The Ontario government has given the green light to plans to extend GO Rail service into Bowmanville.

The Regional Municipality of Durham announced last week that it had received approval on the project from the province’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks after completing the Transit Project Assessment Process.

The TPAP is an environmental assessment that ensures any potential negative impacts to the natural, social, cultural and economic environment are protected.

With this process complete, Metrolinx will continue to move ahead with the plans to extend GO rail service from Durham College Oshawa GO station through to Bowmanville, with four new stations along the way.

“We are thrilled that this project continues to achieve major milestones, bringing this extension one step closer to fruition,” said Durham Region Chair and Chief Executive Officer John Henry. “Students, residents and visitors will be able to seamlessly travel across Durham and beyond, creating more connected communities.”

In June, the province awarded an early-stage contract to advance infrastructure planning on the Bowmanville Extension to Bowmanville Construction Partners, a partnership between Ledcor CMI Ltd. and Dragados Canada Inc.

The contract would support the nearly 20-kilometre extension project, which includes new tracks and signals, seven new bridges and at-grade crossing upgrades.

“This contract brings us one step closer to extending the Lakeshore East GO line further into Durham Region, bringing GO train service to the people of Bowmanville for the first time,” Premier Doug Ford said at the time.

The province plans to invest $730 million to extend the Lakeshore East GO line further into Durham Region, bringing two-way all-day GO train service to Bowmanville.

With nearly 17,000 daily trips and 4.9 million annual boardings expected by 2041, the Bowmanville Extension will connect more people to jobs and places while reducing travel times across the region.