More GO train service coming to Hamilton's West Harbour, including trips to Niagara Region
Trains to and from Niagara will soon stop at the north-end station, adding 32 trips a week
More trains will soon carry passengers between Hamilton's West Harbour GO station and both Toronto and Niagara Falls, Ontario's transportation minister announced Wednesday.
The province recently completed track work to connect West Harbour to the main Lakeshore West rail line, making it a regular stop for all trains headed to and from the Niagara region, said Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria.
That means the north-end station will soon see 32 trips added to its schedule each week, about four more a day, on average.
Currently, trains run hourly from West Harbour and only to Toronto.
"Today it is my pleasure to mark a major milestone for those who ride the Lakeshore West line," Sarkaria told reporters outside West Harbour Wednesday morning.
"It will significantly improve convenience and travel options between the Niagara Region and Hamilton."
The track upgrade also means trains from Niagara Falls and St. Catharines no longer have to back in and out of the station, shaving about 15 minutes off their travel time to Toronto, the minister said.
Confederation GO to open this year
The track work will also "pave the way for the future expansion" of the Confederation GO station in east Hamilton to the Lakeshore West line, said MPP Monica Ciriello, newly elected in Hamilton Mountain.
That new station is on track to open this year, as promised by Premier Doug Ford in 2022, said Sarkaria.
"We've made great progress on Confederation," he said.
Metrolinx has faced challenges increasing GO train service in the Hamilton area as Canadian National Railway (CN) controls most of the tracks.
It took 10 years for West Harbour to see all-day service, when it rolled out in 2021. For a time, trains departed West Harbour for Toronto every 30 minutes on weekdays, but was cutback to hourly in 2022.
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