Regional staff recommending full LRT expansion into Downtown Cambridge
Posted Oct 30, 2025 07:32:19 AM.
Last Updated Oct 30, 2025 11:59:38 AM.
Support is strong for the next phase of LRT expansion into Cambridge, as regional staff are set to recommend building tracks that connect Fairway Station to Downtown Cambridge.
Staff will present their recommendations to the Region of Waterloo Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Development Committee on Tuesday.
Those recommendations endorse building 17 km of LRT tracks, connecting Cambridge to Kitchener and beyond via ION light rail. When it’s completed, the train will run every seven minutes, taking a 29-minute trip from Fairway Station to Downtown Cambridge.
Earlier this year, staff presented four options for LRT expansion, ranging from a shorter track system to the introduction of bus rapid transit instead.
Over 2,500 residents responded to a survey on Engage WR, with 78 per cent indicating that the full connection from Fairway to Downtown Cambridge was their preferred option. More than half of the respondents indicated that they were from Cambridge.
The costs of building those tracks between Kitchener and Cambridge were a point of contention in the lead-up to this recommendation, as the price of construction to build between Fairway Station and downtown could be $3.1 billion in 2025, rising to $4.3 billion by 2033.
Regional staff indicated that construction would include six new major bridges, overhead wires, substations, tracks and more. They would also have to consider the heritage elements and utilities located along the would-be rail line.
This option could be a significant economic driver for the region, resulting in major development along the LRT line through Cambridge, the report notes.
If these plans pass committee on Tuesday, the next steps include regional staff pushing for full project funding from the provincial and federal governments. In addition, requests for additional staff and capital funding will be detailed during the 2026 budget process.
A long list of delegates have singed on to speak at Tuesday’s committee meeting.
