Toronto Union – Exhibition – Mimico – Long Branch – Port Credit – Clarkson – Bronte – Appleby – Burlington – Aldershot – Hamilton – West Harbour – St. Catharines – Niagara Falls
GO Transit’s Lakeshore West Line is one of seven passenger rail lines serving the Greater Toronto Area and westwards to Hamilton and south around Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls. While primarily a commuter rail line, frequent all day service with express trains and 15 minute service makes this the most popular route of the system.
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
Niagara Weekend GO Train + WEGO combo tickets starting at $22 (weekday passes start at $34)
Purchase on the Niagara Parks webpage
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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 Lakeshore West Line trains heading to Niagara Falls 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 Lakeshore West Line first travels in a westward direction from Toronto to Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, and Hamilton. At the edge of Lake Ontario, the route turns around and travels in a southeastern direction to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. The route is popular with tourists as a weekend day trip to Niagara Falls. The train stops at all of these stations:
List of stations
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 Oakville and Hamilton.
- Daily service to Niagara Falls making for the prefect day trip.
- Frequent all-day service to Aldershot and Hamilton with 15 minute service closer to Toronto. Express trains skip some stations.
- Serves major cities and tourists destinations including Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, and Niagara Falls.
- Comfortable compared to driving on Highway QEW, especially at rush hour.
- Major expansion in recent years past Hamilton into the Niagara Region.
- Good integration WEGO Niagara Falls’ tourist bus service.
Cons
- 15 minute service only extends to Oakville Station
- Lack of all day service to Niagara Falls
- Uncomfortable seats on long journeys.
- Frequency is not high enough yet past Hamilton.
Notes
- Make the most out of travelling on the Lakeshore West Line to look out the window. After Hamilton, the route hugs the Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario.
All systems operated by
VIA Rail Canada
