95-790: Kitchener is one of the seven train lines of the GO Transit system in the Greater Toronto Area , Ontario , Canada. It extends westward from Union Station in Toronto to Kitchener , though most trains originate and terminate in Brampton in off-peak hours. [REDACTED] 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
190-465: A 505 Dundas streetcar heading eastbound collided with a Greyhound bus at Dundas and River Streets. Based on 2013 statistics, the TTC operated 304.6 kilometres (189.3 mi) of routes on 82 kilometres (51 mi) streetcar network (double or single track) throughout Toronto. As of July 28, 2024 , there are eleven active daytime streetcar routes plus seven overnight streetcar routes (part of
285-468: A locomotive on the east end and a cab control car on the west end. In push configuration, the cab car has a complete set of engineer's controls built into it, allowing the engineer to remotely control the locomotive pushing the whole train from the back of the train. This enables trains to travel in either direction without requiring one locomotive on each end. All GO trains have a total of three crew members. The conductor and engineer are located in
380-456: A Request for Qualifications for smaller, short-term infrastructure improvement projects on the line. The business case, dated to March 2021, estimated a reduction of GO train travel times from Kitchener to Toronto's Union Station from 111 minutes to 98 minutes with infrastructure improvements which would lift existing slow orders on the line due to poor infrastructure repair. With grade separation of Silver Junction near Georgetown, there would be
475-414: A backup plan in the event there were not enough Flexity streetcars. On June 19, 2016, the TTC launched the 514 Cherry streetcar route to supplement 504 King service along King Street between Dufferin and Sumach streets. The new route operated every 15 minutes or better and initially used some and later only the commission's then-new accessible Flexity streetcars. The eastern end of the 514 route ran on
570-593: A commuter service previously operated by Canadian National Railway (CN). Service was extended beyond Georgetown to Guelph on October 29, 1990, but was again cut back to Georgetown on July 2, 1993. 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,
665-405: A further reduction to 90 minutes, along with improved reliability due to the elimination of the need for a train meet at Georgetown, as well as the mitigation of potential conflicts with freight operations. Metrolinx estimated that ridership on the line with full improvements would be 11,008,500 per year, compared to 7,035,100 per year with no improvements ("business as usual"); the vast majority of
760-615: A newly constructed branch, originally named the Cherry Street streetcar line , which is located in a reserved side-of-street right-of-way. On September 12, 2017, 509 Harbourfront became the first streetcar route in Toronto to operate Flexity streetcars with electrical pickup by pantograph instead of trolley pole . That November, the King Street Transit Priority Corridor , a transit mall ,
855-409: A partial right-of-way, and six operate on street trackage shared with vehicular traffic with streetcars stopping on demand at frequent stops like buses. Since 2019, the network has used low-floor streetcars , making it fully accessible. Toronto's streetcars provide most of the downtown core's surface transit service. Four of the TTC's five most heavily used surface routes are streetcar routes. In 2023,
950-484: A rail link between Cambridge and Guelph operated by Metrolinx, with an estimated 14 to 17 minute travel time and frequency of every 30 to 60 minutes. The line would be built along a Canadian National spur between the two cities. Reports have forecasted a ridership of over 500,000 by 2041, and would cut travel time between Cambridge and Union Station to 87 minutes. Since the founding of GO Transit in 1967, GO trains have operated in push-pull configuration . Each train has
1045-588: A route identifier (route name until the 1980s and later route number) and destination on two separate front rollsigns. The dot-matrix display destination signs on the Flexity streetcars show route number, route name and destination. Before 2018, streetcar-replacement bus services indicated route number and destination but not route name, like the CLRVs. The streetcar-operated Blue Night Network routes have been assigned 300-series route numbers. The other exception to
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#17327919209511140-408: A separated right-of-way similar to that of the 510 on Spadina Avenue, to increase service reliability and was completed on June 30, 2010. On December 19, 2010, 504 King streetcar service returned to Roncesvalles Avenue after the street was rebuilt to a new design, which provided a widened sidewalk " bumpout " at each stop to allow riders to board a streetcar directly from the curb. When no streetcar
1235-509: A single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. GO Train service ran throughout the day from Oakville to Pickering with limited rush hour train service to Hamilton. This line, now divided as the Lakeshore East and Lakeshore West lines is the keystone corridor of GO Transit, and continued to be its only rail line for its first seven years of operation. GO's other five lines were opened between 1974 and 1982, significantly expanding
