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(11-29-2025, 01:49 PM)KevinL Wrote: TriTAG have done an excellent writeup on the status of the Kitchener line and its segments, what needs to be done on each, and how and when those can be expected to go ahead: https://tritag.ca/blog/2025/11/28/whats-...ll-day-go/
One thing to note is the CN Halton project is way larger then the public thinks, to the extent it'll take years to get substantial progress, the flyover is obviously a critical part but there's way more going on with it then just that.
A reminder that Mount Dennis station, recently opened on the Kitchener Line, is now the western terminus of the Line 5 LRT. Should make connections in the north and west parts of Toronto easier for those coming from our area.
(02-08-2026, 05:31 PM)KevinL Wrote: A reminder that Mount Dennis station, recently opened on the Kitchener Line, is now the western terminus of the Line 5 LRT. Should make connections in the north and west parts of Toronto easier for those coming from our area.
Mount Dennis also has a UP Express connection to the airport, running every 15 minutes (I think the ride length is about eight minutes). Getting from DTK to YYZ by transit is suddenly much more convenient. And it'll keep getting better as more trains are added on the Kitchener line in the future.
Most of the train trips leaving Kitchener are express from Bramalea, so the connection at Mount Dennis is unfortunately somewhat moot. Weston is also the somewhat better station to connect to UP Express, 12 minutes to Pearson rather than 16.
(02-09-2026, 01:51 PM)MidTowner Wrote: Most of the train trips leaving Kitchener are express from Bramalea, so the connection at Mount Dennis is unfortunately somewhat moot. Weston is also the somewhat better station to connect to UP Express, 12 minutes to Pearson rather than 16.
It looks like the same set of trains for both stations (9:53, 12:53, 15:53, 21:53, 22:53 from Union). The late afternoon/early evening trains don't make that stop so there is still no avoiding the rush-hour traffic if your flight lands somewhere in that gap.
Hopefully in the future they will either add a non-express somewhere in the set, or create a semi-express that makes a few stops, like the UP connection.
What is the current KIT to UNION express travel time? Still 1hr36m? (I know this is down from 2h05m when it started). Hoping it can be trimmed to the 1h18m realm.
(03-11-2026, 10:18 AM)Momo26 Wrote: What is the current KIT to UNION express travel time? Still 1hr36m? (I know this is down from 2h05m when it started). Hoping it can be trimmed to the 1h18m realm.
Is it electrified yet?
Electrification will not be happening anytime soon on any line, the closest to electrification is Lakeshore West but even that is years away. If you know where to look GO has a milestone chart of what tasks need to be completed before electrification. I have attached it below.
There are additional projects happening along the lines that are intended to occur but are not critical to the paths that Metrolinx has outlined, as such they aren't included. For example there are various grade separations that are being contemplated along the corridors that aren't explicitly mentioned in those paths.
The most critical aspect of the Kitchener line is to get dedicated tracks through the CN Halton sub, once that is completed GO has the ability to significantly increase service as they don't have to fight CN for time slots through that stretch. Engineering works are well on the way for those projects with multiple firms being involved in design and it's generally progressed to 60% design or beyond, Metrolinx has expropriated land for the Silver Jct project already but beyond that nothing is even in procurement. Those two projects are outlined as Dedicated Tracks and Civil (Bramalea to Silver) and Grade Separation (Silver Jct)
I am more disappointed that there is still no commitment for the Breslau GO Station. The DTK transit hub is going to be built for people in the core, but will not include much parking, which I agree with. But I think the Region needs to push for a Park and Ride station to be built for those that do not live in the core/ close to rapid transit.
(03-16-2026, 09:13 AM)westwardloo Wrote: I am more disappointed that there is still no commitment for the Breslau GO Station. The DTK transit hub is going to be built for people in the core, but will not include much parking, which I agree with. But I think the Region needs to push for a Park and Ride station to be built for those that do not live in the core/ close to rapid transit.
The Region has been progressing on Breslau behind the scenes it just isn't a very public process, various field activities have been conducted in the area to assist with design.
I'll be blunt, and this is an unpopular opinion. I think new large park and ride facilities on greenfield space is a bad idea.
And I realize that I'm not going to convince anyone here, nor am I even going to be seen at anyone at GO/Metrolinx so this is a conversation for conversations sake, but the fact is, building a large park and ride facility is an investment that benefits a relatively small number of people (say 500-1000, who could possibly would use even a very large parking lot), at the cost of long term maintenance of the status quo--a transit station that will remain permanently and completely inaccessible by all the development that absolutely will happen around it. It is another missed opportunity to change the strategy of development in the province, and a significant loss of housing opportunity in a province with a desperate shortage of housing.
But I fully expect that a P&R facility will be built somewhere around the same time the 7 expressway is also completed, because nothing is changing in the province.
