Hundreds rally to support full GO service between Niagara-Hamilton and Toronto

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Hundreds of people attended a pep rally at the Niagara Falls VIA Station today, to shout their support for full GO Train service between Niagara-Hamilton and Toronto. The Niagara Falls VIA station was jammed with GO Train boosters from across the region.

One of those in attendance was Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati “we want to send a very clear message to the Premier that we don’t just want GO rail in Niagara – we need it in Niagara.”

Metrolinx estimates the cost of running GO commuter trains to Niagara at a billion dollars – to tunnel under the Welland canal, and double the track from Grimsby to Jordan. Niagara polticians say you don’t need a tunnel, and their estimates, about 150 million.

“We are now ready to meet with the premier, with a business case that makes sense” Niagara Region Chair Al Caslin told the crowd.

But not everyone is sold on a GO train. There are many people who question why Niagara politicians are fixated on a GO train, when the commuter numbers don’t support it and Metrolinx has already said a Niagara expansion is not a priority. Metrolinx own numbers show that 125 morning commuters – from Niagara Falls to Grimsby – take one of 5 GO buses to the Burlington station. Projected numbers in the year 2031–show 360 people taking the train from Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, another 360 from Grimsby.

And then there’s the problem of getting to where you want to go when you get off the train. “Driving is a lot better for me because it’s basically a half hour each way by car. With a train you’re looking at a couple of hours” said one driver.