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THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 • WATERLOO CHRONICLE • 3 Metrolinx committed to providing region with all-day GO train service CITY NEWS WATERLOO CHRONICLEWATERLOO CHRONICLE Staying on track By Bill Jackson For the Chronicle Massive co-ordination efforts will be required in coming years to make enhanced, two-way, all-day GO train service a reality, say Metrolinx o� cials. Recently, residents had a chance to learn about the complex process at an information session with the province's manager of rail transportation. Hosted by Kitchener Centre MPP Daiene Vernile, the event was a response to one of her constituents' most frequently asked questions -- why is it taking so long? "� e � rst step is a new 30-kilometre corridor (between Bramalea and Milton) to bypass CN's existing track, so that we can build capacity," said Gord Troughton, Metrolinx director of cor- ridor infrastructure. � at work alone will require up to 35 new bridges for road and water crossings, including signi� cant crossings of Highways 401 and 410, the modi� cation and/or relocation of up to 17 hydro towers and up to 3.4 kilometres of major gas lines, as well as the construction of 60 km of new track. "So it's pretty simple," Troughton dead- panned to some amusement. � ough preliminary planning is underway, an agreement with CN still isn't � nal, and it's just one of numerous hurdles ahead. Enhanced two-way rail service will also require a second 52-km track between Kitch- ener and Georgetown, a fourth track between Mount Pleasant and Union Station, a new tun- nel under Hwy. 401 to accommodate more track on the Kitchener line, as well as other system-wide upgrades for signalling and com- munications systems and renovations to exist- ing GO stations. But planning is underway according to Metrolinx chief communications and public a� airs o� cer Judy Pfeifer, who said the neces- sary resources are being secured with dedicat- ed sta� teams and ongoing talks with CN. "� e last time we built a new rail corridor was in the 1960s which is what allowed GO Transit to start," she said, adding that commu- nity engagement will obviously be a signi� cant part of the process. According to a rough timeline presented by Metrolinx, securing the necessary permits and approvals, including an environmental assess- ment, should take approximately three years. Procurement, construction and commission- ing are expected to take about four years more. "I want to reassure people that we're fully committed to this as a funded project, with working teams in place, and it's our goal to continue to deliver this as fast as we can, as best as we can, in a way that sets the region and Metrolinx up for success," Pfeifer said. Kitchener GO Train service was launched in 2011 and doubled last September to include four trains a day, Monday to Friday, in both directions. But many people are still frustrated with the long duration a one-way trip can take -- up to two hours or more at peak travel times. During a question-and-answer session that followed the Metrolinx presentation, Stephen Lake, CEO of the Kitchener high-tech firm Thalmic Labs, said some aren't as interested in getting to Toronto as they are getting people from Toronto to here. "We currently have about 3,000 tech jobs that we could fill that are sitting empty right now," Vernile stressed to Metrolinx officials. "We need to find people for these jobs and they're in the GTA, and we need to bring them to our communities." Metrolinx director of service planning Chris Burke said he's aware the frequency and length of the trip is not ideal. While an environmental assessment is now underway to electrify the Kitchener line between Bramalea and Highway 427, the Kitchener line west of Bramalea can't be elec- trified until the new train corridor is built. � at will require an additional environmental assessment. "Until things are sorted out with CN, any date that we would put to you, we couldn't guarantee that we would make it," Burke said. Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic remains optimistic. "In 2014 the province outlined a 10-year timeframe. I'm still assuming that 10-year timeframe is what it will take," he said. "I'm hopeful that they will continue and we will continue to press both Metrolinx and the province to work as hard as possible, to move this along as quickly as possible, because we know it's so important to the local economy." GO bus service from Waterloo Region saw several upgrades last year in order to facilitate faster trips and build ridership in the interim. Route 25, which connects to the Square One hub, has doubled since 2011, from about 20 trips a day to 40 trips a day, Burke said. In addition, there's now a connection to York University to serve riders going into north- ern portions of the GTA, as well as an express service between downtown Kitchener and the Bramalea GO Station. There's service every hour, in both direc- tions, all day long, Monday to Friday, Burke noted. During off-peak times, trips can get down to one hour and 15 minutes in some cases, he said. Another service added last year was a peak connection between downtown Cambridge and the Cambridge Smart Centres site that travels into the Milton Go Station and meets trains headed to Union Station. Despite years of discussions, GO train ser- vice between Cambridge and Milton isn't in Metrolinx's current plan, which includes more than $30 billion worth of investments to its rapid transit network. "We currently have no plans for that ser- vice," Burke told a city of Cambridge staff member. "It is the CP rail main freight line and before we could even consider it we have major things we have to sort out, even between Toronto and Milton." From the latest information on local politics, to minor sports scores, to what's going on down the street, visit www.waterloochronicle.ca CONNECTED TO YOUR COMMUNITY