Jan Liggett, the mayor of Cambridge, has reached out to the province saying there’s an “urgent need for improved transportation alternatives” between her city and the broader Waterloo region.
In a letter sent last month to Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria, Liggett pointed out that “the high level of congestion and the ongoing collisions on Highway 401 around Cambridge” are seriously affecting how people travel to and from her city.
She mentioned that this is keeping people from coming to Cambridge for work meetings or just visiting for fun.
“This, in turn, is having a major economic impact,” Liggett said in her letter.
Liggett added that better inter-municipal transit options along with much-needed rail service expansions would help ease these problems.
She urged the province to consider extending GO train service on the Milton line all the way to Cambridge. And since that wouldn’t happen right away, she asked for direct GO bus service between Cambridge and Toronto as a stopgap measure.
“There is a current multi-stop 2.5 hour route you can take to get to Toronto, which is not ideal for commuting,” Liggett explained. She also noted that when Greyhound stopped running buses here in 2021, those who rely on buses were left with only those long GO bus trips to reach Toronto.
City pushes again for GO trains
This isn’t new – previous mayor Doug Craig also pushed for GO train service in Cambridge. Back in 2017 he told the Cambridge Chronicle he was “very discouraged” because after 15 years of asking for it, “right now, we’re on nobody’s radar.”
Local writer and historian Paul Langan recently looked into this issue too with a self-published report on his website. He uses GO trains himself but has to drive all the way to Aldershot station first. His report reviews four decades of trying to get GO train service here.
Cambridge is “one of the largest cities in Ontario,” he said, yet “we’re the only one with no transit into Toronto, let alone rail transit.”
“It’s just gotten to almost a ludicrous point,” Langan added.
After looking at past studies about this problem, Langan thinks it boils down to political will being missing.
He said: “It didn’t matter who our elected members of [provincial] parliament was or who the premier of the province was, it hasn’t happened.”
“What’s most frustrating now is we have a government that’s a majority. They can just announce it … and say let’s do it. But now there’s more silence than ever.”
A GO train pulls into the station in Guelph. Construction of a second platform can be seen on the other side of the fence. A study has looked at the feasibility of connecting Guelph and Cambridge by rail so people can get to and from Toronto. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
Province works on Kitchener line upgrades
While Mayor Liggett’s letter focused on extending Milton line trains further east, another idea gaining traction lately is linking Cambridge with Guelph via what’s called the Fergus subdivision – a CN freight line used occasionally but not often enough according to Langan.
The Region of Waterloo started studying this possible connection back in 2021.
If they connect Cambridge with Guelph’s train station then riders could access Kitchener’s GO line trains into Toronto during weekday mornings plus two-way trips later in daytimes and evenings.
Cambridge Chronicle reached out both Metrolinx and Ministry of Transportation about Mayor Liggett’s request.
Metrolinx deferred questions back over ministry side.
Ministry rep Dakota Brasier didn’t directly answer if plans exist now for bringing GO trains into Cambridge.
Instead Brasier pointed out investments already made including “more than $500 million toward expanding and improving service on Kitchener line.”
“Additional work underway aims at expanding Kitchener line toward two-way all-day rail runs,” Brasier added.
Region explores transit possibilities
Karen Redman regional chair shared Region plans public info sessions early next year seeking input regarding new infrastructure idea linking Guelph-Cambridge by train.
“This link between Milton-Cambridge got studied before like back in 2014 & 2021 so currently we’re trying create business case targeting connection between downtown Guelph through Fergus subdivision linked onward into Kitchener-GO,” Redman told Chronicle.
“We’re exploring connectivity overall; lots ideas here aren’t brand-new but preparing move forward business-wise.”
Redman recalled past good talks involving former transport minister Caroline Mulroney about upgrading Kitchener-GO corridor until September changeover occurred recently.
Redman hasn’t had private talk yet personally with Sarkaria but said while there seems stronger progress enabling two-way daily-go schedules versus prior govts. “we still aren’t quite where needed.”
“We need more frequent runs bringing talent inside region & offering outbound routes toward Toronto corridor too,” Redman emphasized.
“The two-way feature matters big time around here hearing feedback constantly from employers – one tool among many boosting local economy vitality.”
She ended adding region sees timing good now considering ongoing upgrades across Kitchener-GO lane.
“We see bigger ridership chances midline stations especially spanning Cambridge-Guelph stretch,” Redman concluded.”We want align provincially funded projects & investments already done by Go then expect economic uplift boom ahead.”
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