Ottawa to invest $1.9B in GO Transit’s regional express rail project
Under the regional express rail program, GO plans to electrify trains on its busiest routes and implement all-day, two-way service at frequencies of every 15 minutes or better.

thestar.com
By BEN SPURR
March 31, 2017

The federal Liberals will invest $1.9 billion in GO Transit’s regional express rail program, the prime minister announced Friday.

Speaking at a press event at the Willowbrook GO yard in south Etobicoke with the premier and federal infrastructure minister, Justin Trudeau said Ottawa would contribute to the program, which over the next 10 years will increase service on GO lines throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

The province has estimated the cost of regional express rail (RER) at $13.5 billion, and had previously committed to paying the full cost. Trudeau said the price tag on the initiative makes RER “the single largest transit project in which the federal government has ever invested.”

“These funds will help improve the lives of millions of Ontarians by making sure that students make it on time to their first job interview, that parents make it home early to help their kids with their homework, that families enjoy what their communities have to offer, whenever they want,” he said.

The money will flow through the New Building Canada Fund, which was set up by the previous Conservative government.

Under RER, GO plans to electrify trains and implement all-day, two-way service at frequencies of every 15 minutes or better on its busiest routes. The agency will also quadruple the number of trains operating outside weekday rush hours, double the number of trips during weekday rush hours, and build up to 12 new stations, including up to six stops as part of Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack plan.

Under a deal council agreed to last November, the city is responsible for the cost of the SmartTrack infrastructure, however.

More than $750 million of the $1.9 billion in federal funding will go toward upgrades on the Kitchener GO corridor, and will help pay for work that includes grading, bridge and station modifications, and the construction of about 40 kilometres of new track.

The remainder of the funds will be split between the Barrie, Lakeshore East, and Lakeshore West corridors, and will contribute to upgrades that include 88 kilometres of new track.

Premier Kathleen Wynne said that taking into account RER and other planned investments in the GO network, the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is in the midst of “the largest commuter rail transformation in Canada.” GO plans to spend $21.3 billion on upgrades and new service over the coming years.

Wynne said because of the new federal funding “the province now has the ability to invest even more in other priority transit projects that will improve people’s commutes.”

Provincial officials said it was too early to say which projects the province could use the freed up money to fund.

Fielding questions from reporters, Trudeau also defended his government’s decision to eliminate the 15-per-cent tax credit for public transit passes. The decision, which the Liberals announced last week as part of the federal budget, has been criticized by some transit users and raised concerns about the possible negative impact on TTC ridership.

Trudeau said that his government is “committed to evidence-based policy” and there was no indication that the “boutique tax credit” had its intended effect of increasing transit ridership. He also argued that because the credit is non-refundable it didn’t benefit low-income people who don’t earn enough to pay federal income tax.

“So we feel that investing more money in the things that are actually going to help people is exactly what Canadians expect of this government,” Trudeau said, claiming that “no government in the history of Canada has invested as much in public transit as we have.”

The prime minister also announced Friday that Ottawa has approved over 300 additional projects in Ontario for funding under the first phase of the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. According to the 2017 budget, under the second phase of the fund the government plans to spend more than $20 billion on transit over the next decade.