GO Transit is getting ready to the reopening of Ontario after months of COVID-19-related shutdowns by operating more service along lines. It’s restoring some of the services it cancelled in 2020 and adding new service along four lines.
Highlights include:
01 Lakeshore West line:
- hourly two-way, all-day, everyday service along the line between Union Station and West Harbour GO Station;
- more Monday-to-Friday rush-hour trains to and from Hamilton GO Centre; and
- 15-minute service between Union and Oakville GO Station Mondays to Fridays during rush hours and midday.
09 Lakeshore East line:
- 15-minute service between Union and Oshawa GO Station during rush hours and midday;
31 Kitchener line:
- more trains Monday-to-Friday evenings.
65 Barrie line:
- more trains Monday-to-Friday evenings and all day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
71 Stouffville line:
- more trains Monday-to-Friday evenings and all day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
GO is revising service along these routes and lines: 01 Lakeshore West trains; 09 Lakeshore East trains; 18 Lakeshore West buses; 30 Kitchener / Brampton express; 31 Kitchener trains; 31 Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto buses; 37 Orangeville / Brampton; 65 Barrie trains; 65 East Gwillimbury / Newmarket / Toronto buses; 68 Barrie / Newmarket / Aurora buses; 71 Stouffville trains; 71b Stouffville / Toronto buses.
Specifically, GO is: increasing service along lines; decreasing service along routes and lines; increasing the frequency of service along lines; decreasing the frequency of service along a route; adjusting the schedules for buses along routes; and making another change to service along a line.
Increasing service along lines
65 Barrie trains
GO is resuming Monday-to-Friday evening service and operating more weekend service along the line.
Starting Monday, August 9, southbound trains again operate from Aurora GO Station at 7:57 and 8:57 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. The trains drop off or pick up passengers at all stations southward. They end their trips in Union Station at 8:48 and 9:48 p.m. Another train leaves Allandale Waterfront GO at 9:08 p.m.. It serves passengers at all stations, ending its trip in Union Station at 10:48 p.m.
Northbound trains leave Union at 6:53, 7:53 and 8:53 p.m., serving passengers at all stations until Aurora. They end their trips at 7:44, 8:44 and 9:44 p.m. Another train leaves Union at 9:53 p.m. It serves passengers at all stops, ending its trip in Allandale at 11:34 p.m. Yet another train leaves Union at 10:53 p.m., ending its trip in Bradford GO Station at 12:04 a.m.
Starting Saturday, August 14, GO operates trains every hour between Union Station and Aurora Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Some trains continue beyond Aurora, operating to and from Allandale.
Since GO is restoring train service, it’s also cancelling some bus service along the connecting 65 East Gwillimbury / Newmarket / Toronto and 68 Barrie / Newmarket / Aurora routes.
GO is also decreasing service and making another change to service along the line.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
31 Kitchener trains
GO resumes Monday-to-Friday evening trips along the line.
Starting Monday, August 9, an eastbound train again operates from Kitchener GO Station at 8:39 p.m. It drops off or picks up passengers at all stations on the line, ending its trip in Union Station at 10:28 p.m. Another eastbound train leaves Mount Pleasant GO Station at 8:40 p.m. It serves passengers at all stations eastward, ending its trip in Union at 9:28 p.m.
Two westbound trains leave Union at 7:34 and 8:34 p.m. They serve passengers at all stations until Mount Pleasant GO Station. They end their trips in Mount Pleasant at 8:23 and 9:23 p.m. Another westbound train leaves Union at 9:34 p.m. It serves passengers at all stations, ending its trip in Kitchener at 11:28 p.m.
Since GO is restoring train service, it’s also cancelling some bus service along the connecting 31 Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto route.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
01 Lakeshore West trains
GO is introducing all-day every-day service in both directions to and from Hamilton.
