Premier Doug Ford Directs $480 Million for GO Transit Rail Electrification and Double-Tracking

BRAMPTON, Ont. — Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria announced on Monday the awarding of $480 million in major rail civil construction and electrical infrastructure contracts through Metrolinx to build high-voltage traction power substations, install thirty-five kilometers of continuous double-track, and upgrade grade-separated road crossings along the Kitchener GO rail corridor across Peel and Halton Regions.

The project is a critical component of the province's $70 billion GO Expansion program, laying the physical railway foundation to operate two-way, all-day 15-minute electric train service between Union Station in downtown Toronto, Brampton, Guelph, and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Delivering Fast, Frequent Two-Way All-Day Rapid Rail for Commuters Commuters traveling between the Waterloo Region, Brampton, and Toronto currently face congested highway gridlock on Highway 401, while single-track freight bottlenecks have historically limited passenger GO train service during mid-day and evening hours.

"Our government is transforming GO Transit from a commuter train service into a world-class, rapid electric regional transit network," Premier Doug Ford said during an announcement at the Bramalea GO Station. "Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 401 costs our economy billions and steals precious time away from families. This $480 million investment builds the second track, the electrical power stations, and the modern signals needed to deliver two-way, all-day 15-minute electric train service, getting commuters to their destinations faster and supporting thousands of good union construction jobs."

Major Construction Packages Awarded The $480 million package finances:

• 35 Kilometers of Continuous Second Track: Installing continuous-welded steel trackbed and automated high-speed crossovers between Brampton and Georgetown.
• Two 25-kV Traction Power Substations: Constructing electrical substations connecting clean Ontario nuclear and hydro power to overhead catenary wires.
• Grade-Separated Railway Crossings: Reconstructing two high-traffic municipal road crossings with concrete overpass bridges in Brampton.

Municipal mayors in Brampton, Mississauga, and Kitchener and building trades labor unions commended the contract awards, highlighting that all-day 15-minute electric rail service unlocks billions in transit-oriented housing development around GO stations.