No GO? Stratford inks deal with private bus firm to fill transportation ...
Months after Metrolinx ended its GO Train service between London and Toronto, the City of Stratford is preparing to welcome a new private regional bus service that will help connect locals to surrounding larger cities.
Published Dec 26, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 2 minute read
STRATFORD – Months after Metrolinx ended its GO Train service between London and Toronto, the City of Stratford is preparing to welcome a new private regional bus service that will help connect locals to surrounding larger cities.
Stratford Transit manager Michael Mousley says Onex Bus, a family-owned firm based in Mississauga, will begin serving city residents in the new year.
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“I’ve been kind of working in the background to try and find a new transportation solution – kind of racking my brain – and it was almost at the same time we approached each other,” Mousley said. “They were looking to add more service. They kind of took over the old Greyhound bus route out of London, in a way, when Greyhound folded a few years back.
“They approached me looking . . . to run some routes through (Stratford) and the timing was perfect because I was looking at asking a private provider if anyone was interested in doing some service here.”
Slated to begin on Jan. 2, the Onex Bus service will offer multiple daily departure times seven days a week with stops in Stratford, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto Pearson Airport and Downtown Toronto. The service will also offer “on-demand” or “by-request” stops in Stratford’s Wright Business Park to better serve those workers who commute to the city from London.
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Mousley said the company is also considering adding future stops in St. Marys, Central GRT Station in Kitchener-Waterloo, New Hamburg, Shakespeare and more as the service continues to expand and evolve.
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“We are thrilled to serve the Stratford and surrounding communities with affordable and reliable transportation,” Onex Bus representative Andrea Medeiros said in a statement. “Our family-owned company strives to serve all customers with a great experience. We are dedicated to connecting people and communities and we are looking forward this new addition to our services.”
While the bus rates for this service haven’t been published on the Onex Bus website just yet, Mousley said company officials told him one-way tickets to nearby centres like London and Kitchener-Waterloo could cost roughly $12 plus tax while one-way trips to stops farther, away like downtown Toronto or Pearson Airport, could cost roughly $24 plus tax.
While the addition of Onex to Stratford’s transit options is welcome, Mousley said he’s still working to secure funding for a Stratford-to-Toronto shuttle under PC Connect, the public transit service that provides transportation throughout Perth County and the surrounding area. He’s also hopeful Metrolinx will return to the table at some point in the future with a plan to resume GO Train service in Southwestern Ontario.
“We know that it is not the end of our work for additional passenger trains in Stratford, but it provides opportunities for our residents and tourists,” Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma said. “In addition, it will begin rebuilding a case with VIA and GO train service. It is also a plus for our environment.”
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