A high speed rail planning advisory board has been established to provide strategic support to bring high speed rail to the Toronto-Windsor corridor, including Guelph.
Canada’s first high speed rail service will slash travel times for residents in Guelph and Wellington County, officials say, providing a faster, greener travel option that creates new opportunities for workers, businesses, post-secondary students and travelers.
“High speed rail will have a transformative impact on travel in southwestern Ontario, helping people to innovate, connect with each other, and travel for work, study and play,” said minister of transportation Steven Del Duca.
In addition to providing strategic advice on major business issues associated with the project, the advisory board will engage with the private sector, stakeholders and Indigenous communities.
The advisory board members will bring a breadth and depth of expertise to the project, including in the high tech and innovation sectors.
High speed trains would travel at up to 250km per hour on a combination of existing track and new dedicated rail corridors.
The high speed rail line will serve a corridor that’s home to more than seven million people.
The proposed stops are Windsor, Chatham, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Toronto Union Station, with a connection to Pearson International Airport.
The corridor was selected because it is a hub for leading startups, research institutions, and the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, and the region is growing faster than its current transportation network can accommodate, officials say.
High speed rail could cut travel time between Guelph and Toronto to a minimum of 39 minutes, down from the current average of over an hour by car.