Starting Saturday, August 7, trains operate hourly to and from West Harbour GO Station just north of downtown Hamilton. GO’s extending 35 new trips to and from West Harbour Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. From West Harbour, hourly trains leave for Union from 8:13 a.m. until 11:13 p.m. From Union Station, trains continue beyond Aldershot GO Station to West Harbour every hour from 6:45 a.m. until 12:45 a.m.
Starting Monday, August 9, GO extends 28 trips to and from West Harbour Mondays to Fridays. Trains leave West Harbour for Union at 5:13 a.m. and every hour until 10:13 a.m. Trains leave Union for West Harbour at 6:45 a.m. and every hour until 11:45 p.m.
Starting Monday, August 9, GO is also reinstating service to and from West Harbour GO Station and Hamilton GO Centre that it cancelled during the pandemic, providing even more service to and from Hamilton Mondays to Fridays during rush hours.
It’s restoring two westbound trains to West Harbour, leaving Union Station at 8:03 and 9:03 a.m. It’s also resuming eastbound trains to Union, leaving Hamilton GO Centre at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and westbound trains to Hamilton GO Centre, leaving Union at 3:30 and 4 p.m.
GO also continues its previous Monday-to-Friday train service to and from Hamilton, with trains leaving Hamilton GO Centre for Union at 5:55 and 6:55 a.m. Mondays to Fridays and leaving Union for Hamilton GO Centre at 4:30 and 5:45 p.m. In total, four trains operate from Hamilton GO Centre Monday-to-Friday mornings; four trains arrive in Hamilton GO Centre Monday-to-Friday afternoons.
Since GO is restoring train service, it’s also cancelling some bus service along the connecting 18 Lakeshore West route.
GO is also increasing the frequency of service along part of the line.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
71 Stouffville trains
GO is resuming more weekend and Monday-to-Friday service along the line.
Starting Saturday, August 7, GO operates trains every hour between Union Station and Mount Joy GO Station Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Some trains continue beyond Mount Joy, operating to and from Lincolnville GO Station.
Starting Monday, August 9, a southbound train again operates from Lincolnville at 5:20 a.m. Mondays to Fridays. The train drops off or picks up passengers at all stations, ending its trip in Union at 6:28 a.m. Four more trains leave Mount Joy at 7:35, 8:35, 9:35 and 10:35 p.m.. They serve passengers at all stations southward, ending their trips in Union at 8:28, 9:28, 10:28 and 11:28 p.m
Three northbound trains leave Union at 7:14, 8:14 and 9:14 p.m. They serve passengers at all stops, ending their trips in Mount Joy at 8:05, 9:05 and 10:05 p.m. Two more trains leave Union at 10:14 and 11:14 p.m.. They serve passengers at all stations, ending their trips in Lincolnville at 11:22 p.m. and 12:22 a.m.
Since GO is restoring train service, it’s also cancelling some bus service along the connecting 71 Stouffville / Toronto route.
GO is also decreasing service along the line.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
Decreasing service along routes and lines
65 Barrie trains
GO has announced that, starting Saturday, July 10, it is permanently closing York University GO Station.
Closing the station accommodates upcoming construction to build another track. The second track will allow GO to operate two-way, all-day service along the line. To install another track, GO must demolish the station, creating space for new track infrastructure. This will allow GO trains to travel northbound and southbound on the Barrie line simultaneously and move freight trains off the GO transit corridor. This project is part of the GO Expansion Program.
Passengers travelling to York University can transfer to the TTC’s Line 1 Yonge - University subway at Downsview Park GO Station. The subway directly serves two on-campus stations — Pioneer Village and York University. Just a quick four-minute subway ride takes you to the University from Downsview station.
Since December 2017, GO trains have only stopped at York University Station Mondays to Fridays during rush hours. The trains stopped only in the peak direction - southbound mornings and northbound afternoons.
Metrolinx and GO plan to accommodate more passengers and increase service along the Barrie line, as part of their GO Expansion Program (formerly “regional express rail”).
