Just in time for the summer season, an increase in GO Transit services between Toronto and Niagara Falls has made it easier for visitors to get to the famous Falls, and popular nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The increase in weekday and weekend GO train services was announced earlier this month and the new trips began the next day. There are now an additional two daily round trips along with one more daily roundtrip on weekends to Niagara Falls bringing the total of weekly round trips between Toronto and Niagara Falls to 21.

Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa called the announcement a “needed improvement” that will boost tourism and says the enhanced public transit measure may also help ease parking pressures in town.

“It’s a good sign that it’s not just a summer announcement as well. It sounds like it’s a permanent service enhancement,” he said.

Offering more trips can help people commute to their jobs, homes, and also jumpstart tourism to Niagara, the province said in a news release.

Tourism in Niagara is a $1.8 billion industry and provides more than 23,000 jobs, the release noted.

Minerva Ward, president of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL, said the development “greatly” enhances connectivity between the Greater Toronto Area and Niagara-on-the-Lake and will drive economic growth by “attracting more tourists and increasing visitor spending in the region.”

The province also announced that GO train services to St. Catharines VIA Rail station will resume.

The service enhancements come in the face of increasing traffic congestion between Toronto and Niagara Falls, especially on weekends, as residents and visitors head in both directions, the latter including Canadians going to the US via Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, and Americans headed to Toronto.

Zalepa said the “next big step” will be helping tourists easily get from the train stations to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Currently tourists can get to NOTL from Niagara Falls or St. Catharines by taxi, rideshare or a private shuttle service, said Ward.

Tourists can also use the Niagara Region Transit OnDemand system to get to NOTL. Fares cost $3 within Niagara-on-the-Lake or $6 to travel between cities.

Travellers can also take the WEGO orange line shuttle between Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake daily until Oct. 29. The WEGO orange line shuttle departs from the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory at 10:30 a.m. daily and the last shuttle leaves from Fort George in NOTL at 6 p.m.

As of June 30, the shuttle will depart from the Niagara Falls Floral Clock at 9:30 a.m. daily and the last shuttle leaves from Fort George at 7 p.m.