario Transit, began operating on May 23, 1967, as a 14-stop commuter rail line from Hamilton to Pickering. In its first year of operation, GO Transit carried 2.5 million riders, exceeding its projected ridership for that year in just six months. Today, GO Transit accommodates about 70 million trips per year on seven rail lines, connecting to 15 GO bus terminals and 17 municipal transit systems across the GTHA.

Moving forward, Ontario is undertaking the largest commuter rail project in Canada to bring even more GO rail service across the region. Through GO Regional Express Rail, more two-way, all-day service will come to large parts of the GO rail network, with much of the network electrified and service extended to Niagara Falls and Bowmanville. This will provide more travel choice by increasing the number of weekly trips across the network from about 1,500 to nearly 6,000 by 2025.

Building public transit to manage congestion, connect communities, and give people more travel options is part of our plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives.