Editing Kitchener, Ontario (section)

===Railways===

{{Further|Kitchener station|Kitchener line}}

Kitchener's primary railway corridor is the [[CN Rail|CN]]/[[GO Transit|GO]] [[Guelph Subdivision]]. It runs approximately east–west through the northern section of downtown Kitchener. It was originally laid out and constructed in 1856 by the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] (GTR), and after the GTR's acquisition of the [[Great Western Railway (Ontario)|Great Western Railway]], the mainline through Kitchener became known informally as the "North Main Line" in contrast with the "South Main Line" through [[Brantford, Ontario|Brantford]], both connecting [[London, Ontario|London]] and [[Toronto]]. Coming from the east, the [[Waterloo Spur]] diverges from the mainline and heads north through [[Waterloo, Ontario|Waterloo]] and ultimately to [[Elmira, Ontario|Elmira]]. The spur was formerly owned by CN, but is now owned by the [[Region of Waterloo]].

[[File:Kitchener train station 4.jpg|thumb|[[Kitchener station]] is the city's [[intercity rail|intercity]] passenger railway station.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/exploring-the-region/intercity-transit.aspx |title=Intercity Transit |publisher=Region of Waterloo |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref>]]

[[Kitchener station]] lies a short distance west along the track from the junction with the Waterloo Spur. The current station building dates from 1897 and is a heritage structure which is owned by [[Via Rail]], Canada's national passenger railway. Both Via Rail [[Québec City–Windsor Corridor (Via Rail)|''Corridor'']] service and [[GO Transit]] [[Kitchener line]] service are available at the station, the latter of which has its western terminus at the station. Via Rail service consists of two trains per day in each direction along the Toronto–London–Sarnia route; one westbound train terminates at [[Sarnia station|Sarnia]] while another terminates at [[London station (Ontario)|London]], while both eastbound trains terminate at [[Toronto Union Station]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/schedules/summer2020/24-25_Toronto-London-Sarnia.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/schedules/summer2020/24-25_Toronto-London-Sarnia.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Toronto-London-Sarnia |access-date=8 March 2020 |publisher=[[Via Rail]]}}</ref> GO train service was originally extended to Kitchener in 2011 from its previous western terminus at [[Georgetown, Ontario|Georgetown]].<ref name=2011kitchenerline>{{cite news |url=https://www.therecord.com/sports-story/2567786-go-trains-to-run-from-kitchener-to-toronto-in-2011/ |title=GO trains to run from Kitchener to Toronto in 2011 |date=13 November 2010 |newspaper=[[Waterloo Region Record]] |access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref> GO service began with two trains per direction per weekday,<ref name=2011kitchenerline /> but since its inception train frequency has gradually increased and as of early 2020 it stands at 8 eastbound and 7 westbound trains per weekday, with no weekend service.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gotransit.com/static_files/gotransit/assets/pdf/TripPlanning/FullSchedules/FS11012020/Table31.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.gotransit.com/static_files/gotransit/assets/pdf/TripPlanning/FullSchedules/FS11012020/Table31.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher=[[GO Transit]] |access-date=8 March 2020 |title=Kitchener GO Train and Bus Schedule}}</ref> In 2017, [[Metrolinx]] (the parent agency of GO Transit) constructed a purpose-built train layover facility on Shirley Avenue to supplement its existing adapted layover facility, which was at capacity.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/waterloo_region_council_august_30_final.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.metrolinxengage.com/sites/default/files/waterloo_region_council_august_30_final.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Metrolinx]] |website=Metrolinx Engage |title=Creating Connections in Waterloo Region |date=30 August 2017 |access-date=8 March 2020}}</ref>

While Kitchener benefits from increasingly frequent commuter-oriented GO service east to Toronto, intercity Via Rail service to the city has been largely unchanged for years, limiting its connectivity to [[Southwestern Ontario]] to the west. In contrast, the South Main Line through Brantford (which is still owned by CN) has faster and more frequent service between Toronto and London than the North Main Line does, along with larger double-tracked sections. In 2017, the Ontario Liberal government proposed a Windsor–Toronto [[high-speed rail]] line through Kitchener, which would improve travel times to nearby major cities as well as to the [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jackson|first1=Bill|title=Province initiates EA for high-speed rail|url=https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7325518-province-initiates-ea-for-high-speed-rail/|publisher=Kitchener Post|access-date=25 June 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328004435/https://www.therecord.com/news-story/7325518-province-initiates-ea-for-high-speed-rail/|archive-date=28 March 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The proposal, if approved, would provide a 48-minute trip from Kitchener to downtown Toronto.<ref>{{cite web|title=Toronto – Kitchener – London Ontario High Speed Rail Pre-Feasibility Study prepared for Ontario Ministry of Transport Commercial in Confidence|url=http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/publications/pdfs/toronto-kitchener-london-ontario-high-speed-rail-feasibility-study.pdf|website=mto.gov.on.ca|access-date=25 June 2017|page=8|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704192850/http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/publications/pdfs/toronto-kitchener-london-ontario-high-speed-rail-feasibility-study.pdf|archive-date=4 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> With the election of a new [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Conservative]] government, funding for the project was indefinitely paused.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/ontario-pauses-high-speed-rail-funding-will-look-at-enhancing-current-services |title=Ontario pauses high-speed rail funding, will look at enhancing current services |date=15 April 2019 |access-date=8 March 2020 |first=Shawn |last=Jeffords |newspaper=The [[National Post]]}}</ref>

Freight trains in Kitchener are operated by the [[Canadian National Railway]] and the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]. These railways serve several customers, many of which are in industrial parks in southern Kitchener.