GO train service from Niagara to Toronto begins

5:19 am is when the first GO train left from Niagara Falls Monday morning. It passed through St. Catharines, the West Harbour station in Hamilton and made several more stops before arriving in Toronto just before 8 am.

Riders from all over the Niagara region and even the U.S. are hoping this will save them from the busy roads.

“When you look at an opportunity to have infrastructure like this in our community, it will allow us to go into the Toronto market and connect us to that Toronto market in many different ways.” Walter Sendzik, St. Catharines mayor.

The ride from the Falls to Toronto round trip costs about $40 and takes 2 and a half hours.

When the train stops at the west harbour GO station, it moves back and forth for about 15 minutes while it switches tracks. Something Metrolinx worked into the travel time. They say this is a kink that will eventually be fixed and they are hoping it will make travel times even faster.

The main concern riders had today was the 14 hours in between when the train leaves the Falls and returns at night.

Metrolinx will be monitoring if people are receptive to the service. They say negotiations with CN rail and the St. Lawrence Seaway continue to add more service coming out of the Greater Golden Horseshoe.