The Government of Ontario commissioned a study of the economic impacts and benefits of electrifying GO Transit's inter-regional rail lines. The study, led by Delcan and ARUP as a Joint Venture, assessed "economic impacts for users, non‐users and the broader Provincial economy, with six scenarios for the years 2021 and 2031.
The Ontario government study employed TREDIS as a means for assessing seven types of economic impacts: (1) faster and more convenient service for current regional rail users, (2) cost savings for travelers who switch to regional rail transport, (3) time savings for travelers who remain in cars but enjoy less road congestion, (4) business productivity gains due to improved reliability, (5) business productivity gains from expanded labor market access, (6) transport efficiency and environmental gains due to switching from diesel fuel to electric power, and (7) business growth due to productivity enhancement, consumer spending shifts and attraction of new business activity.
The Ontario TREDIS model was callibrated with data from Statistics Canada, OECD and Statistics Ontario. The GO Electrification report and economic appendix can be accessed via the GO Transit web site.
Go Transit Electrification Study
