GO Kitchener Line Expansion and Waterloo Region
The Kitchener line is the GO Transit rail corridor that links Toronto's Union Station with Kitchener. In July 2014, shortly after Premier Kathleen Wynne's Liberals won a majority government, mayors and the regional chair from Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph and Waterloo Region welcomed the province's renewed pledge of two-way, all-day trains on this line. This page covers how the line developed and what the pledge involved. Last checked: November 2026, against Wikipedia and the sources listed below.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Line | Kitchener line (called the Georgetown line until 2011) |
| Operator | GO Transit, part of Metrolinx |
| First opened | April 29, 1974, as the Georgetown line |
| Extended to Kitchener | December 19, 2011 |
| Acton stop opened | January 7, 2013 |
| Intermediate stop at the time of the extension | Guelph |
| Premier in July 2014 | Kathleen Wynne (premier since February 11, 2013) |
How the line developed
The line opened in 1974 as the second rail line in the GO network, carrying peak-direction trains between Georgetown and Toronto. A short extension to Guelph in October 1990 was reversed in July 1993. Limited weekday midday trains ran between Union and Bramalea starting in April 2002, but they were stopped in 2011 so the Georgetown South expansion could be built.
On December 19, 2011, service reached Kitchener and the line took its present name. Guelph was the only intermediate stop on the new section until Acton opened in early 2013.
The corridor and track ownership
Much of the corridor did not belong to GO. Metrolinx bought 26 kilometres of track between Toronto and Bramalea in 2009 for $160 million. In September 2014 it bought the 53 kilometres from Georgetown to Kitchener from CN for $76 million. Wikipedia records that, as of 2014, Metrolinx owned a majority of the Kitchener line's track.
The stretch west of Georgetown is single track shared with CN freight trains. Reference sources say it needs to be double-tracked, and the Georgetown-to-Bramalea section would need a freight bypass before GO could run frequent service all day.
What the 2014 commitment covered
The mayors' joint statement of July 2014 followed an Ontario budget that had been tabled on May 1 but died when the legislature was dissolved for the June election. After the Liberals formed a majority, the budget was brought back. The statement, published by Cambridge Now, said the plans for more peak trips by the end of 2016, rail corridor upgrades for faster travel, and a new train layover facility remained in place as steps toward full-day service in both directions. A business case prepared by a regional consortium argued that better GO service would help draw talent and investment to Waterloo Region and Guelph. Those details are the consortium's own account and have not been matched here against the budget document.
What happened afterwards
Weekday midday trains returned in September 2015, running hourly between Mount Pleasant and Union. Limited off-peak service along the whole line began in September 2019 with two extra weekday round trips between Toronto and Kitchener. Hourly weekend service between Mount Pleasant and Union started on April 8, 2023, with express buses connecting at Bramalea. Weekend trains to Acton, Guelph and Kitchener began on November 23, 2025, with two trains in each direction.
Provincial plans still call for hourly two-way, all-day service to Kitchener, and 30-minute service to Mount Pleasant. In October 2025, Metrolinx had reached an agreement with CN to upgrade the line west of Georgetown, including about 40 kilometres of new track and dedicated tracks for GO trains.
Where Cambridge fits
Cambridge is not on the Kitchener line. Bus service from Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo was added to the GO network in October 2009, with some routes connecting to the Milton line. Passenger rail to Cambridge is discussed on a separate page about the Cambridge-Milton rail proposal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kitchener line? It is one of seven GO Transit rail lines, running west from Union Station in Toronto to Kitchener.
When did GO trains first reach Kitchener? On December 19, 2011.
Who was premier when the all-day service pledge was renewed? Kathleen Wynne, who served from 2013 to 2018.
Does the Kitchener line stop in Cambridge? No. Cambridge has been linked to GO by bus, and rail proposals there have focused on the Milton line.
Why does the line need more track? West of Georgetown, GO and CN freight share a single track, which limits how often passenger trains can run.
Sources
Wikipedia articles on the Kitchener line, GO Transit, Kathleen Wynne and the Milton line. Reference to the July 2014 statement is attributed to the Cambridge Now item of July 15, 2014.