[1] Passenger service was discontinued in 1955, and as portions of the line were closed by CP Rail (the GRNR's parent company), the former right of way was given over to redevelopment, especially in southern Kitchener.

Beyond Ottawa Street, the right of way is now lost to redevelopment in the form of the Rockway Municipal Golf Course, suburban residential housing, the Conestoga Parkway, and Highway 8.

Other parts of the GRNR right of way are still owned by CP Rail and used for freight operations, which in some areas represent parallel tracks which were used to enable the old two-way electric passenger service.

In contrast, the central section, running just to the south of the Victoria Park neighbourhood, is largely unchanged due to the endurance of the area's 19th-century housing stock.

[7][8] On 9 September 2019, a cyclist riding along the trail was struck by a motorist while traversing the uncontrolled crossing at Victoria Street, and was subsequently airlifted to hospital.

These improvements would comprise around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of additional pedestrian paths and bikeways intended primarily to better connect the main Iron Horse Trail route to public transit.