Local Member of Parliament Eric Duncan (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry) issued the following statement on the announcement from Transport Canada and VIA Rail with respect to the future of High Frequency Rail (HFR) between Toronto and Quebec City.
“With today’s announcement to move forward with VIA high-frequency rail service up through Ottawa and Peterborough, there continues to be reasons to worry about what the future holds for service levels in communities like Cornwall that will no longer be along the main route.
VIA’s presentation to Cornwall City Council was uninspiring, to say the least, and left more questions than answers.
By now, with this $4 billion project getting a green light, there is no reason why future plans for Cornwall, Brockville, and other stations would not be included in the announcement, allaying the fears that many residents have over rail service across Eastern Ontario.
If the government is trying to announce good news before a possible election, why wouldn’t assurances about service levels not be provided to the Cornwall station as well? It certainly makes it look like there isn’t good news for our region once again”.
