Major changes will take place at the busiest station on the Kitchener GO Transit line this week.

Bramalea GO, which has remained a bustling hub for Peel Region throughout major construction, will reach a significant milestone a year and a half into its transformation on Aug. 8, when all bus platforms at the station will move.

Relocating bus service will allow construction to advance on a project that will not only bring more amenities to customers, but expand the station’s capacity for both bus and train service. GO Expansion is transforming transit across the region, and this work at Bramalea will enable one more seamless connection to a regional rapid transit network. The station is expected to accommodate at least 3,000 additional daily passengers by 2031.

“The improvements to Bramalea GO have been designed to bring more connections to the station and to make those connections easier,” said Malcolm Mackay, senior planning officer with Metrolinx’s service planning.

Throughout the day this busy station sees train passengers travelling east and west, with many moving between trains and buses.

When the project is complete, two new bus loops with a dedicated Züm platform will serve the station. Improved bus bays will allow for increased service, and new traffic signals on Steeles Avenue and Bramalea Road will ensure all vehicles can exit the station safely and efficiently.

The new bus loops have been designed so passengers do not need to cross live bus lanes by placing all bays on one side of the loop. Canopies will provide a protected connection to the station building and train platforms.

The project will eventually include a new station building linked to a parking garage, new kiss-and-ride area, bicycle storage room, retail spaces, a new pedestrian tunnel, and platform improvements with a snow-melting system, canopies and capacity for 12-car trains.

This new phase of construction will affect the more than 2,000 bus customers who use the station daily. The GO bus and Brampton Transit routes that serve the station connect passengers to destinations that include Guelph, Waterloo and Hamilton. For students in the region, the all-day bus service at the station makes it a vital hub for reaching universities and colleges across the Greater Golden Horseshoe Region. During the school year, bus ridership at the station almost doubles.

Major construction started at the station in February 2018. A year and a half in, all of the underground utilities needed for the new parking garage and station building are now within the station property and are ready to be connected once the structures are complete.

Most of the foundation of the parking garage has been poured, and the concrete blocks used to build the structure will begin to arrive in September. The new west tunnel has been excavated and stairs to the side and island platforms have been installed. On the east-end of the platforms, frames for the new canopies have been installed, as have electrical systems for upgraded safety and security amenities.

“We’ve phased the project to reduce impacts on our customers while ensuring we can make steady progress on the great customer amenities to come,” said Tracy Abell, Metrolinx project coordinator.

Station amenities are expected to be ready in 2021.

For now, Bramalea GO customers can review the station map and find the new location of their bus platform for the Aug. 8 change. Most bus platforms will move to the west side of the station, next to the kiss and ride. Two platforms, serving eastbound routes to the Hwy 407 bus terminal, will move to the bus-only lane where it exits onto Steeles Avenue. Some bus platform allocations will also change.

For more details on Bramalea GO’s station transformation, click here.