Ion, stylized as ION, is an integrated public transportation network in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Keolis and is part of the Grand River Transit (GRT) system, partially replacing GRT's Route 200 iXpress bus service. The section of the bus route serving Cambridge has been renamed "Ion Bus", and renumbered as 302. The first phase commenced operations on June 21, 2019, between the north end of Waterloo and the south end of Kitchener. A future extension of light rail to the downtown Galt area of Cambridge is planned but construction may not begin on that line until 2028. In 2023, Ion LRT had an annual ridership of 4.3 million, and a daily ridership of 11,780.
Bombardier Flexity Freedom unit #506 approaches Fairway Station
Ion vehicle at Queen station during testing in August 2018
Interior of Ion vehicle 506
The system's Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility (OMSF)
Regional Municipality of Waterloo
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo is a metropolitan area of Southern Ontario, Canada. It contains the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, and the townships of North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich. Kitchener, the largest city, is the seat of government.
Image: Kitchener City Hall
Image: University of Waterloo Nano Building
Image: Waterloo Region HQ Frederick
Image: St Jacobs Aerial