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 (CN). [2]
Service was extended beyond Georgetown to Guelph on October 29, 1990, but was again cut back to Georgetown on July 2, 1993. [2]
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. Another intermediate stop, Acton, opened on January 7, 2013. [2]
Weekday midday service was re-introduced in September 2015, with hourly service between Mount Pleasant and Union. [3]
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. [4] [5] [6]
On October 18, 2021, service to London, Ontario 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 station in each community served as each stop. [7] [8] Service beyond Kitchener was discontinued following the end of the project, on October 13, 2023. [9]
On April 8, 2023, hourly weekend service was introduced between Mount Pleasant and Union, with Kitchener express bus connections at Bramalea. [10] Since the weekend service was introduced, passengers have complained about overcrowding on the new express buses between Bramalea and Kitchener, which at certain times resulted in some passengers being unable to board the buses. [11]
On November 23, 2025, GO Transit will introduce weekend service to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener with four trains in the schedule. [12]
Infrastructure
As a part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program, the West Toronto Diamond was grade separated. The Metrolinx Weston Subdivision, which carries the Kitchener Line as well as Union Pearson Express and Via trains, was lowered into a trench to pass under CP's North Toronto Subdivision. [13] Trains began using the new grade separation in May 2014. [14]
The Georgetown South railway expansion project was initiated in 2009 with Metrolinx now as its proponent. [15] The project represented a significant increase in railway capacity, with the former one- to two-track [16] 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. [17] It drew criticism from Weston community groups, which opposed the increased use of diesel locomotives on the basis of air pollution. They preferred instead that the corridor be electrified. [17] The group has also requested more stations along the route. [17]
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, [18] allowing Union Pearson Express to begin operating, while additional track work in the Union Station Rail Corridor continued into 2016. [19]
In 2009 Metrolinx purchased 26 kilometres (16 mi) of track along the corridor from Toronto to Bramalea for $160 million. [20] : 10 In September 2014, it purchased the 53 kilometres (33 mi) of track from Georgetown to Kitchener from CN for $76 million. [21]
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. [22]
In 2021, the second of two tunnels under Highways 401 and 409 was completed to allow two more tracks to be installed to increase Kitchener line capacity and support future all-day, two-way service. [23]
On November 16, 2025, Mount Dennis station will open in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood of Toronto. The station will provide a direct transfer to the Toronto subway's Line 5 Eglinton. [24]
