Work will begin next year to extend weekday GO train commuter service from Hamilton to Grimsby by 2021, and to Niagara Falls by 2023.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca says the project will include new and upgraded train stations, a new train layover facility in Niagara Falls, more passenger trains and 30 kilometres of new track.

In addition to the new Confederation GO station expected to open in east-end Hamilton in 2021, there will be another new GO station built in Grimsby, as well as upgrades to the VIA Rail stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.

Managing congestion

Del Duca says the 60-kilometre expansion of GO's regional rapid transit network will help support economic development in the Niagara region, increase travel options for commuters and help manage congestion on highways.

He has been making a series of GO expansion announcements in recent weeks, including eight new GO train stations to be built in Toronto, and a 20-kilometre extension of the Lakeshore East line from Oshawa to Bowmanville, with four new GO train stations.

Del Duca has also announced plans to build another three new GO stations on the Barrie line, in Vaughan, Newmarket and Innisfil in Simcoe County.

The government has not announced cost estimates for the various GO train projects because it's still in negotiations with the construction industry, the suppliers and with Canadian Pacific Railway, which owns much of the track the GO trains will use.

It's a 10-year, $13.5 billion program to expand the GO regional express network, and some of the funding will have to come from local governments, said Del Duca.

The government earlier estimated that new GO train stations cos an average of $50 million to $75 million each, not counting operating, maintenance and energy costs.