A look at GO train times for Friday as regular service not expected to resume until the weekend

FILE - A woman walks along a platform beside a GO train at Toronto's Union Station on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

GO Transit will continue to operate on a reduced schedule for the rest of the workweek, with regular service expected to resume on the weekend.

Metrolinx confirmed in an email with CTV News Toronto that GO trains will operate on a modified schedule on Friday, “with opportunities for additional trips where there is capacity.”

“We know it’s been a challenging commute this week and we appreciate your patience,” the Crown agency said.

“Our crews are continuing to work around the clock to finish repairs on our tracks, complete testing of the signals, and return damaged infrastructure to service so we can add more train service.”

GO Transit has been operating on a modified schedule since Monday, when a train on the Kitchener line leaving Union Station at low speed derailed and struck a track switch.

It created significant delays across the whole GO train network and continued to impact service the following days.

Here’s a look at the GO train schedule for Friday:

• Lakeshore East: 60-minute service, outside of 15–30-minute peak a.m. and p.m. service.
• Lakeshore West: 60-minute service, outside of 15–30-minute peak a.m. and p.m. service
• UP Express: 15-minute service
• Kitchener: 60-minute service, outside of 30-minute peak a.m. and p.m. service.
• Milton: 30-minute a.m. and p.m. peak service
• Richmond Hill: 60-minute a.m. and p.m. peak service
• Stouffville: 30-minute a.m. and p.m. peak service
• Barrie: 30-minute a.m. and p.m. peak service

In a post on LinkedIn on Thursday afternoon, Metrolinx CEO Michael Lindsay said the repair work was “largely complete” and GO Transit was “on track for full restoration this weekend.”

He also shared the two GO trains on the Lakeshore lines encountered “main engine reservoir failures” around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, which resulted in hours-long delays for 2,300 customers.

“The modified service and these delays created real distress for riders. Many people missed appointments, struggled to make day-care pickups, were late for work, or faced a long and uncertain trip home,” Lindsay said.

“I am genuinely sorry for the impact this has had on so many of my neighbours and fellow riders.”

The cause of the derailment is under investigation, and Lindsay has said the results will be made public once they are completed.

“These incidents were unprecedented and created challenges that none of us want to see repeated,” the Metrolinx CEO said.