GO Transit

Government of Ontario

The GO logo is made up of the letters G and O with a T horizontally meshed in.

A Brief History

Begun by the province as a three-year experiment to reduce highway congestion between Oakville and Pickering. This came about due to the construction by CN of a By-Pass line between Burlington and Pickering to reach its new freight hump yard in Vaughan thus freeing up the Oakville and Kingston Subdivisions for increased passenger service.

In 1967, a one-way fare between Oakville and Union Station was 95¢. It was an instant success! Ridership grew faster than expected quickly resulting in phasing in of additional trains far soon than planned by meeting its projected second-year passenger volume in just six months.

Off rush hour service provided by short self-propelled trains was also over ridership projections and the few SP cars were unable to handle passengers. This and performance reliability issues resulted in their early downgrading to standard coaches hauled by locomotives.

May 23, 1967. GO train service began with train 946 leaving Oakville at 5.50 A.M. on Tuesday, May 23, 1967 (Monday was a holiday) bound for Toronto Union Station.

September 1970: GO bus service began.

April 27, 1974 Georgetown trains began.

April 29, 1978 Richmond Hill trains began.

1979 Union Station ticket area relocated from Great Hall to new Bay Street (lower) Concourse.

October 26, 1981 Milton service (first on CPR) began.

September 2, 1982 Bradford service and Stouffville service began.

1990 Rush hour service extended to Barrie, Guelph, Acton, Oshawa.
Also, Milton off-peak added.

1991 Unionville opened.

July 2, 1993 Barrie service cut back to Bradford and Kitchener service cut back to Georgetown as part of Ontario government effort to stop development spreading farther and farther away from Toronto.

July 1, 2000 Union Station along with CP Express 141 Bay Street along with Toronto Terminal Railway trackage acquired. TTR continued to operate same for GO.

March 3, 2003 GO Bus terminal relocated from on-street (Front St. W.) to 141 Bay Street, former CP Express building on east side of Bay Street at east end of Union Station.

December 17, 2007 Train service restored to Barrie South

2008 first double deck buses acquired.

February 2009 GO Streetsville Bus Garage opened.

May 14, 2009 GO taken over by newly-created Metrolinx a Government of Ontario body.
TATOA (Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority) had previously be governing body.

December 19, 2011 Georgetown line extended back to Kitchener.

2013 Two-tone green and white paint scheme introduced.

2013 Lakeshore service expanded to 30 minutes all day. 763 trains per week.

2017 Grand total 1709 trains per week.

December 2016 Barrie week-end service started.

May 23, 2017 GO celebrates 50 years.