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Kitchener GO Train Progress Tracking

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A quick summary for those impatiently waiting for regular, two-way, all-day service between Waterloo and Toronto.

Currently, there is only a single track between Kitchener and Georgetown. Trains going in opposite directions cannot pass each other. They’re building passing tracks at specific spots, timed such that the trains can “meet” at those places to enable limited two way service.

All timeline guesses are mine. Information sourced from train nerd forums and news reports.

Summary

Metrolinx has released an official “roadmap”: 2025 Capital Projects Progress

What still needs to happen

  • Passing tracks at Breslau
    • Second stage will lengthen it so trains can pass at higher speeds (started 2025)
  • Second platform and tracks at Guelph Central
    • Platform almost done; Tracks in the works in 2025
  • Passing tracks at Acton
    • Looks like it’s started in 2025?
  • Grade Separation at Silver Junction
    • Right now there is an “intersection” of freight and passenger tracks west of Georgetown. This project proposes to build a flyover/bridge so that trains do not need to stop and wait for each other.

What they have done so far

  • New tracks in Guelph so trains now go faster (before: 10 mph, now: 45mph. Completed in 2021)
  • Passing tracks at Breslau
    • First stage completed 2024 November

What else is happening

  • New train station at Kitchener Central Transit Hub (construction starts 2026, expected to finish 2029)
    • Metrolinx says in March 2026 they will start building the new station platforms
    • Provincial and federal funding now in-place for the full station built-out (Dec 2025 Update)
  • New Grand River Bridge replacement. The bridge will be replaced from December 2025 to Dec 2027
    • This bridge has been in rough shape for a long (15+ years) time. Unclear whether Metrolinx will make it dual-tracked, but it would make the most sense to do so.

Discussion

Note that GO could offer weekend two-way service today to Kitchener at a low frequency, say, two hours apart. But they have not chosen to do this, perhaps for operational reasons. Update Oct 2025: Weekend service is coming to Kitchener line! Twice a day.

For effective two-way service, there needs to be passing tracks every 30 minutes or so. Metrolinx is building passing tracks at these spots.

The tracks between Georgetown and Bramalea are owned by CN Rail (blue lines on the map) and not Metrolinx. Metrolinx needs to negotiate access. The freight trains join the tracks from the south at Georgetown, and depart to the north at Bramalea. In other words, the freight and passenger trains need to switch sides. This creates a bottleneck as well. There have been some rumours about a plan for a railroad flyover at roughly this spot called Silver Junction but no news yet.

Metrolinx has indicated the long-term plan is to twin the 40km track from Bramalea (? not sure) to Kitchener. But they have yet to put it out for bidding.

“The construction market in North America, and indeed around the world, is in a time of volatility,” said Lindsay. “Great supply chain discontinuity, skilled trades are almost fully used across this region which is great because it means there’s lots of work to be done, but I promise you I’m not trying to be cagey when I say we need to ultimately get to market and talk to the designers of things like a 40km twin track project and the people who are going to construct it to ultimately understand what technically is possible.” (Oct 2025)