Bike coaches being added to trains on Kitchener GO line

A GO Train seen at the Kitchener station on Nov. 11, 2019. (Dan Lauckner / CTV Kitchener)

Metrolinx is adding more coaches to trains on the Kitchener Line – but not for commuters.

The agency is making extra room on GO Trains for bicycles and e-bikes.

CTV News recently spoke to some passengers at the Kitchener station who said they were travelling to Toronto to work for food delivery apps like Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes.  One explained that he had to travel to Toronto because he couldn’t find work in Waterloo Region.

Dozens of bikes can sometimes be seen inside GO trains.

Metrolinx announced Monday they were building eight additional bike coaches in response to increased demand, adding that it would double the number of bike coaches in their fleet. The new coaches will offer additional capacity on the Kitchener Line, as well as seasonal service on the Lakeshore West trips to Niagara Falls.

The agency said the new coaches have space for up to 22 bikes and additional seating for passengers.

New bike policy

Metrolinx recently updated its bike policy banning all e-bikes without UL or CE certification on their batteries. The changes were in response to growing safety concerns, including an incident last year when an e-bike caught fire on a TTC train.

Starting April 9, staff will be inspecting all e-bikes and attaching “tamper-proof seals” to those that meet the rules. Metrolinx said they’ll also redirect e-bike owners to the dedicated coaches.

Travellers are reminded to not bring bikes on board during the morning or afternoon commute (trains arriving at Union Station from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and departing Union Station from 3:30 p.m. and 6:30p.m.) Cyclists are also asked to stay with their bikes and make sure they don’t block doorways, stairwells or aisles.