As Northumberland County council's Economic Development, Tourism, Land Use Planning Standing Committee chair Bob Sanderson said this week, it's broad public support and a co-ordinated approach that is the best hope of local commuters to convince VIA Rail to restore Train 651 as a vital transit link between the Eastern Ontario region and the Greater Toronto Area.
As Eastern Ontario continues to grow, commuters need fast, reliable and sustainable regional transit options more than ever. That's why Eastern Ontario municipal partners (such as Kingston, Belleville and Quinte West as well as Northumberland) are co-ordinating to build the case for restoring this early-morning train that was so ideal for commuters – and was taken out of service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toward this end, the county announces the launch of a short survey that community members are asked to complete by Aug. 5.
In the announcement Warden Bob Crate noted that, as the province reopens, people are returning to their offices.
“With the rising cost of fuel, and environmental sustainability a growing concern, there is a critical need for regional transit options,” Crate said.
“As we plan for the livable, competitive, and sustainable communities of the future, Eastern Ontario needs VIA Rail Train 651 restored. We encourage residents to help us build the case for this service by completing our brief survey about the need and opportunity for commuter train services for the Kingston-to-Toronto corridor.”
Prior to the pandemic, Train 651 serviced the Kingston-to-Toronto corridor, conveying workers to jobs in the GTA, along with other riders. Cancelling it (along with certain other services) was VIA's response to lower ridership over the past two years. Affordability for commuters is now also at risk following the suspension of the VIA Rail Pass program.
As the province reopens, Eastern Ontario municipalities have joined together to build the case for why VIA Rail must #CommitToCommuters and restore these essential services. To help get the morning commute back on track, community members are encouraged to complete a three-minute survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/OnTrackCommute.
