Counties and towns along route band together
The counties of Northumberland and Hastings, and the cities of Quinte West, Belleville and Kingston, have partnered to press for action by VIA with the release of a new report.
To help present their case to both the federal Minister of Transport and VIA Rail Canada, the group has released, The Case for Getting VIA Train 651 Back on Track: A report on the critical importance of commuter train services for a growing Eastern Ontario, which lays out the case that the cancelled VIA Train # 651 service that former served commuters from Kingston to Toronto, is of critical importance for Eastern Ontario commuters.
The report shows commuter demand and usage will not only return to pre-pandemic levels, but is expected to increase significantly from previous years. The report also highlights the impact the current loss of service is having on the economy and the environment, with the absence of this service creating a hardship for many commuters traveling to work given the rising cost of fuel.
“Our report confirms that 96 per cent of pre-Covid users would return to this service, with 31 per cent of all survey respondents identifying as new users eager to access this service. The data suggests that if VIA Train # 651 returns, ridership levels will be stronger than pre-pandemic use,” remarks Bob Sanderson,Northumberland County Councillor and Chair of the Economic Development, Planning and Tourism Committee. “The labour force in Eastern Ontario is stronger than pre-pandemic levels and our population is growing at a faster rate than the rest of the province. Our workforce needs this rail service as an alternative to costly vehicle use and residents want to make a responsible choice when it comes to the environment.”
The group has sent a request for a meeting, along with the report, to both the federal Minister of Transport, who oversees the mandate for getting people safely to where they need to go, and to VIA Rail Canada, urging for action in returning VIA commuter Train # 651 to service.
edited material from the County/VIARailimage
#VIARail, #651, #traincommuters, #cobourg, #porthope, #earlymorningtrain
