(Editor’s note: The following is the full version of a story published in the June issue of Railway Age.) It all began on a lovely Spring morning in 1967, Canada’s Centennial Year: Startup of North America’s arguably most successful new commuter rail service, GO Transit.
Hamilton, Ontario’s approved LRT line will be extended an additional 1.9 miles to its original eastern terminal, Eastgate Square, an east Hamilton shopping mall. The crosstown line will now total 8.7 miles.
The two pioneering Canadian LRT cities, Calgary and Edmonton, located in the western province of Alberta, are both planning a major shift in their design and operating philosophies.
The first Bombardier Flexity Freedom LRV for the new Kitchener-Waterloo LRT line arrived Feb. 22, 2017, after a long journey by rail from the carbuilder’s plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) owns and operates more than 200 single-track miles of surface streetcar track, including loops, yards and carhouses. The TTC is responsible for its maintenance, as well as construction of extensions. The mileage has declined significantly from its peak of approximately 325 miles, due to abandonments over the decades, but the track still requires a concerted effort to maintain in satisfactory operating condition.
The year 2017 will see construction on Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown LRT project move into its next phase.
The basic design work for Hamilton, Ontario’s LRT system has been finalized, including the selection of a site for the Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF). The eight-mile (13–km) line is being financed at an estimate C$1 billion cost by Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees Ontario rail transit activity.
Ontario, Canada, is undergoing unprecedented growth in all forms of passenger rail. GO Transit is undertaking long-term expansion plans, and in Ottawa, the city’s first LRT is under construction. GO Transit regional/commuter
The Hurontario Street LRT in Mississauga is expected to provide significantly improved transit for one of Ontario’s largest and fastest growing cities.
The city of London, Ontario, whose population is close to 375,000, is considering light rail transit (LRT). The City Council has recently endorsed a staff report recommending a combined LRT and bus rapid transit (BRT) system.