City of Stratford to seek passenger-rail alternatives as GO Train service ends

As Metrolinx’s GO Train service between London and Toronto comes to an end on Friday, the City of Stratford has committed to working with its local partners and the provincial and federal governments on identifying both short- and long-term passenger rail alternatives.

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At Tuesday’s council meeting, councilors were presented with a petition with more than 2,500 signatures in favor of preserving affordable passenger rail access in Stratford.

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“Our petition … speaks to the current VIA line and its cost-prohibitive nature compared to the soon-ending GO trial,” said Jame Frichitthavong, who presented the petition to council. “Dozens of comments reveal that many people rely on the GO Train for their daily commute. It’s a lifeline to them. In reviewing the comments that we have in our petition and discussing with residents and those I met with around the city, we found common ground. If the trains are affordable and ran daily, including weekends, it would enable people to leave the city to commute for work and better enjoy themselves through leisure or visiting family. Without the train, more people will be driving to Toronto and we’ll see more traffic congestion and emissions.”

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Launched in October 2021, Metrolinx’s Southwestern Ontario GO Train service runs on weekends between London and Toronto with stops in St. Marys and Stratford. The train service included one train leaving from London early in the morning and one return trip in the evening. Earlier this year, Metrolinx announced it would be discontinuing the service Oct. 13 after a partnership between Metrolinx, CN Rail and VIA Rail Canada for use of existing railway infrastructure was not renewed following a two-year trial.

Since that announcement, Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma and city staff have worked with other affected municipalities including St. Marys and Perth County, as well as Perth-Wellington MP John Nater and MPP Matthew Rae to advocate to provincial and federal decisionmakers in hopes of finding a solution to the passenger rail gap that will be left once the GO Train service is discontinued.

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“We’ve heard tonight how very important it is for us to have public transit connecting not only our community, but all communities together – especially rural communities – in order to bring about a more sustainable future,” Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach said.

“I can’t overstate the importance of community public transportation between Stratford and Toronto,” Coun. Larry McCabe added. “It’s going to be important for the future of the City of Stratford. If it’s meant to survive as a vibrant community, we need those connections. People who are located in more rural areas of the province are slowly becoming more disadvantaged by the lack of opportunity and connection between the major centers. I’m glad to see we are pushing this forward and I hope we are successful in having some sort of continuous train activity between here and Toronto.”

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According to a report to council, Transport Canada is currently examining options to enhance passenger rail service in southwestern Ontario. The analysis includes an examination of present and future passenger rail demand and existing routes. The results of this study and direction on future rail infrastructure investments in southwestern Ontario are expected to be released by the end of this year. The City of Stratford will continue to advocate for enhanced passenger rail service and work with the provincial and federal governments as new opportunities are identified.

In the meantime, the city will work with St. Marys, Perth County and North Perth on a potential expansion of the PC Connect intercity and intercounty bus routes to better connect those routes with passenger rail to Toronto from Kitchener-Waterloo. While funding through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Community Transportation Grant program will sustain PC Connect’s current service until the end of 2025, city staff are looking at the possibility of securing additional grant funding to help fill the gap left by the discontinuation of the GO Train.

City staff will soon meet with their counterparts from Perth County, its four lower-tier municipalities and St. Marys to develop a shared position on short-term solutions like the proposed PC Connect expansion that can be presented to provincial and federal officials.

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