The Ontario government has announced that upgrades are now complete on the West Harbour GO Station.

The province says the station upgrades will save more than 250,000 commuters roughly 15 minutes per roundtrip.

The station previously had a dead-end track that required trains to back into and out of the station. With the station now connected to the main Lakeshore West rail line, riders from St. Catharines and Niagara Falls can expect faster service in and out of West Harbour GO.

In addition, all trains travelling to and from Niagara Falls, including weekend and off-peak trips, will now stop at West Harbour GO Station.

“As we work to expand GO Service across the region, the completion of West Harbour Station means faster, more convenient and more frequent GO train options with four times as many trips for commuters travelling between Hamilton and Niagara Falls,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. “Our government is making historic investments to expand transit and build for the future, while creating good paying jobs that protect Ontario workers during this time of economic uncertainty.”

The completed work on the West Harbour track will also facilitate GO rail service to the future Confederation GO Station in east Hamilton, further connecting GO rail to bus services and Hamilton Street Railway services and making life more convenient for commuters in Hamilton and for those travelling to Niagara Falls.

The Lakeshore West schedule will be adjusted in the coming weeks, once testing of the new track is complete. The line connects Exhibition Place in Toronto to Niagara Falls.