1330-463: A station, but before opening the doors, the CSA is required to point towards both ends of the train and announce that the platform is clear as a way to confirm that the train is stopped properly. After the CSA closes the doors, the same process is repeated to confirm that nobody is caught in the doors. According to Metrolinx, incorporating the pointing and calling procedure within GO Transit's daily operations
1425-519: A stop at Weston. The plan also calls for full 10 minute bi-directional service from Bramalea and hourly off-peak services running express from Bramalea to Union Station, with weekday trains stopping at Bramption and Mount Pleasant. On April 30, 2021, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx released a preliminary business case for mid-term infrastructure improvements which would permit more frequent Kitchener line service, as well as
1520-586: A streetcar operation, with the bulk of the routes acquired from the private TRC and merged with the publicly operated Toronto Civic Railways. In 1923, the TTC took over the Lambton, Davenport and Weston routes of the Toronto Suburban Railway (TSR) and integrated them into the streetcar system. In 1925, routes were operated on behalf of the Township of York (as Township of York Railway), but
1615-490: A substantial increase in Kitchener line service over the next decade. During peak hours, trains would run in peak direction every 30 minutes from Kitchener to Union Station and every 15 minutes from Mount Pleasant to Union Station. Electrification will be in place from Bramalea to Union Station, with trains running every 15 minutes along the electrified line throughout the day. CN Rail owns a 19-kilometre (12 mi) segment of
1710-594: A surface rail connection there. In the early 1980s, a streetcar line was planned to connect Kennedy station to Scarborough Town Centre . However, as that line was being built, the Province of Ontario persuaded the TTC to switch to using a new technology called the Intermediate Capacity Transit System (now Bombardier Innovia Metro) by promising to pay for any cost overruns (which eventually amounted to over $ 100 million). Thus,
1805-622: A validated TTC senior, youth or student ticket; a single-ride ticket; a paper transfer; or a tapped-in Presto card while riding. At the same time, the TTC also activated the option for customers to purchase single-ride tickets using debit or credit cards on the fare vending machines on Flexity streetcars. With the January 3, 2016, service changes, 510 Spadina became the first wheelchair-accessible streetcar route using mainly Flexity streetcars. However, CLRV and ALRV streetcars were used in some cases as
1900-648: Is a network of eleven streetcar routes in Toronto , Ontario, Canada, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). It is the third busiest light-rail system in North America . The network is concentrated primarily in Downtown Toronto and in proximity to the city's waterfront . Much of the streetcar route network dates from the second half of the 19th century. Three streetcar routes operate in their own right-of-way, one in
1995-533: Is an important way to enhance safety, "especially as the transit agency gets ready to launch the largest expansion of GO service in it’s [sic] history". In winter conditions, trains are stored near Union Station to so that afternoon and evening trains can travel through less snow. Trains are kept at specific temperatures during storage to speed up engine startup on cold days and to eliminate frozen train doors. Fans are used to blow hot air onto track switches to keep them from freezing in extreme cold. Track snow removal
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#17327919209512090-484: Is conducted using high-pressure blower snow removal equipment. In the event of exceptionally severe winter conditions, GO trains run on different schedules. Express trains will stop at all stations. The cancellation of train trips may occur, as well as replacing trains with buses. GO Transit inspects train air conditioning more frequently during summer, as A/C systems have to work harder on hot days. In extremely hot weather, train tracks can expand and buckle under
2185-561: Is considering replacing its Etobicoke North GO Station with a proposed Highway 27–Woodbine station about 2 kilometres west, near Woodbine Racetrack . Metrolinx wants to demolish Etobicoke North station site to effect service improvements. In February 2020, Metrolinx held a series of Public Information Centres detailing plans for expansion on the line. During peak hours, the plan calls for hourly peak direction service from Kitchener and 30 minute service from Georgetown. Both of these will run express from Bramalea, with trains from Kitchener making
2280-424: Is held during the summer. By 2003, two-thirds of the city's streetcar tracks were in poor condition as the older track was poorly built using unwelded rail attached to untreated wooden ties lying on loose gravel. The result was street trackage falling apart quickly requiring digging up everything after 10 to 15 years. Thus, the TTC started to rebuild tracks using a different technique. With the new technique, concrete
2375-444: Is north of downtown. Short sections of the track also operate in a tunnel (to connect with Spadina, Union, and St. Clair West subway stations). The most significant section of underground streetcar trackage is a tunnel underneath Bay Street connecting Queens Quay with Union station; this section, which is approximately 700 m (2,300 ft) long, includes one intermediate underground station at Bay Street and Queens Quay. During
