On Track to Connecting Canadians: EllisDon’s GO Transit Projects

EllisDon builds the places in which we live, the hospitals where we heal, the stadiums where we cheer, and the offices where we do business. It also builds the critical civil infrastructure that connects these places and people together. While Canadians have always found ways to connect, EllisDon Civil’s infrastructure delivery makes it easier one project at a time.

Looking at the Greater Golden Horseshoe area as an example, Canada's most densely populated corridor and home to upwards of 20 per cent of Canada's total population, EllisDon plays a key role in expanding the vital GO Transit system. Through several major projects in recent years, our Civil team has worked with partners and leveraged its integrated approach to create the pathways needed for GO trains and vehicles to move through local communities efficiently. We have also built the stations and structures that support those journeys, while managing the complexity of delivering these large-scale projects.

Expanding Critical Infrastructure Across the GO Network

Beginning with the pathways – the various track, tunnel, and grade-separation works that underpin the system – EllisDon has delivered time and again. On the Kitchener GO line, the team bored a 176-metre-long tunnel to lay down tracks for two trains without disrupting 21 live lanes of traffic and hundreds of thousands of commuters on Highways 401 and 409. This feat, made possible through expert coordination and innovative construction techniques that included a canopy tube support system and sequential excavation method that was bolstered by a Canada-first use of auger boring technology, demonstrated EllisDon's capacity to deliver complex transit projects safely while reducing risk and accelerating construction timelines.

But the Civil team has done more than build tunnels and lay tracks. At Rutherford and Milliken stations, grade-separation works transformed how vehicles and trains moved through the corridor by separating rail and roadway infrastructure onto different levels. Rutherford specifically featured a three-kilometre rail-over-road grade separation that improved operational efficiency and safety within a constrained corridor, while maintaining uninterrupted rail service throughout construction. These projects increased connectivity while reducing disruption and improving the much-needed GO Transit services and tracks. The holistic and coordinated approach in what are already heavily developed and populated areas allowed expansion to take place through a client- and community-centred approach.

Beyond that, we delivered the first new GO station to be added to the network in four years. Confederation GO Station features parking, secure bike storage, ramps, elevators, and pedestrian tunnels providing access to a fully accessible island platform equipped with snow-melt systems and modern passenger information signage. We also expanded the adjacent bridge to accommodate a future second track, supporting increased rail capacity and service growth.

Enhancing the Passenger Experience

The places where those journeys begin and end are equally important. At projects such as Cooksville, Confederation, Rutherford, Milliken, Unionville, Agincourt and Kipling GO Stations, EllisDon delivered more than track infrastructure, constructing and expanding stations, platforms, pedestrian bridges, bus terminals, and other critical transit facilities. These projects improve accessibility, strengthen regional connections, and enhance the experience for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on the network every day.

Executing Complex Projects at Scale

Managing the complexity behind these projects is what ties EllisDon’s integrated approach and capacity together. Working in active rail corridors alongside municipal partners, utilities, and transit operators, EllisDon has consistently coordinated complex scopes while maintaining safe operations and minimizing disruption. From delivering projects through a range of delivery models, including P3s, CM and DBB to directly undertaking key elements of construction, the Civil team has demonstrated the capability to manage risk, adapt to evolving project demands, and deliver critical infrastructure that keeps communities connected.

EllisDon’s delivery of several GO Expansion projects with unique scopes and requirements reinforces its position as one of Canada’s premier civil construction contractors with the backing of a fully integrated construction services approach. This model allows us to deliver the tracks, tunnels, bridges, platforms, and stations that Canadians need to connect more safely, quickly, and comfortably.