In the heart of Ontario, the ION light rail transit system has become much more than a transportation project. It’s a key component of sustainable urban growth. One of the core reasons behind building ION was to contain the region’s suburban sprawl and protect the surrounding farmland, some of the most fertile in Canada. Instead of expanding outward with low-density single-family homes, Kitchener-Waterloo has seen a dramatic rise in vertical development, with high-rise condominiums and apartment buildings reshaping its otherwise dull skyline. The LRT also triggered a major revitalization effort to modernize century-old utilities beneath the streets and laid the groundwork for a more connected, compact, and resilient urban future.
The ION is the only light rapid transit (LRT) system serving the greater Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge metropolis, which has a population of approximately 650,000. This region currently ranks as the 10th largest census metropolitan area in Canada by population. Interestingly, Winnipeg, Québec City, and Hamilton - ranked 7th, 8th, and 9th respectively - do not have any metro rail systems such as a subway or LRT. However, Hamilton is currently constructing one, and Québec City is actively considering the development of its own.
The ION network is named after the atom, which it describes as being “always in motion” - a good choice in my opinion. Interestingly, the idea to build an LRT was inspired by Calgary and Portland, Oregon, both of which have impressive light rail networks for cities of their size. Their success sparked a simple question: if they could do it, why couldn’t we?
Construction of the ION LRT began in 2014 and took five years to complete, a reasonable timeline given the scale of the project and in comparison to similar initiatives across Canada. What’s truly surprising, however, is the cost: just $43 million per kilometre. To put that into perspective, consider Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT, a comparable project that came in at $148 million per kilometre, or Toronto’s Line 5 Eglinton with whopping $686 million per kilometre.
The ION LRT opened in June 2019, and its current daily ridership ranges between 10,000 and 25,000. Many of its riders are students from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. An interesting fact: the University of Waterloo is widely regarded as the top engineering school in Canada. It’s not unheard of for Silicon Valley companies to recruit the best students even before they graduate. Unsurprisingly that Google has established a major campus in the region.
The decision to build an LRT was made based on an environmental assessment that considered several alternatives: subway, monorail, and rapid bus. Eventually, the LRT was deemed the best option given the planned ridership and the route that would connect downtown Kitchener and downtown Waterloo via the busy King Street. In this section, the train operates more like a tram running on a dedicated right-of-way with priority signalling and elevated platforms at each station. I personally think it’s very cool to see a modern train running past century-old buildings on historic streets! And it’s not only about urban aesthetic: the train brings customers directly to downtown businesses where parking is limited.
Each end of the ION LRT route connects to a major shopping mall - Conestoga Mall in the north and Fairway Mall in the south. Why can’t we build more of this? It makes perfect sense to bring shoppers who either don’t own a car or prefer not to drive. Both malls also have bus terminals that make the train a true transit backbone for the entire transportation system. Another “win” of the ION LRT is that it connects to an intercity train station where you can catch a commuter GO Train to Toronto or a VIA Rail train to Toronto, London or Sarnia.
The LRT was originally intended to extend into downtown Cambridge, but shortsighted local politicians opted instead for a rapid bus connection from Kitchener. Unlike Waterloo and Kitchener, Cambridge was largely opposed to building the LRT and viewed it as a waste of taxpayers’ money despite the universally proven long-term benefits of a metro train. Fast forward to 2026, and the region is now seriously considering an extension to Cambridge backed by the clear success of the existing ION system.
The train service frequency is between 10 to 15 minutes. While the train’s maximum speed can reach up to 88 km/h / 55 mph, in practice it rarely exceeds 50 km/h / 30 mph. Even along the fully separated section near Waterloo Park and the University of Waterloo - where there’s no traffic or pedestrian interference - the train doesn’t travel particularly fast and tends to feel a bit shaky, unlike most other LRT systems I’ve ridden.
Each station features a distinctive wall design with varying colours. This kind of adds a sense of identity to each stop. A glass canopy with smaller shelters protects waiting passengers from rain, wind, and snow. At some road crossings, safety is enhanced with drop gates, flashing red lights, and warning bells to alert pedestrians and drivers.
The fleet consists of Bombardier Flexity Freedom vehicles, which were manufactured locally in Ontario in Thunder Bay and Kingston. The system operates with 15 LRT vehicles, each featuring driver cabins at both ends, so there is no need for turnaround loops at terminus stations. Interestingly, the Region of Waterloo initially planned to purchase only 14 vehicles, but due to significant delivery delays, Bombardier provided an additional vehicle free of charge - valued at $6 million - as compensation. That’s how the system came to have vehicle number 515.
The train operates on a Proof of Payment system. Each station is equipped with machines for purchasing tickets or smart cards, as well as validating them before boarding. I witnessed firsthand that fare enforcement is taken seriously: my fare was checked by two transit security officers during one of the rides. One of the officers even showed interest in the box of pastries I was carrying from a Vietnamese bakery in downtown Waterloo. During the check, the officers caught two people without valid tickets. I’m not being sarcastic here, but it’s always amusing to hear the excuses people come up with while trying to stay polite. The most popular one is “My card didn’t work - there must be something wrong with your fare device.”
As mentioned earlier, there has been significant transit-oriented development along the ION route with a growing number of condominiums and businesses concentrating near the stations. One of the key reasons for building the LRT was to stop suburban sprawl and instead focus on vertical growth to preserve the region’s valuable farmlands, some of the most fertile in Canada. That strategy has clearly paid off, as numerous high-rises have already been built, and many more are underway.
Another major benefit of building the LRT was infrastructure revitalization, as most utilities along the route had to be relocated or modernized. It’s an upgrade that brought lasting value to the region. One particularly interesting discovery during construction was an old carriage road found beneath King Street in Waterloo, which had to be excavated by archaeologists. That’s a pretty unusual find for Canada!
I could not have mentioned a very peculiar feature of the ION LRT: Canadian National (CN) uses a portion of the track between Waterloo Public Square and Northfield stations to run freight trains. This typically happens twice a week at night, although I’ve heard that freight trains occasionally pass through later in the evening while LRT service is still running. I was wondering why an old, slightly crooked track connects to the electrified ION LRT line - and now I know why. It turns out there was an agreement made between CN and ION to use the right-of-way of CN’s Waterloo Spur line for part of the LRT corridor.
By the way, there’s a tourist heritage train operated by Waterloo Central Railway that runs between Northfield Station in Waterloo and the village of St. Jacobs on weekends. Before the construction of the LRT began, it used to travel all the way to downtown Waterloo. Below are the photos I took back in 2013.
The ION LRT is one of my favourite transit systems in Canada. It has proven to be a transformative force in the Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge region. It’s more than just a transit line. I think it’s become a catalyst for sustainable urban growth, infrastructure renewal, and economic development. I also think its thoughtful design, cost, and integration with existing transit networks should be a role model for other mid-sized cities across Canada and overseas ∎.
With ION’s per-kilometer construction cost being $43 million, which seems quite reasonable, this is more or less in line with the per-mile construction cost of the Phoenix MetroRail light rail transit system which was U.S. $70 million. MetroRail opened in the late 1990s over 20 miles of right of way and having 28 stations. At that cost, included in it was equipment (trains), an equipment (train) storage yard, maintenance facility, overhead catenary, a double-track line, etc., all coming in at the grand total of U.S. $1.4 billion. Initial ridership projections at the time of opening was 26,000 per day. It was right on the money. The single-day ridership high was, for a long time, 43,000. This has probably been surpassed. I rode the line end-to-end twice. Both times the ride was most enjoyable!
The other thing I would like to say is that your photos add so much to your Substack post. Well done!