We’re already three weeks into 2026 and as the year kicks off, it seems like a good time to talk about – not all the transit projects currently being built – but about what might be next in terms of transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. As the Finch West and Eglinton lines open and the provincial government’s various subway projects move quickly, it’s worth asking what is and should be in the pipeline and why.
We’ll be tackling this in four stories this week, with one story covering each mode of transport in detail. Over the last three days we’ve looked at subways, GO Transit, and Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Lines, but…
…today is the day to try something less well-known but that could still be important for our future: Hybrid Rail.
Hybrid rail
In the United States, “hybrid rail” refers to a variety of diesel rail services that operate modern, European-style, level-entry multiple units, typically on short routes, often part of or formerly part of the national rail network, and that are built on a shoestring budget. These routes rarely have very high frequencies, but they typically run at least every 30 minutes – examples include Texrail and the Silver Line in Dallas-Fort Worth, Sprinter in the San Diego area, and the River Line in New Jersey. Ottawa’s O-Train started out in this category but has evolved over the years into something a little closer to traditional rapid transit.
The appeal of these services is that they manage to offer a fairly good transit service with modern trains at a relatively low price. These are high-value projects – as we know, the original O train in Ottawa was built for just $25 million, and while it’s unlikely we’ll see anything even remotely as affordable decades later, diesel trains with few stations can make mass transit significantly cheaper.
As it turns out, the first of these lines we could see in the GTA could also be in Waterloo Region, connecting Cambridge to Guelph. The cool thing about hybrid rail in 2025 is that it no longer has to be diesel. Battery trains are available from all major manufacturers and the trains can be charged at stationary charging stations at train stations. Since these lines tend to run on a carefully planned timetable to make the most of the minimal infrastructure, and also don’t run very frequently, there is usually plenty of time to sit and recharge at the final stations.
Cambridge-Guelph (l) and Junction-Union (r) hybrid rail lines, map by UrbanToronto Forum contributor WB62
But there are also many places where this type of service could make sense closer to the center of the GTHA. One idea that has long intrigued me is a hybrid rail service from Dundas West station to the Junction, where passengers could transfer to GO, UP, streetcars and the subway. Such a service could use the Milton line tracks and then a new track south of the CP tracks to Runnymede. This would be a cost-effective way to reach one of Toronto’s trendiest neighborhoods with relatively fast trains every 15 minutes. They could even make the line compatible with the UP Express and provide rush-hour connections to Union Station.
There are of course plenty of options further along the main CP route through Toronto. While the entire Midtown line is attractive for continuous operation, it could be implemented as a separate project from the GO network, perhaps as a hybrid rail service with high-capacity trains that makes adding additional tracks and infrastructure a bit easier and allows for careful schedule planning that allows for a mix of single- and double-track routes – at least initially. You can imagine a first phase being implemented as a connecting route from the junction to Dupont, Summerhill and Thorncliffe Park, where connections to the Ontario line could be made.
A potential new GO line along the Midtown Corridor, possibly launching Hybrid Rail, map by UrbanToronto Forum contributor WB62
A final project that actually appears convincing to implement as Hybrid Rail is an expanded Richmond Hill line. Currently, Metrolinx owns the entire Toronto corridor but has no plans to dramatically improve it. Previously I proposed a dramatic modernization with a diversion of the line under the Leaside Spur, but another valid plan could be the addition of a regular hybrid rail service. This service could operate in addition to current commuter trains and would provide direct service to Evergreen Brick Works, Cherry Street, Regent Park, Don Valley Parks and communities in North York, as well as connections to the 4 and 5 lines and even Union Station. This actually seems like a hugely compelling idea, and given the short platforms and small fleet required to run the service, it shouldn’t cost too much – which would provide incredibly beautiful views of the Don Valley even outside of the few commuter trains currently passing through.
Richmond Hill Hybrid Rail, south (l) and north (r) sections, map by UrbanToronto Forum contributor WB62
I realize that we have talked about a large number of projects here over the last four days, but what happens next remains unclear. As politicians, political circumstances, the city and the current transport network change, the areas of perceived demand and available funding can change dramatically. Certainly some of these projects will be built, and depending on the financial situation and interest in building more transportation and housing, we may see more or less. What is clear is that we need to start discussing what comes next so that transit projects are ready when the political will to do better emerges.
That’s it for our early 2026 look at what might come next. We’ll be back in the coming days and weeks with openings, projects and ongoing transit challenges in the region!
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Reece Martin is a well-known advocate for good transit around the world. He lives in Toronto and blogs at nextmetro.substack.
Basemap © is from UrbanToronto forum contributor WB62 and is not affiliated with Metrolinx or any other transit agency and should not be considered an official source or endorsement of Metrolinx projects.
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UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more in our database files linked below. If you’d like, you can join the discussion in the associated Line 5 and Line 6 forum threads, or leave a comment in the designated area on this page.
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UrbanToronto has a research service, UTPro, that provides comprehensive data on development projects in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, from proposal to completion. We also offer instant reports, downloadable snapshots based on location, and a daily subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, that tracks projects from the first application.