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Posted by
GojiMet86
on Wed Jan 12 12:15:35 2022
https://www.wxyz.com/news/new-train-route-proposed-between-detroit-and-toronto
Detroit to Toronto by train plan gets boost with Amtrak agreement
Eric D. Lawrence
Detroit Free Press
A mega freight railroad merger appears to put a Detroit-to-Toronto passenger rail connection closer to reality.
Amtrak, which provides much of the passenger rail service in the United States, said it has gotten a commitment of cooperation for its own expansion plans from Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which has a $25 billion acquisition deal with Kansas City Southern.
Amtrak said its plans include adding passenger rail service through the Detroit River Tunnel connecting Detroit and the cities of Windsor and Toronto in Ontario through VIA Rail Canada. Connecting Toronto via Detroit with Chicago and its many connections could go a long way toward improving service for U.S. rail passengers, who currently deal with a rail network that leaves many cities without direct connections.
Amtrak was one of the beneficiaries of last year's big infrastructure package pushed by the Biden administration, which directed $66 billion toward passenger rail.
It wasn't immediately clear how quickly a rail connection between Detroit and Toronto could be established. If it happens, it wouldn't be the only good news for rail passengers in Detroit being envisioned. The Michigan Department of Transportation is looking to build a new Amtrak and bus station in Detroit's New Center area, adding a $10 million federal grant to offset the estimated $57 million cost.
The railroad tie-up, which still needs approval from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, would create a rail network connecting the U.S, Canada and Mexico. The Wall Street Journal noted in March that "if approved by regulators, the deal would unite the two smallest of the seven major North American freight carriers, linking factories and ports in Mexico, farms and plants in the Midwestern U.S. and Canada’s ocean ports and energy resources."
Amtrak has agreed to support the railroad merger before the Surface Transportation Board, calling Canadian Pacific an excellent host railroad for passenger rail service. Amtrak noted that Canadian Pacific "consistently" receives an "A" grade on Amtrak's annual host railroad report card, "recognizing its industry-leading on-time performance record." Passenger and freight rail often share the same tracks, and that is frequently blamed for many of the service delays experienced by Amtrak passengers.
“We welcome CP’s commitment to our efforts with states and others to expand Amtrak service and are pleased to have reached an agreement formalizing CP’s support of Amtrak expansion in the Midwest and the South," Amtrak President Stephen Gardner said in a news release. “Given CP’s consistent record as an Amtrak host, we support CP’s proposal to expand its network. This is exactly what Congress and the Administration are seeking: Amtrak and the freight railroads working together to benefit freight customers, Amtrak passengers, our state/regional partners and the general public.”
Amtrak's Midwest expansion plans, which Canadian Pacific will cooperate on, also include increased frequency between Chicago and Milwaukee and extending service from Milwaukee to St. Paul, Minnesota, "to create a second round-trip on the Twin Cities-Milwaukee-Chicago corridor."
The agreement could also help Amtrak connect New Orleans to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and allow it to "study the potential for Amtrak service between Meridian, Mississippi, and Dallas."
Keith Creel, Canadian Pacific president and CEO, said in the release that the deal with Kansas City Southern would have no adverse effect on intercity passenger rail service and that the railroad is "pleased to continue to support Amtrak and its infrastructure projects to provide capacity needed to accommodate additional service.”
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