2470-447: Is planning to build Kitchener Central Station , a transit hub, at the north-east corner of King and Victoria streets in Kitchener. The hub would serve GO Transit trains and buses as well as other local and intercity public transit services. As part of Toronto mayor John Tory 's Smart Track initiative, new stations are planned where the line crosses St. Clair Avenue West and near Liberty Village . As of December 2018, Metrolinx
2565-416: Is poured over compacted gravel, and the ties are placed in another bed of concrete, which is topped by more concrete to embed rail clips and rubber-encased rails. The resulting rail is more stable and quieter with less vibration. The new tracks are expected to last 25 years after which only the top concrete layer needs to be removed in order to replace worn rails. Route 512 St. Clair was rebuilt to restore
2660-699: Is present, cyclists may ride over the bumpout as it doubles as part of a bike lane. On October 12, 2014, streetcar service resumed on 509 Harbourfront route after the street was rebuilt to a new design that replaced the eastbound auto lanes with parkland from Spadina Avenue to York Street. Thus, streetcars since then run on a roadside right-of-way immediately adjacent to a park on its southern edge. The Toronto Transit Commission eliminated all Sunday-only stops on June 7, 2015, as these stops slowed down streetcars making it more difficult to meet scheduled stops. Sunday stops, which served Christian churches, were deemed unfair to non-Christian places of worship, which never had
2755-425: Is required (e.g., for construction, special events, emergencies), replacement buses bear the same route number and name as the corresponding streetcar route. Until 1980, streetcar routes had names but not numbers. When the CLRVs were introduced, the TTC assigned route numbers in the 500 series. CLRVs have a single front rollsign showing various combinations of route number and destination, while PCC streetcars showed
2850-740: The Agincourt rail yards ." Via Rail provided train service to Peterborough until 1990, when service was cancelled. The potential to provide commuter rail service to Peterborough was noted by GO Transit in its 2020 strategic plan, and was also included in The Big Move . Metrolinx completed a study for bringing commuter rail service to Peterborough in February 2010. Different routes were explored, all of which use CPKC's existing Havelock subdivision between Peterborough and Toronto. Once reaching Toronto, three different routes were explored through
2945-714: The Blue Night Network ) on the TTC network. The following table does not reflect temporary diversions and bus substitutions. Part of the Blue Night Network service, operating as 301 Queen between Neville Park and Long Branch Loops. Part of the Blue Night Network service, operating as 303 Kingston Rd between Bingham Loop and Roncesvalles Avenue. Part of the Blue Night Network service, operating as 304 King between Dundas West station and Broadview stations, bypassing Dufferin Gate and Distillery Loops. Part of
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3040-720: The Locust Hill line to Locust Hill . GO Transit has contemplated a Midtown corridor since the 1980s as a contingency plan once capacity at Union Station became constrained, making North Toronto an alternate station for Downtown Toronto . The major barrier to these plans, however, is the fact that the Midtown corridor is composed of existing rail lines owned and actively used by the CPKC as its main freight line between Ottawa , Montreal , London and Windsor . CPKC has been reluctant to provide capacity to GO Transit on its tracks, and
3135-618: The Milton line (which runs along CPKC tracks to the west) only came after considerable negotiations, the 1979 Mississauga train derailment , and an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. All three lines in the corridor were listed under the 15-year plan of The Big Move upon its publication in 2008. However, the Havelock line was moved to the 25-year plan on February 14, 2013, because of "very modest ridership potential and significant infrastructure and operational challenges related to
3230-531: The locomotive or the cab car to operate the train. Another guard-like staff member, the Customer Service Ambassador (CSA), is located in the accessibility coach, which is the fifth car from the locomotive. The CSA is responsible for opening and closing the train doors, making announcements over the PA system, and acts as the first responder in case of an emergency on board. The CSA announces
3325-478: The 15- to the 25-year plan on February 14, 2013, when amendments were made to The Big Move. The Midtown corridor refers to three new GO Transit services in The Big Move . The first is a Crosstown line from Dundas Street to the former CP North Toronto and Leaside stations in Toronto . The second and third segments would extend east from North Toronto and/or Union Station : the Seaton line to Seaton , and
3420-424: The 1950s, the TTC continued to invest in streetcars and the TTC took advantage of other cities' streetcar removals by purchasing extra PCC cars from Cleveland , Birmingham , Kansas City , and Cincinnati . In 1966, the TTC announced plans to eliminate all streetcar routes by 1980. Streetcars were considered out of date, and their elimination in almost all other cities made it hard to buy new vehicles and maintain
