Ontario Construction News staff writer
WATERLOO REGION – Regional council has approved extending ION light-rail service from Fairway Station to downtown Cambridge, marking a major milestone toward creating a continuous rapid-transit connection linking Waterloo, Kitchener and Cambridge for the first time.
The decision confirms the region’s preferred option for Stage 2 ION — a full light-rail extension — and allows staff to begin pursuing provincial and federal funding for the multibillion-dollar project.
“Council’s decision represents a major step in delivering the original vision for rapid transit, which was a continuous connection from Waterloo to Kitchener to Cambridge,” Regional Chair Karen Redman said in a statement. “This will shape the future of Waterloo Region as a great place to live, work and play, and extend the benefits of light rail transit to residents of Cambridge.”
Stage 1 ION, which runs from Waterloo to Fairway Station in Kitchener, has already had a major economic impact. The region reports $5.25 billion in development and more than 22,000 new homes along the Central Transit Corridor between 2011 and 2024.
The Stage 2 extension would run roughly 18 kilometres and add eight new stations between Kitchener and downtown Cambridge. Early design work includes elevated segments and bridge structures, along with new pedestrian and cycling connections. The extension has undergone a full Transit Project Assessment (TPA), which evaluates environmental, social and heritage impacts.
Public support for the Cambridge extension was strong. More than 2,500 people participated in consultation through Engage Waterloo Region, with 78 per cent selecting the full LRT extension as their preferred option.
The project is estimated at about $3.1 billion, based on early-stage (five to 10 per cent) design work. A full business case is expected to take up to two and a half years, and regional staff have previously said procurement could begin as early as 2028 once funding is secured.
With council’s approval, the project now moves into the detailed design and pre-construction phase. This next stage includes heritage assessments, environmental field studies, engineering, utility relocations and refined station design.
Regional planners say the Cambridge extension will support long-term growth, help limit sprawl, protect farmland and encourage higher-density development around future stations — similar to the transformation already seen along the existing ION corridor.
