It's about to get a whole lot easier to travel between Toronto and Durham Region, as the Ontario government recently awarded a contract to extend GO train service to Bowmanville. 

The province is investing a whopping $730 million to extend the Lakeshore East GO line further into Durham Region, bringing two-way all-day GO train service to commuters in Bowmanville for the first time. 

First images of the $730M @Metrolinx Bowmanville @GOExpansion project. Significant infrastructure being proposed here with new bridges, grade separations, track expansion & four new stations reaching further east into Durham Region. Route uses CN alignment on proprietary tracks. pic.twitter.com/EsvcsmvvQz

— Urban Cayman (@ProjectEND) June 15, 2023

Bowmanville Construction Partners (BCP) has been awarded an early stage contract to advance infrastructure planning on the Bowmanville Extension. As a result of the project, nearly 17,000 daily trips and 4.9 million annual boardings are expected by 2041. 

The early stage contract is set to support the nearly 20-kilometre extension project, which includes new tracks and signals, seven new bridges, and at-grade crossing upgrades. 

Once completed, the Bowmanville Extension is expected to reduce average in-vehicle travel time from Bowmanville to Union Station by 15 minutes, according to the province. 

The extension is part of the GO expansion program on the Lakeshore East Line that strives to provide 15-minute or better service, all day in both directions, between Oshawa GO and Union Station, as well as peak weekday service every 30 minutes between Bowmanville and Union Station.