Two local MPPs were at the Allandale GO Station Friday morning to announce there will be more GO train options between Barrie and Toronto starting tomorrow.
For those travelling to Barrie, trains at 11:40 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. will take you from Union Station to the Allandale Waterfront GO station and anyone going from Barrie to Toronto, trains at 4:20 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. have been added.
There is also a combined GO Transit/Ontario Northland service starting today where customers can buy a ticket for the Friday 4:10 p.m. GO train from Union Station to Allandale Waterfront station and transfer to an Ontario Northland coach serving Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville and North Bay. Return bus trips will connect with the GO train leaving Allandale at 4:20 p.m. every Sunday from June 30 to Sept. 1.
Barrie MPP Andrea Khanjin said making transit service more accessible to riders is crucial for getting people to work, but also for families looking to have more fun together.
“We need to get more people moving, get them connected to families, work and things they like to do on weekends,” said Khanjin. “What we’re announcing today is more GO train times on weekends which will not only allow people to come to Barrie, but also from Barrie as they take in the Blue Jays and Raptors or a soccer game in the GTA.”
On March 9, the provincial government announced that kids 12 and under would ride free the GO train for free, a campaign that Khanjin believes combined with the new added times will truly make riding the GO the preferred way to travel.
“Our ridership is going up and grew by 10%, which is great, and this only further provides us with an even better framework so we can monitor the times on weekends and get commuters off the roads and on to trains," said Khanjin, who made the announcement with Barrie/Springwater/Oro-Medonte MPP Doug Downey.
"It’s such a more relaxing way to travel whether you need to nap, work, communicate on your phone, whatever you need and now more times have been added for your convenience.”