3515-570: The 500 series numbering was the Harbourfront LRT streetcar. When introduced in 1990, this route was numbered 604, which was intended to group it with the old (albeit unposted) numbering scheme for Toronto subway routes. In 1996, the TTC overhauled its rapid transit route numbers and stopped trying to market the Harbourfront route as "rapid transit". The number was changed to 510. The tracks were later extended in two directions to form
3610-465: The 510 Spadina and 509 Harbourfront routes. There are underground connections between streetcars and the subway at St. Clair West , Spadina, and Union stations, and streetcars enter St. Clair , Dundas West , Bathurst , Broadview , and Main Street stations at street level. At the eight downtown stations, excepting Union, from Queen's Park to College on Line 1 Yonge–University, streetcars stop on
3705-456: The Blue Night Network service, operating as 305 Dundas. Part of the Blue Night Network, operating as 306 Carlton. Replaced by 501 Queen after 10 p.m. Weekday rush-hour service in peak direction only. Part of the Blue Night Network service, operating as 310 Spadina. Part of the Blue Night Network, operating as 312 St. Clair. All streetcar routes are served by low-floor, accessible Flexity Outlook vehicles. When replacement bus service
3800-598: The Bradford and Stouffville lines. This coincided with GO's initial purchases of the rail corridors it operated on, taking ownership of the entire Stouffville line past Scarborough station, and most of the Barrie line north of the Toronto border. In addition, GO took control of the critical Union Station Rail Corridor , which all GO trains on all lines used. By the end of 2005, GO owned over a third of its rail network. From 2007 to 2017, GO's network saw six extensions, requiring
3895-586: The Bradford line to be renamed as the "Barrie line", and the Georgetown line to "Kitchener line." These long distance extensions, along with the other extensions on the Lakeshore West, Richmond Hill and Stouffville lines, expanded GO's network length by 29%. Six critical corridor purchases were also made, tripling its length of owned corridors and bringing its ownership percentage to over 80%. Finally, 10 new stations were added, one of which coincided with
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3990-420: The Flexity cars was introduced on November 30, 2014. On November 22, 2015, the TTC started to operate its new fleet of Flexity Outlook streetcars from its new Leslie Barns maintenance and storage facility. On December 14, 2015, the TTC expanded Presto , POP and all-door loading to include all streetcars on all routes. All streetcar passengers are required to carry proof that they have paid their fares such as
4085-461: The Flexity streetcars due to reliability issues with the fare vending machines. On September 2, 2019, the TTC retired the last of its ALRV streetcars. The next day, due to the construction work at the Queen, Kingston Road, Eastern Avenue intersection, the TTC eliminated the 502 Downtowner service indefinitely. Concordantly, the 503 Kingston Rd service, which used to operate during rush hours only,
4180-1718: The GO's rail corridors. All GO Transit fares are calculated by the fare zones that the origin and destination of the trip are in, as well as by passenger category (adult, student, senior or child). GO train fares are not differentiated based whether or not buses are used for part of the trip. [REDACTED] Mississauga Oakville Burlington Hamilton St. Catharines Niagara Falls Aldershot GO Hamilton GO West Harbour GO Niagara Falls station Limited two-way service to Niagara Pickering Ajax Whitby Oshawa Oshawa GO Brampton Georgetown Acton Guelph Kitchener Bramalea GO Mount Pleasant GO Kitchener station Limited two-way service to Kitchener Two-way all day service to Mount Pleasant on weekends Mississauga Milton Milton GO Rush hour one-way to Milton in afternoon No weekend service No service outside rush hour Vaughan King City Aurora Newmarket Bradford Barrie Aurora GO Allandale Waterfront GO Rush hour one-way to Barrie in afternoon Two-way service to Aurora outside rush hour Limited service to Barrie outside rush hour Two-way all-day service to Aurora on weekends Limited service to Barrie on weekends Richmond Hill Aurora Bloomington GO Rush hour one-way to Bloomington in afternoon No weekend service No service outside rush hour Markham Stouffville Mount Joy GO Old Elm GO Rush hour one-way service to Old Elm in afternoon Two-way all day service to Mount Joy outside rush hour Two-way all day service to Mount Joy during weekends Limited service to Old Elm during weekends GO Transit rail service began on May 23, 1967, on
4275-598: 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. Weekday midday service was re-introduced in September 2015, with hourly service between Mount Pleasant and Union. In September 2019, GO Transit introduced limited off-peak train service along the entire length of
4370-483: The Scarborough RT (later renamed Line 3 Scarborough ) was born, and streetcar service did not return to Scarborough, instead stopping at the limits. The TTC returned to building new streetcar routes in 1989. The first new line was route 604 Harbourfront, starting from Union station , travelling underneath Bay Street and rising to a dedicated centre median on Queen's Quay (along the edge of Lake Ontario ) to
