The first of the two phases of Ontario’s new rapid transit system — the ION Light Rail Train line connecting Waterloo and Kitchener — has started service.
The modern system will serve the residents and visitors of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, as well as surrounding rural municipalities. As part of the GrandLinq Consortium, Keolis Grand River — Keolis’ local subsidiary — is responsible for the 16-kilometer (10-mile) light-rail line operations for the next 10 years and maintenance for the next 30 years. The contract, which was awarded in May 2014, is under a public-private partnership. This is Keolis’ first light-rail operation in North America.
The link will operate every eight minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes off-peak. The line is expected to carry about 25,000 passengers per day.
The region of Waterloo is the fourth largest community in Ontario, with an existing population of more than 500,000.
