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• Preferred Route and Station Locations
• Importance and Economic Benefits
• Supporting Metrolinx Mandate

Preferred Route and Station Locations

In June 2016, the Provincial government of the day announced the extension of the GO Rail Service along the Lakeshore East corridor using the Canadian Pacific (CP) rail line running north of highway 401 through central Oshawa to Courtice and Bowmanville, as per Metrolinx's approved 2011 Environmental Assessment. 

The extension would connect eastern Durham municipalities by rail to Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Scarborough, downtown Toronto, and the rest of the Greater Toronto Area.

Areas to the east of Durham Region including Port Hope, Cobourg and Northumberland County, as well as and Peterborough County, would also benefit from easier access to the regional transit system through this extension. 

More recently, in May 2019, Metrolinx announced that due to escalating costs associated with the GO Lakeshore East extension since the project was given the go ahead in June 2016, it is reconsidering route options including routes south of highway 401. In this regard four potential route options for the extension have been proposed, as shown on the following maps.

Option one is the route preferred by Durham Region and the local area municipalities, and it reflects the route north of highway 401 along the C.P. Rail line that was identified in the approved 2011 environmental assessment as Metrolinx's preferred route. This route is the best option for our communities considering that: 

• The four planned stations will open new catchment areas for GO ridership, stimulate job creation and mixed-use development around the stations, and support land value uplift. The promise of the extension has already stimulated development around the future stations.
• It will spark economic development and help revitalize our downtown areas by stimulating up to 21,000 jobs, 6,000 new homes, construction of 7.8 million square feet of office, retail and industrial buildings, and $1.1 billion in transit-oriented walkable urban development.
• Metrolinx forecasts ridership of 10,700 daily customers.
• It puts rapid transit where the bulk of our people and businesses are now and in central areas where denser population and employment are planned for the future.
• It will connect our three post-secondary campuses.
• It avoids the problems faced at the current Oshawa GO/VIA station. For most Durham residents and Durham Region Transit, this station must be accessed by crossing a multi-lane flyover at the interchange with the 401. It is difficult to access by both car and local transit and is hazardous to access by bike or walking. To meet demand, Metrolinx added additional surface parking which only added to the congestion on Bloor Street.

The extension under option one is proposed to include:

• 2 new GO stations in Oshawa:
  • Thornton Corners on the west side of Thornton Road South, south of the C.P. Rail crossing
  • Central Oshawa, midway between  Simcoe Street south and Ritson Road South, straddling the C.P. mainline (approximately 650 metres south of the downtown Oshawa urban growth centre
• 2 new GO stations in Clarington:  
  • Courtice, located on the west side of Courtice Road, north of the C.P. Rail crossing
  • Bowmanville, located on the west side of Martin Road, straddling the C.P. mainline
• 20 km extension of the GO line from Oshawa to Bowmanville
• A new bridge crossing over highway 401 east of Thickson Road
• All trips between Bowmanville and Union Station would stop at Thornton Corners, Ritson Road, Courtice and Bowmanville GO Stations on the extension, and run express between Pickering and Union Station

The extension under option two would pass through the existing Oshawa GO Station and use Canadian Pacific Railway's General Motors spur line to cross highway 401 to connect to the C.P. mainline north of highway 401. This option is proposed to include:

• 1 new GO Station in Oshawa:
  • Central Oshawa, located midway between  Simcoe Street south and Ritson Road South, straddling the C.P. mainline
• 2 new GO stations in Clarington:
  • Courtice, located on the west side of Courtice Road, north of the C.P. Rail crossing
  • Bowmanville, located on the west side of Martin Road, straddling the C.P. mainline

The extension under option three would pass through the existing Oshawa GO Station and use the Canadian National (C.N.) mainline south of highway 401 out to the Bowmanville terminals, with no bridge crossing over highway 401. This option is proposed to include: 

• 1 new GO Station in Oshawa:
  • Ritson Road South, located south of Bloor Street east along the C.N. mainline, midway between Simcoe Street South and Ritson Road South
• 1 new GO Station in Clarington:
  • Bowmanville, in the vicinity of Energy Drive near Waverly Road

The extension under option four would pass thought the existing Oshawa GO Station and use the C.N. mainline south of highway 401 through Oshawa before crossing over highway 401 in the vicinity of Colonel Sam Drive in Oshawa and connecting to the C.P. mainline north of highway 401. This option is proposed to include:

• 1 new GO Station in Oshawa:
  • Ritson Road South, located south of Bloor Street East along the C.N. mainline, midway between Simcoe Street South and Ritson Road South
• 2 new GO Stations in Clarington:
  • Courtice, located on the west side of Courtice Road, north of the C.P. Rail crossing
  • Bowmanville, located on the west side of Martin Road, straddling the C.P. mainline

Details of the station locations along the preferred route (Option 1): 

The following scrolling photo carousel (place curser on photo to reveal an advance arrow and hold button) shows the locations of the proposed GO Station sites under option one and potential land for development/redevelopment.

Strong Local Support

• The Region and local municipalities have supported the Lakeshore East GO rail extension, using the C.P. mainline north of Hwy 401, for nearly 30 years and have “rolled up our sleeves” and are ready to help bring the extension to life. 

• Municipalities are financially invested in the extension with Clarington having purchased property for Metrolinx and Oshawa allocating potential capital funding for the Central Oshawa Transportation Hub.

• Local municipalities are ready to collaborate with MTO and Metrolinx on shared responsibilities.
• The entire community – municipalities, post-secondary institutions, agricultural community, youth and business – are supportive of the GO extension.
• Municipalities to the east of Durham are also supportive of the rail extension.
• The extension, north of Hwy 401, will help ensure an accessible education system and a modern post-secondary education sector (significant Provincial investment in three post-secondary institutions: Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham).
• Current demands on the existing Oshawa GO Station far exceed its capacity.
• This project does not have a risk of local opposition.  A sense of urgency remains.

Aligned with Provincial Plans

The extension along the Option 1 alignment:

• Aligns Provincial plans (e.g. Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2019), Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan, 2018, local land use planning, economic goals, environmental priorities and transit/transportation planning .
• Is embedded in local land use, transportation and transit plans.
• Will support integrated and active transportation networks: walk, cycle or local transit to stations that are closer to populations and local transit integrated with GO train service, supporting the development of sustainable transit-friendly communities
• Will help preserve productive capacity of agricultural land close to major urban centres by supporting growth in existing urban areas.
• Is integral to Durham Region meeting its Growth Plan employment forecasts.  The Region achieved just 49% of its employment forecast between 2001 and 2011 (lowest in the GTHA).  Growth needs to double its current pace to meet 2041 targets. 

Quality of Life

The extension will:

• help reduce the negative impact of Highway 401 congestion on the economy;
• ensure cleaner air through reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions;
• create an integrated active transportation and transit network, where walking, cycling and local transit are integrated with GO train service with access to station sites that are in employment areas and/or near residential populations;
• ensure an accessible education system and a modern post-secondary education sector, given significant Provincial investment in three post-secondary institutions - Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham GTA;
• help preserve productive capacity of agricultural land close to major urban centres by supporting growth in existing urban areas.
• provide GO train service that meets the needs of a diverse demographic that is not opting for or is unable to afford automobile use; and 
• attract youth (students, workers, entrepreneurs) to Durham Region to support the shift to a knowledge economy.
• New residential growth is occurring and adding more pressure to existing transportation networks that are already overwhelmed by the 85,000 residents who must leave the Region every day for work. 

For further explanation of the aerial photos, go to the Economic Impact Analysis.

For more information specific to Clarington, visit the GO East Clarington website.

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