University of Waterloo station

{{Short description|Light rail station and bus terminal in Waterloo, Ontario}}

{{Infobox station

| name = University of Waterloo

| style = GRT

| symbol =

| symbol_location =

| type = {{gaps |File:Waterloo_ION_logo.svg||File:GO Transit logo.svg}}

| image = File:University of Waterloo Station Nov 2017.jpg

| caption = Station structurally complete, November 2017

| address = Waterloo, Ontario

| country = Canada

| coordinates = {{coord|43.47312|-80.54107|region:CA-ON_type:railwaystation|display=inline,title}}

| line =

| platforms = Centre platform (Rail Platforms 1/2)

| tracks = 2

| train_operators = Grand River Transit

| bus_routes = {{Collapsible list

|framestyle=border:none; padding:0;

|title=GRT buses

|1= {{RouteBox|9||#013ca6|white}} Lakeshore

|2= {{RouteBox|13||#013ca6|white}} Laurelwood

|3= {{RouteBox|19||#013ca6|white}} Hazel

|4= {{RouteBox|30||#013ca6|white}} Ring Road

|5= {{RouteBox|31||#013ca6|white}} Columbia

|6= {{RouteBox|201 iXpress||#{{rcr|GRT|iXpress}}|white}} Fischer-Hallman

}}

{{Collapsible list

|framestyle=border:none; padding:0;

|title= {{rint|gotransit}} GO buses

| 1= {{RouteBox|17||#{{rcr|GO Transit|Milton}}|white}} Waterloo / Hamilton

| 2= {{RouteBox|25||#{{rcr|GO Transit|Milton}}|white}} Waterloo / Mississauga

| 3= {{RouteBox|30||#{{rcr|GO Transit|Kitchener}}|white}} Kitchener

}}

| bus_stands = 5 (Platforms 3-7)

| bus_operators = Grand River Transit
GO Transit

| connections = {{bike icon}} Laurel Trail / Trans Canada Trail

| structure =

| parking =

| bicycle =

| architect =

| architectural_style =

| status =

| code =

| zone =

| opened = {{Start date|2019}} (Light Rail Platform)
{{Start date|2022}} (Bus Platforms)

| opening =

| closed =

| rebuilt =

| electrified =

| former =

| original =

| passengers =

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| services = {{adjstn|system1=GRT|line1=Ion|left1=Research and Technology|right1=Laurier–Waterloo Park}}

}}

University of Waterloo Station is a bus terminal and light rail station located at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.{{cite web |title=University of Waterloo |url=http://rideion.ca/u-of-waterloo.html |access-date=December 22, 2016 |work=About ION |publisher=GrandLinq Contractors}} The site initially opened as a light rail station on Grand River Transit's ION light rail line in 2019, and the bus terminal for GRT buses was subsequently opened in 2022. The bus terminal is shared with GO Transit, which uses the easternmost eastbound platforms as its University of Waterloo Terminal for its intercity bus service.

History

Before construction of the light rail station, GRT and intercity bus services had been slowly intensifying at a set of stops along the east end of the University of Waterloo's Ring Road near the Davis Centre building, most significantly Grand River Transit (including the 200 iXpress bus which was the predecessor of the Ion light rail system), GO Transit's 25 Waterloo–Mississauga intercity bus route,{{cite web |date=January 9, 2013 |title=GO Transit |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/student-life-centre/node/9/go-transit |access-date=July 17, 2020 |publisher=University of Waterloo}} and the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association's Fed Bus service.{{cite web |date=March 26, 2013 |title=Fed Bus |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/student-life-centre/node/9/fed-bus |access-date=July 17, 2020 |publisher=University of Waterloo}} Half of the bus slips and shelters on Ring Road were removed during the construction of the Light Rail line, but the other half on the west side remain, used only by the Fed Bus service.

In 2016, with light rail infrastructure under construction, an adjacent dedicated bus station was announced. It would be east of the rail line and accessed from Phillip Street, shifting some buses off Ring Road and onto public roadways.{{cite news |last=Sivaloganathan |first=Sujan |date=November 22, 2016 |title=Next stop: University of Waterloo Transit Station |newspaper=Imprint |url=http://uwimprint.ca/article/next-stop-university-of-waterloo-transit-station/ |access-date=July 17, 2020}} Later, in 2020, it was announced that over $3 million in additional provincial, federal, and regional funding had been granted for amenities at the new bus station.{{cite web |author=Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure |author-link=Ministry of Infrastructure (Ontario) |date=June 16, 2020 |title=Canada and Ontario invest in public transit and active transportation infrastructure to support Waterloo Region residents |url=https://news.ontario.ca/moi/en/2020/06/canada-and-ontario-invest-in-public-transit-and-active-transportation-infrastructure-to-support-wate-1.html |access-date=July 17, 2020}} This would include several heated waiting shelters and bike storage facilities.{{cite news |last=Bueckert |first=Kate |date=June 16, 2020 |title=Transit projects to get $25M from federal and provincial governments |website=CBC.ca |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/region-waterloo-transit-projects-funded-bike-lanes-transit-1.5614318 |access-date=July 17, 2020}}

The bus terminal partially opened on January 3, 2022, and then fully opened three weeks later, serving Grand River Transit routes; GO Transit buses switched over on March 15.

