GO Regional Express Rail

Regional Express Rail (RER) is a project to improve GO Transit train service by adding all-day, two-way service to the Barrie line and the inner portions of the Kitchener line and the Stouffville line, and by increasing frequency of train service on various lines to as often as every 15 minutes on five of the corridors. This would be achieved with the full electrification of the Lakeshore East line and the Barrie line and the electrification of the inner portions of the Lakeshore West line, the Kitchener line, and the Stouffville line.

RER is one of the Big Move rapid transit projects.

With RER, GO Transit will increase the number of train trips per week from 1,500 (as of 2015) to about 2,200 by 2020. Most of the extra trips will be in the off-peak hours and on weekends. By the time its electrification program is completed around 2024, there will be 6,000 weekly trips. The 10-year regional express rail plan will cost $13.5 billion, and will require 150 kilometres (93 mi) of new track including new bridges and tunnels.

RER goals would be achieved with the electrification of core sections of the GO Transit train system, as follows:

RER will operate 4-car, bi-level electric multiple unit (EMU) sets which would be coupled to form 8- and 12-car trains. To reduce operating costs, smaller 4-car trains will run during periods of lighter demand, such as on weekends. GO Transit's existing fleet of unpowered bi-level cars will be used to operate many peak services, but will be pulled by electric locomotives. EMUs cost less to operate than 12-car diesel trains and have faster acceleration. Journey times can be reduced significantly with electric traction depending on the route, stopping pattern and equipment.

The electrified network will ultimately extend to 262 route-km (163 route-miles) with six traction substations and 11 traction distribution facilities (switching or paralleling stations).

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