Premier Doug Ford officially kicked off construction on a new GO train station in Hamilton on October 6.

The Confederation GO station, which is currently a bus stop on Centennial Parkway, will help reduce gridlock and connect more people to jobs, housing and transit in one of the fastest growing regions in the province.

Construction will start this fall, and take approximately three years to complete. The project budget is $50 million.

“Families, commuters and businesses throughout Hamilton and across the Greater Golden Horseshoe rely on the Lakeshore West line every day “Building the new Confederation GO station will make it easier for Hamilton commuters to access transit and boost economic growth.”

The new will offer several key amenities, including an accessible island platform with canopies, pedestrian tunnel, 15-vehicle passenger pick-up and drop-off area and direct stair access from Centennial Parkway. Commuters will also have access to approximately 150 additional parking spaces.

“Better connecting regions throughout the province has been a priority for our government and with this expansion of transit services into the City of Hamilton, we are delivering,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney.

The new station will support a more integrated transit network for Hamilton, providing better connections to existing local transit and GO bus services, while facilitating future increased GO rail service opportunities to Toronto and Niagara Falls.

"Hamilton has seen significant growth as a destination to live, work, and play in, which requires more transit options to support residents and visitors alike,” said Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton. “We are extremely pleased to see the Government of Ontario and Metrolinx prioritize the building of the Confederation GO station, which will better link East Hamilton, Stoney Creek and the entire Golden Horseshoe area with more choice and better access to and from our community."

According to the province, GO rail is poised to become one of the busiest railways in North America with over 200 million annual riders by 2055. An estimated 122,500 people and 63,900 jobs will be located within five kilometres of Confederation GO Station by 2041.

The province continues to work alongside Canadian National Railway for access to the corridor west of Burlington GO station needed for further service expansion into Hamilton. It is also working closely with the City of Hamilton and federal government to advance the Hamilton light rail line. The planned 14-kilometre line will offer service from McMaster University to Eastgate Square and support economic and population growth across the region.