Barrie 
Ontario has officially broken ground on the Bowmanville GO Extension, pushing GO Transit service deeper into Durham Region and setting the stage for expanded rail access east of Oshawa. The announcement was made on January 27 by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in Whitby.
The project will extend the Lakeshore East GO line by 18.7 kilometres, running from Durham College Oshawa GO Station to a new Bowmanville GO Station.
By 2041, the province expects the extension to support about 17,000 daily trips and 4.9 million boardings annually. Once operational, the line will offer two-way, all-day service, designed to reduce commute times and lower transportation costs.
According to Prabmeet Sarkaria, the extension is part of the government’s broader transit expansion strategy under Premier Doug Ford. The province estimates the project will place roughly 10,400 jobs within walking distance of transit while improving access to housing across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Construction is already underway. The first phase includes rebuilding and modifying bridges, relocating utilities, and upgrading infrastructure at Durham College Oshawa GO Station and the nearby VIA Rail building. Early works began in spring 2025 and included tree clearing, geotechnical testing, and the installation of a new watermain in Oshawa.
Credit: Metrolinx
Once complete, trains will run every 30 minutes during peak periods, hourly during off-peak times, and every two hours on weekends. Four stations are planned along the route: Thornton’s Corners East, Ritson Road, Courtice, and Bowmanville.
The Bowmanville extension is part of a wider provincial push to expand GO Transit service. Ontario is currently investing $70 billion in transit projects across the province, including the Kitchener GO Extension and recent station openings such as Confederation GO in Hamilton, aimed at delivering two-way, all-day service on the busiest rail corridors.
