By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg council voted on Monday to support a letter from Lance McIntosh urging the reinstatement of Via Rail commuter train 651 with a motion to have staff write a letter advocating this move to Via Rail and to Northumberland-Peterborough South MP Philip Lawrence.
The train used to hit Cobourg at 7 a.m. and Port Hope at 7:10 a.m., allowing “well in excess of one hundred people living from Trenton to Port Hope to be able to work in Toronto without the necessity of having to live there...the best of both worlds, if you will,” McIntosh stated.
Their attempts to get a credible response from Via resulted in stalling or outright silence.
Councillor Emily Chorley mentioned a job her husband once had that required him to take this train.
“I am familiar with the huge volume of residents here in Cobourg who rely on this commuter service to get to work,” Chorley said.
“I understand Via is hesitant. But it's not just important for commuters, but also for any of our residents who need that connectivity for medical appointments, for entertainment, for visiting family. It's important to send its own letter.”
Mayor John Henderson recalled a visit to council by Via representatives years ago, to let them know that both a third line and a brand-new station were in the works. It seemed for a while, Via was interested in improving its service to the community. Since COVID hit, he said, that has not been the case.
The motion calling for a letter from the town also asks that the municipality request a written response.
