A possible rail strike Thursday could impact some GO Train riders. Here’s what you need to know

A possible rail strike which could start just after midnight on Thursday could make things messy for some GTA commuters.

More than 9,000 workers at Canada’s two major railways could be off the job as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference — the union representing workers at Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Ltd. — said it had served strike notice to the railway.

CN Rail meanwhile issued a notice saying that it will lock out its workers at the same time unless a deal is reached or the parties go to binding arbitration.

In a statement, Metrolinx said that a rail strike would not affect most GO Transit riders. However, GO Train service on the Milton line would be temporarily suspended, as would Go Train service at Hamilton GO station.

UP Express and all other GO lines would be unaffected, Metrolinx said.

“We are closely monitoring this situation and will inform our customers of any changes should a labour disruption occur,” Metrolinx said.

Customers who use the Milton line told CP24 Wednesday that possible service disruption would complicate their commute. Some said they would be forced to drive, while others said they would likely try to work from home if possible. Others said they weren’t sure what they would do.

Metrolinx is advising customers on the Milton corridor to consider local transit options or access GO Transit services on the Lakeshore West or Kitchener corridors as an alternative.

Hamilton GO customers can use Aldershot GO Station as an alternative or use normally scheduled GO Bus service on Route 16.

Aside from the possible commuter disruptions, a rail strike would likely have a massive impact on the movement of goods around the country.

With files from The Canadian Press