CANADA: The federal government is to call tenders shortly for the appointment of an external adviser to assist with exploring options for upgrading passenger rail services in southwestern Ontario.
The adviser will analyse passenger demand and route options, submitting a final report by the end of 2023. This is intended to support future integration of enhancements in southwest Ontario into the High Frequency Rail project to provide more trains, reduced journey times and improved punctuality in the corridor between Québec City and Toronto.
Enhancements would build on improvement works currently underway, with the government’s 2022 budget including C$42.8m to improve VIA Rail stations including Brantford, Chatham, Sarnia and London.
VIA Rail’s C$989m fleet of 32 Siemens Mobility push-pull inter-city trains is also expected to begin entering service on the Québec City – Montréal – Toronto - Windsor corridor later this year.
‘Travellers in Southwestern Ontario want faster, greener passenger rail service’, said Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra on August 30.
‘I am happy to say that our government remains committed to delivering on High Frequency Rail, stretching from Québec City to Toronto. With the engagement of a new external advisor, we are ready to develop options that will enhance passenger rail for communities across southwestern Ontario.’
