Toronto Union – Bloor – Mount Dennis – Weston – Etobicoke North – Malton – Bramalea – Brampton – Mount Pleasant – Georgetown – Acton – Guelph Central – Kitchener – Stratford
GO Transit’s Kitchener Line is one of seven passenger rail lines serving the Greater Toronto Area and westwards to Guelph, Kitchener, and Stratford. While primarily a commuter rail line, recent expansion has transformed the route into a regional rail line operating off peak and into the weekends. As evident by recent expansion to Stratford.
Tickets
Pay for tickets in advance at GO Transit or at the stations.
Presto is the automated fare collection system for Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area and select major cities in Ontario.
Credit cards and mobile wallets are also accepted. Save 15% when purchasing a ride with Presto, credit or debit card, or mobile wallet.
Fares
GO Transit uses a zone based tariff system.
Tip: check out GO Transit’s Partners and Promotions to find discounts that best suit your needs. The ones we recommend checking out are:
Weekend and Holiday Unlimited Day Pass for $10 each
Weekday Group Passes for two or more people starting at $30
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Baggage
GO Transit baggage policy is that passengers are allowed to bring enough luggage that they can carry and manage without assistance. Animals on leases, strollers (foldable), bicycles are also allowed. GO’s FAQ explains this in further detail.
This policy, however, does not apply to rush hour times when trains are filled with passengers.
Some Kitchener Line trains have dedicated bicycle storage cars on the lower level. For those travelling with a bike, board the coaches next to the locomotive, the cars with bike storage are located next to the locomotive.
Destinations
The Kitchener Line travels in a northwestern direction from Toronto to Brampton, Guelph, Kitchener, and Stratford. The route is popular with tourists as a weekend day trip to Stratford. The train stops at all of these stations:
List of stations
Notably, the train stops at Weston with a connection to UP Express, continuing directly to Toronto Pearson International Airport. Therefore, no need for travellers to go all the way to Union to board the airport rail link.
Timetable & Schedule
| Notes | ||
| Windsor – London – Aldershot – Toronto | 5x daily | |
| Sarnia – London – Kitchener – Toronto | 1x daily | |
| Niagara Falls – Aldershot – Toronto | 1x daily | Also operates as Maple Leaf |
| Toronto – Kingston – Ottawa | 9x daily | |
| Toronto – Kingston – Montréal | 6x daily | |
| Ottawa – Montréal – Québec | 4x daily | |
| Montréal – Québec | 5x daily | Includes Oce |
Onboard
GO Wi-Fi Plus is available onboard but speeds are limited. Users can listen to music, podcasts, and watch videos via this service.
Train cars:
- Bi-level: 4 facing seats
- Bicycle: Lower levels of bi-level cars
Classes
Pros
- Direct Connection to downtown Toronto from Kitchener-Waterloo / Guelph. Avoid driving and dealing with traffic and parking.
- Weekend service to Startford makes for a great day trip.
- Serves major cities and destinations including Brampton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Stratford.
- Comfortable compared to driving on Highway 401, especially at rush hour.
- Good integration with Grand River Transit‘s Ion light rail in Kitchener-Waterloo.
- Major expansion in recent years to Stratford and midday and off-peak service.
- Guelph and Kitchener stations are located downtown and walkable.
Cons
- Being a historically commuter oriented service means that the Kitchener Line was larger built around commuters heading to Toronto.
- Uncomfortable seats on long journeys.
- Frequency is not high enough yet. Trips still require advance planning and missing a train often means a long wait.
- Long travel time from Kitchener to Toronto.
- Lack of proper park-and-ride stations in Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph area.
- Not ideal for local trips between Kitchener and Guelph owing to lack of frequency.
Notes
- While growing fast with new destinations and frequencies the Kitchener Line is a good regional rail line but is held back from frequency and infrastructure constraints.
- Make the most out of travelling on the Kitchener Line to look out the window.
- While not necessarily a scenic route owing to the farmland and urban areas the train passed through. The Grand River, Eramosa River, and Credit River viaducts offer expansive views of the river valleys.
All systems operated by
VIA Rail Canada
