Two-way, all-day GO Rail service between Kitchener and Toronto took a major step toward reality on February 11.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced that excavation of the second of two tunnels under highways 401 and 409 was complete.

Work on the project has been underway since March, and construction crews have been digging in opposite directions—west and east—to connect the 360-metre line. Work on the first half of the tunnel reached completion in August.

"This tunnel project will help increase capacity on the Kitchener corridor and, where possible, support all-day trips, in both directions to reduce congestion," said Mulroney. "Our goal is to establish a more reliable rail transit system in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, which will drive significant economic growth and job creation that will benefit the entire province."

The Highway 401 and 409 Rail Tunnel Project includes a twin tunnel structure that is being built by the Toronto Tunnel Partners consortium on a contract worth approximately $117 million. The consortium includes EllisDon, STRABAG and WSP Canada Inc.

When complete, the tunnel will provide space for two additional GO Rail tracks. Track, signaling and communications infrastructure will be installed under a separate contract. Substantial completion for the project is expected to be reached in the second half of 2021. 

"GO Expansion will transform the transportation network in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, allowing for more frequent travel across the region," said Phil Verster, president and CEO of Metrolinx. "This announcement and the work on the Kitchener line is a significant milestone which will eventually help get more people out of their cars and onto public transit, leading to a better quality of life for many people."

The tunnel project was a significant engineering feat. It involved work under 21 lanes of live traffic on two of the province’s busiest highways, and a specific methodology that involved excavating from both ends of the tunnel simultaneously before meeting at the tunnel’s mid-point.

"I want to applaud Toronto Tunnel Partners for their innovative work on the Highway 401 and 409 Rail Tunnel Project, which was constructed under 21 live lanes of traffic," said Michael Lindsay, President and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario. "We are proud to support GO Expansion in the province and deliver system-wide infrastructure upgrades that will enable more frequent service."

The province says the project is one of more than 20 currently under construction to support the province's GO Expansion program that will transform GO rail into a two-way, all-day rapid transit service every 15 minutes on core segments of the network.