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We\u2019re already three weeks into 2026, and to kick the year off, it seems as good of a time as any to talk \u2014 not about all the transit projects currently being built \u2014 but what might come next for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, transit-wise. As the Finch West and Eglinton lines open, and the provincial government’s various subway projects continue forward rapidly, it\u2019s worth asking what is and should be in the pipeline, and why.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We will look at this across four stories this week, one story covering each transit mode in detail. Yesterday, we started with subways. In the coming days we will be looking at Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Lines, and Hybrid Rail, but\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2026today is the day to to check out how GO Transit could better serve the core of its network.<\/p>\n
New GO Stations In and Around Toronto<\/strong><\/p>\n While it\u2019s fun to think about subway extensions, and some of what we covered yesterday<\/a> probably will happen eventually, these projects are likely to be expensive and will only be likely to happen with major political champions or coordination with other major projects. While Toronto is currently seeing an immense influx of rapid transit funding, there\u2019s a good chance that won’t continue forever.<\/p>\n In the case the largesse doesn\u2019t continue at the same sacle, or the growth of the GTA significantly slows, GO Transit expansion \u2014 largely in the form of new stations along existing routes which are seeing better service every year \u2014 seems probable, given new GO stations can be built for far less (albeit not as far less<\/em> as you might hope) than subway extensions and their underground stations, and can be targeted and combined with major developments, potentially even being funded by them. GO\u2019s huge capacity and the inevitable frequency increases we\u2019ve already built make more stations a compelling, high-value proposition.<\/p>\n The most obvious of these projects is Park Lawn station, which the adjacent Christie site development is contingent upon. The station is currently paused along with the development given market conditions, but will surely pop back up in coming years.<\/p>\n There are also several stations that were first proposed as part of John Tory’s ‘SmartTrack’ plan which are on hold at the moment \u2014 all of which seem like sensible projects to move forward. King-Liberty for example would serve a very dense neighbourhood, and be a short walk from Exhibition Station. Other stations previously planned or discussed like Finch-Kennedy and Lawrence-Kennedy would also make a lot of sense, and serve underserved parts of Scarborough, particularly with a big value engineering effort to lower what are shockingly high prices for basic railway stations compared to other countries.\u00a0<\/p>\n A few years ago a planned station on the Barrie line in Vaughan at Highways 7 and 407 was unveiled. Concord GO makes a lot of sense, as it would enable connections to VIVA, and highly-used 407 bus services \u2014 which would connect passengers to both legs of Line 1, and the Stouffville and Richmond Hill GO lines, as well as onwards to Bramalea on the Kitchener line. Given how aggressive Vaughan has been in letting development explode around Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, this station seems likely to be funded, and it would provide valuable connectivity along the 407 orbital transit routes.<\/p>\n As an aside, it seems worth pointing out that most rapid transit and regional rail (usually in the form of connections) in Toronto does seem to be solidifying around a number of east-west routes \u2014 Bloor-Danforth, Eglinton, and Highway 407, with a Midtown Line and Sheppard \/ Highway 401 seeming like contenders for future east-west cross city rapid transit.<\/p>\n There are further infill stations across the network, even just within Toronto, that make a lot of sense (more than I have mentioned here). Most of these aren\u2019t being seriously studied, but might have their importance elevated if subway funding drops and as GO service continues to increase. These stations could satisfy neighbourhoods that don\u2019t currently have a convenient way to access the service that now zips past them.<\/p>\n The Lakeshore West line would benefit from bringing back Sunnyside station, which could enable a densification of Roncesvalles along with an Ontario line extension. The Barrie line could benefit from one at Lawrence (Maple-Yorkdale below), and perhaps near Wilson and the south end of Downsview (Ancaster-Winston, below), while both Monarch Park and Birchmount seem like sensible locations for local stations along the combined Stouffville \/ Lakeshore East corridor.<\/p>\n What will also be key is downtown relief stations on the network. Union Station is already very crowded at peak periods, and crowding will only increase as virtually every service currently using the station is planned to have an increase in frequency \u2014 including the TTC. This, along with dense development along the Union Station rail corridor make a strong case for relief stations around Spadina Avenue in the west (which would also serve the Skydome) and Sherbourne in the east (as well as perhaps a single line station at Cherry Street). These stations would act as relief valves for Union, providing better access to the eastern and western extents of downtown, and more seamless transfers between services and nicer facilities for passengers on cross-regional journeys.<\/p>\n Why do I feel that so many of these stations are inevitable? Well, GO services are already quite well-used given how low frequencies remain relative to a system like the subway, and improved connectivity, more frequent service, and nicer trains will only make the system more attractive. Already there is no real barrier to running Lakeshore train service every 15 minutes or better at all times (once Ontario line construction wraps up), and Kitchener and Stouffville services are also within striking distance of that service level (the UP Express in fact already provides it to an increasing number of stations in West Toronto) thanks to almost completely uninterrupted double track from Unionville to Bramalea. While works on the Stouffville line have been frustratingly delayed, it seems we should be able to expect a further big increase in service in the coming years, with another big increase likely to come as the Lakeshore line is electrified and more diesel trains can be moved to the other lines.<\/p>\n I also think we can\u2019t underestimate the value of GO just being more affordable to expand. Few bridges and tunnels are needed, and the lines are already so long that there are numerous good sites for infill stations. The ability for private developers to take on financing and perhaps even construction of stations on their own is something that we probably won\u2019t see for rapid transit anytime soon. It\u2019s also worth looking at our contemporaries: even expensive cities to build transit in like London seem to build new or rebuilt stations on conventional railways quite regularly, often indeed in connection with major developments.<\/p>\n We’ll be back tomorrow with a look new Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Lines.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n Reece Martin is a well-known advocate for good transit, worldwide. He is based in Toronto and blogs at nextmetro.substack<\/a>.<\/p>\n Base map \u00a9 is by UrbanToronto Forum contributor WB62, and is not affiliated with Metrolinx or other transit agencies and should not be considered an official source or confirmation of Metrolinx projects.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database files, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Line 5<\/a> and Line 6<\/a> Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.<\/p>\n * * *<\/p>\n UrbanToronto has a research service,\u00a0UTPro<\/a>, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe \u2014 from proposal through to completion. We also offer\u00a0Instant Reports<\/a>, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter,\u00a0New Development Insider<\/a>, that tracks projects from initial application.\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n <\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/imgx><\/div>\n