Regional council approves LRT expansion into Cambridge
Posted Nov 20, 2025 07:18:01 AM.
Last Updated Nov 20, 2025 10:16:10 AM.
It’s a moment years in the making: Phase 2 of the LRT expansion into Cambridge has been officially approved and endorsed by regional council.
Councillors unanimously approved the plans at a Region of Waterloo council meeting on Wednesday.
This approval means planning will now begin for the construction of 17 kilometres of 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.
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 are working behind the scenes to secure provincial and federal dollars to fund the project.
According to staff, Phase 1 of the project has already led to $5.25 billion in development along the Central Transit Corridor through Kitchener and Waterloo.
The Region of Waterloo claims that support for the project is fairly strong. Over 2,500 residents responded to a survey on EngageWR, with 78 per cent indicating their support for the connection from Fairway Station to Cambridge.
The project will now move into the pre-construction phase, where they will design the route in detail, look at what utilities need to be moved in order to build the tracks, and staff will also assess the heritage elements along the route.
More discussion on Phase 2 will be held as the region continues budget discussions, including requests for more full-time staff to aid in the design and planning process.
