Ontario to extend Hazel McCallion LRT line, build Mississauga loop

The province of Ontario aims to extend the Hazel McCallion light-rail transit (LRT) line by building the Mississauga loop and bringing the line into downtown Brampton, Premier Doug Ford confirmed last week.

The provincial government also supports enhancing GO Transit service along the Milton corridor with two-way, all-day service and urged the federal government to be a full funding partner, Ontario officials said in a press release. That would entail a fully separated passenger-rail line on the corridor, which is the fourth-busiest route on GO Transit's network.

Ontario will allocate more than CA$70 billion over the next decade — the largest transit investment in Canadian history — to lead the largest expansion of public transit in North America, Ontario officials said.

Province leaders have accepted the initial business case for the expansion of the Hazel McCallion LRT and are moving forward with the project. The project calls for a more than two-mile extension of the line into downtown Brampton via Main Street from the Brampton Gateway Terminal, and a more than one-mile extension with a loop in Mississauga.

"Everyone in Ontario deserves access to reliable transit options that connect them to good-paying jobs and housing," said Ontario Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria. "The extension of the Hazel McCallion LRT and Milton rail corridor are essential next steps in our mission to get commuters where they need to go, when they need to be there."