May 22, 2012
Governments of Canada and Ontario support engineering study for Peterborough Commuter Rail Link
PETERBOROUGH, ON. —The Governments of Canada and Ontario today announced support for a preliminary engineering study on a commuter rail link between Peterborough and Toronto. Mr. Dean Del Mastro, Member of Parliament for Peterborough and Mr. Jeff Leal, Member of the Provincial Parliament for Peterborough, were joined by Mr. Tony Smith, president of the Shining Waters Railway to confirm the successful negotiation of funding agreements with the Railway to conduct the study.
“I am very pleased to confirm federal funding for this study on restoring commuter rail to the Peterborough region,” said MP Del Mastro. “Rail transit helps to cut commute times and ease traffic congestion, promotes the efficient movement of people and goods, and supports job creation and economic growth in our communities. Our government is proud to support informed decision-making on potential infrastructure investments such as this one.”
“The Ontario government is committed to making our communities more livable and knows how important transportation is to the communities in Peterborough and the Kawartha region,” said Mr. Leal. “It is essential to local job creation, economic growth, and reduced congestion.”
The study will include preliminary engineering design for the line on which trains would operate between Peterborough and Union Station in Toronto. It will assess the existing condition of the infrastructure and evaluate the extent of repairs or upgrades that would be needed to operate a commuter rail service and whether additional infrastructure improvements would be required.
“The Board of the Shining Waters Railway is very excited to accept this funding for a preliminary engineering study.” stated Tony Smith, Founding President of the Shining Waters Railway. “We appreciate the support of both the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario.”
The federal and provincial governments are each contributing 50 per cent of the cost of the study, up to $150,000. This follows the federal government’s commitment in Budget 2011 to co-fund the study with Ontario, reaffirming its support for the Peterborough Commuter Rail Project. The federal contribution will be provided through the Building Canada Fund – Major Infrastructure Component, a program under the Building Canada Plan. Building Canada, the Government of Canada's infrastructure plan, has committed an unprecedented $33 billion in funding to infrastructure projects that are contributing to a growing economy, a cleaner environment, and more prosperous communities.