GO is also increasing service and making another change to service along the line.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
68 Barrie / Newmarket / Aurora
Since GO is operating more Monday-to-Friday evening and weekend trains along the 65 Barrie line, it’s cancelling trips along this connecting route. GO advises, “Service will be reduced at some on-street bus stops with the reinstatement of train trips. Be sure to check the schedules before you travel.”
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
65 East Gwillimbury / Newmarket / Toronto buses
Since GO is operating more Monday-to-Friday evening and weekend trains along the 65 Barrie line, it’s cancelling trips along this connecting route, starting Monday, August 9. GO advises, “Service will be reduced at some on-street bus stops with the reinstatement of train trips. Be sure to check the schedules before you travel.”
65C branch
Friday, August 6 was the last day that GO operated the northbound bus that usually left Union Station Bus Terminal at 7:03 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. (The bus ended its trip in Aurora GO Station bus terminal at 7:48 p.m.)
65F branch
It was also the last day that GO operated the southbound buses that usually left Aurora at 8:02, 9:02 and 10:02 p.m. Mondays to Fridays. (The buses ended their trips in Union terminal at 9:22, 10:22 and 11:22 p.m.)
Starting Saturday, August 14, GO operates just four southbound and six northbound buses along the route Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
65 branch
Southbound buses leave East Gwillimbury GO Station at 11:25 p.m. and 12:25 a.m. They end their trips in Union terminal at 12:25 and 1:25 a.m.
65C branch
Northbound buses leave Union at 7:12 and 8:12 a.m. They end their trips in Aurora at 7:57 and 8:57 a.m.
65E branch
Southbound buses leave Aurora at 5:10 and 6:10 a.m. They end in Union terminal at 6:50 and 7:50 a.m.
Northbound buses leave Union at 11:27 p.m. and 12:12, 1:12 and 2:12 a.m. They end in East Gwillimbury at 1, 1:39, 2:39 and 3:39 a.m.
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
31 Guelph / Georgetown / Toronto buses
Since GO is operating more Monday-to-Friday evening trains along the 31 Kitchener line, it’s cancelling bus trips along this connecting route. GO advises, “Service will be reduced at some on-street bus stops with the reinstatement of train trips. Be sure to check the schedules before you travel.”
31K branch
Friday, August 6 was the last day that GO operated the eastbound bus that usually left Mount Pleasant GO Station at 8:40 p.m. (The bus ended its trip in Union Station Bus Terminal at 9:45 p.m.)
It was also the last day that GO operated the westbound buses that usually left Union terminal at 7:21, 8:21 and 9:21 p.m. (The buses ended their trips in Mount Pleasant GO Station bus terminal at 8:31, 9:31 and 10:31 p.m.)
31L branch
Friday, August 6 was the last day that GO operated the westbound buses that usually left Union terminal at 7:31, 8:31 and 9:31 p.m. (The buses ended their trips in Bramalea GO Station bus terminal at 8:16, 9:16 and 10:16 p.m.)
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
71 Stouffville trains
Starting Monday, August 9, the northbound train that leaves Union Station at 6:14 p.m. Mondays to Fridays ends its trip in Mount Joy GO Station at 7:05 p.m. It doesn’t continue further northward to Stouffville and Lincolnville GO stations, as it usually did.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
71 Stouffville / Toronto buses
Since GO is restoring train service along the 71 Stouffville line, it’s cancelling most service along this route. GO advises, “Service will be reduced at some on-street bus stops with the reinstatement of train trips. Be sure to check the schedules before you travel.”
Starting Saturday, August 7, it operates just five buses in each direction Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
71 branch
A southbound bus leaves Railway Street across from King Street in Uxbridge at 5:45 a.m. It ends its trip in Union Station Bus Terminal at 7:10 a.m. A northbound bus leaves Union at 7:43 a.m. and arrives in Uxbridge at 9:08 a.m.
71C branch
Southbound buses leave Lincolnville GO Station at 11:10 p.m. and 12:10 and 1:10 a.m. They end their trips in Union terminal at 12:15, 1:10 and 2:10 a.m. Northbound buses leave Union at 11:43 p.m. and 12:43, 1:43 and 2:43 a.m. They end in Lincolnville at 12:43, 1:43, 2:48 and 3:48 a.m.
