Editing Cambridge, Ontario (section)

====Light rail====
{{See also|Rapid transit in Waterloo Region|Ion rapid transit}}
[[File:GPH-PB station and car barn.jpg|thumb|The car barn for the Galt, Preston, Hespeler and Preston, Berlin railway]]

The first appearance of [[light rail]] in Cambridge was an electric [[street railway]] system between Galt and Preston, which was called the [[Galt and Preston Street Railway]]. This later expanded with a [[branch line]] from Preston to Hespeler, and was subsequently renamed the [[Galt, Preston and Hespeler Street Railway]] (GP&H). A separate extension line, the [[Preston and Berlin Street Railway]], was built and then merged with the GP&H, and the whole system was renamed the [[Grand River Railway]], which at its greatest extent ran as far north as Waterloo. With this extension, as well as infrastructure upgrades, it became a true [[interurban]]. A sister railway, the [[Lake Erie and Northern Railway]], connected to the Grand River Railway at Galt, running south to [[Port Dover, Ontario|Port Dover]] via [[Paris, Ontario|Paris]], [[Brantford]], and [[Simcoe, Ontario|Simcoe]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/2017/01/railway-history/ |title=Cambridge and its Influence on Waterloo Region's Light Rail Transit |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=19 January 2017 |website=Waterloo Region |access-date=10 March 2017 |archive-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312053020/http://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/2017/01/railway-history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Mills"/> The electric rail system ended passenger services in April, 1955.

In June 2011, the Waterloo regional council approved the plan for a [[light rail transit]] (LRT) service from Conestoga Mall in north Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall in south Kitchener, with express buses through to Cambridge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/548497--rail-plan-passes |title=Rail plan passes |publisher=TheRecord |date=2011-06-15 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312025134/http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/548497--rail-plan-passes |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Phase 1, which started operating in 2019, the [[Ion rapid transit|Ion]] LRT runs between Waterloo and Kitchener, passing through the downtown and uptown areas of the two cities. The stations for the rapid buses along the southern half, known as Stage 2, were put in place by 2016.

Stage 2 of the rail line would run from {{stn|Fairway}} to the "downtown Galt" area of Cambridge. At least one journalist has pointed out the similarity between this plan and the electric [[Grand River Railway]] of the early 1900s that connected Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/2017/01/railway-history/ |title=CAMBRIDGE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON WATERLOO REGION'S LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=19 January 2017 |website=Waterloo Region |access-date=10 March 2017 |quote=the first electric line running up Water and King Streets from Galt to the Mineral Springs Hotel across the Speed River in Preston ... Next, the train line extended north of Kitchener and a spur line ran into Hespeler. |archive-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312053020/http://www.explorewaterlooregion.com/2017/01/railway-history/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig was a determined opponent of the plan. He felt that a series of buses would be just as effective but much less expensive.<ref name=KWRecord2013-11-19/><ref name=Cbc2013-08-20/>

The Ion rapid transit service in Kitchener-Waterloo (Stage 1) began on June 21, 2019, after delays caused by Bombardier's late deliver of the trains needed for the service.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.metro-magazine.com/news/story/2014/10/waterloo-region-s-rapid-transit-system-to-shape-growth-development.aspx |title=Waterloo Region's Rapid Transit System to Shape Growth, Development |journal=Metro Magazine |date=October 13, 2014 |access-date=2014-10-25}}</ref> Most of the rails had been installed by the end of 2016; the maintenance facility and all underground utility work had been completed.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Desmond|first1=Paige|title=LRT construction 90 per cent complete|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7035590-lrt-construction-90-per-cent-complete/|access-date=25 March 2017|work=Waterloo Region Record|date=23 December 2016}}</ref> The start date of service was postponed to early 2018, however, because of delays in the manufacture and delivery of the vehicles by [[Bombardier Transportation]]. As of 24 February 2017, only a single sample of a train car had arrived for testing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/bombardier-100-committed-to-delivering-ion-vehicles-by-end-of-2017-1.3299914 |title=Bombardier '100% committed' to delivering Ion vehicles by end of 2017 |last=Flanagan |first=Ryan |date=24 February 2017 |website=CTV News |publisher=Bell Media |access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref>

[[File:GrandRiverTransit3.jpg|thumb|The original iXpress service which preceded the Ion rapid transit plan; other iXpress routes remain.]]

In late February 2017, plans for the Stage 2 (Cambridge section) of the Ion rail service were still in the very early stage; public consultations had just started at the time. Some routes and stops had been agreed upon in 2011, but the final plan will not be established until mid 2017.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/lrt-ion-cambridge-region-waterloo-1.3970421 |title=There's still wiggle room in the Region of Waterloo's LRT plans for Cambridge |last=Sharkey |first=Jackie |date=8 February 2017 |website=CBC |access-date=10 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/resourcesGeneral/FINAL_Stage-2-ION-PCC-No.-2-Display-Boards_reduced2.pdf |title=Stage 2 ION: Light Rail Transit (LRT) |last=Sharkey |first=Jackie |date=February 2017 |website=Region of Waterloo |access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref> No estimated date has been published for the start of light rail service to Cambridge.

Until the completion of Stage 2, rapid transit is provided between Fairview Park Mall and the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal (in the downtown Galt area) using branded buses with WiFi. Other stops for this Ion bus are at Hespeler Road at the Delta, Can-Amera, Cambridge Centre, Pinebush, and Sportsworld. The ION bus provides a direct link to the LRT half of the system in Kitchener-Waterloo.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment Phase 2, Step 3b – Preferred Rapid Transit System Option and Staging Plan|url=http://rapidtransit.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/projectinformation/resources/e-09-073_-_recommended_system_report.pdf|access-date=9 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web  |title=ION Bus Rapid Transit - Frequently Asked Questions  |url=http://www.grt.ca/en/travelwithus/FAQ-ION-Bus-Rapid-Transit.asp  |access-date=24 March 2017  |url-status=dead  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325024953/http://www.grt.ca/en/travelwithus/FAQ-ION-Bus-Rapid-Transit.asp  |archive-date=March 25, 2017  |df=mdy-all  }}</ref>