High-speed rail lines needed, says study

A report on high-speed Via Rail service in the Toronto-Montreal corridor says it's time to stop studying the issue and make some decisions.

The report done for Via says the benefits of high-speed rail have been demonstrated repeatedly.

It was obtained by the Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

The document reviews seven major studies since 1984 that examined the feasibility of building the link, at a cost in the range of $11 billion.

It also reports on a 2004 study looking at a similar link between Calgary and Edmonton, estimated to cost $3.4 billion.

Andre Gravelle of the firm UMA Engineering notes every Canadian study to date has concluded significant government investment is needed to build the infrastructure for high-speed rail.

Gravelle cites a 1991 study that indicated almost one-third of high-speed rail passengers would bediverted from the airlines.

He suggests the airline industry helped kill the proposal.