Coronavirus: Hamilton-Toronto GO Transit service impacted amid anticipated ridership drop

Metrolinx is set to scale back its service on GO Transit in the Hamilton and Niagara regions amid the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.

The transit agency said in a statement that its service changes will take effect on Wednesday, March 18 and include essentially cancelling all express bus trips between Hamilton and Toronto as well as train service to Niagara Falls.

“We are reducing services to be in line with the expected reduction in ridership due to March break, school closures and the significant shift in many organizations’ work-from-home policy,” the statement said.

The provincial transit agency’s biggest change will be the No. 16 Hamilton-Toronto GO bus express between Hamilton and Toronto’s Union Station, which is all but completely been cancelled.

Only the 12:30 a.m. express bus to Union Station will operate Sunday through Monday, according to the transit agency.

However, the No. 18 Aldershot GO bus between Hamilton and Aldershot will run every half-hour from 4:30 a.m. Monday to Friday as usual. Weekend hours for the route will remain the same as always.

Trains connecting Aldershot and Toronto’s Union Station will remain on the same schedule.

Train service to Niagara Falls and St. Catharines has also been discontinued.

However, GO Bus Route 12 to Niagara Falls, which connects to GO train service at Burlington GO, will continue to operate.

Other routes that will see some minor departure changes include:

• No. 15 Brantford-Burlington GO Bus
• No. 40 Hamilton-Richmond Hill
• Highway 407 West routes 45, 46, 47 and 48
• Highway 407 East routes 51, 52 and 54

UP Express in Toronto to Pearson airport will temporarily run trains every 30 minutes, starting from Union Station at 4:55 a.m. and from Pearson at 5:27 a.m. The last trains will depart Pearson at 12:57 a.m. and Union Station at 1 a.m.

Updates will be provided on the GO Transit and UP Express websites.