What does all-day, 2-way GO service mean for commuters on Barrie Line?

Arzoo Modh waits almost 40 minutes at Newmarket’s GO station every workday to get home to Barrie.

She works in Newmarket as a Southlake Regional Health Centre administrator and while the morning commute is not too bad, she said, train schedules mean she has has a fairly long wait before one arrives to take her home.

“It would be more helpful if they had very frequent trains,” she said. “It will help me get home sooner."

Many residents along GO's Barrie Line, including in Newmarket and Aurora, are awaiting the change that will come with ongoing expansion. Metrolinx plans to bring all-way, two-way service to the train line and other lines in its network, meaning commuters may only have to wait 15 minutes between trips.

Metrolinx said it expects the program to bring more than $12 billion in economic benefits across the line. It also expects the project to dramatically increase ridership, with Metrolinx projecting future ridership to grow to over 28 million riders, a 505 per cent increase.

The economic improvement is “a result of greatly improving service for existing passengers while also enabling a wider range of new trips with high quality and frequent transit,” Metrolinx said.

More development is getting guided into major transit station areas in Newmarket, Aurora and beyond. The province is pushing for increased development in major transit station areas (MTSA).

The province has moved to remove parking minimums around these areas, which are expected to be the centres of development. Newmarket has 12 MTSAs under York Region’s official plan, predominantly along the Yonge Street and Davis Drive corridors, including the Newmarket GO station.

Newmarket has been planning for more activity along these corridors, including around Newmarket’s GO station by the Tannery Mall on Davis. The town projects those corridors to have 33,000 people by 2031.

Newmarket Mayor John Taylor said the provincial GO train expansion is an important investment.

“All-day, two-way GO train service will be good for commuters, economic development, and the environment,” he said. “Like any construction project, it will of course come with some disruption, but we are in regular contact with Metrolinx and work with them to anticipate issues that could arise.”

New residential development is happening along Davis, close to the GO train station. A large-scale 767-unit development is proposed for the corner of Davis and Bolton Avenue, just a couple of minutes' drive from the station. Town council is also due to take a look this fall at a townhouse development six minutes away from the station at Davis and Hamilton Drive.

As for the Newmarket GO station, the municipality and Metrolinx have prepared a mobility hub station plan area, which sets out a long-term function for the station as part of the rail network. The plan also lays out the potential for grade separation of the rail line at Davis Drive, the potential relocation of the rail station to Main Street “to improve access and reduce traffic impacts on Davis Drive,” and "opportunities and constraints to development in the vicinity of the station.”

The Town of Newmarket has also spent time planning for a Mulock GO station announced in 2017. But that proposal has gone into limbo with the province not yet advancing it.

Fernanda Vivhbourne is a Southlake nurse who lives in Tiny Township and uses the GO train to commute. She said more frequent trains would make her commute and daily life much better.

“I would have much more time for my personal life,” she said.

Work on the train line is ongoing but Metrolinx has not committed yet to an exact timeline for completion of the project and the service coming online. Metrolinx is currently working on station improvements, followed by adding a second set of tracks at the Aurora GO station.

“We are currently in the development phase of the project that will give us a better sense of schedule and levels of future service,” Metrolinx said. “Specific timelines for future phases of work will be communicated once those projects are procured and begin construction.”

Modh said, “I'm looking forward to getting good news.”