Hamilton opens $390.4M transit centre to support, service growing HSR fleet

The City of Hamilton has announced the opening of a new $390.4 million Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) transit centre.

City officials say the Birch Transit Centre is a maintenance and storage facility aimed at strengthening Hamilton’s transit network.

In a media release sent to CHCH News, Mayor Andrea Horwath says a reliable public transit system is “essential” to keeping residents “connected to jobs, schools, services and each other.”

“Birch Transit Centre is an investment we are making today to support the future of our city. By strengthening HSR’s capacity and supporting a larger fleet, we are enhancing service for residents and visitors alike while building a stronger, more connected Hamilton for years to come,” said Horwath.

All three levels of government contributed funding to the $390.4 million project:

• Government of Canada: $142.8 million
• Government of Ontario: $92.6 million
• City of Hamilton: $155 million

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is investing nearly $70 billion in the largest transit expansion in Canadian history so commuters here in Hamilton and across the province have a fast, reliable option to get where they’re going each day,” said the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation.

The release continues that the Birch facility is a fundamental piece of Hamilton’s efforts to expand and modernize the local transit system through HSR Next – a plan slated to begin in 2027 that will roll out changes to the transit system over a number of years.

More HSR buses have been added to the fleet to meet growing demand, causing the existing maintenance and storage facility to reach capacity.

City staff say the Birch Transit Centre addresses the issue by providing a second indoor space to store and service buses.

Construction on the new transit facility began in 2023 and is now complete.

Included in the transit centre is bus storage, bus washing systems, administrative space and infrastructure designed to support future eclectic battery buses.

WATCH MORE: Hamilton police downtown substation opens to respond to community concerns