Not everyone is happy with the plans Ontario has for a high speed rail line.
The line would run between Toronto and London, through part of Oxford County, and a non-partisan ad-hoc group is holding a series of information sessions in our area where they are laying out their concerns about the portion running from Kitchener to London, including technical, commercial, social and economic factors that they feel should lead the province to look at other ideas like expanding and improving the Via Rail line that runs through Stratford.
InterCityRail coordinator Ken Westcar says the high speed line would interfere with peoples livelihoods.
“All the way from Wilmot Township, west of Kitchener, all the way to Thames Center, east of London, and it will be passing across the top of Embro and as a result of that it will consume, to get the right of way in place for the high speed rail, it will consume over 1000 acres of prime agricultural farm land.”
The province is currently conducting environmental assessments on the lines route between Kitchener and London and Premier Kathleen Wynne announced earlier this month that the government would invest $11 billion dollars to help it get up and running by 2025, calling it a “building block” that would help the southwest have an exciting future.
