Commuters residing in Durham Region are advocating for the reinstatement of express trains on the Lakeshore East GO line, a service that was halted for construction work four years ago. The express service, known for limited stops between Oshawa and Toronto’s Union station, was expected to resume over a year ago but faced delays from Metrolinx.
With more Ontarians heading back to their workplaces, commuters dependent on this service are urging the Ford government to intervene. Nidhi Ojha from Oshawa has initiated a petition to urge Metrolinx for a clear timeline on the return of express trains. She highlighted that her commute to Union station formerly took around 40 minutes via the GO service but now extends to over an hour, which includes a transfer to the TTC for her office commute, resulting in about an hour and a half of travel time each way.
Following a mandate earlier this year by the Ford government for civil servants to return to the office, Ojha emphasized the challenges in maintaining work-life balance, as the frequency of travel has increased significantly. The absence of express trains is further impacting family routines, necessitating longer aftercare or childcare arrangements for children.
Metrolinx explained that a third track crucial for express trains to overtake all-stop trains was removed during the construction of the East Harbour transit hub and Ontario Line, leading to the temporary suspension of Lakeshore East express trains. The agency assured the provision of 10-minute service during weekday rush hours on the Lakeshore East line but refrained from providing a definitive completion timeline for the construction.
In October, Metrolinx introduced six additional rush hour trips on the line between Oshawa, Whitby, and Union Station; however, Ojha expressed minimal improvement in her commute time, still exceeding an hour to reach Toronto.
Ajax MPP Rob Cerjanec has been actively seeking information on construction delays throughout the year. He had raised concerns with Ontario’s transportation minister in May regarding delays on the Lakeshore East line. Cerjanec also launched a petition akin to Ojha’s, advocating for the restoration of express rail service and the electrification of the Lakeshore East line with clear timelines from the Ford government.
Despite Metrolinx indicating that express trains were marginally faster based on 2019 travel times, Cerjanec emphasized that most commuters reported a daily loss of about 40 minutes in their commute, signifying a significant impact. While Metrolinx did not specify a timeline for reinstating express trains in response to CBC News queries, Cerjanec persisted in seeking clarity and urged for the prompt installation of partial express services.