GO Transit in Wellington- Halton Hills – Speech
GO Transit
Ontario Hansard – 30-November 2016
Mr. Ted Arnott: Working together for almost a decade, we in Wellington–Halton Hills have been
actively pushing for improved GO train service for the residents of our communities, and we’ve made
some significant progress. The Acton GO station was reopened in January 2013, giving our area residents
another access point for commuter rail service to the greater Toronto area. Additional new trains along
what we now call the Kitchener corridor give our Georgetown-area residents greater flexibility for their
daily commute.
However, we have not forgotten the promise that was made by the Liberal government in the 2014
election campaign to establish all-day, two-way GO train service between Kitchener and Union Station in
downtown Toronto. It was only after the 2014 election was over that the government admitted that they
were planning to take 10 years to keep the commitment to two-way, all-day rail service through
Wellington–Halton Hills from Kitchener to downtown Toronto.
This demonstration of political cynicism was disappointing to say the least, but it only served to
strengthen our resolve. As soon as it was possible to do so after the 2014 election, on July 2, I tabled a
private member’s resolution calling on the government to immediately move forward to fulfill their
commitment to provide full-day, two-way GO train service on the Kitchener line between Waterloo
region and the GTA, with stops in Wellington–Halton Hills. It was one of the first resolutions on the
Ontario Legislature’s order paper.
When the new session began in September, I again tabled my private member’s resolution supporting
better GO train service. It continues to stand out as one of the very first resolutions on the order paper.
We appreciate the work that Metrolinx staff are doing. Recently, I asked them for an updated briefing on
their progress to improve GO train service. That meeting took place at my Queen’s Park office last week.
We call upon the Minister of Transportation to undertake all reasonable efforts to expedite the
prerequisites for improved GO train service along the Kitchener line, and in doing so, keep the
government’s promise to our community.