GO RER/SmartTrack MOU signed; funding allocated for several Toronto transit lines
Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
Toronto Mayor John Tory, left, with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, signing the MOU that moves the GO RER/SmartTrack project forward.
Office of Premier Kathleen Wynne
The province of Ontario and the city of Toronto signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) paving the way for an integrated GO Regional Express Rail (RER) and SmartTrack project. The province also announced funding allocations for additional transit projects in the area.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne joined Toronto Mayor John Tory at the GO Transit Willowbrook Maintenance Facility to formally sign the SmartTrack MOU on May 3. Under the MOU, Toronto will fund the construction of six GO/SmartTrack stations, which will be completed by 2025 as part of an expanded GO rail network with increased service.
Officials said the new SmartTrack stations will offer commuters a fast, affordable new way to get around the city and enhance Ontario’s enormous expansion of GO rail service across the region.
The six SmartTrack stations to be added to the GO network in Toronto will be Finch-Kennedy and Lawrence-Kennedy on the Stouffville corridor; Gerrard-Carlaw and East Harbour on the Stouffville/Lakeshore East corridor; and King-Liberty and St. Clair-Old Weston on the Kitchener corridor. Under the MOU, trains will service SmartTrack stations every 5.5 to 10 minutes during peak periods.
Premier Wynne also said that the provincial budget for 2018 allocates Ontario’s share to build the next state of transit projects in the region that include the Relief Line Subway, the Yonge North Subway Extension and the Waterfront LRT.
“The days of waiting years between big transit projects are over. We are building a record amount of infrastructure, and we are not stopping. Under our plan, the province is putting up its share for priority transit projects, such as the Relief Line Subway, the Yonge North Subway Extension and the Waterfront LRT. The SmartTrack MOU we signed shows that we are serious about building tomorrow’s transit solutions today,” said Premier Wynne.
