Premier Doug Ford Directs $380 Million for Waterloo ION and Hamilton LRT Track Construction

WATERLOO, Ont. — Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria announced on Monday the awarding of $380 million in major provincial transit civil construction contracts through Metrolinx to build electrical traction power substations, underground utility conduits, and embedded trackbeds for the 18-kilometer Waterloo ION Light Rail Transit (LRT) Stage 2 extension to Cambridge and the 14-kilometer Hamilton LRT corridor.

The project connects major tech innovation clusters, universities, and residential neighborhoods—linking Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge with the University of Waterloo, and connecting McMaster University to Eastgate Square in Hamilton.

Expanding Rapid Transit Across Southern Ontario's Innovation Belt Surging population growth across the Waterloo Region and Hamilton has strained local arterial roads, where expanding rapid rail transit is essential to support tens of thousands of daily student and tech commuter trips.

"The Waterloo Region and Hamilton are two of the most dynamic, fast-growing economic engines in Canada, and our government is building the modern rapid transit they need," Premier Doug Ford said during an announcement at an ION transit station in Waterloo. "This $380 million investment gets shovels in the ground to build the rail lines, traction substations, and passenger stations that will move hundreds of thousands of commuters, connect world-class universities with growing tech hubs, and support thousands of union construction jobs."

Major Infrastructure Contracts Awarded The $380 million transit package finances:

• Waterloo ION Stage 2 Utility Relocations (Kitchener to Cambridge): $190 million to relocate municipal watermains and construct 12 kilometers of dedicated center-running trackway.
• Hamilton LRT Traction Power Substations: $150 million to construct six electrical substations and overhead catenary wire networks along Main and King Streets.
• Automated Train Control & Signal Upgrades: $40 million for GPS-synchronized moving-block signaling.

Municipal mayors in Waterloo, Cambridge, and Hamilton and construction trades unions praised the provincial contracts, emphasizing that light rail delivery attracts billions in high-density downtown transit-oriented housing development.