Extra GO train trips added for passengers in Mississauga and Milton

GO train passengers in Mississauga and Milton will have an easier time getting to and from Toronto and other points in between with the introduction tomorrow (June 24) of two additional trips on the busy Milton GO Line.

As part of a series of GO train and bus service changes taking effect on June 24, two trips have been added to the Milton train line, which runs between Milton and Toronto with a number of Mississauga stops in between.

One trip is being added during morning rush hour, leaving Milton GO at 7:59 a.m. and heading eastbound, while the other is being added in the afternoon rush hour, leaving Union Station in Toronto at 5:10 p.m. and heading westbound to Mississauga and Milton.

Officials with Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees GO Transit, say they’re constantly looking to improve service for passengers and respond to ridership demand.

“That’s why GO Transit service and schedules are updated multiple times a year,” officials said in a news release this week. “Sometimes this means new train and bus trips are added; other times it involves tweaking schedules to better align with other transit connections.”

GO officials also note that new express trips are being added as of June 24 for GO bus Route 21 customers. That route runs between Lisgar and Meadowvale in the north to Clarkson.

“This bus (Route 21D) will run express to Clarkson GO instead of making stops along the way, saving Meadowvale and Lisgar GO riders 10 minutes,” officials said.

Changes earlier this year to Route 21 didn’t sit well with all customers. Some who contacted insauga.com said the supposed improvements have actually inconvenienced them, in some cases adding hours to their trips.

In addition to the major service changes, officials say, there are also some minor schedule adjustments on the way for the Lakeshore West and Kitchener lines, and changes to train lengths on the Barrie and Lakeshore West GO lines.

Check online at GO Transit for more details.

The latest service changes come on the heels of other GO changes that took effect on April 10.

Map shows Milton GO Line (in orange) that takes riders from Milton to Mississauga and Toronto.

Meanwhile, a plan to expand the Milton GO line to all-day, two-way service that would benefit tens of thousands of Mississauga residents and workers is still in the works, but is moving slowly.

The federal government says it’s ready to fund 50 per cent of the estimated $1-billion project, but the Ontario government has yet to make the same commitment.

Federal Transport Minister and Mississauga Centre MP Omar Alghabra told insauga.com in a recent interview that he saw nothing in the recent Ontario government budget to suggest it was prioritizing the Milton GO project.

He added that while Ottawa’s commitment of cash is still on the table, it won’t remain there if the provincial government continues to show little or no interest in a funding agreement.