With GO station work stalled, residents urged by Metrolinx to ‘talk transit’ at Whitby pop-up

With progress on the construction of the new Central GO station in Oshawa at a standstill and no noticeable movement at all on planned new stations at Thornton Corners in Oshawa and Courtice and Bowmanville in Clarington, Durham residents will have an opportunity to ask why at a Metrolinx pop-up next month in Whitby.

The transit organization’s Durham Community Engagement team will be at the Whitby Public Library Central branch on January 8, with Metrolinx urging residents to “come to the library and talk transit in your region.”

Work at saving the heritage components of what will be the Central GO station – the location of an iron factory dating back 127 years – began in July. Demolition of the rest of the building – home to what was once Ontario’s largest grocery store when it opened in 1983 – would follow but little has been done and the entire structure appears untouched with no evidence of any work being done, save for some scaffolding on the west side.

Metrolinx purchased the property at 500 Howard Street in 2014 as part of GO train expansion plans that will see two new stations built in Oshawa – including the central station at the Howard Street site – and two more in Clarington.

The project was promised by the Liberals in 2016 and then delayed when Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives came to power before Ford made the extension a campaign plank during the last election.

The $730-million, 20-kilometre extension will include new tracks and signals, seven new bridges and at-grade crossing upgrades. Once completed, it will provide all-day service in both directions between Bowmanville and Union Station, including peak weekday service every 30 minutes, and is expected to reduce in-vehicle travel times between Bowmanville and Union by 15 minutes.