Nicco Di Mauro is a pretty special 7-year-old.  

Smiling, full of energy and endlessly fascinated by the world around him and the mechanical functions that power our everyday lives. An elevator ride, for example, is something we may take for granted as a daily occurrence. But for Nicco, it’s, in his words, “just awesome!”  

So, when he happened to see a bus in operation for the first time, a fire ignited inside him. Nicco’s passion for public transit would only grow with each new form of transportation he witnessed, from buses to streetcars and various forms of rail travel. He loves transit so much that he often spends time playing with train simulators, experiencing transit in different parts of the world.  

It all came to a head when he and his mom Terri took a northbound ride on the Barrie GO Line one fateful summer afternoon in June. 

Nicco was excitedly letting his fellow commuters know pertinent information, like proper use of the yellow emergency strips, stop information and more, when Customer Service Ambassador Adrian noticed the passionate passenger.  

Nicco’s passion and enthusiasm was nothing short of contagious. Hundreds of thousands viewed and liked his announcements on X, and his story was picked up by numerous media outlets across the region, so Metrolinx invited him to experience a side of transportation few ever get to witness.

A walk through Willowbrook 

A vital step in ensuring we can provide safe, reliable, clean and comfortable transportation for you is regular maintenance of our fleet. From rigorous inspections, fuel top-ups, mechanical upkeep, sanitizing and more, the hardworking staff at maintenance facilities like Willowbrook keep things in tip-top shape – and are the backbone of the GO Transit fleet. So, what better place for a transit enthusiast with a penchant for all things mechanical to spend a morning in?  

Though it is not open to the public, we wanted Nicco to get an up-close and personal look at the inner workings of the locomotives and train coaches that get us where we need to go. Led by GO Transit performance and compliance officer Roy Andrigo, Nicco and his mom got a guided tour and up-close look at all the inner workings that make a GO Train go.  

He even got a chance to sit in the driver’s seat and witness something many go their whole lives without seeing – the cockpit commode – a mini bathroom in the locomotive where the crew can relieve themselves mid-journey. 

Dreams come true again 

For many of us, the most exciting part about a train might be the pair of powerful, yet efficient 2700-horsepower engines that get it moving. And Nicco certainly enjoyed getting a close-up look. But his heart is happiest when helping others. When they first entered the facility and checked in at security, Nicco helped his mom out by reciting a license plate by heart without skipping a beat. “He’s my little rolodex,” Terri said.  

Much like during his viral moment making a station announcement, Nicco’s eyes lit up and his excitement could hardly be contained when he got to visit an accessibility coach within the facility – which he enthusiastically called his favourite part of the tour.  

He got to see how staff at Willowbrook ensured the coach was cleaned and sanitized to a high standard. But the height of the experience came when tour lead Roy pulled some strings and let Nicco try his hand at opening and closing the coach doors. He was even given a headset to make some more announcements. How did Nicco sum up that experience? In two words: “It’s awesome!”  

“I would [like to] be a CSA one day. Opening the doors, making the announcements and all that,” Nicco said. 

There are countless examples of the difference CSAs make in the lives of passengers, from lifesaving intervention and words of compassion, to adopting new safety techniques, they are as invaluable as they are essential. With Nicco’s passion and penchant for helping others, it seems like he’s already on the right track. 

To cap off his experience, Metrolinx also sent Nicco home with some souvenirs including a GO Bear stuffie and his very own GO Transit lanyard.  

We can’t wait for our next trip with you, Nicco!