4465-704: The TRC to serve these areas, the City created its own street railway operation, the Toronto Civic Railways (TCR) to do so, and built several routes. Repeated court battles forced the TRC to build new cars, but they were of old design. When the TRC franchise ended in 1921, the Toronto Transportation Commission was created, combining the city-operated Toronto Civic Railways lines into its new network. The TTC began in 1921 as solely
4560-428: The TTC retired the last of its high-floor streetcars, the CLRVs. The final day for the CLRVs included a ceremonial farewell voyage along Queen Street, although the TTC plans to retain two CLRVs in Toronto for special events and charters. Since the retirement of the CLRVs, all TTC surface routes have been served by accessible low-floor vehicles. On August 15, 2023, the credit and debit card single-ride fare payment option
4655-472: The TTC was contracted to operate them. One of these routes was the former TSR Weston route and the others were the TTC Oakwood and Rogers Road streetcar routes. The Weston streetcar route was replaced by electric trolley buses in 1948, while Rogers Road route was replaced by the 63 Ossington trolley bus route in 1974; ultimately diesel bus routes replaced the trolley buses in 1992. In 1927, the TTC became
4750-718: The best method to carry passengers into Toronto from the Mactier subdivision, and the preferred option was to direct trains east-west along CN's Halton subdivision, and north-south again along GO Transit's existing Barrie line . This would provide four new stations in the communities of Woodbridge and Kleinburg in the City of Vaughan , and Bolton in the Town of Caledon , and also use the existing Downsview Park station before terminating at Union. The feasibility study estimated that minimum infrastructure costs were $ 160 million for peak direction rush-hour service, and resulting ridership
4845-622: The buses. As a part of the GO Transit Rail Improvement Program , the West Toronto Diamond was grade separated. The Metrolinx Weston railway, 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 main line. Trains began using the new grade separation in May 2014. The Georgetown South railway expansion project
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#17327919209514940-668: The city and construction resumed in mid-2006. One-third of the St. Clair right-of-way was completed by the end of 2006 and streetcars began using it on February 18, 2007. The portion finished was from St. Clair station (Yonge Street) to Vaughan Road . The second phase started construction in mid-2007 from Dufferin Street to Caledonia Road. Service resumed using the second and third phases on December 20, 2009, extending streetcar service from St. Clair to Earlscourt Loop located just south and west of Lansdowne Avenue. The fourth and final phase from Earlscourt Loop to Gunns Loop (just west of Keele Street)
5035-427: The corridor from Toronto to Bramalea for $ 160 million. In September 2014, it purchased the 53 kilometres (33 mi) of track from Georgetown to Kitchener from CN for $ 76 million. 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
5130-543: 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, allowing Union Pearson Express to begin operating, while additional track work in the Union Station Rail Corridor continued into 2016. In 2009 Metrolinx purchased 26 kilometres (16 mi) of track along
5225-628: The cost of construction for two-way all day service on the Milton line. The project would involve a complete separation from CPKC's tracks by building dedicated GO Transit tracks along the rail corridor, and is estimated to be at $ 6 billion dollars. No timeline has been provided, and construction has not yet started. In 2010, then-premier Kathleen Wynne announced plans to electrify GO Transit. Electrification would drastically cut down on GO Transit's carbon emissions and would allow GO Transit to run faster, more frequent trains, increasing ridership. In 2018, it
5320-479: The current Oshawa GO station and continue along the CPKC corridor to Bowmanville, adding four more stations, Thornton's Corners East, Ritson, Courtice, and Bowmanville. The Milton line is owned and operated by Canadian Pacific Kansas City which has restricted the number of passenger trains, only allowing for one-way service. In 2024, the Ontario government under Doug Ford called on the federal government to share
5415-598: The decision of the TTC board. The busiest north–south and east–west routes were replaced respectively by the Yonge–University and the Bloor–Danforth subway lines, and the northernmost streetcar lines, including the North Yonge and Oakwood routes, were replaced by trolley buses (and later by diesel buses). Two lines that operated north of St. Clair Avenue were abandoned for other reasons. The Rogers Road route
5510-471: The doors are closing and will remind passengers to stand clear of the doorways. All cars have a speaker above the doors, which plays a door closing chime in the form of a descending major triad . The chimes are an accessibility feature intended to warn the visually-impaired that the doors are closing. In March 2021, Metrolinx adopted the Japanese shisa kanko (pointing and calling) method. Upon entering
