Several plans were made to extend the rail network to Hamilton and Toronto; however, none of them were successful.

The rail network was expanded to Port Colborne in the mid-1920s and much repair work was done on the existing track.

During the Second World War, the rail service experienced heavy use as bus fuel was rationed.

After the war, a program of dieselisation started to replace many of the electric trams but the decline of the railway continued.

Two of the main lines were replaced by buses in 1951 and 1954 and passenger rail service stopped altogether in 1959.