The latest plans for the extension of all-day GO Train service to Guelph and Kitchener set the target date somewhere between 2025 and 2030.
In May, Guelph City Council passed a resolution calling on the provincial government to bring all-day GO service to Guelph by 2024.
The GO Expansion Full Business Case was being presented at a Metrolinx board meeting in Toronto on Thursday.
The 199-page report includes the latest timeline for the service expansion that has been in the works for several years.
Guelph MPP MIke Schreiner wasn't impressed with what appears to be further delay in getting all-day GO to Guelph.
"All-day two-way GO Train service is a top priority for me. It will improve our economy and quality of life," Schreiner said.
"After years of delay from the previous government, I’m disappointed that Metrolinx appears to be delaying this project further. I have spoken to the minister and will continue to push for speeding up this project, not slowing it down."
The latest plans puts the incremental cost of extending all-day GO to Kitchener at $1.9 billion, including $960 million in capital costs.
But the report also says the incremental total user benefits from that extension of service will total $5.5 billion, noting the growth in population planned for the corridor over the next few years as another important factor.
There would also be $80 million in external benefits from things such as pollution reduction, other increased health benefits and fewer accidents.
“Each line included in the GO Expansion program will also have benefits that exceed the costs of delivery, which illustrates how investing in GO Rail will benefit the GTHA as a whole – including communities that can access the Barrie, Kitchener, and Stouffville lines that see significant service improvements,” the report says.