Overview

Located on the campus of the University of Waterloo, the station primarily serves students and employees of the university. The main campus is on the west side of the station, with three engineering buildings to the south and administration buildings to the north.

The bus terminal was constructed on an existing access road between Phillip Street on the east and the University's Ring Road on the west, with a level crossing for the ION light rail line and the Laurel Trail at its western end. The Bus Terminal's road continues westward onto the campus grounds as William Tutte Way, named after University of Waterloo mathematician W.T. Tutte.

= Freight Train Usage =

From 11 PM-5 AM, freight trains are permitted to use the tracks used by the light rail line, as the line was built along a portion of track shared with the Waterloo Spur Line, which serves industrial locations in Elmira. To protect the station structure (and the trains themselves), a gauntlet track is in place alongside Platform 1 of the station that offsets the freight track a small distance.

Services

= Grand River Transit =

Light Rail

class="wikitable" \|+ !Platform !Route !Name !Notes
1 ! rowspan="2" \|301 \| rowspan="2" \|ION Express \|Northbound to Conestoga Station
2 \|Southbound to Fairway Station

class="wikitable"

|+

!Platform

!Route

!Name

!Notes

1

! rowspan="2" |301

| rowspan="2" |ION Express

|Northbound to Conestoga Station

2

|Southbound to Fairway Station

File:University_of_Waterloo_station_bus_platforms.jpg

Buses

class="wikitable" !Platform !Route !Name !Notes
3 !30 \|Ring Road \|To University of Waterloo Station Via Ring Road, Weekday Service Only
3 ! rowspan="2" \|31 \| rowspan="2" \|Columbia \|Eastbound to Columbia/Sundew Weekday Service Only
4 \|Westbound to Conestoga Station Weekday Service Only
3 ! rowspan="2" \|201 \| rowspan="2" \|iXpress Fischer Hallman \|Eastbound to Conestoga College
4 \|Westbound to Conestoga Station
rowspan="2" \|4 ! rowspan="2" \|19 \| rowspan="2" \|Hazel \|19A to St. Jacob's Market
19B to Northfield station (Waterloo)
5 !301R \|ION Replacement Shuttle \|Rail replacement bus service during 301 service disruptions.
6 !9 \|Lakeshore \|To Conestoga Station
6 !13 \|Laurelwood \|To The Boardwalk Station

class="wikitable"

!Platform

!Route

!Name

!Notes

3

!30

|Ring Road

|To University of Waterloo Station

Via Ring Road, Weekday Service Only

3

! rowspan="2" |31

| rowspan="2" |Columbia

|Eastbound to Columbia/Sundew

Weekday Service Only

4

|Westbound to Conestoga Station

Weekday Service Only

3

! rowspan="2" |201

| rowspan="2" |iXpress Fischer Hallman

|Eastbound to Conestoga College

4

|Westbound to Conestoga Station

rowspan="2" |4

! rowspan="2" |19

| rowspan="2" |Hazel

|19A to St. Jacob's Market

19B to Northfield station (Waterloo)

5

!301R

|ION Replacement Shuttle

|Rail replacement bus service during 301 service disruptions.

6

!9

|Lakeshore

|To Conestoga Station

6

!13

|Laurelwood

|To The Boardwalk Station

= GO Transit =

All GO Transit buses load at Platform 6 and unload at Platform 7.

class="wikitable" !Platform !Route !Name !Notes
rowspan="2" \|6C !17 \|Waterloo / Hamilton \|To Hamilton GO Centre via: Wilfrid Laurier University Guelph Central Station University of Guelph Aldershot GO Station McMaster University
17B \|Waterloo / Hamilton \|To Burlington GO via: Wilfrid Laurier University Kitchener GO
rowspan="5" \|6B !25 \| rowspan="5" \|Waterloo / Mississauga \|To Square One GO Terminal via: Wilfrid Laurier University Cambridge Smartcentre Milton Carpool Winston Churchill Transitway Station Erin Mills Transitway Station
25A \|To Square One GO Terminal via: Wilfrid Laurier University Milton Carpool
25C \|To Square One GO Terminal via: Wilfrid Laurier University
25K \|To Kipling GO via: Wilfrid Laurier University Cambridge Smartcentre Milton Carpool Toronto Premium Outlets Winston Churchill Transitway Station Erin Mills Transitway Station Square One GO Terminal Dixie Transitway Station Renforth Transitway Station
25L \|To Square One GO Terminal via: Wilfrid Laurier University Cambridge Smartcentre Milton Carpool Toronto Premium Outlets Winston Churchill Transitway Station Erin Mills Transitway Station
rowspan="3" \|6A !30 \|rowspan="3" \|Kitchener \|To Highway 407 via: Bramalea GO Station Meadowvale Business Park Kitchener GO station Wilfrid Laurier University
30A \|To Bramalea GO Station via: Kitchener GO station Wilfrid Laurier University
30E \|To Bramalea GO Station via: Wilfrid Laurier University

class="wikitable"

!Platform

!Route

!Name

!Notes

rowspan="2" |6C

!17

|Waterloo / Hamilton

|To Hamilton GO Centre

via:

17B

|Waterloo / Hamilton