CORNWALL, Ontario – Train travellers can expect no changes to the Cornwall VIA Rail station or number of stops in the city as the company did not include Cornwall in their High Frequency Rail (HFR) proposal.
Mariam Diaby, Media Relations Senior Advisor with VIA Rail, explained that the HFR project would build on the existing corridor to provide more frequent services, adding dedicated rail lines between Toronto to Ottawa via Peterborough and Montreal to Quebec City via Trois-Rivières.
“VIA Rail will continue to offer the current number of stops at Cornwall,” said Diaby.
The proposed HFR networks would not reach as far South as Cornwall. Cornwall appears to be one of four stations in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec that would not be included in the HFR alongside Dorval, Alexandria and Le Coteaux.
Diaby said the HFR project has been introduced to the Government of Canada and Transport Canada is currently analyzing the proposal.
“No decision has been made yet,” said Diaby. “Should the project be approved, it could be deployed in four years.”
Diaby expects the HFR to create a more reliable service for passengers with reduced trip times and improved accessibilities, expanding to Peterborough and Trois-Rivières. The HFR is also projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of 10.3 million tonnes of CO2 over 30 years.