(03-16-2026, 11:10 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I'll be blunt, and this is an unpopular opinion. I think new large park and ride facilities on greenfield space is a bad idea.
And I realize that I'm not going to convince anyone here, nor am I even going to be seen at anyone at GO/Metrolinx so this is a conversation for conversations sake, but the fact is, building a large park and ride facility is an investment that benefits a relatively small number of people (say 500-1000, who could possibly would use even a very large parking lot), at the cost of long term maintenance of the status quo--a transit station that will remain permanently and completely inaccessible by all the development that absolutely will happen around it. It is another missed opportunity to change the strategy of development in the province, and a significant loss of housing opportunity in a province with a desperate shortage of housing.
But I fully expect that a P&R facility will be built somewhere around the same time the 7 expressway is also completed, because nothing is changing in the province.
How do other jurisdictions (ie overseas) handle delivering commuters to their regional rail stations without parking garages? Would Waterloo Region ever be able to increase its transit network to enough capacity to allow regular connections to GO services? In a Region where a car can get a person virtually anywhere is less than 20 minutes, a walk+transit ride would need to be less than 45 minutes to appear competitive.
I would love to see fewer parking garages, but especially for terminals at the end of the line, I don't see how GO can avoid them. For passengers arriving from points north and west of Kitchener the only way might be to increase GO bus service to places like Stratford, New Hamburg or Elmira. Extending secondary rail service beyond existing terminals with trains that don't all need to end their inbound trips at Union Station would also be a good route to go, but I don't see that happening soon.
They should at least design the station area so that the parking only affects one side. The other side should be designed to connect directly to adjacent properties and at least allow for the possibility of high density development. The station absolutely does not in any way need to be in the middle of a huge piece of car infrastructure. Being next to it should be fine.
(03-16-2026, 11:10 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: I'll be blunt, and this is an unpopular opinion. I think new large park and ride facilities on greenfield space is a bad idea.
And I realize that I'm not going to convince anyone here, nor am I even going to be seen at anyone at GO/Metrolinx so this is a conversation for conversations sake, but the fact is, building a large park and ride facility is an investment that benefits a relatively small number of people (say 500-1000, who could possibly would use even a very large parking lot), at the cost of long term maintenance of the status quo--a transit station that will remain permanently and completely inaccessible by all the development that absolutely will happen around it. It is another missed opportunity to change the strategy of development in the province, and a significant loss of housing opportunity in a province with a desperate shortage of housing.
But I fully expect that a P&R facility will be built somewhere around the same time the 7 expressway is also completed, because nothing is changing in the province.
How do other jurisdictions (ie overseas) handle delivering commuters to their regional rail stations without parking garages? Would Waterloo Region ever be able to increase its transit network to enough capacity to allow regular connections to GO services? In a Region where a car can get a person virtually anywhere is less than 20 minutes, a walk+transit ride would need to be less than 45 minutes to appear competitive.
I would love to see fewer parking garages, but especially for terminals at the end of the line, I don't see how GO can avoid them. For passengers arriving from points north and west of Kitchener the only way might be to increase GO bus service to places like Stratford, New Hamburg or Elmira. Extending secondary rail service beyond existing terminals with trains that don't all need to end their inbound trips at Union Station would also be a good route to go, but I don't see that happening soon.
I think commuter rail is a uniquely North American phenomenon. No other country (or at least none I can think of) builds a transit system that is designed to cater only to commute hour drivers. So yes, if the only goal is to do that, then a P&R makes sense. But I don't think that should be the goal here.
As for what other countries do, some do have P&Rs, but they're generally smaller, and as suggested by ijmorlan cover at most half the station area.
For me, the problem with the Breslau station is that this is station that will be surrounded by a moat of parking, and exist for no other reason. Worse, development will almost certainly follow the station and grow around it, but with no plan and a shitty station area, this development will be unplanned, and car focused.
There is an opportunity instead to build a transit focused new complete community around it. How often do we open a new rail transit station? This is precisely what was done in the neighbourhood I live in, they opened a new station, and built a whole community around it.
But there are two big obstacles here. First, nobody has even imagined that you can build a transit community like this in North America. But bigger than that, you'd have to accept that people in KW that WANT to go to Toronto would have a choice: live in the transit focused area, or drive instead. The idea that we should give up on getting people living in a car dependent suburban wasteland sounds wrong, but I think it makes sense. People who live in a car dependent area aren't going to make extensive use of transit. We should instead by providing the opportunity for people to live a car light lifestyle by providing a good experience in such a place.
Like many things, this is about a deeper concept of freedom and choice. E.g., not "I expect to drive wherever I want, even a transit station" the choice should be "what kind of lifestyle do I want to have"