5605-587: The east end, to deal with the same "significant infrastructure and operational challenges related to the Agincourt rail yards" that complicate GO's Havelock line. The study also kept the option open of using either Union Station or North Toronto station as the terminus of the line. Capital costs to upgrading the Havelock subdivision were estimated to be between C$ 329 and 384 million. GO introduced bus service between Peterborough and Oshawa on September 5, 2009. Proposals from regional councillors have pushed for
5700-724: The entire route from Kitchener to Toronto. The 2008 proposal to extend services past Georgetown to Kitchener included some components which have not yet been realized. In addition to the now-realized stations in Kitchener, Guelph and Acton, the report proposed a station in Breslau which would serve as a park-and-ride facility for Waterloo Region . A layover yard in Baden was also proposed. The Breslau station received further approval in an official expansion plan in June 2016. The provincial initiative known as GO Regional Express Rail proposes
5795-424: The equivalent of a Sunday stop. Toronto originally created Sunday stops in the 1920s along its streetcar routes to help worshippers get to church on Sunday for religious services. The first two Flexity Outlook streetcars entered service on route 510 Spadina, on August 31, 2014; at the same time, all-door boarding and proof-of-payment (POP) was introduced on all 510 Spadina streetcars. Fare payments by Presto on
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#17327919209515890-407: The existing ones. Metro Toronto chair William Allen claimed in 1966 that "streetcars are as obsolete as the horse and buggy". Many streetcars were removed from service when Line 2 Bloor–Danforth opened in February 1966. The plan to abolish the streetcar system was strongly opposed by many people in the city, and a group named "Streetcars for Toronto" was formed to work against the plan. The group
5985-418: The first CLRV entering service in 1979. It also continued to rebuild and maintain the existing fleet of PCC (Presidents' Conference Committee) streetcars until they were no longer roadworthy. When Kipling station opened in 1980 as the new western terminus of Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, it had provision for a future streetcar or LRT platform opposite the bus platforms. However, there was no further development for
6080-654: The first street railway line in Canada on September 11, 1861, operating from Yorkville Town Hall to the St. Lawrence Market . At the end of the TSR franchise, the City government ran the railway for eight months but ended up granting a new thirty-year franchise to the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) in 1891. The TRC was the first operator of horseless streetcars in Toronto. The first electric car ran on August 15, 1892, and
6175-445: The foot of Spadina Avenue . This route was lengthened northward along Spadina Avenue in 1997, continuing to travel in a dedicated right-of-way in the centre of the street, and ending in an underground terminal at Spadina station . At this time, the route was renamed 510 Spadina to fit with the numbering scheme of the other streetcar routes. This new streetcar service replaced the former route 77 Spadina bus and, since 1997, has provided
6270-466: The heat. These "sun kinks" can occur when temperatures are above 30 degrees Celsius for at least 48 hours. For safety reasons, sun kinks require trains to be operated at reduced speeds. Sun kinks are usually fixed during overnight or in the early morning. On holidays that fall on weekdays, service changes will occur. The following table shows the service type by holiday. Toronto streetcar system [REDACTED] The Toronto streetcar system
6365-659: The increased ridership would be attributable to the instituting of all-day, two-way service. In May 2022, Metrolinx announced that the construction contract was awarded to Dagmar Construction Inc. The work would include: GO Transit rail services GO Transit rail services are provided throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Greater Golden Horseshoe . The GO Transit rail fleet consists of 90 MPI MP40 locomotives and 979 Bombardier BiLevel Coaches . In 2023,
6460-419: The last horse car ran on August 31, 1894, to meet franchise requirements. There came to be problems with interpretation of the franchise terms for the City. By 1912, the city limits had extended significantly, with the annexation of communities to the north (1912: North Toronto ) and the east (1908: Town of East Toronto ) and the west (1909: the City of West Toronto— The Junction ). After many attempts to force
6555-528: The late 2000s, the TTC reinstated a separated right-of-way, which had been removed between 1928 and 1935, on St. Clair Avenue for the entire 512 St. Clair route. A court decision obtained by local merchants in October 2005 had brought construction to a halt and put the project in doubt; the judicial panel then recused themselves, and the delay for a new decision adversely affected the construction schedule. A new judicial panel decided in February 2006 in favour of
6650-613: The line between Georgetown and Bramalea that will be bypassed by a 30-kilometre (19 mi) track to which freight traffic will be shunted. Once completed, Metrolinx will acquire the track segment between Bramalea and Georgetown. A new station is also proposed where the line crosses Eglinton Avenue in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood. It would interface with the western end of the Line 5 Eglinton LRT at Mount Dennis station , and open when that line opens in 2024. The Region of Waterloo