71E branch
A southbound bus leaves Mount Joy GO Station at 10:25 p.m. It ends its trip in Union terminal at 11:15 p.m.
Starting Monday, August 9, GO operates just eight southbound and seven northbound buses along the route Mondays to Fridays.
71 branch
Southbound buses leave Uxbridge at 4:20 a.m. and 3:35 and 4:35 p.m. They end in Union terminal at 5:45 a.m. and 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. A northbound bus leaves Union at 7:43 a.m. It ends in Uxbridge at 9:28 a.m.
71C branch
Southbound buses leave Lincolnville at 11:05 p.m. and 12:10 and 1:10 a.m. They end in Union terminal at 12:15, 1:10 and 2:10 a.m.
Northbound buses leave Union at 6:43 and 8:43 a.m., 11:43 p.m. and 12:43, 1:43 and 2:43 a.m. They end in Lincolnville at 7:53 and 9:53 a.m. and 12:43, 1:43, 2:48 and 3:48 a.m.
71E branch
A southbound bus leaves Mount Joy at 6:06 p.m. It ends in Union terminal at 7:20 p.m.
GO continues to provide more bus service between Uxbridge and Unionville GO Station along the 70 Uxbridge / Stouffville / Markham route.
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
Increasing the frequency of service along lines
09 Lakeshore East trains
Starting Monday, August 9, GO is resuming 15-minute Monday-to-Friday rush-hour and midday service between Oshawa GO Station and Union Station. Westbound Westbound trains leave every 15 minutes from Oshawa, starting at 5:10 a.m. until late afternoon. Eastbound trains leave Union every 15 minutes, starting at 6:05 a.m. until late afternoon
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
01 Lakeshore West trains
Starting Monday, August 9, GO is also resuming 15-minute Monday-to-Friday rush-hour and midday service between Oakville GO Station and Union Station. Eastbound trains leave every 15 minutes from Oakville, starting at 5:18 a.m. and continuing until late afternoon. Westbound trains leave every 15 minutes from Union to Oakville starting at 7:15 a.m. and continuing until late afternoon.
GO is also increasing service along the line.
You can view the new schedules for the line here (.pdf).
Decreasing the frequency of service along a route
18 Lakeshore West buses
Since GO is operating hourly train service to and from Hamilton, it’s decreasing the frequency of service along this route. Route 18 buses connect passengers between the Hamilton GO Centre and Aldershot GO Station. At Aldershot, passengers can transfer between buses and trains.
Starting Saturday, August 7, buses operate every hour all day Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Starting Monday, August 9, buses operate every 30 minutes Mondays to Fridays during rush hours and every 30 minutes midday and evenings.
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
Adjusting the schedules for buses along routes
30 Kitchener / Brampton express
Starting Monday, August 9, GO adjusts the schedules so that buses connect with trains resuming trips along the 31 Kitchener line at Bramalea GO Station. Some buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops as much as 15 minutes earlier than usually.
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
37 Orangeville / Brampton
Starting Monday, August 9, GO adjusts the schedules so that buses connect with trains resuming trips along the 31 Kitchener line at Brampton GO Station. Some buses drop off or pick up passengers at stops as much as four minutes earlier than usually.
You can view the new schedules for the route here (.pdf).
Making another change to service along a line
65 Barrie trains
Monday, August 2 was the last day that GO operated its bike pilot program aboard trains along the line.
During the pilot it monitored how passengers used the designated bike coaches and found that it can accommodate the number of riders with bikes aboard regular train coaches. GO will use these results to inform future plans.
Since August 2, GO has been using bike coaches that for the weekend pilot on the Barrie line to meet greater demand on trains to and from Niagara Falls.
GO reminds passengers that it welcomes “bikes on our regular train coaches outside rush hours. Look for the bike decal on the door of the coach before boarding.”
GO is also increasing and decreasing service along the line.
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