Ontario is set to become the first province with high speed rail.
The technology cuts down on travel times, gives people more low-carbon transportation options and creates new opportunities for workers and businesses, provincial officials stated in a May 19 announcement.
The high speed rail line will run along the Toronto-Windsor corridor.
The province announced last week it is moving ahead with preliminary design work on the project and investing $15 million in a comprehensive environmental assessment. High speed rail will support economic growth in Guelph and across the province, officials say.
Proposed stops on the new high speed rail line include Windsor, Chatham, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Toronto, with a connection to Pearson International Airport.
Trains would move at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour using a combination of existing track and new, dedicated rail corridors.
“This is just one part of our plan to invest in transit across the province – connecting communities and supporting growth in jobs and the economy,” said minister of transportation Steven Del Duca.
High speed rail could cut travel time between Guelph and Toronto to a minimum of 39 minutes, down from the current average of over an hour by car.
“Combined with GO RER’s (Regional Express Rail) proposed delivery of two-way, all-day service, high speed rail will be a transformative mode shift for transportation in southwestern Ontario,” a press release states.
“It will expand Ontario’s innovation super-corridor to Windsor, connect economic clusters and support a low-carbon economy.
“Investing in high speed rail is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives,” the release states.
