Go Train pulls back in to Stratford

For the first time since 2023, a GO Train was back at the Stratford train station April 17, signalling its permanent return with daily round-trip service to and from Stratford beginning July 6.

After more than two years without GO Train service, Stratford will once again be connected directly to Toronto by rail beginning July 6, this time with what provincial and local officials say will be a permanent, year-round expansion of service.

The announcement was made April 17 at the Stratford train station, where Mayor Martin Ritsma and members of Stratford city council were joined by Perth-Wellington MPP Matthew Rae, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and Metrolinx president and CEO Michael Lindsay. According to the province, the expanded service will include one daily round trip between Stratford and Toronto on the Kitchener GO line.

Standing at the station with a big smile on his face Friday morning, Ritsma called the announcement the result of years of advocacy and collaboration among the city, Metrolinx, VIA Rail, CN Rail and the province.

“These things don’t happen without great conversation, great delegations and great collaboration,” Ritsma said. “I think about the impact of what we’re doing here today … for individuals that work here in Stratford and then commute to Toronto, to the GTA. I think about the students that come to Stratford for education and go beyond Stratford for education. I think about our tourists.”

On weekdays, the service is intended primarily for commuters and students, with a morning train from Stratford to Union Station and a return trip in the afternoon. Weekend service will be geared more toward tourism, with a morning train from Union Station to Stratford and a return train to Toronto in the evening. Stops along the route will include Kitchener, Guelph, Acton, Georgetown and Brampton.

Ritsma said the return of GO service is particularly important in a city that already functions as a transportation hub through Stratford Transit, PC Connect, FlixBus and VIA Rail.

“I also think about our environment. Our job is to reduce greenhouse gases, and this is a way to do it,” he said. “Also reducing the congestion on our roads, especially our 400 series (highways).”

The service marks the return of a rail connection Stratford lost in October 2023, when the previous GO Train trial between London and Toronto came to an end after Metrolinx, CN Rail and VIA Rail did not renew the agreement that allowed the service to operate on existing rail infrastructure. At the time, many Stratford residents expressed frustration at losing what some called an affordable transportation lifeline to Toronto, particularly compared to the higher cost of VIA Rail.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Friday’s announcement was how this expansion will differ from the last GO service, which saw concerns about low ridership and limited scheduling. Asked directly about that history during the press conference, Sarkaria acknowledged there are always variables when introducing service to a new or returning market, but said the province sees Stratford as part of a broader integrated network.

“This is a really important first step,” Sarkaria said. “This is a commitment from our team at GO Transit and Metrolinx to ensure that we have a presence here, that we can continue to build towards increasing ridership.”

Lindsay added the weekday schedule will initially resemble the old commuter-focused model, but Metrolinx is projecting more than 16,000 riders a year from the Stratford station alone and expects that number to grow.

“The initial service profile on weekdays will absolutely be for commuters and, therefore, it’s going to look a little bit like it did last time,” Lindsay said. “The train’s going to leave here at 6:15 a.m. … and it’s going to get you into Union Station before 9 a.m. You’re going to leave (Toronto) around 5 p.m. in rush hour and (it will) get you back here sort of around 7:30 p.m.

“We will continuously evaluate what ridership looks like and take customer feedback as to how that’s going, but for what it’s worth, we’re projecting more than 16,000 riders a year here at this station, and … I see nothing but an upside in that number.”

Unlike the previous GO trial, officials stressed this service is permanent and will run seven days a week.

“We’re bringing the GO train service back to Stratford, and it’s permanent,” Rae said.

Rae said the renewed service will benefit not only Stratford residents but also people throughout Perth County and St. Marys who can connect into the station through other local transportation options.

The announcement is part of a wider push to expand transit access across Ontario, including along the Kitchener corridor. The province says the Stratford service forms part of Ontario’s broader $70-billion transit expansion and follows the recent launch of weekend GO Train service between Toronto and Kitchener.