Thousands of passengers in Ontario will return to their normal commute this morning as a rail line and station are scheduled to resume operations following the end of a work stoppage at Canada’s two largest railroad companies.

Metrolinx spokeswoman Andrea Ernesaks said Sunday that service on the Milton GO Line and at Hamilton GO Station would resume the next day, but added that there may be some schedule adjustments throughout the day as the company resumes normal operations.

Ernesaks said Metrolinx will also have additional staff and shuttles available in case they need to be deployed, which she said is standard practice when there is a schedule change.

Commuters using the Milton GO Line and Hamilton GO Station were surprised Thursday morning when a nationwide rail lockout by Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City resulted in the closure of lines in major metropolitan areas.

The lockout affected more than 9,000 rail workers and resulted in a nationwide work stoppage affecting freight traffic and 30,000 commuters in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver who use trains on CPKC tracks.

The strike ended shortly after midnight on Monday after the Canada Industrial Relations Board announced a decision on Saturday ordering the companies and their workers to return to work pending binding arbitration.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 26, 2024.