A potential passenger rail line connecting Guelph with Cambridge is being investigated.
“The more regional, mass transit that we can do, the better,” said Mayor Cam Guthrie. “Transportation issues are a huge part of the future of our city, not just from inside our city limits, we have to think regionally as well.”
Currently in the early stages of development, the idea is being spearheaded by municipal governments on the other end, in consultation with the City of Guelph, Metrolinx and the Ministry of Transportation. The second phase of a feasibility study is slated to be presented to the Region of Waterloo planning and works committee on May 11.
“It’s the highest level of planning. It’s not necessarily meant to indicate that this is happening,” Darryl Spencer, a senior planner in the Region of Waterloo’s transportation planning department, said of the feasibility study.
“We’re optimistic this could lead somewhere,” he added. “There’s a lot of work to go before we could actually see this thing becoming an actual on-street service.”
An existing track, which is owned by CN Rail, essentially runs along Wellington Road 124 between the two cities and is currently used for freight.
“There certainly is some benefit for that connection, Cambridge and Guelph. There is a group of commuters who do that everyday in both directions,” Spencer said, noting efforts to establish two-way, all-day GO trains to Kitchener, through Guelph, would benefit people heading into the Greater Toronto Area.
The Region of Waterloo has been interested in establishing a commuter rail connection between Cambridge and Toronto since 2009 or earlier. Initial work focused on a connection with Milton, but those efforts fell flat, Spencer said.
“That has run into a few roadblocks over the years, particularly gaining access to the freight rail line that runs between Milton and Cambridge,” he said. “The Guelph option came up as an alternative to try to provide some rail service for Cambridge.”
The first phase of the feasibility study, completed in 2019, identified the “most ideal location” for a station in Cambridge is in the area of Hespeler and Pinebush roads, south of Highway 401, Spencer said. That’s where an anticipated connection to the region’s light-rail transit line is expected to go.
What’s being looked at now is how the project could be “pushed forward.”
“I can’t divulge too much about that just yet,” he said. “Essentially the next step would be to work with the province to see how we could go about progressing this.
“Typically, inter-regional rail is dealt with at a provincial level.”
That, Spencer explained, would require a business case to be developed and a dedicated funding source determined, in addition to establishing roles and responsibilities for anyone involved.
“It has to fit into the province’s plans as well,” he added.
Beyond confirming its involvement with the feasibility study in a “third-party advisory capacity,” a Metrolinx spokesperson offered no comment on the idea of operating a Guelph to Cambridge line.
Historically, municipalities have competed with one another to attract businesses and industries in order to provide jobs for residents as well as property tax revenue. However, there’s been a collaborative shift as of late, Guthrie said.
“At the end of the day, we are becoming a more regional world,” he said. “We really need to be thinking of our transportation systems.”
Regional mass transit helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduces travel time, takes cars off the road, provides people more choice and plays a role in attracting and/or retaining talent in the community, Guthrie added.
Guelph residents can already connect with the Region of Waterloo by train, with the existing rail line travelling to Kitchener during peak times. If it comes to fruition, the proposed line would be a second connection, travelling to the other end of Waterloo region.
