Ontario’s Budget 2019 confirmed a major passenger transportation policy shift for Southwestern Ontario. The Province has paused capital funding for High Speed Rail and is actively exploring opportunities to enhance train speeds and service levels on existing railway corridors, as well as opportunities for inter-community bus services or other transit solutions that better support the immediate needs of SW Ontario. A transportation plan will be brought forward by fall, 2019.
Transport Action Ontario strongly supports this new approach. We have long advocated for High Performance Rail – incremental improvement of passenger rail service on existing corridors, plus improved bus feeder service. We look forward to the public consultation process that forms part of the new plan development.
A newspaper article speaking to the new direction was published in the London Free Press on April 19. It quoted Transport Action Ontario director Terry Johnson extensively. Here is a link to the article:
https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/other-rail-fixes-urged-for-southwestern-ontario-as-high-speed-service-frozen