Transport Action Canada is presenting plan to restore rail service to communities, including St. Marys.
The VIA 1-4-10 plan was unveiled alongside the tracks which the organization wants to be better utilized by the federal rail service. The plan includes an 11 step process which would allow VIA to return to their mandate of providing a viable transportation solution for Canadians.
Rail transportation specialist Greg Gormick is critical of the government's narrow focus when it comes to servicing Southwestern Ontario by rail.
“People like in St Marys and Stratford who will say well why is all this public money, my tax dollars, going to a project that isn't going to serve me. In fact, you're probably going to take my existing service away to put on this fancy shmancy high speed thing, it doesn't make sense at all right now," says Gormick. "High speed rail is a lovely vision for the distant future.”
Transport Action Canada is optimistic that the newly elected Liberal government will be proactive in regards to finding a solution to the region's transportation woes.
“We have a provincially funded commuter operation, GO, operating on top of routes that have traditionally been run by federally funded VIA. So we now have the specter of tax dollars chasing after, competing with tax dollars,” says Gormick.
Gormick would prefer to see the government focus on immediate improvements that could be made to the rail service. The complete action plan prepared by Transport Action Canada is available online at www.nationaldreamrenewed.ca.
