
Should Peterborough push hard for GO Train service on the Havelock Subdivision?
Peterborough (city ~83k, CMA 128k+) is over 2.5× bigger than Stratford, which just got GO train service this summer with only one daily round-trip.
We used to have VIA Rail to Toronto until 1990 (2-2.5 hr trips), so the corridor already exists. A 2010 Metrolinx study pegged upgrading the Havelock Sub at $329–384 million (probably $500-600M+ today), but that’s the kind of investment other GO extensions have received.
In the middle of Ontario’s rail renaissance (GO expansions, more frequent service on multiple lines), it feels like PTBO is being left behind with only buses and painfully slow ones at that. A proper GO train would cut highway congestion, boost commuting options, support Trent/Fleming students, attract tourism and drive economic growth. Alto high-speed rail is still two decades away at best, so this is the realistic near-term option.
Would you support bringing GO commuter rail to Peterborough? And does anyone know if any mayoral candidates are prioritizing this?