Hamiltonians still in the dark about LRT timelines, despite open house with Metrolinx

Questions remain over Hamilton’s LRT timeline and construction plans, despite a virtual open house last night.

Officials say that enabling work – relocating underground utilities, as well as completing environmental and archaeological surveys – has been underway since 2023.

Major construction, however, has not started. Metrolinx says they currently do not have a clear picture of when shovels will be in the ground, either.

“At this time we actually don’t have a date that we can share with you right now,” Erin Senior of Metrolinx said during the open house.

“As that becomes available, it’s our commitment to share that with you – I know that’s a priority for a lot of folks, just to get a sense of when is this project actually going to be coming. So as soon as we know, we will also let you know.”

Metrolinx says the procurement process for the Hamilton LRT is underway, and Metrolinx has released a request for proposals from four Canadian contractors.

They’re expected to choose a contractor in early 2026, at which point the project will move to the alliance development phase.

This development phase, according to Danielle Bury, Vice President of Hamilton LRT, is when Metrolinx will have an idea of what construction timelines could look like.

“It’s at [the development phase] when we get to start to answer a lot of the detailed questions that you have in terms of schedule and design and when we are going to be in front of your door with shovels and diggers,” she said during the open house.

In the Q&A period, a spokesperson for Metrolinx said that they’re aiming to begin construction within 18 to 24 months following the development phase – meaning construction may not start until 2028 or later.

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