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Delays expected on GO Lakeshore East line starting Monday due to accident investigation

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GO Transit users on the Lakeshore East line will be experiencing travel delays this week as labour officials investigate an accident along the train tracks in Pickering that left a contract worker dead.

Metrolinx said it is planning to use a combination of trains and buses to run a half-hour service to all Lakeshore East line stations starting on Monday. GO trains will run between Union and Guildwood stations and between Pickering and Oshawa stations.

Metrolinx said shuttle buses will be used to transport customers between Guildwood and Pickering GO stations. The agency warned that travel times for those using stations between Oshawa and Rouge Hill and travelling to Union Station will face delays of about 30 minutes.

"Our teams have been working around the clock to sort of figure out how we can ensure that our GO train customers who use the Lakeshore East line can really get to where they're going this week, understanding that it's going to probably take longer than it usually does for those customers to get where they're going," Metrolinx spokesperson Matt Llewellyn told CP24 Sunday afternoon.

"What we can guarantee at this point is that we will be servicing all stations with by one mode, whether that's by train or bus."

Llewellyn said the Ministry of Labour has taken control of the scene and the site will be shut down "until potentially Thursday."

Customers are being advised to plan their travel and give themselves extra time. Metrolinx said there will be additional staff in stations to guide customers.

The ministry is investigating after a contract worker was killed when he became pinned under a freight car full of gravel along the tracks east of Rouge Hill GO station.

An industrial accident in Pickering left one rail worker dead. (Simon Sheehan/CP24)

The incident happened around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Emergency crews attempted life-saving measures, but the worker was pronounced dead.

It is unknown what caused the rail car to tip over.

The train corridor was shut down this weekend for track signal work and rehabilitation work.

"Because it is under investigation by the Ministry of Labour, not too much more we can say at this point, in terms of the circumstances. What we can say is that obviously, this was an absolute tragedy," Llewellyn said.

"For us, it was devastating to hear. Our first concern as an organization is always about the safety of everyone who works on the railroad. And so, this was absolutely heartbreaking to hear."

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