GO Rail to Cambridge and the Milton Line
Cambridge, Ontario has been linked to the GO Transit network by bus since 2009, but not by passenger rail. On September 15, 2015, Cambridge city council endorsed in principle a study about a new freight bypass that, according to the city, would free capacity on existing rail lines and make GO trains to Cambridge more realistic. The sections below cover the railways involved and the history of the idea. Last checked: November 2026, against Wikipedia; no GO or Metrolinx page was opened.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| City | Cambridge, Ontario (formed in 1973 from Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Blair) |
| Rail line discussed | GO Milton line, Toronto Union to Milton |
| Milton line opened | October 25, 1981 |
| Track owner, Milton line | Mostly Canadian Pacific (now CPKC) |
| GO bus service to Cambridge | Added October 2009 |
| Council endorsement in principle | September 15, 2015 (per Cambridge Now) |
The Milton line
The Milton line runs from Toronto's Union Station through Mississauga to Milton and is the fourth-busiest line in GO's rail network. Unlike most GO corridors, Metrolinx does not own it. GO Transit's reference history notes that CPKC still owns most of the Milton line, and that Metrolinx had acquired a majority of several other lines by 2014. Because a private freight railway owns the corridor, any extra GO trains need that company's approval.
Why freight matters
The Milton line is a busy freight route as well as a commuter line. A 2013 update to the regional transportation plan The Big Move cut back the western end of planned two-way, all-day service to Meadowvale station in Mississauga. Its reports cited extra tracks, possible grade separations and the need for CP's agreement as reasons it could not reach Milton in the 15-year window. In 2021 the federal government said it was willing to fund part of an upgrade for all-day, two-way trains, estimated at about $1 billion, but gave no timeline or amount.
A freight bypass takes heavy trains off passenger corridors, which is the idea behind the 2015 study the Cambridge council discussed. As described by Cambridge Now, it examined a new freight line joining the CP line west of Trafalgar Road in Milton with the CN bypass at Bramalea, beside Highway 407. A separate, later proposal on the Kitchener line would bypass a 19-kilometre CN segment between Georgetown and Bramalea with about 30 kilometres of new track.
Buses to Cambridge
GO bus routes entered Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo in October 2009. Some of them connected to Milton station and to the Square One terminal in Mississauga. In September 2016 GO added a peak-period bus between Cambridge and Milton, with six evening return trips, but it averaged only five passengers a trip and was cancelled in June 2019. Wikipedia also notes that drivers from Cambridge were among those filling the Milton station parking lot.
Rail history in Cambridge
Railways reached Galt in 1879. The Credit Valley Railway line there later passed to the Canadian Pacific Railway, which built a brick passenger building that still stands. An electric railway linked Preston, Galt and Hespeler from 1894 and reached Kitchener and Waterloo in 1911. Its passenger service ended in April 1955.
Current position
No source opened for this page shows GO rail service to Cambridge. The Milton line itself is not scheduled here. Its two-way, all-day upgrade has been deferred repeatedly, and Halton Region officials in 2017 described the timing as beyond a 25-year horizon, which Metrolinx publicly disputed.
Frequently asked questions
Does GO rail serve Cambridge, Ontario? Not according to the sources checked. Cambridge has had GO bus links since 2009.
Which railway owns the Milton line? Most of it belongs to Canadian Pacific, now CPKC.
What is a freight bypass? A separate track for freight trains, built so passenger trains can use the original corridor more often.
When did the Milton line open? On October 25, 1981.
What happened to the Cambridge to Milton bus? It started in September 2016 and was cancelled in June 2019 due to low demand.
Sources
Wikipedia articles on the Milton line, GO Transit, the Kitchener line and Cambridge, Ontario. The September 2015 council item is attributed to Cambridge Now and the Transit Toronto weblog entry of September 22, 2015.