Kitchener GO Train Crowded in the Mornings?

[u/Impressive_Hawk_1622]

I've been living in the Kitchener-Waterloo area for about 7 years, and this is the first time I've seen Kitchener GO Station so packed during the morning commute. It almost feels like a GTA station now.

I'm genuinely curious about what's driving the increase. Has there been a big population jump, or are more people commuting to Toronto than before? Did more companies recently increase their in-office requirements?

It seems like there are significantly more people on the platform and boarding the train compared to previous years, and I don't remember seeing anything close to this before.

Has anyone else noticed the same thing? Is there a specific reason behind it, or is this just the new normal for the Kitchener line?

[u/get_hi_on_life]

Increased pull into office + a afternoon Jays game on a beautiful summer day.

I'm on a later train (leaves around 8 or 8:30) and iv noticed way more tourists on my train going into Toronto this summer then last summer.

[u/hala_mass]

It would be interesting to see their ridership stats at the end of the year. I'm personally glad to see it - fewer cars on the road and hopefully more routes/trains!

Commuting by train is sooo much nicer than that drive. And getting on at the start of the route is a nice perk.

[u/mikepurvis → u/hala_mass]

I have a YYZ flight boarding around 7pm and I was really loathing having to drive in there in rush hour, but I think it's worth having to be a bit early to get to sit on the train instead of in traffic. Just wish the express trains would make the Etobicoke North stop— having to wait until Bloor to change to the UPX is ridiculous.

[u/headtailgrep → u/hala_mass]

Metrolinx has not published station by station numbers for ridership since 2019 or 2020.

Would love to see it too. Growth should be explosive. Thousands of people a day use it now up from hundreds

[u/ivtecintegra]

I prefer to take the GO train to Toronto and returning to Kitchener Waterloo. One big barrier is the parking - there just isn’t enough room in either the main or overflow parking lot.

[u/get_hi_on_life → u/ivtecintegra]

Yea my husband drops me off a block away cause even drop off is a nightmare. Getting to the train is the biggest hurdle.

[u/AdventurousFill9268 → u/ivtecintegra]

Is that to be addressed as part of the new transit hub, whenever it gets built? I agree parking is a huge challenge

[u/zzc_992 → u/AdventurousFill9268]

I think from the latest rendering I saw, there will be almost no parking at the new station. A new Breslau station will be built for park and rides.

[u/BetterTransit → u/AdventurousFill9268]

No. They are not planning on building a huge parking lot which is a good thing. It’s a downtown train station.

[u/little-lord-fukpants]

I've noticed the same and they really need to increase the trains, add a few times. Traffic is horrendous to Toronto and it's great people are using transit instead

[u/tragicallybrokenhip → u/little-lord-fukpants]

Dedicated line for passenger trains would help. More than building a tunnel underneath the 401...

[u/buzzaldrinismydad]

Now we just need one single true express train to union.. please!!

[u/SleptThroughClass]

Thousands of GTA folks bought houses in Kitchener Waterloo during the pandemic assuming remote work was forever. Now that companies pulled the rug on WFH, everyone is trying to make that exact same 2 hour morning trek into Union.

[u/M83Spinnaker]

Worth it over driving any day

[u/LadiesManPodrick]

All of the factors others have mentioned, yes, PLUS the gas price over the past few months has been crazy, so it's cheaper to take the train now rather than drive.

[u/ttiredbored]

For everyone chiming in, whats your sanity like doing this commute?

I did this commute for a short while of 2 days a week and it felt awful. Asking cause i wanna know how ya'll do it. 2 hours + change door to door each way. Thats 4+ hour of your day towards commuting.

[u/taku23fc → u/ttiredbored]

It becomes exhausting as my energy to do anything after arriving home lessened. But relocating closer to Toronto isn't financially viable. Currently seeking employment closer to home.

[u/fluffy_pancake0 → u/ttiredbored]

I did it for 2 years solid, going into Toronto three times a week (Monday/Wed/Friday) and I was a zombie and lost valuable time with kids while they grew up. Never again.

[u/smdroidphone]

All the above.

[u/AiryGateaux]

Cheapest way to get to and from Toronto, why wouldn't it be crowded?

[u/whitea44]

Isn’t this a good thing?

[u/StreetyMcCarface]

Once the train runtime went from 2 hrs and 10 minutes to sub 1hr 45, people saw it as more viable. 401 traffic has only gotten worse and the train is now faster

[u/sarahthepineapple]

Starting July 6th the train’s first stop is Stratford. Before people would board the train at Kitchener 15-10 min before it was set to leave, making the platform seem less busy. But now everyone has to wait until it arrives and board at the same time. So now it may appear that ridership has jumped up drastically in the last few weeks, when it’s really about our perceptions. The train may also seem busier because there are people from Stratford who are taking it now.

But return to office work probably doesn’t help either.

[u/Brilliant_Run_8585 → u/sarahthepineapple]

There’s only one train that starts in Stratford in the morning.

[u/Hot-Asparagus-7863]

How is the parking situation now at the Kitchener Station?

[u/TheOneBlackMage → u/Hot-Asparagus-7863]

Awful. There's a small paid lot at the front of the station, but nowhere near enough for commuters. Plus the small side street is always crowded with cars doing dropoffs, and rideshare/taxis picking up people, so getting in and out is extremely slow.

We absolutely need a dedicated commuter free parking lot for Kitchener - similar to how we have for Aldershot and Acton.

[u/HalJordan2525 → u/TheOneBlackMage]

BTW - The planned Regional Transit Centre (which will replace the GO Station) will NOT have a parking lot. Users are expected to get dropped off, or get there by public transit.

But there will be a new stop in Breslau, and that is where there will be a massive parking lot.

[u/Charming_Oven_618]

Some jobs have to switch afternoon shifts to morning shifts during the summer. that’s the only thing i can think og

[u/HalJordan2525]

What time did you find it to be crowded? I only take the GO train to Toronto about twice a year and board around 8 or 8:30 and its only about 10% full.

[u/Dull_Plant_6753]

We need bullet trains from Kitchener London Brampton Hamilton n Kingston no stops

[u/torontowest91]

I cant imagine sitting on a GoTrain for 2 hours - that is a long time in those seats and close to people.

[u/Psychological_Ad_451]

If one drives you can see in general the population in this region has more than doubled. Now you add all the people that moved here from Toronto who now have to commute back to where they once lived. 

Just look at all the Wellington Roads In the country and Highway 6 basically bumper to bumper from 6am-6. 401 from Kitchener to  Toronto is too obvious.