‘Left behind,’ Ajax MPP slams ongoing suspension of Lakeshore East GO express trains

An Ajax MPP says Durham Region commuters have been “left behind” as he pushes the province to restore express service on the Lakeshore East GO line more than four years after it was suspended.

Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanec launched and presented a petition with 3,000 signatures to the legislature in December, calling for the restoration of express service that was suspended in 2021 due to construction related to the upcoming East Harbour Transit Hub and Ontario Line.

Cerjanec says commuters have waited far too long for service to be restored, and that frustration has continued to grow.

“We have employees that have to be in office five days a week with the provincial government, and also some private sector employers,” he said in an interview with Now Toronto. “That’s an extra 15 to 20 minutes each way. That’s time that someone can be spending with their family, doing other errands, or just some time for themselves.”

The MPP says he’s hearing not only from his own constituents, but from commuters across the region, that life without express service has become increasingly difficult.

“One of my constituents that emailed me said, ‘I had a baby when they got rid of the Express service, and now I have two children, and I still don’t know when express service is going to be coming back, and it’s making it harder for my family in being able to take care of the kids,’” he said.

Cerjanec says there has been a lack of clarity and transparency from Metrolinx about when service might be restored. As a result, he says it feels like Durham Region commuters are being left behind.

“A lifeline to get to and from Toronto for work or sporting events or activities is the GO train,” he said. “[Commuters] don’t feel that they’re being respected by the provincial government.”

For express trains to run, the Lakeshore East line would need its third track restored. That track was taken out of service for construction, but Cerjanec says he has offered Metrolinx a temporary solution that would involve using an existing third track between Guildwood GO and Danforth GO, one that is already used during service disruptions.

In addition to restoring express trains, Cerjanec is also urging the government to move forward with electrifying the line. Electrification was promised by Metrolinx as part of its GO Expansion project and could allow trains to run as frequently as every five minutes. While the project was initially expected to be completed by the early 2030s, Cerjanec says he is no longer confident in that timeline.

“What was supposed to be 2032 has now turned into 2036 publicly,” he said. “And we know that internal documents that Metrolinx has said that timeline is even further out. That’s why we’re calling for clarity and transparency. People need to be able to trust their government, and the government needs to treat their residents with respect.”

In a statement to Now Toronto, Metrolinx says over $14.8 billion has already been invested on GO Expansion projects including preparatory construction work on the Lakeshore East corridor such as corridor widening, station upgrades, and bridge work, in preparation for a fourth track and electrification. 

Although express service is paused, the agency says commuters can still take trains every 10-minutes during rush hour periods.

“This more than double the frequency that was available when express service was running. And it means that customers are now waiting between 10 and 20 minutes less for their next train to arrive,” Metrolinx said.