Past Studies

Previous Electrification Studies of GO Transit Rail Network

Electrification of the GO Transit rail system has been under consideration for many years. The earliest studies date to the 1980s. Since then numerous studies on specific rail corridors have been prepared for GO Transit to understand better the state of the technology and its potential application to the GO Transit rail network. In some cases these studies have also assessed the cost of electrification of certain corridors.

The technical studies were prepared as background information for GO Transit. The recommendations and costs identified in the studies were established in the context of the economic times, technology and public priorities applicable at the time of the studies over the past 25 years. With the passage of time, these studies and the technology and costs have become dated and less applicable to the current circumstances. The development of cost estimates or project phasing is complex and will require multi-disciplinary technical expertise.

We recently announced that Metrolinx is conducting a new study on the electrification of the entire GO Transit rail network. The study will be a comprehensive review of the benefits and costs of electrification of the GO system and each of the rail corridors. In setting the terms of reference for the study, Metrolinx will be assisted by a Community Advisory Committee. The study will be completed by December 2010.

As background to the study, and in response to requests by interested citizens, Metrolinx is releasing all previous studies. They can be found below in chronological order.

The specific studies done over the past 25 years are as follows:

1. Study of Technical Feasibility and Cost: Electrification of GO Transit Rail Services, Final Report (June 1980) (file size: 7.9MB)
2. Transit Electrification : Bus and Rail (April 1981) (file size: 9.9MB)
3. Railway Electrification of the GO Transit Lakeshore Commuter Line: Study Management Plan. (May 1982) (file size: 4.2MB)
4. GO Electrification Ridership Forecasts Project Report (September 1982) (file size: 3.7MB)
5. GO-ALRT Electrification System Selection, Study Report (July 1983) (file size: 2.6MB)
   • Addendum 1 (October 1983) (file size: 783KB)
6. Commuter Rail Services - Electrification Study (March 1992) (file size: 3.2MB)
7. Review of the Southern California Accelerated Rail Electrification Program for GO Transit (June 1992) (file size: 1MB)
8. Electrification Study - Update Lakeshore Line (April 2001) (file size: 1.3MB)
9. Lakeshore Corridor Electrification Update of 2001, Addendum to the 1992 Study – Final Report including Appendix A thru I (April 2008) (file size: 12.2MB)
10. Lakeshore Corridor 2031 Addendum to the April 2008 Lakeshore Corridor Electrification Update – Final Report including Appendix A-Q (October 2008) (file size: 12.3MB)
11. GO Lakeshore BCA report (file size: 492 KB)