The Government of Ontario has finalized a new $1.3 billion agreement with Alstom to continue operating and maintaining regional rail services for GO Transit and the UP Express across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced the five year contract on Friday, confirming the long-time service provider will remain responsible for train operations, maintenance and refurbishment services for the regional rail fleet. Provincial officials said the agreement will support more than 1,100 jobs throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Alstom crews have played a central role in operating the regional rail system for more than a decade. During the 2024 to 2025 operating year alone, staff supported approximately 117,000 GO Transit trips and about 56,000 UP Express trips across the network managed by Metrolinx.
The announcement follows months of uncertainty after a planned long term operating agreement with ONxpress Transportation Partners collapsed. That proposed 25 year contract, originally expected to begin in January 2025, would have transferred responsibility for train operations, staffing, scheduling and infrastructure maintenance across the Metrolinx network. However, the arrangement quietly fell apart earlier in 2025, leaving Alstom crews in place to ensure continuity of service.
Speaking about the decision, Sarkaria said the province relied on Alstom’s experience and performance to maintain reliable service across the regional rail network following the cancellation of the earlier agreement. He noted the system has continued to operate with strong reliability compared with other North American rail networks.
Beyond GO Transit and UP Express operations, Alstom continues to play a major role in Ontario’s broader transit expansion plans. The company has secured a contract to manufacture a new fleet of subway vehicles for TTC Line 2 Bloor–Danforth at facilities in Thunder Bay, Kingston and Toronto. Its light rail vehicles are also currently operating on TTC Line 6 Finch West, highlighting the company’s growing footprint in the province’s transit infrastructure projects.