6745-481: The line, with two new weekday round trips operating between Toronto and Kitchener outside of peak periods. 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. Service beyond Kitchener
6840-484: The main north–south transit service through Toronto's Chinatown and the western boundary of University of Toronto 's main campus. The tracks along Queen's Quay were extended to Bathurst Street in 2000 to connect to the existing Bathurst route , providing for a new 509 Harbourfront route from Union station to the refurbished Exhibition Loop at the Exhibition grounds , where the annual Canadian National Exhibition
6935-406: The network experienced two long distance extensions to southern Barrie and Guelph in 1990, only to have those extensions reversed three years later. GO did extend its Lakeshore East line again in 1995 from Whitby to Oshawa , finishing that line as it exists today. The reach of GO's network remained relatively unchanged between 1996 and 2005. However, seven new infill stations were opened along
7030-471: The next station after the train departs a station, and an automated voice will repeat the announcement when the train arrives at its next station. Automated public service announcements are made in both English and French . When a train arrives at a station, the CSA puts a small accessibility bridge across the gap between the platform and the doorway. This is to allow passengers with mobility devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers to board and exit
7125-634: The opening of the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension , creating a new interchange between GO and the TTC subway. A 20km extension of the Lakeshore East line to Bowmanville was announced by then-premier Kathleen Wynne in 2016. Construction began on July 22, 2024 and is not expected to finish for years. No completion date has been provided. The extension is expected to cost $ 730 million, and will provide two-way all day service. The line will travel upwards from
7220-571: The operator of three radial lines of the former Toronto and York Radial Railway . The TTC connected these lines to the streetcar system in order to share equipment and facilities, such as carhouses, but the radials had their own separate management within the TTC's Radial Department. The last TTC-operated radial ( North Yonge Railways ) closed in 1948. After the Second World War , many cities across North America and Europe began to eliminate their streetcar systems in favour of buses. During
7315-410: The rail network from 86 to 332 kilometres long, and from 16 to 43 stations. To that point, all of GO's rail services ran on tracks mostly owned by the two major freight railways of Canada: Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP). in 1988, a small but significant milestone in network growth occurred when it expanded its Lakeshore East line on new track it built by itself. But following that,
7410-411: The route, increasing service from approximately 50 per day to about 300. 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 . The group has also requested more stations along the route. The Georgetown South project was later reduced in scope due to cost overruns:
7505-532: The street outside the station entrances. Union station serves as the hub for both the TTC and the GO Transit systems. The majority of streetcar routes in Toronto operate in mixed traffic, generally reflecting the original track configurations of the streetcar system, a system that dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, newer trackage has largely been established within dedicated rights-of-way to allow streetcars to operate with fewer disruptions due to delays caused by automobile traffic. Most of
7600-563: The system had a ridership of 40,807,100 passengers per year. GO Transit started on May 23, 1967, running single-deck trains powered by diesel locomotives in push-pull configuration on a single rail line along Lake Ontario 's shoreline. When GO trains began operation, they ran on tracks mostly owned the two major freight railways of Canada: Canadian National (CN) and CPKC . Over time, GO Transit (and subsequently Metrolinx ) have acquired tracks, ensuring GO Transit has control over track maintenance and expansion. Metrolinx currently owns 80% of
7695-530: The system had a ridership of 69,106,000, or about 223,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The main predecessors of the TTC were: In 1861, the City of Toronto issued a thirty-year transit franchise (Resolution 14, By-law 353) for a horse-drawn street railway , after the Williams Omnibus Bus Line had become heavily loaded. Alexander Easton's Toronto Street Railway (TSR) opened
7790-542: The system's dedicated rights-of-way operate within the median of existing streets, separated from general traffic by raised curbs and controlled by specialized traffic signals at intersections. Queen streetcars have operated on such a right-of-way along the Queensway between Humber and Sunnyside loops since 1957. Since the 1990s, dedicated rights-of-way have been opened downtown along Queens Quay , Spadina Avenue , and Fleet Street, as well as St. Clair Avenue West, which
