GO Transit Fares Between Hamilton and Union Station to Rise By 60 Cents or 5.2%, After 4.5% Increase Last Year

GO Transit has announced that the fees for most rides (those above $5.70) will rise. For those fares above $8.25, the single adult paper fare will rise 60 cents.  That means for the $11.50 Hamilton to Union fare that is now $11.50 will rise to $12.10 which is a 5.2%. That's obviously a lot higher than Ontario's inflation rate and the rates have been rising more than inflation for years. Last year the fare increased by 50 cents from $11 to $11.50 or close to 4.5%.

For most Hamilton trips, I would guess the majority would come from the downtown GO station in Hamilton to Union station express bus. There's only six trains now one way in the morning and six back weekdays, while the buses run almost all day and on the weekends. Other GO Trips would come from the bus to the Aldershot GO station to transfer to the train, the GO bus to York University, buses from McMaster to Toronto, and the bus to Pearson that continues on to Richmond Hill. Thus for Hamilton, the vast numbers of users would be taking buses rather than trains.

Considering that the costs of diesel fuel have gone way down, and that bus driver fares have likely not risen 5.2% in one year, Hamiltonians are effectively subsidizing rides in those communities that have a majority of train users as train service expansion is comparatively more expensive than bus service, plus the costs of building parking lots at GO train terminals.