“So from an economic standpoint of development, having more of that in the downtown core, which would be beside the GO station for that service, I mean, it's just a great opportunity.”

A 2013 report, done in part by the City of Guelph, concluded that the introduction of two-way, all-day GO train service to Guelph and K-W “will create a globally competitive technology ecosystem with over 12,800 technology companies, 2,800 startups, and 205,000 technology employees. Net employment growth from this investment is forecast at 37,600 jobs, which will generate $838 million in personal income tax annually in 2013 dollars.”

The same report pointed to more than $1.4 billion of construction value for new development in downtown Guelph due in part to increased train service.

The recommendation in the Metrolinx report is a big shift from the option first proposed in 2016.

Also included in the report, the provincial agency presents an updated version of that plan, which would see a new freight rail corridor built between Brampton and Milton. That new bypass would move the freight trains off the line between Georgetown and Brampton, freeing up track space for passenger trains.

That option, the report states, would cost more than $2 billion, plus another $1 billion in operating and maintenance costs. It would also take longer to build, with the report pointing at a timeline of about eight-and-a-half years.

However, this option, unlike the one recommended to Metrolinx’s board, would give the transit agency the option to expand, as it would now be operating the Georgetown-Brampton stretch.

Steven Petric, president of the Transit Action Alliance of Guelph, said while the move toward two-way, all-day GO service is promising — “overall it looks like actual light at the end of the tunnel,” he said — he believes the recommended option may be more about saving money than doing what is best in the long run.

“We're trading off this corridor, which could easily save a lot more time, which they're downplaying in the report,” he said.

“The corridor would definitely make it easier to electrify the entire line and give us faster speeds, but it seems that we're going with the option that is watered down and what the province wants more than what Metrolinx or the people want.”

Petric added that with the recommended option, freight trains would still be running on those lines, leading to more delays — something also cited in the Metrolinx report.

“In addition, opportunities for future expansion of the Halton Subdivision will be constrained, especially within the urban areas of the City of Brampton. CN has also expressed concerns regarding electrification of a shared rail corridor,” the report adds.

In December 2018, Metrolinx laid out its long-term plans to expand service on most of the province’s GO lines, part of which would be done by electrifying the tracks, which would allow for trains that run faster and cost less to operate than the current diesel models.

Due to ongoing negotiations between Metrolinx and CN about the Georgetown-Brampton corridor, Guelph and Waterloo Region were kept out of those plans.

However, the environmental impact could be made up for elsewhere.

“All the cars that are going to be taken off the road now, and people are going to be re-evaluating why do they need the second car,” Guthrie said.

“All these things combined is really the easy business case to make this a go, no pun intended.”