ONTARIO Transportation Minister Mr Steve Del Duca visited Go Transit’s Willowbrook depot on June 15 to announce that the province has launched the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) for the Go Rail Electrification programme.

THE premier of Ontario Ms Kathleen Wynne announced on May 19 that the province will move forward with plans to build Canada’s first high-speed line after a report by Mr David Collenette, Ontario’s special advisor on high-speed rail, concluded the project has a positive business case.

THE long-running dispute between Metrolinx and Bombardier over the late delivery of LRVs for new light rail lines in the Toronto area took another turn on May 12, when Ontario provincial minister for transportation Mr Steve Del Duca announced the agency has placed a $C 529m ($US 386m) order with Alstom to for 61 low-floor LRVs.

THE Canadian government will provide $C 1.8bn ($US 1.35bn) for the GO Transit Regional Express Rail (GO RER) project in the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area of southern Ontario.

TORONTO and Hamilton transit authority Metrolinx confirmed on November 3 that it has filed a notice of intent to terminate a contract worth up to $C 770m ($US 574.2m) for up to 182 Flexity Freedom LRVs.

CONSTRUCTION of Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown light rail line reached a significant milestone on August 18 when tunnel boring machines Don and Humber broke through at Yonge Street, marking the completion of tunneling on the 10km underground section between Keele Street and Laird Drive.

Canada’s aggressive economic and sustainability goals are set to be met by Via Rail’s Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal passenger rail corridor project which should be in place by 2020. David Thomas reports on the ambitious inter-city passenger railway venture.

TORONTO and Hamilton transport authority Metrolinx has purchased an additional 125 Bombardier double-deck coaches for the the Go Transit commuter rail network in a deal worth $C 428m ($US 328m).

THE Canadian province of Ontario is to provide $C 205m ($US 160m) to help advance work for the Yonge North subway extension and the proposed Relief Line which is designed to help relieve congestion on Toronto Transit Commission's (TTC) Yonge Line.

THE premier of the Canadian state of Ontario Mrs Kathleen Wynne visited the site of the future Vaughan Metropolitan Centre station in York on June 6 to mark the completion of tracklaying on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension.