Jim Jones wants to get rid of GO trains along the 71 Stouffville line.

Don’t worry, the York Regional Councillor’s not an anti-transit man — in fact, he hopes to replace GO train service with a local rapid transit line, linking Stouffville, Markham and Scarborough with downtown Toronto.

Jones recently produced and presented to Markham Town Council a 73-page report outlining his plan for I-METRO-E — the Markham and East Toronto Rail Ontario - Electric line. According to YorkRegion.com, Jones says that the “I” in I-Metro-E stands for innovative, integrated, iconic, intelligent and immediate.

The new line would include more stops than GO Transit’s trains currently serve and also reduce the traveling time for commuters. Jones envisions I-METRO-E as a subway-like, quick-start rapid transit system that will help reduce the number of passengers riding the Yonge branch of the 1 Yonge - University - Spadina subway and provide a downtown relief line. To get service starting as soon as possible, Jones plans for the line to temporarily use diesel-electric multiple units, similar to what Metrolinx intends before it electrifies the future Air Rail Link.

The Regional Councillor contends that, since Metrolinx owns the rail corridor and already has diesel-multiple units on order, the capital costs would be low. He estimates it would cost about $1 billion to $2 billion to implement the entire system. He also expects that a private developer to build, design and operate I-METRO-E for 35 to 50 years, with Metrolinx overseeing the project.

Tracks along the line would mostly stretch along elevated structures. Once Metrolinx fully electrifies it, I-METRO-E trains would travel 24 stops in slightly more than 43 minutes, instead of the 1 hour and 4 minutes that GO currently needs to operate between Stouffville to Union Station.

Jones envisions 14 Toronto stations from Union to Milliken on Steeles Avenue East, with a “tax increment financing” zone around each one to encourage development. The plan also includes 10 stations in Markham, each with similar financing zones.

Some Toronto councillors are supporting his vision. Councillors Paula Fletcher and Chin Lee have introduced Jones’ I-METRO-E concept to Toronto Council, suggesting it “may prove to be more cost effective” than the Downtown Relief Line

Jones may invite the Toronto councillors to attend a Wednesday, May 2 workshop with Markham Town Council to further explore the I-METRO-E concept.