A local MP spoke with Canada’s Transport Minister in the hopes of getting a train route saved.
Recently in Ottawa, Northumberland-Clarke MP Philip Lawrence asked Minister Steven MacKinnon about the financial savings of cancelling the route, compared to the cost of the Alto high speed rail project.
“That might save, I don’t know, thousands or millions. At the same time, your government’s looking to spend, according to the PBO (Parliamentary Budget Office), $113 billion further on this. How do you square that circle, Minister?”
Minister MacKinnon pointed to a number of challenges for VIA Rail, including track sharing with CN rail and freight trains.
“We need to make that service more efficient, more fluid, more reliable for your constituents. That is our great hope.”
Lawrence pleaded for the minister to step in to revive the train.
“Would you be willing to direct them to return a commuter train for specifically my constituents as well as Ms. Harrison’s (Peterborough MP Emma Harrison) as others?”
MacKinnon says the ministry office does not get involved in operational decisions of Via Rail.
“Particularly those that they rationalize based on improving on-time performance and reliability and better service.”
With the elimination of the train, there is now no rail service in the region that gets commuters to Toronto before 9:00 a.m. weekdays
