GO East Durham

The Lakeshore East GO train line is undergoing an expansion that will extend service from Oshawa further east into Bowmanville, with new stations planned in Oshawa, Courtice, and Bowmanville. This expansion is part of a larger GO Expansion program by Metrolinx aiming to provide two-way, all-day service on the Lakeshore East line. The project includes adding new tracks, signals, bridges, and upgrading existing crossings.

Background

In June 2016, the Provincial government of the day announced the extension of the GO Rail Service along the Lakeshore East corridor through Oshawa to Bowmanville using the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (C.P.K.C.) rail line running north of Highway 401.

On April 20, 2020, Metrolinx released the Preliminary Design Business Case for the GO Lakeshore East Extension.

On May 6, 2022, Premier Doug Ford announced the Progressive Conservatives intend to invest $730 million to bring two-way, all-day GO Train service to Bowmanville.

In June 2023, Metrolinx announced Bowmanville Construction Partners (B.C.P.) as the construction manager for the project. B.C.P. is a general partnership between Ledcor CMI Ltd. and Dragados Canada Inc. 

On October 5, 2023, Metrolinx published Notice of Environmental Project Report Addendum  for the GO Lakeshore East Extension Project, with a 30 day public review period ending November 6, 2023.

On December 11, 2023, Notice to Proceed was issued by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Related resources

• Metrolinx Bowmanville Rail expansion map
• Metrolinx Lakeshore East Line GO Expansion - Resources and Studies
• Metrolinx Lakeshore East Line GO Expansion – Community Notices

Planned route

The GO Lakeshore East Extension will connect the existing Durham College Oshawa GO Station to Bowmanville using the former General Motors railway spur line to cross Highway 401 to join with the CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) rail network. The extension will include two new GO train stations in Oshawa:

• Thornton’s Corners East GO Station – located near the intersection of Fox Street and Laval Drive
• Central Oshawa GO Station (formerly named “Ritson Road GO Station) – located at 500 Howard Street between Simcoe Street South and Ritson Road on the site previously occupied by Knob Hill Farms

Community benefits

The GO Lakeshore East Extension will:

• reduce congestion and allow goods to be moved more efficiently
• support the development of compact, sustainable, transit-friendly communities.
• ensure cleaner air through reduced greenhouse gas emissions
• encourage more private-sector housing construction, particularly in urban areas close to the GO train stations
• help make transportation more affordable and provide opportunities for increasing the integration of active transportation and transit
• support provincial investment in Durham Collect, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham

The City of Oshawa, Regional Municipality of Durham, Municipality of Clarington, Municipality of Port Hope, Town of Cobourg, County of Northumberland, Durham College, Trent University Durham, and Ontario Tech University support the GO Lakeshore East Extension.

Economic impact

The GO Lakeshore East Extension enables local investment, job creation, business attraction, expansion and retention, ensuring the long-term economic health of the Durham Region. The 2016 Economic Impact Analysis (Executive Report) showed that the GO Lakeshore East Extension would generate $1.1 billion in transit-oriented, walkable urban development. The Economic Impact Analysis showed the GO Lakeshore East Extension would enable:

• 21,000 permanent new jobs
• 6,000 person years in construction employment
• construction of 6,000 new homes within walking distance of a GO Station
• $70 million in annual savings for residents related to time, vehicle costs and improved road safety
• 50 million kilometres a year reduction in private vehicle use, reducing CO² emissions