TORONTO — The current Conservative government of the province of Ontario says it will pause funding for a planned high speed rail line between Toronto and Windsor, Ont., a project announced by the previous Liberal government that would have cut the travel time between the two cities from four hours to two.
Transportation minister Jeff Yurek said the decision is based on fiscal issues with the province, the National Post reports. “We’re dealing with a deficit and a huge debt so we want to make sure we’re going to make the right investments going forward.” The first budget for the new government sets the province’s deficit at $11.7 billion (Canadian) and debt at C$343 billion.
The previously announced plan would have connected Toronto to London, Ont., by 2025 and to Windsor by 2031, with trains that would travel up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). [See “Ontario announces plans for Canada’s first high speed rail line,” Trains News Wire, April 9, 2018.]
Yurek said environment assessment of the high speed project will continue, as will a review of all transportation options. The government says it will introduce a transportation plan for Southwest Ontario this fall.
@Charles Landey: it’s *not* a branchline. It’s every bit a part of the Quebec City-Windsor corridor as the one through Aldershot. That would be like saying Ottawa is on a branchline.
@ Braden: Hyperloop is just a thought not a consideration and that`s just guessing over 50 years from now beyond my lifetime or maybe perhaps the existence of humans. There are no rails from where I live that used to be two transcontinental lines and will never be-built. Alternatively some private air entrepreneurs love to introduce profitable short distance commercial aircraft routes in the near future to overcome high speed rail time and infrastructure costs such as bridges, etc.
I think Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal would be a better idea. Why not spend millions on a study and then do nothing? Isn’t that the usual way?
Hyperloop is fantasy.. An unproven system is not efficient until it’s been in operation. The current VIA rail service from Windsor to Toronto’s more than feasible. VIA would be better off purchasing CN’s Chatham sub, and kicking in money to upgrade the; Strathroy, Dundas, and Oakville subs…
What about tourist festival city Stratford? Its left off from that proposed high-speed corridor and will NOT have any train service if that goes ahead. Its currently served twice a day by train.. I question whether if high speed rail is ever feasible anywhere in Canada with its extreme harsh climate? Maybe its better to wait another 50 years for more efficient use like Hyperloop. The top priority at a much cheaper cost is to expand all day GO Transit rail service to Kitchener and hopefully Stratford from Toronto Union.
Bad politics on both sides. The previous Liberal government didn’t propose this until the election loomed — what were they doing in the previous years? Doug Ford and the Conservatives are business-as-usual advocates of more sprawl and highways. SAD!
David – Understood. But Kitchener isn’t on the main line, it’s on a branch.
Hey, I’ve been to Kitchener by rail, a couple of times. I got there.
@Charles Landey Current speeds in the Windsor corridor are slower than most people drive on the 401. On the London-Kitchener-Toronto north mainline they barely crack 35 miles per hour. That is quite a distance from “nothing wrong”.
If you have a failing, token national rail system, tell the voters that the province can conjure up high speed rail out of pixie dust.
There’s nothing wrong with the current speeds in the Windsor corridor, and everything wrong with the company that runs them.
Not every bloody partial route along a significant corridor should become a high speed line. Look at Illinois, where the banner of 110 mph has not even been closely achieved; may not ever; may indeed conflict with the numerous stops en route.
What Ontario, Ottawa, VIA, and CN should do is upgrade the rail infrastructure between Windsor-Toronto. If necessary, to eliminate interference with freight traffic, build another mainline track dedicated to passenger service. This route should run at least at 79mph, if not 90mph.
However, their is always a cost benefit analysis to consider.
As well, will any trains from Windsor run thru Toronto to Ottawa or Montreal?