7885-554: The times that trains do not operate, corresponding GO bus service is provided. On weekdays during peak periods in the peak direction, approximately two trains per hour operate the full route between Toronto and Kitchener, while additional trips operate shorter segments to and from Toronto. Express trains typically serve all stations between Kitchener and Bramalea, and operate non-stop between Bramalea and Union. Outside of peak periods, service operates hourly between Mount Pleasant and Union, of which two off-peak in each direction also cover
7980-410: The train. Each car has a number of accessibility seats provided. If the CSA sees a passenger with a physical disability and there are no accessibility seats available, they could ask that a passenger sitting in one of those seats to move to another area in the train to allow the passenger with a disability to sit in an accessibility seat. Before closing the doors, the CSA will make an announcement that
8075-440: 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. [REDACTED] [REDACTED] TTC GO Transit train service previously operated on weekdays only. Weekend bi-directional hourly service was introduced on April 8, 2023, with all trains terminating at Mount Pleasant GO. During
8170-485: Was abandoned to free up streetcars for expanded service on other routes. The Mount Pleasant route was removed because of complaints that streetcars slowed automobile traffic. Earlier, the TTC had contemplated abandonment because replacement by trolley buses was cheaper than replacing the aging tracks. However, the TTC maintained most of its existing network, purchasing new custom-designed Canadian Light Rail Vehicles (CLRV) and Articulated Light Rail Vehicles (ALRV), with
8265-479: Was decided to use an overhead wire system over a third rail. Hydrogen fuel cells were studied as an alternative to rail electrification but ultimately were deemed unfeasible. A report suggested the trains would be 30% faster and 60% cheaper per kilometre. In 2022, the Ontario government under premier Doug Ford began the first phase of electrification, with plans to electrify 600 kilometres of track and an estimated finish date of 2032. GO Transit rail service to Bolton
8360-433: Was discontinued following the end of the project, on October 13, 2023. On April 8, 2023, hourly weekend service was introduced between Mount Pleasant and Union, with Kitchener express bus connections at Bramalea. 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
8455-521: Was established along King Street between Bathurst and Jarvis streets. On October 7, 2018, the 514 Cherry route was permanently cancelled. The service it provided was replaced by the 504 King, which was divided into two overlapping branches, each to one of the termini ( Dufferin Gate Loop and Distillery Loop ) of the former 514 route. That December, the TTC eliminated the option for passengers to purchase single-ride tickets by credit and debit cards on
8550-522: Was first proposed by the Ontario government under the MoveOntario 2020 plan in June 2007. It was subsequently carried over to The Big Move , where it was placed on the 15-year plan. In November 2010, Metrolinx completed a feasibility study that focused on utilization of Canadian Pacific Railway's Mactier subdivision, which runs from the West Toronto Diamond in Toronto northward to Bolton. Four different service alternatives were assessed to determine
8645-469: Was forecasted to be 2,391, 2,884, and 4,388 in 2015, 2021, and 2031, respectively, in the morning peak period. If service was increased for two-way all-day service, total costs increased to $ 210 million, and ridership was forecasted to be 6,074, 7,324, and 11,146 in 2015, 2021, and 2031, respectively. Metrolinx determined that the projected ridership did not justify the costs, and downgraded the Bolton line from
8740-451: Was initiated in 2009 with Metrolinx now as its proponent. The project represented a significant increase in railway capacity, with the former one- to two-track 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
8835-426: Was led by Professor Andrew Biemiller and transit advocate Steve Munro . It had the support of city councillors William Kilbourn and Paul Pickett, and urban advocate Jane Jacobs . Streetcars for Toronto presented the TTC board with a report that found retaining the streetcar fleet would, in the long run, be cheaper than converting to buses. This combined with a strong public preference for streetcars over buses changed
8930-543: Was reintroduced as part of a system-wide TTC rollout. Customers can tap a credit or debit card (including those loaded in a digital wallet ) on a TTC Presto fare reader to pay their fares or validate transfers. The customer's tapped-in credit or debit card acts as POP while riding. On December 16, 2010, the TTC suffered its worst accident since the Russell Hill subway crash in 1995 . Up to 17 people were sent to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries after
9025-447: Was upgraded to operate during all daytime hours Monday through Friday. This change also affected the 501 Queen service, with buses replacing streetcars east of Queen Street and Greenwood Avenue. The construction projects ended that November. While the 501 Queen resumed full streetcar service, the 502 remained eliminated and the consolidation of Kingston Road service into the 503 Kingston Rd route remained in effect. On December 29, 2019,
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