The provincial Ministry of Transport (MTO) has told Durham Post that the Bowmanville GO Train project has been allocated $730.7 million.
At the end of April 2022 when the budget allocation for the project was announced, no amount was mentioned (see below).
“Currently, with construction already on the way, the Bowmanville project has been allocated $730.7 million to build an efficient and up-to-date transit system that supports economic development while meeting the needs of Ontario’s growing population,” a MTO spokesperson said in response to our query.
The proposed Bowmanville GO train extension received a mention in the 2025 Ontario budget unveiled by provincial Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy on May 15.
Slow progress
However, no new funding was reportedly announced for the project, which has come off the drawing boards, but progress still seems slow. “Targeted early works construction is underway in 2025 to continue advancing the project,” said the brief budget mention.
In December 2023, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks cleared the way for Stantec to proceed with the final design contract with Metrolinx. We’re about a month shy of the 2025 half-way mark and the design has not been released to the public yet.
“The Bowmanville GO Extension will extend the Lakeshore East GO rail service nearly 20 kilometres east of the Durham College Oshawa GO Station to Bowmanville. This expanded rail service will provide Durham Region with direct connections to the larger GO Transit network, helping to reduce gridlock in the GGH [Greater Golden Horseshoe],” said the budget mention in the section on ‘Expanding GO Transit Services’.
$67.5 billion overall investment to improve transit
As outlined in Budget 2025, Ontario is investing $67.5 billion over the next decade to build the largest expansion of public transit in North America, including the Bowmanville GO Extension – part of Ontario’s plan to deliver the next generation of passenger train service.
The government program aims to achieve all-day, two-way service every 15 minutes or better over the core segments of the GO Transit network. Work to expand GO Transit services is visible throughout the region where Metrolinx continues to roll out incremental service increases, build new GO infrastructure including new stations, and improve passenger and train capacity at Union Station.
Advancing GO 2.0
Ontario is taking the next steps to advance planning and feasibility studies for GO 2.0 — Connecting the GGH: A Transportation Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. These next steps will help Ontario identify potential new rail corridors and study where new GO stations are needed to respond to network demand.
GO 2.0 will build on existing investments to the GO Transit network by delivering all-day, two-way service to Kitchener and Milton, building new GO stations across the region and advancing planning to unlock potential new rail corridors through midtown Toronto, Etobicoke, York Region and Bolton.
Investing in GO Transit Rail Coaches
The government is investing nearly $500 million to refurbish 181 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay and approximately $350 million to refurbish 121 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches at Ontario Northland’s facility in North Bay. The refurbished rail coaches will be equipped with new interior finishings, such as seating, flooring, walls and ceilings, as well as new doors and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) control systems. This investment is part of the ongoing service expansion across the GO rail network and will support hundreds of manufacturing jobs and economic prosperity in Northern Ontario.
Related Stories
You May Also Wish To Read
Second e-bike rider dies in days, after hit with left-turning car