Teamsters Canada Rail Conference

Better, faster train service coming to Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal

The federal government has plans to boost passenger rail service to Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto, Transport Minister John Baird announced Tuesday.

Baird made the announcement that track improvements are coming down the line after riding into Ottawa's Via Rail station by train.

The government plans to add two more trains in both directions between Ottawa and Montreal, he said.

He also announced plans to get trains that are already running between Montreal and Toronto to move faster.

"Improved infrastructure means safer rail travel," Baird said. By eliminating delays and congestion, trains would be able to reach their destinations faster, he said.

That's a commitment, Baird said, that could cut the travel time between Toronto and Montreal to four hours, making the trip as fast as it was in 1973, when the Canadian Turbo Train was still in operation.

And the idea of bringing a high-speed train to the corridor between Windsor and Quebec City is still on the table. The idea's been studied many times over the past 30 years, and another study is underway.

"I think before we make a $30-billion decision — I think a $20- or $30-billion decision — what we should do is get the facts in front of us," Baird said. "That's what Canadians expect."

Canadians should also consider what they'll lose if the government doesn't invest in faster train service, said Paul Langan of the group High-Speed Rail Canada.

"Moving forward with these baby steps," he said, "we're never going to have a modern passenger service."