GO Transit Richmond Hill line
Richmond Hill line
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| Distance | 42.3 kilometres | ||
| Service periods | Rush hour | ||
| Ridership | |||
| Bus connections | 61 | ||
The Richmond Hill line (internally: 61 Richmond Hill) is a GO Transit train line operating in the Greater Toronto Area. It runs from Toronto Union Station in the south to its northern terminus of Gormley GO Station. Service on the Richmond Hill Line is augmented by a train-bus service outside peak periods on weekdays only. There is no weekend train-bus service due to frequent local service connecting Richmond Hill with Toronto.
Five trips operate southbound to Union during morning rush hours and seven trips operate northbound to Gormley during afternoon/evening rush hours. All trips make all station stops.
History
At the beginning of 1974, funding from the federal government allowed GO Transit to establish train service to Richmond Hill. The line was inaugurated on April 29, 1978 with a promotional ride to and from Richmond Hill. Regular service began on May 1, 1978. Three trains operated inbound to Union in the morning and three trains operated outbound to Richmond Hill on weekdays.[1]
Beginning in the mid-1990s, York Region began experiencing rapid growth. Various studies were conducted between 1993 and 2002 to examine expansion of GO service along the Richmond Hill corridor. In their GO 2020 plan, GO Transit identified an extension of the Richmond Hill line to Aurora Road into Stouffville as a way to meet the region’s growing transportation needs. Further studies recommended that a new layover facility be constructed at Bethesda Road and new stations be constructed at Stouffville Road, Bloomington Road, Vandorf Sideroad, and Aurora Road. GO decided to move ahead with the layover facility and the first two stations. The remaining two stations were constrained by various factors, and it was decided to pursue them when capacity needs arise.[2]
The layover facility was opened in 2014, and construction of Gormley GO Station (located at Stouffville Road) began soon after. It officially opened on December 4, 2016, with free promotional rides between Gormley and Langstaff GO Stations. Regular service between Toronto and Gormley began the following day.
Bloomington GO Station began construction in 2017 with an opening date of June 28, 2021.
Stations
| Station name | Date opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Union Station | August 6, 1927 | |
| Oriole GO Station | May 1, 1978 | |
| Old Cummer GO Station | May 1, 1978 | |
| Langstaff GO Station | May 1, 1978 | |
| Richmond Hill GO Station | May 1, 1978 | |
| Gormley GO Station | December 4, 2016 | |
| Bloomington GO Station | June 28, 2021 |
References
- ↑ Furness, Richard. "Burgers Outdraw Davis at GO Train Inaugural." The Globe and MailMay 01 1978. ProQuest. Web. 15 Dec. 2016.
- ↑ RICHMOND HILL GO RAIL LINE EXTENSION (report). York Region.
