Transit history is being made in Hamilton.  

With the province recently entering Step 3 of reopening, Metrolinx is bringing back more GO service and adding new trips.

Starting Aug. 7, Metrolinx is launching hourly, all-day service between West Harbour GO in Hamilton and Toronto’s Union Station 7 days a week.

This marks the first time ever that all-day GO train service will go into and out of Hamilton.

And West Harbour isn’t the only station in Hamilton. Metrolinx is also reintroducing two morning eastbound trips from Hamilton GO Centre to Union Station and two afternoon westbound trips from Union Station back to Hamilton GO Centre.

“We’re so pleased to be able to offer more GO train service to transit riders in Hamilton,” said Phil Verster, Metrolinx President and CEO.

“Today’s news is a key step forward in our continued commitment to enhance GO service and transit connections in Hamilton, as we build a transit network to support the region’s needs for decades to come.”

Verster says the new service represents an increase from 40 trips per week (pre-COVID) to a total of 250 trips per week to and from West Harbour, which is over 6 times more trips per week. He says Hamilton customers will also save about 20 minutes by getting on the GO at West Harbour rather than taking the GO bus to Aldershot GO to catch the train.

Quick facts

• 28 new weekday trips to and from West Harbour GO
• Reinstating two weekday morning tripd to Union Station and two afternoon trips back to West Harbour GO
• The first weekday trip out of West Harbour GO is 5:13 a.m. – last train is 10:13 p.m. 
• Weekday service from Union Station to West Harbour GO starts at 6:45 a.m. with the last westbound train at 11:45 p.m.  
• 35 new weekend trips to and from West Harbour GO 
• Hourly weekend trips to Union start at 8:13 a.m. with the last train at 11:13 p.m. 
• Westbound trips from Union Station start at 6:45 a.m. with the last trip at 12:45 a.m. 

The good news doesn’t stop in Hamilton. Metrolinx also announced GO service increases on the Lakeshore East, Kitchener, Barrie, and Stouffville GO lines.

Head to the GO Transit webpage for the new schedules.

Delivering on GO Expansion 

Metrolinx officials say bringing more service to Hamilton is one of the transit agency’s top priorities. 

By collaborating with Canadian National Railway (the company that owns the stretch of tracks west of Burlington), Metrolinx has built major rail infrastructure to allow for more train service on the Lakeshore West GO Line. 

More GO train service to Hamilton is just one part of Metrolinx’s broader commitment to build a modern and sustainable transit network. This includes the work underway to reinstate the Hamilton light rail transit (LRT) project, pending council approval of the memorandum of understanding.

Whether it’s more GO train service or work on the LRT project, it’s full steam ahead for transit in Hamilton.

Want to see the other service changes? Here’s that story.

Metrolinx increasing GO train service on several major routes plus new hourly service to West Harbour GO