Confederation GO Station

Confederation
General information
Location397 Centennial Parkway,
Hamilton, Ontario
Coordinates43°14′30″N 79°45′33″W / 43.24167°N 79.75917°W / 43.24167; -79.75917
Owned byMetrolinx
PlatformsIsland platform[1]
Tracks1 + 1 bypass
Bus operators GO Transit
ConnectionsHamilton Street Railway
Construction
Parking148
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeGO Transit: CF
Fare zone80
History
OpenedOctober 27, 2025 (2025-10-27)
Services
Preceding station GO Transit Following station
West Harbour Lakeshore West Terminus
Lakeshore West
(peak express)
St. Catharines
Lakeshore West
(off-peak express)
Location

Confederation GO Station is a train station in East Hamilton, Ontario. The station is named for Confederation Beach Park, nearby on Lake Ontario.[2]

The station was built as part of the expansion of GO Transit's Lakeshore West line service to Niagara Falls.[3] Construction on the site began in 2017, however opening of the rail station was delayed several times.[4][5][6][7][8] Bus service began at the station in November 2, 2019, and train service began on October 27, 2025.[4][9]

History

Beginning in 2014, CN Rail managed the replacement of the Centennial Parkway rail bridge, in partnership with the City of Hamilton and GO Transit. The 84-year-old concrete rail bridge (built 1901 and upgraded 1939) was demolished and a new one erected.[10] This enhancement widened the road and added provisions for an extra track and platform for expected GO Transit service. The bridge work was completed in late 2016.[11]

In February 2015, $150 million was the estimated cost to extend GO Train service the 10 kilometres beyond West Harbour GO Station to East Hamilton, near Stoney Creek.[12] Development of the station site would cost $35 million, and the associated upgrades to the rail infrastructure $115 million.[13] On May 26, 2015, the Government of Ontario announced that the station project was fully funded. Construction began in late 2017 and was originally expected to conclude in 2019.[13]

GO Bus route 12 began serving the station's bus loop on November 2, 2019,[4] when about 60 parking spaces were also made available.[14] GO Transit bus 11 began using the station as well in 2021, along with local Hamilton Street Railway buses.[15][9]

In April 2020, a public tender was issued for the rail-related work.[16] The build contract was awarded in early 2022.[17] Construction of the rail station resumed in October 2022 with an estimated completion date of 2025.[8][15] The addition of a third track between West Harbour and Confederation GO which had been proposed since 2015 was dropped from the plan.[18]

On September 29, 2025, the provincial government announced trains would begin serving the station on October 27, 2025, with the parking lot expanded to 148 spots.[9][19] Initially the station was served by 13 Lakeshore West line trains on weekdays and 15 trains on weekends.[9]

Station

The railway station has an island platform, although only the north side has a track. The platform has heated shelters and is accessible via a pedestrian tunnel. The station building includes a waiting area. The station area has bicycle racks, a 15-vehicle drop-off/pick-up area, 210 parking spaces and stair access to Centennial Parkway.[13][8][15]

Nearby landmarks

References

  1. ^ "Final Confederation GO Station Plan" (PDF). www.gotransit.com. GO Transit. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016.
  2. ^ "Construction Updates". Metrolinx. 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  3. ^ "Niagara Peninsula Rail Service Expansion". Expansion Projects. GO Transit. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c Werner, Kevin (August 15, 2019). "Metrolinx stalls Confederation GO station, while enhancing West Harbour". HamiltonNews.com. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. ^ "Ontario Investing Up to $1 Billion for Light Rail Transit in Hamilton". Archived from the original on August 7, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "Hamilton to get a new LRT and GO Train station". Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. May 26, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  7. ^ Woo, Leslie (September 14, 2017). "The Draft 2041 Regional Transportation Plan" (PDF). Metrolinx. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c DeClerq, Katherine (October 6, 2022). "Construction on new GO train station in Hamilton begins". CTV News Toronto. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d "Ontario Completes Construction of New Confederation GO Station". Government of Ontario. September 29, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "Centennial detour construction starts Monday". Hamilton Community News. November 8, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2014. The project will add an extra track, and a platform to accommodate an expected GO Transit service from Downtown Hamilton to Stoney Creek
  11. ^ Pearson, Mike (October 4, 2016). "CN Rail bridge work on Centennial Parkway wrapping up in November". HamiltonNews.com. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Matthew Van Dongen (February 10, 2015). "GO Train extension to Stoney Creek will cost $150 million". Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c Werner, Kevin (October 22, 2017). "Confederation GO train station construction to begin this year". Hamilton Spectator. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  14. ^ Nason, Jason (November 4, 2019). "Confederation GO Station Bus Loop opens". Hamilton Today. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Construction underway at new Confederation GO station in Hamilton". Metrolinx. October 11, 2022. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Metrolinx releases construction tender for Hamilton's new Confederation station". Ontario Construction News. May 6, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  17. ^ @GOExpansion (December 8, 2021). "Confederation GO Station is currently in design, and construction timelines will be finalized once the construction contract has been awarded in early 2022" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ Hristova, Bobby (October 6, 2022). "Hamilton's Confederation GO station to be built by 2025, premier says". CBC News. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  19. ^ "Ontario gov't announces Oct. 27 opening of Confederation GO Station in Hamilton". CHCH News. September 29, 2025.